Bancroftiana, Number 118 Spring 2001: Willa Baum, ROHO Director, is Honored on Her Retirement

Willa Baum, ROHO Director, is Honored on Her Retirement

When Willa Baum first arrived at Bancroft's Regional Oral History Office in 1954, it was a two-woman office and she worked six hours a week, around her children's schedules. By 1958 she had become program director.

Willa Baum, 1971.

ROHO hosted the California Living History Reception on December 2nd, to honor Willa and all those who have had their histories recorded. Morrison Library was full with approximately 250 living interviewees and their families. At this Living History reception, Willa Baum received the Berkeley Citation from Chancellor Robert Berdahl and the University of California Citation for Excellence from Provost and Senior Vice President Jud King, representing President Richard Atkinson. The awards were a surprise to Willa, adding to the electricity of the event.

Gray Brechin, a scholar who uses oral histories in his work, spoke eloquently of the importance of this resource. Former Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Affairs, Russ Ellis, followed by reminding everyone that it is now time to find the resources to fund the next century of oral history projects.

One of Willa's great strengths has been to attract and retain a talented staff, not by monetary rewards but by inspiring and supporting their efforts to do interesting and worthwhile work while allowing them time for meaningful personal and family lives. Long before terms like "flextime" or "job sharing" were current, the oral history office was offering people a chance to do professional work on a parttime, flexible schedule.

Willa Baum receives the Berkeley Citation from Chancellor Robert Berdahl.

The staff tends to stay long-term: one ROHO staff member (besides Willa herself ) has been with the office since the 1950s, two since the '60s, several since the '70s and early '80s. No one really retires from ROHO; Willa cajoles each of her officially retired interviewers, with their irreplaceable expertise, to stay on for "just one more project."

Willa Baum said the first interviewers were educated in the "sink or swim" method. As a few oral histories were done, and through analyzing what worked and what drew a blank, the interviewers became more skilled and efficient. Guidelines were drawn up which encouraged the interviewers to research before they began, and not to talk too much themselves but rather to listen. The meat of a person's career can be obtained in three to four interviews, but in that time one cannot delve into the personality of the interviewee to discover where the ideas and the drive come from. Spending more time is more expensive, but makes for more worthwhile interviews. If one is interviewing significant people, an in-depth interview is imperative. Many of the procedures developed at ROHO are now standardized in oral history manuals and the guidelines of the National Oral History Association.

Ongoing ROHO projects include oral histories of the wine industry, mining, the environmental movement, the Disability Rights Movement, the Free Speech movement, anthropology, UC history, engineering, science, biotechnology, music, architecture, and the arts. ROHO's largest projects document California government from the Earl Warren Era to the present.

As she retires, Willa Baum, leaves ROHO busily engaged. She points out that ROHO needs more space, more interviewers, and additional funding. In her honor, The Bancroft Library has launched a campaign for a Willa K. Baum endowment to provide support for the Regional Oral History Office.

—Camilla Smith
Editor