Women’s History Resources at The History Center - Oral History

In honor of Women's History Month and in celebration of International Women's Day, The History Center is proud to highlight some of its Women's History resources. Oral History is one of the Center's strengths and the collection contains the voices of many women who have lived and worked and created in Diboll and Angelina County. In these interviews, they tell their unique stories, which are recorded for posterity and offered here so that future histories of our area will include these voices and stories. Beatrice Burkhalter, Odyesa Wallace, and Mary Jane Christian were teachers who navigated family and professional obligations while guiding area children through economic and social changes during the Depression, racial segregation and integration. Fannie Farrington came to Diboll when it was a dusty sawmill town and influenced the social and religious life of all of its citizens. Rhoda Faye Chandler and Cora Nash worked through sometimes difficult circumstances. Rosa Miranda Ramirez, Rebecca Ordaz, June Taylor Chapman, and Minnie Jones broke barriers for racial inclusion and equality for the Hispanic and African American Communities in Diboll. Rev. Bettie Kennedy made it her life's work to fight for racial equality and make sure the contributions of African Americans, particularly African American women, were remembered and honored. Carol Riggs and Marie Davis worked to preserve the history of Angelina County and ensure future generations would know and understand where they came from. These are just a few of the women who are interviewed within the oral history collection and it is our privilege at The History Center to ensure that our history is the history of all of Angelina County's citizens.