Pair will coordinate oral history project

By Hal Johnson
Herald Writer

Two Shenango Valley residents have been named to coordinate Joe Shafran’s Mercer County Oral History Project.

Alfred E. “Al” DeBonis, a Hermitage consultant to the floral industry, and Virginia Shank, a retired Farrell schools teacher, will coordinate the project under the direction of the Sharon native.

Shafran has been recording the reminiscences of Mercer County residents both from his Annapolis, Md., home and on visits to the Shenango Valley since September 1995. When the oral history project grew too big, Shafran realized he needed local people to coordinate volunteers and recording tape and equipment.

DeBonis said the local coordinators will work under Shafran’s direction. “We will be building on what he started,” Ms. Shank said.

After having read about oral history, they will refine interviewing and recording methods. Oral histories “are not questions and answers, but you still have to interject something. It’s structured a little, but not too structured,” DeBonis said.

DeBonis said they are in the process of writing a manual to guide volunteers through an interview. The process will include pre-interview questions and answers, which can be used to guide the interview.

With the help of William Philson, executive director of Mercer County Historical Society, training orientation sessions will be held, including one from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the historical society, 119 S. Pitt St., Mercer.

The project currently has 12 new and current volunteers. Besides attracting more volunteers, the project wants to form teams of volunteers working in their hometowns throughout the county, DeBonis said.

The local coordinators are planning thematic programs of interviews. Inspired by Tom Brokaw’s “The Greatest Generation,” the first will be of World War II veterans at three local veterans organizations on May 8, the anniversary of V-E Day. Teachers also can get their students involved by taking part in the oral history project as a class project, Ms. Shank said.

The recorded tapes are given to the Mercer County Historical Society. Ms. Shank is indexing the tapes not only by community but also by subject matter. The coordinators also have raised funds to buy tapes and tape recorders and are looking for more contributions, DeBonis said. So far, contributors have included Wheatland Tube, Hudson Group Inc. in Hermitage, Werner Co. in Sugar Grove Township, Winner International in Sharon and J.B. Winner.

Volunteers for the Mercer County Oral History Project or people wanting to be interviewed can contact the coordinators, Alfred E. “Al” DeBonis, 981-3767, or Virginia L. Shank, 981-9081.

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