Press Release
July 5, 2019
Contact: Laura Martin
Research Center, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-5225
lmartin@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org
Oklahoma Historical Society Research Center Announces Summer Programs
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) Research Center’s summer programs delve into historical collections and genealogical research.
Jan Davis will present “Treasures of the State Archives” on Wednesday, July 17, from 1 to 3 p.m. Davis is head of the Archives and Records Management Division of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries (ODL). She will discuss records in the state archives that may be of interest to genealogists and historians. Davis will demonstrate how to access records online through ODL’s Digital Prairie website. The Digital Prairie is constantly growing and includes documents, photographs, reports, pamphlets, posters, maps and an author database. Davis will also outline the current projects in the archives, which include digitizing hundreds of court files from Indian Territory near Vinita.
Saturday, August 3, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. OHS Librarian Debra Spindle will present “Finding the Girls.” Persons researching their families for any length of time have encountered problems with researching females. In our society, their names often change with marriage. Females in the past could not own property or enter into contracts, which makes locating them in legal records even more difficult. Spindle will teach some of the techniques for researching the females in your family based on the times in which they lived.
Nicole Willard will present “UCO: The Best-Kept Secret in the OKC Metro Area” on Wednesday, August 21, from 1 to 3 p.m. Willard is the assistant executive director of the Max Chambers Library at the University of Central Oklahoma. The Max Chambers Library, Archives and Special Collections at the UCO have a rich tradition of collecting materials to document the history of the university, Edmond, and other Oklahoma communities. In this session, participants will learn about special collections that may help with genealogical research.
Registration for each program is $5 for Oklahoma Historical Society members and $10 for nonmembers. We ask that you register in advance. Please call the Research Center at 405-522-5225 to register. Programs will be held in the Clark and Kay Musser Learning Lab, which is located inside the Research Center on the first floor of the Oklahoma History Center. The Oklahoma History Center is located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City.
The Research Center is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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