"Heroes, Just Like You" oral history collection

The "Heroes, Just Like You" oral history collection includes interviews with three individuals all working in the sciences in the Baltimore area from approximately the 1970s through to the early 1990s. As noted by interviewer John Direll, the interviews were undertaken so that those interested in pursuing similar careers could learn from those interviewed. As a result, the focus of the interviews is on educational background, upbringing, and how and why each came to his work and current position at the time of the recording.

Interviews were all conducted in 1992 by John Direll and possibly one other person whose information was not recorded. Interviewees include: Carlos A. Dunmoodie (1955-), an advisory systems engineer at IBM; James Sutton (1951-), an opthalmic technician; and Van Vogel (1961-), who was working in technical sales.

In addition to the topics mentioned above, Dunmoodie and Sutton, who are both Black, discuss their time attending integrated schools in Baltimore, how their neighborhoods changed over time, their impressions of the civil rights demonstrations of the 1960s, and how racial tensions affected their education and upbringing.

Originally in the custody of the Baltimore City Life Museums, which closed in 1997, the tapes were transfered to the Maryland Historical Society, later known as the Maryland Center for History and Culture.