Lost Voices of the Great War

Summit County in the First World War

Join editors S. Victor Fleischer and Toivo Motter for an exploration of "Lost Voices of the Great War: Summit County in the First World War," a companion to the award-winning PBS documentary.

Drawing on complete letters, firsthand accounts, and rare archival materials, this talk uncovers the voices of Akron nurses, Goodyear workers, decorated soldiers, immigrants, and migrants whose lives were forever shaped by World War I. Attendees will hear how individuals from diverse backgrounds—across class, race, faith, and nationality—experienced a global conflict, industrial transformation, and a devastating pandemic, offering an intimate window into a generation nearly lost to time. Through these rediscovered stories, Fleischer and Motter reveal how personal narratives illuminate history in ways no photograph or film footage can fully capture.

About the Editors:

S. Victor Fleischer holds a BA and MA in American history and an MLIS from Kent State University. He has worked as a professional archivist for over twenty-five years and currently serves as university archivist, head of Archives & Special Collections, and professor of bibliography at The University of Akron. He has published numerous scholarly articles in professional journals. His first book, "The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company: A Photographic History," was published in 2020. He was an associate editor and contributor to Hail We Akron! and lead researcher and co-producer of the Emmy-nominated documentary "Lost Voices of the Great War." 

Toivo Motter has worked in the education and instructional design/media fields for over twenty years. In 2018, he established and led a county-wide World War I commemoration project that initiated new research, joint programming, and the production of the Emmy-nominated, PBS-aired documentary film "Lost Voices of the Great War." Toivo holds an MS in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in educational technology from Cleveland State University and a BS in social studies education with a sub-major in history and geography from Kent State University.

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