This oral history project consists of six audio interviews conducted by New School for Public Engagement student Gerard O. Hemmerle as an independent study under the supervision of Professor Julia L. Foulkes during the Spring 2013 semester. Interviewees consist of long-serving university faculty and staff, primarily associated with what was known as the New School for Public Engagement. Recordings are all in English.

The New School oral history program, initiated in 2012, consists of recorded sound interviews conducted by Archives and Special Collections staff and faculty partners to document aspects of university history that may not exist in other recorded formats. Interviewees consist of current and retired New School alumni, administrators, faculty, and staff. Topics cover different academic departments and disciplines, university offices, and affiliated institutes. Recordings are all in English.

In 2014, the New School celebrated the 80th anniversary of the University in Exile, which was the institution first established by Alvin Johnson to provide refuge for Jewish and anti-Nazi scholars fleeing Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. This born-digital collection contains files related to the planning and programming of the commemorative event on January 30, 2014, including tribute videos featuring notable New School trustees who fled Europe during World War II.