The first Wisconsin Oral History Day conference was developed by Troy Reeves and held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on April 14, 2008. Reeves and co-organizers including folklorist Ruth Olsen, then UW-LaCrosse professor Chuck Lee, and University Librarians Ken Frazier and Ed Van Gemert developed the conference to build statewide support for oral history. It was primarily funded by the Wisconsin Humanities Council. Jennifer Abraham, director of the T. Harry Williams Center at Louisiana State University, gave the keynote address. Reeves, scholars with ties to UW-Eau Claire including Jim Leary and Ruth Olsen organized the November 7, 2008 symposium "Historians and Educators: Building and Assessing Partnerships" and the April 26-27, 2009 Wisconsin Oral History Day conference. Presentations included a plenary session on project planning with diverse communities and a keynote presentation by Barb Sommer on the creation of "The American Indian Oral History Manual: Making Many Voices Heard." In 2010 Reeves, scholars including Michael Doylen, and the Jewish Museum Milwaukee organized the March 28, 2010, Wisconsin Oral History Day conference in Milwaukee. Topics covered included Hmong Diaspora Studies, overcoming stereotypes, cross-cultural and cross-generational interviewing, Tuskegee Airmen narratives, and using humor to deal with racism.
