The larger narrative of the Coalition work has been made possible through the steady accumulation of individual stories submitted to the archive over time. Some participants have written down a brief memory about a hog butchering, their home visit, or some other snapshot from the past. Others have recorded longer stories using a tape recorder or video camera. Still others have provided a fuller telling of the birth and growth of a whole community’s engagement with health care, environmental issues, and political power. All stories are collected into this section, organized by categories listed in the drop down menu and on the left side of this screen. See below for quick access to the most recently added stories.
Recently Added:
Community-driven parallels between organizing then and archiving now
Gillian McCuistion, a technician with the archive project, draws on parallels between SHC community organizing of the 1960s and 70s and the community-driven nature of their partnership with the Southern Historical Collection today. Follow this link for access to the… Continued
On assembling the record of organizing efforts that grew out of SHC work
John Davis reflects on the Coalition’s work planting community activist seeds and frames the archive project as an opportunity to assemble the record of organizing efforts that grew out of them. Follow this link for access to the full-length panel… Continued
Jack Beckford on the Student Health Coalition Legacy Fund
Jack Beckford offers insight into the role the Student Health Coalition Legacy Fund has played in uncovering and supporting ongoing work on issues in Appalachia related to the SHC’s activism in the 1960s and 70s. He lists Appalshop, the Highlander… Continued
Preservation and access of community legacies
Margaret Ecker describes a “fringe benefit” of the archive project as it pertains to the collective memory restoration of community stories, such as those belonging to Howard and Fay Elliot of St. Charles, Va., J.W. and Kate Bradley, Maureen O’Connell,… Continued
The role of themes and tendrils in packaging the Coalition narrative
John Davis reflects on the process of being involved in the archive project, noting the joy of collectively rediscovering the Coalition narrative and the challenge of packaging it according to over-arching themes and other common threads. Biff Hollingsworth adds that,… Continued
Process vs product in community-driven archives
Biff Hollingsworth, Collecting and Public Programming Archivist with the Southern Historical Collection, elaborates on early institutional reluctance to undertake such a non-traditional and labor-intensive archive project. He emphasizes their myriad of considerations, all of which ultimately positioned this partnership as… Continued
Early reluctance to participate in the archive project
John Davis reflects on early hesitations and reluctance among some Coalitioners to participate in the archive project. Follow this link for access to the full-length panel discussion with the Websters. Recorded December 2022. Continued
The first phone call: Biff Hollingsworth connects with Margaret Ecker
Biff Hollingsworth, Collecting and Public Programming Archivist with the Southern Historical Collection, delineates more of the timeline at the start of UNC’s partnership with the Student Health Coalition. Margaret Ecker recounts their first phone call in early 2013, a conversation… Continued
On the archive project’s first iteration: a documentary film
Jack Beckford notes that prior to any official connection with the Southern Historical Collection, Margaret Ecker and Lark Hayes had decided to make a documentary film about the Coalition story–an initiative born from energy at the 2012 Landon House reunion… Continued
Early momentum for the archive project: the role of gatherings and collective memory recovery
The Websters discuss the role of Coalition (and other) gatherings in creating momentum for the archive project. John Davis notes how they spurred collective memory recovery and reflection. In reference to a 2009 Center for Health Services (CHS) gathering, Rosie… Continued
On the role of oral histories and other non-traditional approaches to archival work
Biff Hollingsworth, Collecting and Public Programming Archivist with the Southern Historical Collection, delineates various methods at the center of its community-driven partnership with the Student Health Coalition archive project, all of which are non-traditional to the standard deposit-model. Follow this… Continued
On community-driven archives and the development of a partnership: how the SHCs first got connected
Biff Hollingsworth, Collecting and Public Programming Archivist with the Southern Historical Collection, provides important context to the development of a partnership with the Coalition. He explains that at the same time Coalitioners first started to explore restoring and preserving their… Continued
Early archive project dissonance
Margaret Ecker elaborates on the early dissonance among archive project participants about who to partner with and where to document the Coalition story: at Vanderbilt’s University Archives or UNC’s Southern Historical Collection. Follow this link for access to the full-length… Continued
Impetus behind the SHC archive project
Margaret Ecker and John Davis offer insight about the initial impetus behind and collective vision for the SHC archive project. They cite the collective memory restoration that transpired at a 2012 Landon House reunion, the subsequent inspiration to further uncover… Continued
Empowering others to conduct own research
John Gaventa highlights the value of empowering others–locals in the community–to conduct their own research and act on their own knowledge against injustice. Follow this link for access to the full-length interview. Recorded October 2021. Continued
On mutual aid, solidarity, and different interactions of power
John Gaventa describes the concepts of mutual aid and solidarity as exemplified by different interactions of power. He explains that action against injustice is built from the coalition of power within ourselves and power with each other. Together, these fuel… Continued
The “Appalachianization” of rural America and around the world
John Gaventa discusses the “Appalachianization” of rural America, a trend of rising inequality, poverty, environmental damage, and deficit of public services across the U.S. No longer the exception, Gaventa emphaszies injustice in the Clearfork Valley as being relevant to the… Continued
Rethinking quiescence: “hidden transcripts” of community agency
John Gaventa reflects on his early conclusions about the role of quiescence in the Clearfork Valley, recognizing now that he may have under-appreciated ongoing forms of resistance, such as through storytelling, music, and other invisible acts. He pulls on political… Continued
The power cube
John Gaventa elaborates on his previous discussion of quiescence and the three dimensions of power with an introduction of the power cube, a rubik’s analogy he and his colleagues developed to illustrate even more dimensions at play. He explains that… Continued
What is quiescence?
