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Cullom Davis - Historians Speak

Dr. George Cullom Davis began his academic career as an assistant professor of history at Indiana University in 1964. In 1970, he moved to Springfield, IL, where he taught and served as an assistant to the president of the newly formed Sangamon State University, and was also responsible for establishing the university's Oral History office. He quickly developed a national reputation in the oral history community, and served as president of the Oral History Association from 1983-1984. In 1988 Dr. Davis became Director of the Lincoln Legal Papers, where he served until his retirement in 2000.

Interview Links

Abstract

Interview Session 01 (Audio)

Childhood, education & early career as a historian at Indiana University

Interview Session 02 (Audio)

Davis’s involvement with the creation of Sangamon State U. in 1970

Interview Session 03 (Audio)

Cullom Davis’s career as Director of the Oral History Office at SSU

Interview Session 04 (Audio)

Davis as Director of the Lincoln Legal Papers project through mid-1990s

Interview Session 05 (Audio)

Davis as Director of the Lincoln Legal Papers project & reflections on career

Transcript

Cullom Davis Sessions 1-5


Photos

Caption
Cullom Davis, 1940 (age 5).

Where:
Unknown

When:
Unknown

Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator

Caption
Cullom, 3rd from left in the first row, circa 1942 (age 8). Photo taken at Camp Ellis.

Where:
Camp Ellis

When:
circa 1942

Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo

Caption
Cullom at a Jeep’s steering wheel, circa 1943 (age 8). Photo taken at Camp Ellis.

Where:
Camp Ellis

When:
circa 1943

Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo

Caption
Studio portrait, circa 1946 (age 11).

Where:
Unknown

When:
circa 1946

Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator

Caption
Cullom Davis at a 1968 Orientation in Illinois.

Where:
Unknown

When:
1968

Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo

Caption
Cullom Davis, Associate Professor of History, circa 1970.

Where:
Unknown

When:
circa 1970

Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo

Caption
Professor Cullom Davis in the early days of Sangamon State University, circa 1973, when it was an incubator for education innovation. Davis’s Oral History Office was a perfect fit for the school’s mission.

Where:
Sangamon State University

When:
circa 1973

Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo

Caption
Cullom Davis interviewing Avinere Toigo about Ethnic Politics in the 1930’s in Illinois (circa 1973).

Where:
Unknown

When:
circa 1973

Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator

Caption
Cullom Davis with ‘Abraham Lincoln’ at Charles Strogiers’ book signing party for his new book, circa 1979.

Where:
Unknown

When:
circa 1979

Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo

Caption
The IL General Assembly Oral History Program Advisory Committee meeting in May, 1980. Standing L-R: Bob Howard, Gerry Sherandion, Sam Gove, Don Holt, Dave Everson, Bill Day. Seated: Willard Ice, Bill Hey, Cullom Davis, Margaret Munn.

Where:
Unknown

When:
May 1980

Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator

Caption
Studio portrait of Cullom Davis, circa 1980’s (age between 45 and 48).

Where:
Unknown

When:
circa 1980’s

Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator

Caption
OHA, Lexington, Kentucky. Circa October 1984.

Where:
OHA, Lexington, Kentucky

When:
Circa October 1984

Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator

Caption
Personal photo (or studio photo?) of Cullom Davis, circa 1987 (age 52).

Where:
Unknown

When:
circa 1987

Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator

Caption
International Conference on Abraham Lincoln in 1989 located in Paipai, Taiwan. Herb Mitgang on the left of the New York Times.

Where:
Paipai, Taiwan

When:
1989

Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator

Caption
Studio portrait taken with Cullom Davis, circa 1990 (age 55). This particular picture was taken to be the representative photo for the Lincoln Legal Papers project.

Where:
Unknown

When:
circa 1990

Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator

Caption
Cullom Davis, as he appeared in an article that appeared in the Springfield State Journal Register on February 7th, 1992. The article featured a series of Lincoln scholars.

Where:
Unknown

When:
February 7th, 1992

Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator

Caption
Cullom Davis with Mayor Karen Hassana upon the receipt of the 2002 Studs Terkel Award.

Where:
Unknown

When:
2002

Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator

Caption
Cullom Davis in 2006, accepting a receipt of a University of Illinois at Springfield’s Distinguished Service Award alongside the UI President Joe White and UIS Chancellor Rich Ringheisen.

Where:
University of Illinois at Springfield

When:
2006

Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator

Caption
Cullom Davis in 2006, accepting a receipt of a University of Illinois at Springfield’s Distinguished Service Award, standing alongside his wife, Ann Davis.

Where:
University of Illinois at Springfield

When:
2006

Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator

Caption
Cullom Davis in the University of Illinois at Springfield’s Brookens Library, circa 2008 (age 73).

Where:
University of Illinois at Springfield’s Brookens Library

When:
circa 2008

Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator

Caption
Cullom Davis, and his wife Ann, traveling in China circa 2008 (age 73).

Where:
China

When:
circa 2008

Ownership:
(Narrator’s Photo)




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