Oral histories, during which recorded interviews are made with people who lived in a certain place, at a certain time, who lived through certain events, are made, preserved, and made available to researchers and members of the general public for current and future use. They capture the thoughts, memories, and feelings of real people, in their own words and their own voices. Oral histories complement and supplement other forms of historical research and preserving documentation about various aspects of history. 

The Missouri State University Libraries on the main Springfield campus of Missouri State University has a long history of conducting and archiving oral histories. Many cultural memory organizations, from the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian down to small libraries, museums, and historical societies, conduct and collection oral histories. 

Some of the oral histories of the MSU Libraries are listed below:

• OLGA Oral Histories (ongoing): 
• Ozarks Voices (ongoing): 
• Songs of the Ozarks: Emalee Flatness, an MSU student involved in an internship with the Ozarks Studies Institute this semester, is recording a series of oral history interviews with musicians and bands throughout the Ozarks Region. 
• Route 66 Oral Histories:
  • African Americans and Route 66: 
  • Women and Route 66: 
  • Trucking on Route 66: 
  • Music Venues on Route 66 in Missouri: 

Yesterday, Wednesday, July 13, 2022, Dean Tom Peters conducted an oral history interview with H. Wes Pratt, assistant to the president and chief diversity officer, prior to his retirement on August 1, 2022. Wes discussed his upbringing in Springfield, including the early years of desegregation in the schools, with racial tensions and confrontations in the late Sixties and early Seventies, when Wes was at Central High School and at Drury College. Wes was elected class president of the 1969 Central High seniors. After graduating from Drury, he went to law school at San Diego University and was elected to the San Diego City Council. He went on to have a successful career in San Diego and Baltimore before returning to Springfield and MSU to practice his fervent commitment to public service. It is a powerful, moving oral history that will be available online soon. Best wishes to Wes and Francine Pratt in this next phase of their lives together.