By Pat Chan, Southwest Section Oral History Chairman Part of the Mission Statement of The Ninety-Nines is to preserve the unique history of women in aviation. The Resource Center at our headquarters in Oklahoma City maintains an oral history collection of women involved in aviation to further this goal. An oral history is a person's reminiscences of their life. Their stories go beyond the constant stream of dates, places, and events that we normally associate with history.
Oral histories bring forth another dimension of reality.
If we listen, we can hear what it was like for others to face life's challenges. Those thoughts and more can be saved and passed on to others. Once permission has been received to videotape an oral history, an appointment is made for the interview which is a relaxed, informal conversation based upon a planned set of questions using preliminary research of the person's background. Once the cameras and recorders are in place the interview can begin. Either way, the interviewer is there to facilitate the memory of the narrator and make it as enjoyable as possible.