John Jacob Oliver Oral History Interview: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

The oral history consists of 2016.129.19.1a and 2016.129.19.2a: two versions (unedited, and edited) of a single digital video recording.

John Jacob Oliver was interviewed as part of the NMAAHC Donor Oral History Collection. Mr. Oliver worked for the AFRO-American newspaper, which donated a printing press to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

In this oral history interview John Jacob Oliver gives a narrative of what it was like to grow-up in the Murphy family, which has published the AFRO-American newspaper since 1892. He discusses his childhood in Baltimore, Maryland, where he personally integrated John E. Howard elementary school in the 6th grade. Oliver talks about his educational journey, which included a short stint at the University of Maryland, before deciding to transfer to the HBCU Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee and his later studies for a law degree from Columbia University. He recounts his work as a lawyer, before returning to the family business at the AFRO-American. His story includes his role in instituting modern technology at the AFRO.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1945-2017
• Created by: National Museum of African American History and Culture, American, founded 2003
• Recorded by: Patrick Telepictures, Inc., American
• Interview of: John Jacob Oliver, American, born 1945
• Interviewed by: Kelly Elaine Navies, American
• Subject of: The Afro-American, American, founded 1892
• Subject of: Fisk University, American, founded 1866
• Subject of: University of Maryland, Baltimore County, American, founded 1966
• Subject of: Columbia Law School, American, founded 1858
• Type: video recordings
• Type: oral histories
• Type: digital media - born digital
• Medium: digital
• Dimensions: Duration (2016.129.19.1a): 108.22 min.
• Dimensions: Duration (2016.129.19.2a): 107.9 min.
• Dimensions: 169 GB
• Place collected: Baltimore, Maryland, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Black Press
• Topic: Business
• Topic: Communities
• Topic: Education
• Topic: Families
• Topic: HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
• Topic: Journalism
• Object number: 2016.129.19.1a-.2a
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.