Seeking to frame the role of quiescence in unjust sociopolitical structures, John Gaventa delineates the intricacies of power across three different dimensions. He cites his Oxford mentor Steven Lukes, author of Power: A Radical View, as a purveyor of the… Continued
On paternalistic industrialism: Alexander Arthur and the American Association
John Gaventa describes the British paternalism characteristic of late 19th-century industrialists, a philosophy that harnessed absentee land ownership in pursuit of capitalist economic gain. He references Alexander Arthur, Scottish-born entrepreneur, engineer, and president of the American Association, the British investment… Continued
On the interplay between land ownership and mineral rights
John Gaventa clarifies the interplay between surface land ownership and the exploitative acquisition of below-ground mineral rights by large coal companies in Appalachia. He cites The American Association, a British company that at one time owned 80,000 acres across Clairborne,… Continued
The Appalachian Land Ownership Study: an emblem of citizen-driven participatory action research
John Gaventa further describes how the 1977 flood mobilized citizens toward supplementary research into the inequities connected to land ownership, taxation practices, and other local power dynamics. They requested funding from the ARC for what over time developed into the… Continued
On the role of corporate land ownership in rural land settlement patterns
Following a 1977 flood in central Appalachia that left many people displaced, John Gaventa and others at the Highlander Center organized a study to counter conclusions by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), which failed to consider the role of corporate… Continued
Findings of the 1971 land ownership study and subsequent legal action
John Gaventa elaborates on initial findings from the 1971 land ownership study and what transpired in response. With documented evidence of inequitable corporate control over land and natural resources (due in large part to unfair property taxation practices and the… Continued
Context behind and origin of the 1971 land ownership study
John Gaventa delineates the context and probing question behind his earliest research into land ownership in Appalachia, as proposed in collaboration with Bill Dow: why are some of the wealthiest, natural resource-rich counties in East Tennessee also the poorest (in… Continued
Participatory action research in practice: who owns Appalachia?
John Gaventa recaps and differentiates between two related studies concerning land ownership in Appalachia. The first was conducted during the summer of 1971 across several East Tennessee counties. It affected Gaventa’s pursuits over the next 50 years, including publication of… Continued
The Elliot’s cement picnic table, a neighborhood fixture
Howard Elliot III, grandson of Howard and Elsie Elliot from St. Charles, Va., discusses the region’s declining population and its effect on housing. He shares the story of his efforts to salvage his grandparents’ front yard cement picnic table, which… Continued
Population decline and water runoff in southwest Virginia: Bonnie Blue
Howard Elliot III, grandson of Howard and Elsie Elliot from St. Charles, Va., elaborates on how steady population decline in southwest Virginia has created barriers to his work relocating rail lines. He names Bonnie Blue as a good example of… Continued
The Elliot’s in southwest Virginia today
Howard Elliot III, grandson of Howard and Elsie Elliot from St. Charles, Va., shares about his own work in the coal mining area of southwest Virginia 50 years later. Follow this link for access to the full-length interview. Recorded April… Continued
On the coal mining legacy of southwest Virginia
Howard Elliot III, grandson of Howard and Elsie Elliot from St. Charles, Va., discusses the coal mining legacy of southwest Virginia, namely in and around Big Stone Gap coalfield. He touches on various logistics of the work 50 years ago… Continued
Recollections of local hospitality in St. Charles, Va.
