The story of Wichitan Paul Wilson and how he met the person who changed his life while riding the elevator at the Lassen Hotel will air across the United States on National Public Radio Friday, Dec. 25.

His daughter, Marty Smith, interviewed Wilson in the StoryCorps Booth during its visit to Wichita this fall. KMUW 89.1 Wichita Public Radio brought StoryCorps to Wichita is celebration of its 60th anniversary.

StoryCorps, an initiative of NPR and the Library of Congress, was in Wichita Oct. 19-Nov. 14 to record the stories of the people of south central Kansas.

More than 110 interviews took place, each between people who wished to have their individual story preserved for themselves and for future generations.

As part of the largest oral history project in the country, StoryCorps brings soundproof recording booths to the nation’s communities. Community members can accompany relatives – or other loved ones – to conduct broadcast-quality oral history interviews with the guidance of a trained facilitator.

At the end of each 40-minute session, participants receive a CD of the interview. A second copy becomes part of an archive housed at the Library of Congress.

Placement in the library will make it possible for future generations of participants to listen to high-quality recordings of their ancestors’ voices and stories.

It will also serve as a valuable resource to historians, presenting a history of life as it was lived in the early years of the 21st century.

Selected interviews are broadcast nationally on Fridays on KMUW’s Morning Edition. As the local stories are produced by KMUW staff and aired locally, they are made available online at kmuw.org. National interviews are also accessible at www.storycorps.net.

KMUW is licensed to Wichita State University and is a charter member of National Public Radio.