Personal stories offer a vital lens through which to interpret the past, transforming historical research from documentation into lived experience. This session brings together two presentations that illustrate the enduring power of memoir and memory in shaping public understanding of history.
Kenneth Taylor, of Holocaust Museum Houston, highlights the scholarly and educational value of survivor memoirs and oral histories in Holocaust research. Drawing from the museum’s archival collections, he demonstrates how these personal accounts preserve irreplaceable voices, challenge traditional narratives, and inspire empathy and moral reflection.
In My Grandmother’s Ring: A Memoir, Laurie Bricker shares the remarkable life of her grandmother, Lorraine Isaacs Hofeller—the last known survivor of the 1900 Galveston Storm. Bricker’s narrative spans more than a century of Texas history, intertwining personal recollection, family legacy, and cultural memory.
Together, these presentations reveal how memoirs and oral histories bridge personal and collective experience, ensuring that individual voices remain central to the historical record.
Session Chair: Melissa Cohen-Nickels