Grandson Howard Elliot III and daughter Fay, of Howard and Elsie Elliot from St. Charles, Va., reminisce their family’s hospitality toward Vanderbilt students during SHC summer health fairs. This recollection of local generosity is but one piece of a larger… Continued
On the development of Vanderbilt’s Nurse Practitioner program and other critical role expansions
Pete Moss describes one of the key developments that came about as a result, at least in part, of the Student Health Coalition’s philosophical contributions to the medical arena. He references the origination and evolution of Vanderbilt’s Nurse Practitioner (NP)… Continued
Pete Moss on the role of community organizers
Pete Moss describes how the Student Health Coalition community organizers first established relationships with local leaders, identified community needs, and drafted a plan of action for addressing said needs. Follow this link for access to the full-length interview. Recorded May… Continued
Pete Moss on mentorship and expanding the boundaries of healthcare workers
Pete Moss, who at the time of his involvement with early SHC health fairs (1970) was Vanderbilt’s Chief Resident of Pediatrics, discusses what drew him to the Coalition: the opportunity to mentor students and influence their pursuits in the medical… Continued
On the SHC’s energy of dissatisfaction vs Vanderbilt Med School’s sense of institutional fulfillment
Charles Scott, professor of Philosophy and early faculty supporter of the Student Health Coalition (SHC), concludes this 2019 gathering with poignant remarks about what transpired when the Vanderbilt Medical School assumed control of the SHC. The energy of dissatisfaction that… Continued
Bill Corr reflects on the Coalition’s and Center’s roles in providing avenues to act on values
Bill Corr recounts his introduction to the Student Health Coalition (SHC) and Center for Health Services (CHS) shortly after graduating from Vanderbilt Law School. He was working with the Tennessee Department of Public Health at the time Irwin Venick encouraged… Continued
Charles Scott and John Kennedy ruminate on the racism intrinsic to the SHC’s work in Appalachia
Charles Scott and John Kennedy discuss the racism intrinsic to the Student Health Coalition’s work, particularly in Morgan County, Tenn. Scott underlines the importance of (1) recognizing and (2) remembering the power they (as majority White students) had in these… Continued
On the empowerment intrinsic to Linda Hart’s nursing career and its role in challenging the system
Linda Hart speaks to the evolution of her nursing career, in part influenced by connections to the Student Health Coalition (SHC). Upon being recruited by Bill Dow, she worked five years as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) at the White Oak… Continued
Diane Lauver’s response to sexism with pivot toward becoming a Nurse Practitioner
In exploration of how sexism influenced Coalitioners’ career paths, Diane Lauver describes her introduction to the Nurse Practitioner role that Loretta Ford championed and that Bill Dow and Leah Albers advocated for in the SHC approach to community healthcare. Following… Continued
Margaret Ecker on early SHC work: dental screening in Williamson County, Tenn.
Margaret Ecker shares the story of Bill Dow’s and Pat Maxwell’s collaborative dental screening of children at a Headstart in Williamson County, Tenn. She frames it as an early manifestation of the SHC’s Saul Alinsky-inspired approach to addressing community public… Continued
Coeducation at Vanderbilt
Charles Scott, professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and early supporter of the Student Health Coalition (SHC), frames the development of coeducation and feminist-driven policy reform under Chancellor Alexander Heard and the Dean of Women, Margaret Cunningham–ongoing at the time… Continued
Charles Scott meets Bill Dow
Charles Scott, professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and early supporter of the Student Health Coalition (SHC), shares the story of how he and Bill Dow first met. Follow this link for access to the full-length discussion. Recorded May 2019. Continued
Reflections on personal growth from SHC participation
Carolyn Burr poignantly describes the profound mutual value of getting involved with projects like the Student Health Coalition (SHC), based on reflections of her own experience and the personal growth that transpired from her participation. Follow this link for access… Continued
The Coalition’s influence on Carolyn Burr’s work as an NP and personal healthcare philosophy
Carolyn Burr reflects on the Coalition values she carried forward into her future work as a Nurse Practitioner (NP). In doing so, she describes the intellectual stimulation that came from working with a diverse group of folks and its influence… Continued
Carolyn Burr on Rick Davidson’s mentorship
Carolyn Burr describes her work at the SHC health fairs in Smithville, White Oak, Briceville, and Deer Lodge from 1970-1971. She explains the nature of nursing students’ role in conducting physical exams and providing follow-up care, their skills having been… Continued
SHC’s patient-centered healthcare and its role in the expansion of Nurse Practitioners
Carolyn Burr discusses the Student Health Coalition’s (SHC) approach to healthcare, emphasizing their value of patient/community involvement and accountability. She describes Dr. Amos Christie’s direct influence on her own nursing career, as well as on the profession moving forward–namely as… Continued
What drew Carolyn Burr to the Coalition
Carolyn Burr shares how she first got involved with the Student Health Coalition (SHC) and what about the organization spoke to her, framing it as an opportunity to live out her values for sociopolitical activism in a way that was… Continued
Lobbying for the Rural Health Clinic Act
Kate Bradley recalls lobbying for Medicare’s funding of Nurse Practitioners (NPs), a motion that later became known as the Rural Health Clinic Act. Others involved in the effort included Irwin Venick, Wanda Lang, Bill Corr, and Byrd Duncan. Follow this… Continued
Kate Bradley’s post-clinic organizing work at a regional prison
Kate Bradley describes her work as the Volunteer Coordinator at a regional prison, including their development of a continuing education program. Follow this link for access to the full-length interview. Recorded October 2017 in Wartburg, Tenn. Continued
The Bradleys move to Wartburg, Tenn.
