John R. Mitrano

I am a Professor of Sociology at Central Connecticut State University, where I have researched and taught since 1994. My current project focuses on Route 66, the historic road that runs from Chicago to Los Angeles as it nears its 100th anniversary in 2026. I have recently collected over 200 oral histories and interviews with authors, business owners, artists, musicians, preservationists, and domestic and international travelers along the route in an attempt to understand the socially constructed meanings people attach to this slice of Americana.