The UNO Memory Project is a research initiative that documents how members of the University of New Orleans community remember and interpret the university’s early history.

The project focuses on the university’s formative decades, from its founding as Louisiana State University in New Orleans (LSUNO) in the late 1950s through the late twentieth century. During this period the institution experienced major transitions, including its founding as an integrated university and its later transition from LSUNO to the University of New Orleans.

The project examines how the University of New Orleans’s early history has been remembered, interpreted, and represented over time.

It explores three key questions:

• How UNO has constructed and communicated its public history and institutional identity

• How alumni, students, faculty, and staff remember their experiences during the university’s early decades

• How community participation can contribute to new interpretations of the university’s history

The goal is not only to document memories, but also to better understand how institutional history is shaped through both official records and lived experience.

Anyone with a connection to the University of New Orleans is welcome to contribute.

Participants may include:

• Alumni

• Former or current students

• Faculty and staff

• Community members with ties to UNO or its early history

Some activities may specifically focus on individuals who were affiliated with LSUNO or UNO during the university’s formative decades.

Participation may include one or more of the following:

Oral history interviews
Participants may take part in a one-on-one interview lasting approximately 60–90 minutes. Interviews focus on personal experiences and memories related to UNO. [LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE]

Voice memos
Visit bit.ly/unomemories to share your UNO story!

Collaborative interpretation sessions
Some participants may also be invited to optional small-group discussions where community members reflect on themes, archival materials, or shared experiences together.

Participation in any activity is completely voluntary.

Interviews and sessions are audio-recorded only with consent and stored securely. Because collaborative interpretation sessions take place in group settings, confidentiality cannot be fully guaranteed; participants are asked to respect one another’s privacy.

This project is independent academic research and does not represent official positions of the University of New Orleans.

The project contributes to a doctoral dissertation and may inform academic publications and public-facing history materials. Any public use of participant contributions will follow consent preferences regarding anonymity and attribution.

The project is led by Amanda Mester-Brown, a doctoral candidate in Justice Studies at the University of New Orleans, under the supervision of Dr. Mary Niall Mitchell, Director of the Midlo Center for New Orleans Studies.

For questions about the project or participation:

• Email: amester@uno.edu

• Phone: 310-923-0993

Questions about your rights as a research participant may be directed to the University of New Orleans Institutional Review Board.