Virginia McCawley was interviewed by Eduardo Contreras on July 6, 1996. McCawley was born in San Francisco, California, in 1950 and moved to Washington, DC, in 1974. Her most recent job was working as a correctional officer at the Prince George's County Jail. McCawley has been a volunteer at the Festival of American Folklife for 15 years. At the 1996 Festival, McCawley worked on the Working at the Smithsonian exhibit in a temporary paid position, from May until July. This interview discusses McCawley's work for the Festival this year; her past volunteer work, primarily in the kitchen demonstrations; working with Betty Belanus, Lori Sommers, Richard Kennedy, Sally Brodie, Beverly Simon, Marjorie Hunt, and Emily Botein; her stories about volunteering at the Festival; why she started volunteering; her accomplishments as a volunteer; challenging aspects of her work with the Festival; how the Smithsonian staff has changed, specifically in the Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies; and how the Festival has changed.

Object Details

See more items in: Smithsonian Memories Project, Festival of American Folklife Oral History Interviews; Smithsonian Memories Project, Festival of American Folklife Oral History Interviews / Interviews

Collection Citation: Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 9594, Smithsonian Memories Project, Festival of American Folklife Oral History Interviews