A young person sits next to an elderly woman, holding up a piece of paper for her to see. They are engaged in conversation in a cozy room with soft sunlight streaming through the window. The photo is black and white.

The Butler Italian American Oral History Project

Tell Us Your Story! 

Attention Butler-area Italian Americans! Do you or anyone in your family enjoy telling stories about your history? Are you the family historian?

If so, Slippery Rock University (SRU) professors Dr. Mark O’Connor and Dr. Danette DiMarco and their students are collaborating with the Heinz History Center’s Italian American Program to record oral history interviews with members of Butler’s Italian American community.

Interviews will be transcribed by SRU students, compiled into a printed anthology, and shared with the community in a public reading in December. Audio interviews, transcripts, and a copy of the anthology will be preserved at the History Center’s Detre Library & Archives.

We are looking for interviewees who would be willing to share answers to questions like the following:

  • Where is your family from in Italy?
  • When did your Italian ancestors immigrate?
  • Why did they settle in Butler?
  • What did they eat and what foods do you still keep in memory?
  • Where did they work?
  • Who did they socialize with?
  • Where did they worship?
  • What holidays did they celebrate?

Interviews will occur at the Butler Area Public Library in September and October.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Dr. Mark O’Connor at [email protected] (724-738-2548).