Downloadable Content

Download audio
Other

Thomas (O'Neal), Mary (audio interview #1 of 2)

INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the first interview with Mary Thomas O'Neal in her hotel room at the Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel. I was alerted to the whereabouts of a woman who was a survivor of the Ludlow massacre by Dorothy Healey, who had received a letter informing her about Thomas. Both from the letter to Healey and from the initial phone conversation with Thomas (O'Neal), there was some concern about her mental alertness. As a result, a decision was made to concentrate mainly on Ludlow and get some background information. Thomas (O'Neal) had written a book several years ago earlier Those Damn Foreigners which detailed much of her history. It was apparent that Thomas had virtually no short term memory, a fact of which she was well aware. However, she did remember the incidents of Ludlow rather clearly, although not necessarily the precise chronology. She appeared somewhat feeble and certainly no younger than her eighty-seven years. Her room was neat and rather sparse, much like the other rooms of women in hotels, but the hotel itself is in considerably better repair than most. Her book held center stage in the room. Despite her memory problems, Thomas (O'Neal) was very interested in the project, and interesting and cooperative. There was a problem with the microphone in the beginning of the tape. 12/2/1974