1977 Oral History Project

Documenting the Stories of the July 20, 1977 Flood

In 2016 and 2017, Conrad Suppes, a member of Boy Scout Troop Johnstown 2183, completed his Eagle Scout project by recording oral histories of survivors of the Johnstown Flood of 1977. We are pleased to be able to make some of these recordings available here.

Caram Abood

Caram Abood was a Cambria County judge during the 1970s.


Heather Bandick

Heather Bandick is a resident of Dunlo, PA who survived the 1977 flood.


Dave Barnhart

Dave Barnhart was the owner of Acme Camera located in Johnstown, PA.


Susan Brett

Susan Brett was a resident of Cambria City, Johnstown, PA during the time of the flood.


Susan Burns

Susan Burns is a resident of Tanneryville, Johnstown, PA who was affected by the flood.


Ed Cernic

Ed Cernic was the owner of Cernic’s Garage and was part of several recovery groups (Tanneryville Flood Recovery Association and Tri-County Flood Recovery) in the days after the flood.


George Fattman

George Fattman was a managing editor of the Tribune-Democrat during the 1970s.


Paul Glosser

Paul Glosser was the President of Glosser Brothers Department Store during the 1970s. The store originated in 1906 in the Franklin Building in Johnstown and eventually branched out to other locations during the 1960s and 1970s.


Sidney Goldblatt

Sidney Goldblatt was a lab director at Conemaugh Hospital during the time of the 1977 flood.


Gary Henderson

Gary Henderson is the director of Henderson Funeral Homes located in Johnstown, PA.


Bill Hindman

Bill Hindman is the Director of Hindman Funeral Homes in Johnstown, PA.


Rich Horner

Rich Horner was an Emergency Responder during the 1977 flood.


Gary Jacokcic

Gary Jacokcic was an employee at Schultz Beer Distributer in Cambria City, Johnstown, PA.


Dick Mayer

Dick Mayer was the publisher of the Tribune-Democrat in Johsntown during the 1970s.


Joyce Murtha 

Joyce is the widow of Congressman John “Jack” Murtha, who represented Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district from 1974 until his death in 2010.


Francis Ozog

Francis Ozog is the director of Ozog Funeral Homes located in Johnstown during the flood.


Peter Perret

Peter Perret is resident of Johnstown during the flood and a Librarian at the Johnstown Public Library.


Janet Smetto-Mical

Janet Smetto-Mical was a resident of Cambria City, Johnstown, PA during the flood.


Fred Suppes

Fred Suppes was the owner of Suppes Volkswagen, located in Johnstown, PA.


Gerald Swatsworth

Gerald Swatsworth was the president of U.S. Bank in Johnstown, PA.


Norm Verhovsek

Norm Verhovsek was an employee at the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) company located in Johnstown, PA.

Verhovsek, Norm Interview


John Williams

John Williams is a Johnstown resident who helped restore the First Presbyterian Church in the aftermath of the flood.


Mike Wolfe

Mike Wolfe is the manager of several Penn Traffic Department Stores located in Johnstown, PA.


Don Zucco

Don Zucco was the Superintendent of the Greater Johnstown School District during from 1974 to 1984.