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GM & UAW: In Their Own Words
A collection of interviews with General Motors employees, union members and others involved in Janesville's manufacturing history.

GM& UAW Interview Project Wins Governor's Award
Congratulations to our very own Susan Braden, Reference Librarian, who was the 2010 winner of the Governor's Award for Archival Innovation for her work with oral histories. This award is for new ways of working with historical records and bringing those records to new audiences. Sue headed the effort to transcribe and digitize these GM & UAW interviews.
The Govenor's Awards are sponsored by Wisconsin Historical Society and the Wisconsin Historical Records Advisory Board.

The Interviews The Interviews
Retirees of Janesville's General Motors plant and other workers were interviewed as part of the City of Janesville Bicentennial Oral History Project in 1976.

About the Project
In 1976, twelve local retired employees discussed their work in Janesville. Interviews include growing up in Janesville, social life, union organizing activities, family background and their work in Janesville during the first half of the 20th century.

The original interviewing project was conceived by then Rock County Historical Society director Richard Hartung, and sponsored by the Janesville Bicentennial Heritage Committee, chaired by George Hickey. Clem Imhoff interviewed the twelve men in 1976.

The original interviews are listed in our catalog under the title Janesville Bicentennial Oral History Project: Janesville Labor Movement, GM and UAW, by the Janesville Bicentennial Committee.

We wish to thank the Hedberg Public Library Foundation, Janesville's UAW Local 95, Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, Commercial Bank of Janesville and Amy Dooley for their financial support.

Thanks also to Hedberg Public Library librarians and volunteers for their efforts.

Harris Reporting Company of Janesville was hired to transcribe the audiocassette tapes, completing their work in September, 2009.

Photographs were issued by the Rock County Historical Society with the understanding that it is for one time use only. Refer requests for use to: RCHS 430 N Jackson St Janesville WI 53548 608-756-4509 www.rchs.us

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