Caryl Carpenter describes Kate Bradley’s fierce commitment to making Petros a better place, naming several other community initiatives beyond the clinic. Kate, however, shares that she feels they failed and explains their decision to leave for Wartburg, Tenn. in 1993.… Continued
Overcoming adversity from Morgan County
Kate and J.W. Bradley discuss the Morgan County Health Council, from its formation around the same time as the Coalition’s health fair in Petros, Tenn. to the challenges Morgan County officials created for the clinic. These hurdles were in no… Continued
On the Petros Clinic’s connection to Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary
Kate Bradley briefly discusses the Petros Clinic’s connection to Brushy Mountain Prison and recalls her memory of James Earl Ray’s escape. Follow this link for access to the full-length interview. Recorded October 2017 in Wartburg, Tenn. Continued
On closing the Petros Clinic
Kate and J.W. Bradley share about their decision to close the Petros Clinic amidst ongoing, relentless threats from Dr. Chester Caster and the community. Follow this link for access to the full-length interview. Recorded October 2017 in Wartburg, Tenn. Continued
On the Petros Health Council’s response to altercation with Dr. Chester Caster
Kate Bradley discusses the local Petros Health Council’s response to an altercation with the clinic’s doctor, Chester Caster. He tirelessly incited clinic opposition among community members and rallied to take over, but Kate’s determination to protect the clinic was stalwart.… Continued
Kate Bradley on a problematic provider’s attempt to take over the clinic in Petros
Kate Bradley describes the internal conflict that arose with the doctor, Chester Caster, who came to Petros after Rick Davidson. He rallied for clinic opposition among community members and made irate threats against her in what was a futile (albeit… Continued
More on local opposition to the Petros Clinic
Kate Bradley expands on the issues she explains are often characteristic of small, rural communities and how such things as ignorance and jealousy impeded their efforts to build a community clinic in Petros, Tenn. She describes a few specific examples… Continued
“We had to work with one hand and fight with the other”
Kate Bradley narrates the process by which Mountain Peoples Health Council (MPHC) acquired land to build the Petros Clinic. She describes the stiff political atmosphere in Nashville, where she went to plead her case before a judge, and explains why… Continued
Formation of Mountain Peoples Health Council (MPHC)
Kate and J.W. Bradley ponder who first suggested Petros, Stoney Fork, and Norma band together to form the Mountain Peoples Health Council (MPHC), why, and how it was made possible–in large part thanks to Rick Davidson’s role as the first… Continued
On the Bradley’s motivation to organize a community clinic in Petros, Tenn.
Kate Bradley frames the initiative to organize a local health council and community clinic as a direct response to the Petros health fair’s preliminary identification of needs. She details early fundraising efforts, including Pat Kalmans’ key role in securing grant… Continued
Key players in the health fair and early days of the clinic in Petros, Tenn.
Caryl Carpenter, Rick Davidson, and Irwin Venick meet with Kate and J.W. Bradley to discuss the Petros health fair and community clinic. They list several of the early players involved with both, including Wanda and Gary Lang, Bob Hartmann, John… Continued
On the evolution of treatment and maintenance for opioid addiction in St. Charles, Va.
