The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation has published its 50th book, a hardcover oral history of Ronald G. Wanek, chairman of Ashley Furniture Industries and a Hall of Fame inductee.
The Hall of Fame has now completed 60 extensive, professionally conducted oral interviews of industry leaders. Ten of those oral histories are in the process of being published as books, complete with photography.
“As we continue over time to conduct these interviews, the Hall of Fame is developing an amazing body of proprietary original information that not only tells the stories of the leaders of our industry and their companies, but tracks economic, manufacturing, marketing and social changes,” says Jeff Child, Hall of Fame Foundation President. “It is interesting to read varying perspectives about an event or period of time from very personal viewpoints. As the years go on, they will form an invaluable pool of information about the industry.”
The oral histories are also transcribed, posted on the Hall of Fame website and tagged by multiple topics. “We have already discovered that terms change,” Child says. “For example, ‘leadership’ was never used 50 years ago. Management was referred to as ‘the front office’ or ‘the bosses.’ Being able to search all of the oral histories by topic makes the information more accessible.”
A professional journalist, experienced in the industry, conducts an oral history of each person inducted into the Hall of Fame, as well as for companies interested in preserving their history as told by their leaders or their employees. Those previously released are: Nathan S. Ancell; George Alexander Bernhardt, Sr.; John C. Bernhardt; Alvin E. Bland; Rose G. Blumkin; Douglas Brackett; E. L. Briggs; Paul H. Broyhill; David J. Brunn; Bob Bush, Sr.; Joe Carroll; Dan Hutcheson Edmonson; Wallace W. Epperson, Jr.; Bert Roy Fenn; O. William Fenn; Hassell Franklin; Joseph G. Gerard; John R. Gerken, Jr.; Charles O. Gordon; Howard G. Haas; Stella and Darrell Harris; Rawson Haverty, Sr.; Mary McKenzie Henkel; W.G. Holliman, Jr.; Clyde Hooker, Jr.; Don A. Hunziker; Leo August Jiranek; William P. Kemp, Sr.; J. Wade Kincaid; Steven M. Kincaid; Bernard B. Lane; Joanna C. Maitland; Hyman Meyers; Stephen Henry Millender; Patrick H. Norton; Kevin M. O’Connor; Stephen Knight Pond; Joseph E. Richardson II; Lawrence K. Schnadig; Gordon Segal; Irving B. Sherman; Edwin J. Shoemaker; Harley F. Shuford, Jr.; Charles R. Sligh, Jr.; Robert H. Spilman; Art Van Elslander; John B. Vaughan; Howard O. Walker; and Elliott S. Wood.
In 2008, the Hall of Fame Foundation received a grant from the Furniture Foundation to digitize the transcripts and tapes of 33 previously recorded oral interviews that were in danger of being lost. These interviews, along with 17 additional new oral histories, are available online at www.homefurnishingshalloffame.com. Hardcover books cost $25 each.
The Foundation continues to grow its oral history program and is accepting recommendations for other industry leaders whose stories need to be captured. To send suggestions or receive more information, please contact lestep@furniturehalloffame.com.
