During a health fair in the 70s, I stayed with a couple in Elgin, TN: Reba and Bud Smithers. Another health fair worker, Angela stayed with me at their home. A few experiences with this couple left me with strong impressions. As I recall, when the couple were together, he led much of the conversation; …
Resilient Reba: A bittersweet story from Diane Lauver Read More »
I became involved with the Appalachian Student Health Coalition when I was an undergraduate at Vanderbilt. In 1977, the summer after my graduation, I worked as a community organizer in Copperhill, Tennessee, where the Coalition concentrated on environmental and occupational health issues. In the fall of 1977, one of the Co-directors of ASHC resigned and …
David Morrow on the personal legacy of his student activism Read More »
Bill Dow co-founded the Student Health Coalition while in medical school at Vanderbilt University, in 1969. He was a visionary. He inspired a generation of student activists and made lasting relationships with leaders in rural communities around the rural South. Related Stories: Related Resources/Links: Related People:
The summer before his final year at the Vanderbilt Law School and during the summer and fall after his graduation, John Kennedy worked for the Student Health Coalition, 1971 and 1972. He provided assistance to former miners who were seeking black lung benefits and disability payments from federal and state agencies. He was based in …
While an engineering student at Vanderbilt University, Charles spent the summers of 1970 and 1971 with the Student Health Coalition. He was 18 years old when he joined the SHC, one of the Coalition’s youngest members. He served as a community worker in Clairfield, Tennessee where, in addition to providing support for the health fairs, …
Graduated Vanderbilt with a degree in civil engineering in 1975. Randy first worked with SHC helping to construct the Petros Health Clinic in 1973. He served as SHC Co-Director 1973-1974 and a community worker in Jacksboro, TN the summer of 1974. In 1979 he helped found the Solar Greenhouse Employment Project, along with visionary Bill …
A Duke University Arts & Science graduate, and University of North Carolina Master of Social Work, Paul served as an SHC community worker in Tracy City, TN in 1975. Related Stories: Related Resources/Links: Related People:
Nancy worked with SHC in the summers of 1973 and 1974 as a community organizer in St. Charles Virginia and then as Co-Director of the Coalition in East Tennessee and western Virginia. She was at that time an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt. She was instrumental in getting the first community clinic off the ground in St. Charles, along …
Ann participated in the Coalition in 1970, the first summer that the Coalition conducted multiple health fairs in middle and east Tennessee. She had just graduated from Vanderbilt School of Nursing. Ann was instrumental in the establishment of structured followup care for clinical issues discovered at the Health Fairs. She helped devise systematic home visits …
Dana worked West Tennessee health fairs in the summers of 1973 and 1974 while a student in the School of Nursing at Vanderbilt. She served as co-director alongside George Smith who was in medical school at Meharry Medical College, an historically black medical school. Together they provided clinical leadership for the several SHC fairs conducted in West Tennessee in predominately black rural communities. …