On February 6, 2003 the organizers of this project met for the first time. They included: Gail Woerner, designated by the RHS President to organize and implement the project; Chuck Rand, coordinator of the project and Director of the Dickinson Research Center; Judy Dearing, liaison between the RHS and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum; Richard Rattenbury, Curator of Rodeo Collections; Mike Leslie, Assistant Director of the NC&WHM; John Hayes, interviewer and Imaging Technician with the Research Center.

With appropriate forms and procedures in place, Woerner initiated the project by conducting and recording several interviews. These recorded interviews are collected in two ways. One way is through a team of volunteers throughout the U.S. lead by Woerner, who are equipped with digital minidisc recorders. These interviews are captured on sound minidiscs. The other way is by interviews conducted by museum staff and recorded on digital videotape.

Thus far, the following interviews have been recorded and cataloged, and are only available in the Research Center. Images of some interviewees are viewable by clicking on the underlined names below:

57 Sound recorded interviews:

Bob Barnes, Richard Barrett, Shirley Adams Biron, Faye Blackstone, Bud Breckenridge, Pee Wee Burge, Pete Burns, Polly Burson, Jack Buschbom, A.O. Monk Carden, Larry Clayman, Bart Clennon, Tuffy Cooper, Dick Cory, Red Dougherty, Buff Douthitt, Roy Durfey, Denny Flynn, Red Fuller, D.J. "Kajun Kidd" Gaudin, Ruby Goble, Decie Goodspeed, Alvin Gordon, Holloway Grace, Tom Hadley, Hub Hubbell, Cecil Jones, Nell Lindsey Kemp, Elaine Kramer, Linda LaJara, G. K. Lewallen, Maggie Lindley, Larry McKinney, Gene McLaughlin, Montie Montana, Jr., Virginia Robison Moore, Dixie Reger Mosley, Jimmy Murphy, Nick and Helen Panzella, Gene Peacock, Virginia May Reger, Delma Rivers, Gerald Roberts, Jack Roddy, Dorothy Satterfield, Lynn Sheppard & Nancy Kelly Sheppard, Phil Stadtler, J. W. Stoker, Dick Stull, Dan Taylor, Harry Tompkins, Dr. Charles “Bud” Townsend, Junior Turner, Shoat Webster, Ray Wharton, Che Che White Cloud, and Rick Young.

39 Video recorded interviews:

Leon Adams, Ace Berry, Winston Bruce, Jerold Camarillo, Jim Charles, A.J. “Jack” Cooke, Tuffy Cooper, Cecil & Wayne Cornish, Jo Decker & Tater Decker, George Doak, Bob Eidson, Howard Harris III, Duane Howard, Mel Hyland, Larry Mahan, Bill Martinelli, Bud & Pat McKinley, Clem McSpadden, Joe Murray, Ty Murray, Alvin Nelson, Wilbur Plaugher, Bob Ragsdale, Mitzi Lucas Riley, Jim Rodriguez, Jr., Cotton Rosser, Louise Serpa, Lynn Sheppard & Nancy Kelly Sheppard, Jim Shoulders, Bill Smith, Dude Smith, Bob Tallman, Berva Dawn Taylor, Dan Taylor, the Veach Sisters, Jim Wheatley, Fred Whitfield, and Nancy Bragg Witmer.


Vintage images of interviewees and interview subjects:

Images, Adams - Buschbom
Images, Jerold Camarillo - Cornish
Images, Decker - Durfey
Images, Eidson - Grace
Images, Hadley - Lindsey
Images, Mahan - Mosley
Images, Murphey - Plaugher
Images, Ragsdale - Rosser
Images, Satterfield - Stull
Images, Taylor - Young


Sound and video clips from selected interviews: