Published April 26, 2024
CAPTION: Representatives from ULM, KEDM Public Radio, and the City of West Monroe pose with
participants of the oral history project. Twelve West Monroe residents were interviewed for the project.
WEST MONROE, LA – The University of Louisiana Monroe and KEDM Public Radio recently partnered with
the City of West Monroe for the West Monroe Oral History Project in honor of the city’s
140th birthday in 2023. A special presentation of the project was held at the West Monroe
Convention Center on April 16, 2024. The event was co-hosted by the West Ouachita
Senior Center.
The project consisted of 12 West Monroe residents being interviewed by ULM faculty
members. Each of these residents shared stories and recounted moments of West Monroe's
history, dating back from the 1940s to the present day. A 30-minute video was compiled
using clips of these oral histories and was shown at the community event and featured
remarks from Dr. Jeffrey E. Anderson, the Associate Director of the School of Humanities
at ULM.
ULM School of Humanities faculty who served as interviewers for the project were Associate
Professor Dr. Will Rogers, English program coordinator; Associate Professor Dr. Ann
Rodriguez, program coordinator for Communication; and Assistant Professor of English
Dr. Meredith McKinnie.
The full-length version of each oral history video will be available on the City of
West Monroe website in the near future. KEDM will air highlights of the oral histories
during Morning Edition and All Things Considered and will post longer versions at KEDM.org and in podcast form.
The project was funded in part by a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation
and a grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the state affiliate of
the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations
expressed in the information produced does not necessarily represent those of the
National Endowment for the Humanities.
For more information, contact the West Monroe Mayor's Office at (318) 396-2600 or
email mayorsoffice@westmonroe.la.gov.
