The IAL Oral History Program will utilize the very powerful tool of first-person narratives to chronicle unique aspects of industrial and business history from the firsthand perspective of those who lived it.
Ongoing Oral History Projects
Several separate oral history initiatives are ongoing. Additional projects will be considered as time and resources allow.
- Bethlehem Steel Oral History Project
- R. K. Laros Oral History Project
- Lessons in Business Leadership Project
Bethlehem Steel Oral History Project
Through the firsthand accounts of key personnel at Bethlehem Steel Corporation, the Bethlehem Oral History Project will chronicle the history, organization and management practices of one of America’s largest and most complex manufacturing operations of the 20th century.
R.K. Laros Oral History Project
The R. K. Laros Oral History Project is a collaboration between The Helen & R. K. Laros Foundation and the Industrial Archives & Library to memorialize the extraordinary legacy and work of Russell K. Laros, the R. K. Laros Silk Company and the Helen & R. K. Laros Foundation in the Bethlehem, Pa. community.
The Project gathers oral histories from former R. K. Laros Silk Company personnel and their families, Helen & R. K. Laros Foundation Trustees past and present, and others in the community who may have experiences and memories that connect them to the Laros Silk Company, and/or the Helen & R. K. Laros Foundation, or Laros family.
The objective of the Project is to document and preserve the Laros history and legacy in the Bethlehem, Pa., area and to make the recorded information available to the public.
Lessons in Business Leadership Oral History Project
The Lessons in Business Leadership Project will identify and interview key business leaders from a variety of industries to gain valuable insights into the unique aspects of their lives and careers that contributed to their success in business and in turn, the success of their organizations.