StoryCorps 2007

Door-to-Door in Kansas

“It was like a dream come true when I realized that an immigrant like me could tell her own experiences in America.”

“It was life at its best. Thank you for the experience.”

These quotes are from participants in the national oral history project, StoryCorps. Coming to Kansas in June as part of KHC’s Kansans Tell Their Stories initiative, StoryCorps Door-to-Door will conduct interviews in Medicine Lodge and Baldwin City as part of KHC’s Famous Kansans Chautauqua. While Carry Nation, Langston Hughes, William Allen White, and Dr. Brinkley tell of their life and times, everyday Kansans will be recording their own stories for history.

In addition, StoryCorps Door-to-Door will travel to Wichita, Newton, Topeka and Shawnee.

StoryCorps is a national oral history project to instruct and inspire people to record each other's stories in sound. The interviews are archived at the American Folklore Center at the Library of Congress, and excerpts are broadcast on NPR's Morning Edition each Friday. To date, StoryCorps has recorded 8,000 interviews with approximately 15,000 participants.

“We are absolutely delighted that StoryCorps accepted our invitation to join us in Kansas this summer, “ said Julie Mulvihill, KHC Executive Director. “I knew after hearing the StoryCorps features on Kansas Public Radio that they would be a perfect addition to our Kansans Tell Their Stories project, KHC’s own initiative to encourage communities to record their stories.”

For more information about StoryCorps, visit www.storycorps.net.

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Kansas Health Foundation Supports StoryCorps
Door-to-Door Tour

“What a pleasure!” responded Julie Mulvihill, KHC Executive Director, when she learned the Kansas Health Foundation agreed to partner with KHC in the statewide StoryCorps Door-to-Door tour.

“KHC is appreciative of the Kansas Health Foundation and their support for Kansans across the state. We’re pleased to be able to share this opportunity with them."

As a private philanthropy based in Wichita, the Kansas Health Foundation is guided by its mission: to improve the health of all Kansans. Its work takes KHF into the realms of children’s health, leadership, public health and policy. Using strategic grantmaking, KHF provides funding within these four primary areas with an eye to the future – with a prevention focus, a strong love of children and a passion for Kansas.

“The vision of the Kansas Health Foundation is to make Kansas the best state in the nation to raise a child. Today’s Kansans have a rich heritage to pass on to future generations. By recording their stories, we will make sure this wisdom is not lost,” said Steve Coen, Vice President of Administration for KHF.

For more information about the Kansas Health Foundation, visit www.kansashealth.org.

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Kansas Public Radio Partners with KHC

Kansas Public Radio is partnering with the Kansas Humanities Council in support of the StoryCorps Door-to-Door project in Baldwin City June 22-23.

"StoryCorps is so popular with our listeners,” says Janet Campbell, General Manager of KPR. “We are thrilled to support bringing it to Kansas. We're excited that Kansans stories will now be a part of the project."

“We’re incredibly pleased to have KPR as our partner,” added Julie Mulvihill, KHC Executive Director. “It’s a perfect fit.” StoryCorps stories are featured regularly on Friday mornings on KPR as part of the Morning Edition program.

Kansas Public Radio, located on the campus of the University of Kansas, began operation as KANU-FM in 1952. Since that time, it has become a leader in public radio, providing high quality programming for listeners. For more information, visit www.kansaspublicradio.org.

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StoryCorps Door-to-Door Schedule

June 15-16
Medicine Lodge, as part of KHC’s Famous Kansans Chautauqua.

June 17-18
Wichita, in partnership with the Wichita Public Library and the Wichita Sedgwick County Historical Museum.

June 19
Newton, in partnership with the Kauffman Museum and the Newton/North Newton Preservation Commission.

June 20
Topeka, in partnership with the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site.

June 21
Shawnee, in partnership with Shawnee Town.

June 22-23
Baldwin City, as part of KHC’s Famous Kansans Chautauqua.

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