Learn more below. Get your Starter Kit today before Christmas. In 2007, The Oral History Practice began helping families look after their ancestor's spoken memories. Their journey started at California State University, Fullerton, where Thomas, owner of Preserving Voices, studied history escalating into public history by 2011. As a graduate student, Thomas learned the art of oral history and transitioned this skill into his local community and throughout Southern California. He captured spoken memories of military veterans for the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station Oral History Project curated by The Center for Oral and Public History (COPH). In addition to this special experience, Thomas had the privilege to interview Japanese American grassroot activists within The National Coalition for Reparations/Redress (NCRR). Lastly, he had the benefit of interviewing his own family. Additional skills Thomas gained was in museum exhibitions. He assisted in The Go for Broke National Education Center's Defining Courage exhibition. This opportunity allowed Thomas to select oral history excerpts of Japanese American military veterans during World War 2. He also helped his fellow graduate students with their own exhibitions that were held on campus. By 2018, Thomas found a treasure trove of family movies, journals, letters, pictures, photograph negatives, and heirlooms. It was during this time when he began learning more about his own family. He converted the family movies and photograph negatives into digital media to share within his own family's future generations. Currently, Thomas helps families in preserving their own spoken memories to share. He offers his talents to families by interviewing them in order to share within their family units. He is also converting photograph negatives into digital images allowing families to share these precious memories. Lastly, he offers courses to individuals who want to interview their own relatives for future family members.