Art Van Zee discusses the evolution of treatment for opioid addiction, including monumental shifts particularly valuable to rural communities such as St. Charles, Va. He explains that access to methadone maintenance treatment is extremely restricted for many people in isolated… Continued
Reflections on the legacy of coal camp healthcare and success of the St. Charles Clinic
Several closely tied to the St. Charles Clinic gather to discuss what contributed to its success and reminisce about past generations of healthcare in the area, namely during the time large coal companies were active. They emphasize the determination of… Continued
Reflections on culture: camaraderie, family, and the destructive fallout of addiction in St. Charles
Art Van Zee reflects on the rich coal mining culture of St. Charles, Va. and surrounding communities. He describes its positive impact on the connectedness of extended family units and overall sense of camaraderie among neighbors. In doing so, Art… Continued
On healthcare education and mentoring
Art Van Zee discusses the value of healthcare education and mentoring. He expresses gratitude for the nurturing and supportive environment both his parents cultivated for him as a child; for Sister Beth Davies’ mentorship in the field of addiction-related healthcare… Continued
On core tenets of sustainability and the role of business planning in community organizing
Nancy Raybin delves into the core tenets of sustainability (such as governance, self-preservation, and long-term impact metrics) to further stress the value of bringing business planning to community organizing. Follow this link for access to the full-length interview. Recorded October… Continued
On the success of the St. Charles Clinic: Art Van Zee’s decision to stay and other local leaders
Nancy Raybin highlights Art Van Zee’s commitment to the St. Charles Clinic (and decision to stay) as the foremost contributing factor to its success. She also speaks to the local leadership of many others involved in the clinic’s foundation. Follow… Continued
On healthcare as a catalyst for community organizing
Nancy Raybin reflects on the Coalition’s philosophic inspirations from which it modeled its approach to community organizing, naming Saul Alinsky as the primary paradigm. She also comments on her own personal interaction with healthcare as a catalyst for organizing and… Continued
Nancy Raybin’s community organizing pursuits post-SHC
Nancy Raybin shares more about her background in community organizing and related post-SHC pursuits–namely, her graduate education in public, private, and nonprofit management at Yale’s Business School. Follow this link for access to the full-length interview. Recorded October 28th, 2021. Continued
Nancy Raybin on Bill Dow’s visionary leadership and other prominent figures in southwest Virginia
Nancy Raybin describes Bill Dow’s visionary leadership, highlighting his role in securing funds for the Coalition’s varied projects. But given her placement in St. Charles and being so far removed from SHC happenings in East Tennessee, Raybin speaks more to… Continued
On the St. Charles Clinic’s economic model: “…it had to survive beyond the goodwill of volunteers”
Nancy Raybin describes the growth and development of the St. Charles Clinic over time. She provides insight about what distinguished this one from others in East Tennessee, with emphasis on the value of applying business principles and establishing an economic… Continued
Nancy Raybin’s onboarding and role as Director of the St. Charles Clinic, 1974
Nancy Raybin discusses her onboarding and role as the Director of the St. Charles Clinic from 1974 to 1976, a period during which she hired Polly McClanahan as the clinic’s Nurse Practitioner (NP), recruited Art Van Zee as the clinic’s… Continued
An overview of Nancy Raybin’s SHC experience
Nancy Raybin recaps her time with the Student Health Coalition, from initial introduction during the spring semester and subsequent participation as a community organizer in St. Charles, Va. during the summer of 1973 to serving as co-Director–alongside Randy Hodges and… Continued
On the Coalition’s installation of hope, strength, and inspiration to keep going
Margaret Ecker frames healthcare as a tool the SHC elected to use toward community empowerment, concluding, along with Rosie Hammond, that while the Coalition may not have made many structural changes to healthcare in the region, their community organizing efforts… Continued
Did we make a difference? Margaret Ecker and Rosie Hammond reflect.
Margaret Ecker and Rosie Hammond grapple with the question: did we (the SHC) make a difference? Margaret shares how, in reflection of Art Van Zee’s insight to ongoing addiction throughout southwest Virginia and the Appalachian region, there are new challenges… Continued
On the resourcefulness, work ethic, and generosity of people and communities in the mountains
Margaret Ecker describes what impressed her most about people and communities in the mountains, highlighting Byrd Duncan’s role in establishing and maintaining the Briceville Clinic. She also mentions J.W. Bradley and Marie Cirillo. Rosie Hammond reflects on other characteristics, such… Continued
SHC influence on Rosie Hammond’s career arc: public clinics vs private practice
Rosie Hammond details how the SHC experience influenced her career arc, highlighting a nurtured commitment to Coalition philosophies (such as really listening to the patient for context and expressed needs, as well as considering all social determinants of health) and… Continued
Margaret Ecker, new NP, treats a young girl with severe allergic reaction
Margaret Ecker describes the scary experience and pressure of treating a young girl exhibiting severe allergy to multiple yellow jacket stings in Clairfield, Tenn. Follow this link for full-footage of Margaret Ecker’s and Rosie Hammond’s reflections about their SHC experience… Continued
Did you ever feel afraid? Rosie Hammond shares.
