Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program Interviews, 1999-

The Stanford Historical Society's Oral History Program explores the institutional history of the University, with an emphasis on the transformative post-WWII period, through interviews with leading faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, and others. The collection includes a project on Racial and Ethnic Diversity at Stanford, which seeks to recapture what happened in the two decades between the late 1960s and the late 1980s that initiated and then shaped a significant increase in undergraduate student diversity at Stanford. Over 23 interviewees have been interviewed for that project. Many transcripts and audio recordings are accessible online through the Online Archive of California. The collection also includes interviews with African American alumni describing their experiences as students and beyond. 

Online exhibits with oral history interviews related to the history of Black students at Stanford include the Stanford Oral History Collection. This content can also be searched through the Stanford Historical Society.

Content includes:

Yvonne Wilkins Fry-Johnson describes her family background, the path that led her to Stanford, some academic highlights, and her career journey in medicine. 

• Tiffany Thomas and Jenice Wilson

Tiffany Thomas (AB Political Science, 2002) and Jenice Wilson (AB Cultural and Social Anthropology, 2002) share what is was like studying at Stanford as Black women, as well as their experiences as Black alumni today.

• James Jacquet

James Jacquet graduated from Stanford with a BA in psychology in 1985. In this oral history, he speaks about his experiences at Stanford, including joining the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, the academic struggles he faced in the pre-med track, and how he felt like he “finally found my tribe of people” when he immersed himself in Stanford’s African American community.

• Kalenah Witcher

Kalenah Witcher graduated from Stanford in 1991 with a BA in psychology and Honor’s in education. In this oral history, she talks about her experiences as a Black, Muslim woman studying at Stanford, including her decision not to cover herself while at college.

Black Alumni Stories, 2019

Recorded as part of the 2019 Black Alumni Summit held in Los Angeles, California, these interviews explored the lives of Black students at Stanford from the 1960s through the 2000s. Interviewees were asked to reflect on how they came to Stanford, the experience of Black students during their time here, and challenges they faced. Interviewees were asked to conclude with advice to current and future Black students at Stanford.

Content includes:

Terri Richardson describes her experiences as an undergraduate and the support she received from faculty member Jim Gibbs. 

• Angel Davis

Angel Davis describes her experiences in the Black Recruitment and Orientation Committee (BROC), Women and Youth Supporting Each Other (WYSE), and her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta. 

• Julie Henry

Julie Henry discusses her participation in musical and theater groups on campus, but also her experiences with students, staff and faculty.  

• Keith Sparks

Keith Sparks speaks about his experience as both a Stanford student and staff member in the Department of Athletics.

Taking the Mic: 50 Years Later

Mary Bacon, Warren Hayman, Omowale Satterwhite, and Keni Washington share memories of the Taking the Mic protest by Black students at a convocation in the wake of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968. The four alums shed light on interactions between the administration and the Black Student Union prior to King’s assassination, reflect on the impact the assassination had in galvanizing the Black community at Stanford, and describe the process of drafting the demands and the role that the broader context of protest in the Bay Area and nationally played in the administration’s response. They also speak about the meaning of Taking the Mic to the Black community at Stanford today. See highlights from Omowale Satterwhite's interview.

Stanford Oral History Project Interviews, 1971-1995

The Stanford Oral History Project (SOHP), a joint effort of the Stanford University Archives and the Stanford Historical Society, began in 1978 as an extension of their efforts to collect, preserve and make available to researchers the historical record of the Stanford University community. Collection materials can be searched through the Online Archive of California.

Online exhibits with oral history interviews related to the history of Black students at Stanford include the Stanford Oral History Collection.

Content includes:

Harold Boyd, Stanford dean of student affairs (1969-1980) speaks about his fight for equal rights for Black students in both academic and administrative affairs.

The Stanford Medical History Center collects and maintains materials related to the history of health care, medical research, and medical education at Stanford and beyond.

• Augustus White III, MD

Dr. Augustus "Gus" White III was the first African American graduate of the Stanford University School of Medicine. In this audio interview conducted in 2011, Iris Gibbs, MD, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University Medical Center,  interviews Dr. White on his experiences as a student at Stanford and his subsequent career in medicine.

The HistoryMakers

The HistoryMakers is a non-profit research and educational institution that preserves and makes readily accessible the untold personal stories of both well-known and unsung African Americans.​

Content includes:

Gibor Basri is Astrophysicist and physics professor. As a Stanford alum, he speaks about his upbringing, education and life in education.