Southern Baptist Convention Presidents Oral History Collection

1974-1992

In the early 1970s, the Historical Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention sought to develop a formal Oral History Program.  The purpose of the program was to gather the oral memoirs or recollections of individuals who were first-hand participants in important and significant events.  The Commission determined that a program entitled Southern Baptist Convention Presidents was of primary importance.  A list was compiled of all the living presidents, and plans began to interview them systematically.  The interview with Owen Cooper was conducted by Jim Young of Baptist Press in 1974.  Historical Commission Director and Assistant Director Drs. Lynn E. May, Jr. and A. Ronald Tonks conducted the other interviews from 1974-1992, and Commission staff transcribed the audio recordings and prepared the final transcripts for indexing and binding.  Some interviews were conducted over multiple sessions.  The transcribed interviews in this presentation normally include the interview date and location, biographical information, and a name and subject index located at the end of the interview.  The transcriptions are any word searchable.