Rosie Hammond responds to Margaret Ecker’s inquiry about whether she ever felt afraid during her time in the mountains. She describes an experience while staying with Vada Evans in White Oak, Tenn. Follow this link for full-footage of Margaret Ecker’s… Continued
Discussion about the SHC’s degree of influence on approaches to nursing
Margaret Ecker and Rosie Hammond discuss their difference in perspective about the Coalition’s degree of influence on participants, namely as it regards those who went on to pursue nursing. They ponder how much certain characteristics (such as fierce autonomy and… Continued
On Vanderbilt’s first PrimEx program and its role in the movement toward Nurse Practitioners
Rosie Hammond describes her life post-SHC, beginning with an invitation to participate in Vanderbilt’s first PrimEx program during her Senior year. PrimEx was a government-sponsored initiative designed to provide primary care training for nurses. It functioned as a pivotal step… Continued
On communal living at the Ponderosa
Margaret Ecker describes the communal living experience characteristic of those who stayed at the Ponderosa in Lake City, Tenn., a property donated by locals to host Coalition students. Follow this link for full-footage of Margaret Ecker’s and Rosie Hammond’s reflections… Continued
Margaret Ecker’s perspective on local home-stays and her experience among the Melungeon Community
Margaret Ecker shares her perspective on the Coalition’s unique opportunity for students to stay with local families, and the power doing so had on the relationship-building element crucial to effective community organizing. As an example, she reminisces her experience among… Continued
On the joy and impact of living with local families in East Tennessee
Rosie Hammond shares the highlight of her SHC experience: living with and getting to know local families. She names several from her time in Briceville, White Oak, Petros, Stoney Fork, and Rose Creek, Tenn., including (but not limited to) the… Continued
On the SHC’s process identifying post-health fair follow-up needs in East Tennessee
Rosie Hammond describes the Coalition’s process identifying cases in need of follow-up, be it subsequent visits to the nearby clinic in Clairfield, Tenn. (where Sister Martha Stucker conducted primary care), a referral for speciality care, or ongoing support from Frontier… Continued
On training at Nashville General with Pete Moss and Bill Dow
Rosie Hammond elaborates on her training prior to working in the mountains with the Coalition during the summer of 1971. She had met Bill Dow and received clinical mentoring from Pete Moss at Nashville General the year prior, explaining that… Continued
Margaret Ecker’s introduction to the Coalition and its role in her shift of career pursuits
Margaret Ecker describes her introduction to the Student Health Coalition during the summer of 1970. She had just graduated from Vanderbilt University with plans to pursue a law degree. Having not yet set the intention to pursue a career in… Continued
Rosie Hammond’s introduction to the Student Health Coalition, fall of 1970
Rosie Hammond shares how she first got involved with the Coalition in the fall of 1970 and describes her role as a pediatric examiner, including both the training she received alongside second year med students beforehand and her follow-up work… Continued
Impact of the SHC experience on career and life: John Kennedy reflects
John Kennedy reflects on the impact of his Coalition experience, both on his career and life as a whole. For more information on John Kennedy’s involvement with the East Tennessee Research Corporation (ETRC) and work related to black lung, follow… Continued
On John Kennedy’s management of UMW’s Black Lung Treatment Programs, Kentucky and Tennessee
John Kennedy describes the evolution of his career and transition to Washington in 1974. Upon suggestion from Eula Hall, Director of the Mud Creek Clinic, and with an official offer from Tom Ludwig, the union rep responsible for occupational health… Continued
Changes in perception of black lung, 1971 vs 1975
John Kennedy reflects on the difference between 1971 and 1975 perceptions of black lung, including recognition of the disease, access to healthcare, and availability of legal support. For more information on John Kennedy’s involvement with the East Tennessee Research Corporation… Continued
On the East Tennessee Research Corporation (ETRC) in eastern Kentucky
In supplement to ETRC’s involvement with the Black Lung Association in LaFollette and the Black Lung Clinic in Jacksboro, John Kennedy describes its ongoing activity outside of East Tennessee, too. Namely, he discusses his role setting up clinics in eastern… Continued
Development of the Jacksboro Black Lung Clinic, 1973-1975
John Kennedy provides further insight to the Black Lung Association’s legal processes and evolution as an organization that could govern the proposed Jacksboro Black Lung Clinic. Prominent folks involved in getting said clinic up and running included, but were not… Continued
Progression of black lung care toward government-funded clinics, 1973
John Kennedy describes monumental developments in black lung care during the summer of 1973, primarily as it pertains to the establishment of state and federally funded clinics. He details the complex effort in acquiring these funds, including the role key… Continued
On SOCM’s early days and development as a threat to strip mining
John Kennedy elaborates on Heleny Cook’s and Jane Sampson’s role with Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM), their organizing efforts having grown directly out of John Gaventa’s strip mining research and related work about the American Association. For more information on… Continued
Progression of the Black Lung Association under new union leadership, 1972-1973
John Kennedy details progression of the Black Lung Association (BLA) between 1972 and 1973, following its first successful objective in replacing Tony Boyle with Arnold Miller as president of United Mine Workers (UMW). For more information on John Kennedy’s involvement… Continued
John Kennedy’s introduction to the Black Lung Association in LaFollette, Tenn.
