Minnesota Council on Foundations Oral History Project

Working with team member Erica S. Schultz, I have led the three stages of the Minnesota Council on Foundations Oral History Project. This multi-year Legacy funded oral history project has helped document the history of philanthropy from the viewpoint of foundation leaders in Minnesota. The interviews and all project materials are held by the Minnesota Council on Foundations.

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About Barb Sommer

Barbara W. Sommer, M.A., has over forty years of experience in the oral history field. She has been principal investigator and director of more than twenty-five major oral community history projects and has taught oral history in post-secondary and community settings. She has presented keynote addresses at a number of regional oral history conferences, is a presenter at state, national, and international conferences, and is a long-time member of the Oral History Association (OHA) where she has served in several leadership positions. She is the author and co-author of several key publications in the field including The Oral History Manual (4th edition 2024), Indigenous Oral History Manual: Canada and the United States (2nd edition, 2023), the Community Oral History Toolkit (2013, 2nd edition due out in 2025), Practicing Oral History in Historical Organizations (2015), and Doing Veterans Oral History (2015). She also is the author of the award-winning book Hard Work and a Good Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Minnesota (2008). She holds degrees from Carleton College and the University of Minnesota.