About Oral History

The Early Voices Project was an effort to videotape oral histories of some of Marlboro's first students, faculty and friends, so as to preserve first-person accounts of college life here. The project focused on people who were at Marlboro during the years 1946 through 1960—the “Pioneer Years.” We interviewed several dozen pioneers, and combined these into an hour-long documentary examining Marlboro College's early history, presented as a highlight of the Vermont History Expo in June 2009. In addition to archiving videotaped interviews with dozens of early Marlboro College people, the project included a collection of photos, newspaper clippings and other documents relevant to the college’s roots. 

Here is a selection of transcripts of interviews with Marlboro pioneers:

• Hugh Mulligan `48
• Jim Shingle `50
• Marshall Carroll `52
• Bruce and Barbara Cole `59
• Beverly Graham Bates `54

Marlboro continues to reflect on its past and prepare for its future through ongoing oral history projects. For example, join retired president Tom Ragle as he recalls the early years of the Plan of Concentration, below.