John Kennedy describes his introduction to the Black Lung Association in LaFollette, Tenn. The organization’s primary functions were twofold at the time. First, supporting legislation that would secure black lung benefits for coal miners, and along with it, providing legal… Continued
On the United Mine Workers’ internal power struggle: Jock Yablonski and family’s murder, 1969
John Kennedy describes the deadly repercussions of severe conflicting political interests and struggle for power within UMW ranks, leading to the murder of Jock Yablonski and his family in 1969. Yablonski had opposed Tony Boyle’s re-election as Union President and… Continued
On miner’s limited access to health and/or legal support for Black Lung Disease management
John Kennedy describes the initial inundation of legal clinics with Black Lung cases, due largely to nonexistent dust control in underground mines and extremely limited access to physicians and lawyers who could help with disease management. He provides further insight… Continued
On the investigation of East Tennessee Development Districts
John Kennedy describes Bill Dow’s motivation to coordinate an investigative review of potential corruption in East Tennessee economic development districts, explaining that said corruption could reinforce power systems–namely, the allocation of state and federal funding to health and other community… Continued
On John Kennedy’s involvement with the Coalition and its early law school projects
John Kennedy shares about his introduction to the SHC while finishing up his degree at Vanderbilt Law School (1971), recollects others who were involved in the Coalition’s early law school projects, and delineates his role researching the East Tennessee Development… Continued
John Williams and Neil McBride on their work with ETRC
This snippet of a much longer and more comprehensive interview with John Williams and Neil McBride serves merely as a brief overview and cursory introduction of these two key figures and their role with the East Tennessee Research Corporation (ETRC)… Continued
On the Center’s multi-phasic identities and development over time
Irwin Venick, Joe Little, and Bob Hartmann reflect on the birth and growth of the Center for Health Services (CHS) over time, tracing its stages of development from its initial Medical School partnership to its later social-science orientation and eventually,… Continued
On the role of institutional support in community-driven change
Bob Hartmann and Irwin Venick respond to Gillian’s question about how they would approach or encourage others to approach similar student and/or community-led projects today. Bob provides insight into what the Coalition did right and what it could have done… Continued
Resistance to institutionalization: then and now
Bob Hartmann, Irwin Venick, and Joe Little reflect on how the SHC process became institutionalized and the widespread (but split) resistance to it. Bob concludes that if they’d known more about how universities work or approached the formalization process retrospectively,… Continued
Positive impact despite Coalition/Center conflict: Joe Little reflects
Joe Little reflects on the influence of Coalition (and Center) participation on himself (and others) as an individual, choosing to think on how it impacted so many students in positive and profound ways despite the conflict that surrounded the Center… Continued
Competing visions and growing pains: on the Center’s origins
Irwin Venick expands on the competing visions between the SHC and the Center for Health Services (CHS), explaining that once the Center was established, Coalitioners faced the challenge of adjusting to a structure they hadn’t had to in previous installments… Continued
Margaret Ecker reflects on unique nature of the Coalition’s power
Margaret Ecker reflects on the power of the Coalition, however invisible at the time, and its success in changing institutions, unconventional and inchoate though it was. She brings John Gaventa’s conclusion on the matter, as further detailed in his book… Continued
Joe Little on Tricia Nixon’s visit and the Coalition/Center conflict
Joe Little frames Tricia Nixon’s visit to the Center for Health Services (CHS) as a microcosm for the conflict that was going on at the time: some SHC and/or CHS participants and alumni attended the meeting, entertaining the dialogue that… Continued
Coalescing visionary spirit with stabilizing structure: on the Center’s origins
Irwin Venick and Joe Little define the central conflict pertaining to the development of the Center for Health Services (CHS) as the challenge of retaining a Bill-like figure to keep the spirit, vision, and focus of the Coalition alive, yet… Continued
Sir George Pickering visits East Tennessee
Bob Hartmann shares the story of his trip escorting Sir George Pickering, a well-respected hypertension specialist from England who was at the time visiting as a guest professor, and Dr. Grant Liddle and his family to East Tennessee as an… Continued
