The Volcker Alliance Partners with the Organization of American Historians to Launch the Federal Employees and Contractors Oral History Project
Oral History Project Will Create a Permanent Archive of Stories to Preserve Decades of Federal Government Expertise and Knowledge
New York, NY – The Volcker Alliance and the Organization of American Historians (OAH) are partnering to launch the Federal Employees and Contractors Oral History Project (FECOHP), a collection of firsthand accounts from federal employees impacted by the unprecedented funding cuts that began in January 2025. Starting this summer, the FECOHP will highlight the essential work this nation’s civil service and federal contractors provide the American people, serving as a critical resource for historians, policymakers, educators, the next generation of leaders, and the general public.
The consequential changes to the federal workforce over the past few months have highlighted a significant gap in public knowledge about the civil service. Many Americans are not fully aware of the scope of work performed by federal workers and the direct impact they may have on their day-to-day lives. This project seeks to confront this knowledge gap by humanizing the nature and significance of federal civil service work in America and shining a light on the impact of these drastic federal funding cuts on the nation.
“History is shaped by documented evidence,” said Dr. Beth English, Executive Director of the Organization of American Historians. “In this unique moment for the United States, this project is vital to preserving institutional knowledge and the lived experiences of federal employees that may otherwise be lost, and that will be critical to informing our collective understanding of the past.”
The FECOHP archive will also serve as a valuable educational tool for preserving institutional knowledge that would otherwise be lost amid mass layoffs and consolidating insight into how federal agencies—and the broader government system—can be strengthened to better reach Americans who rely on their services.
“Many of the dedicated public servants who have lost their positions in the recent purges had highly specialized knowledge that will be very difficult to replace,” said Sherry Glied, dean of New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. “Capturing their firsthand accounts of the transformative work they were engaged in will be crucial in educating our students so that our government's capacity to efficiently perform critical tasks can be rebuilt.”
Every single personal account and story collected through this project will be compiled and made available to scholars, educators, policymakers, and the public through a searchable, unrestricted database hosted on the FECOHP website. The website will also offer additional content based on the oral histories to amplify these important stories and related resources to help users better understand the impacts of ongoing federal workforce cuts since January 2025.
“The federal workforce encompasses millions of career experts whose experiences and institutional knowledge are leaving with them,” said Sara Mogulescu, president of the Volcker Alliance. “Through this partnership with OAH—and with support from universities in our network—we aim to create an archive that will serve the next generation of public service leaders and the public in not only understanding the consequences of the current reforms but thoughtfully charting a new course for the future of our government.”
More information about the FECOHP can be found on the Volcker Alliance’s website. Federal workers and contractors interested in being interviewed can submit a response to this interest form.
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About The Organization of American Historians
Founded in 1907, OAH’s mission is to promote excellence in the scholarship, teaching, and presentation of American history, and to encourage wide discussion of historical questions and the equitable treatment of all practitioners of history. The organization represents historians working in the U.S. and abroad, and its membership includes college and university professors, precollegiate teachers, archivists, museum curators, public historians, students, and a variety of scholars. Visit oah.org to learn more. You can also find OAH on Facebook, Bluesky, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Threads. The Organization of American Historians (OAH) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
About The Volcker Alliance
The Volcker Alliance is a nonprofit founded by former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul A. Volcker to empower the public sector workforce to solve the challenges facing our nation. Our portfolio of work focuses on the people at the core of government service delivery—people who provide a steadfast source of optimism during an unsettled time for our democracy. We promote innovation in public service education, empower rising leaders to build the democracy of our future, connect talent to city, state, and federal government jobs, and inspire others with the story of Mr. Volcker’s commitment to public service. Follow the Alliance on social media @VolckerAlliance and subscribe to the Volcker Alliance newsletter for the latest news and developments. The Volcker Alliance is a 501(c)(3) organization.
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