On institutional benefit of student-led Coalition energy and notoriety
Margaret Ecker and Bob Hartmann discuss how the university seemed to be feeding off of and trying to control Coalition energy and notoriety in the effort to recruit foundation dollars. He shares the story of his trip escorting Sir George… Continued
On the contrast between Coalition and Center approaches to healthcare in Appalachia
Margaret Ecker and Irwin Venick summarize the differences and ensuing conflict between the Coalition’s and the university’s motivations, priorities, and framework of their approach to healthcare in Appalachia. Irwin makes an important distinction between the Medical School’s focus on community… Continued
SHC resistance to university-driven formalization: on the Center’s origins
Bob Hartmann shares the suspicion and intimidation he and others felt in the wake of developing the Center for Health Services (CHS), since the fuel behind it seemed to be coming primarily from and out of the Medical School for… Continued
Irwin Venick on what prompted development of the Center for Health Services
Irwin Venick characterizes the formation of the Center for Health Services (CHS) as an “institutional overlay imposed upon from on high” rather than an impulse among Coalition participants. He explains that most of the university-driven energy to formalize and take… Continued
Bob Hartmann on the Coalition’s pre-Center days
Bob Hartmann contrasts the informal and independent nature of the Coalition’s early, pre-Center days with that of the kind of student work he sees most often today. He draws on the metaphor that, prior to the formalization of the Coalition’s… Continued
Outside convention and against the grain: what set the Coalition apart
Bob Hartmann frames the Coalition work as having absolutely been outside convention and against the grain, in large part due to Bill Dow’s talent at generating and following through with big, extraordinary ideas. He then elucidates one of his favorite… Continued
Bob Hartmann on his follow-up visits with the Bradleys in Petros, Tenn.
Bob Hartmann discusses the informal nature of community organizing characteristic of the Coalition’s work, both prior to and following summer health fairs. He shares the story of his and others’ regular visits back to communities during the academic year, highlighting… Continued
“Community knows best”
Margaret Ecker facilitates a discussion among Irwin Venick, Bob Hartmann, and Joe Little about the philosophies and guiding principles of the SHC. All agree a central facet of the Coalition’s approach was a collective understanding of the local community’s role… Continued
The challenges of traditional rural midwifery
Barbara Clinton explains what she learned of the challenges associated with midwifery in rural areas, traditionally known as granny midwives, and the Center’s resulting impetus to support local women with training and funding through the Maternal-Infant Health Outreach Worker Project… Continued
The role and impact of MIHOW outreach workers
Barbara Clinton frames the Maternal-Infant Health Outreach Worker Project (MIHOW) as a sustainability-driven next step to the care and relationships initiated by Coalition health fairs. She delineates the role outreach workers filled and the immense impact local women had on… Continued
Criteria for and selection process of outreach workers with MIHOW project
Barbara Clinton explains how partnerships between local community health clinics and the Center for Health Services (CHS) facilitated the development of the Maternal-Infant Health Outreach Worker Project (MIHOW). It was up to the community-run clinics to outline criteria for and… Continued
On the funds acquisition for community-inspired MIHOW project
Barbara Clinton shares how the Center for Health Services (CHS) acquired funding for the Maternal-Infant Health Outreach Worker Project (MIHOW), an effort initiated by Dick Couto’s ongoing attempts to convince the Ford Foundation to invest in Appalachia. She also names… Continued
MPHC: rural health clinic or federally qualified community health center?
James Lovett, CEO of Mountain People’s Health Councils, Inc., recalls when and how he first discovered the differences between rural health clinics, community health centers, and the public health department, along with what it meant for MPHC to be a… Continued
James Lovett’s childhood experience at the Norma Health Fair
James Lovett, CEO of Mountain People’s Health Councils, Inc., shares the humorous tale of his experience as a 7 or 8-year-old patient at the Norma Health Fair. See the full length interview to learn more about James Lovett’s legacy with… Continued
Post-health fair formation of community councils and the origins of MPHC in Tennessee
As part of the Student Health Coalition Archive Project, Caryl Carpenter and Rick Davidson meet with James Lovett, CEO of Mountain People’s Health Councils, Inc. Their primary objective is to collect a firsthand account from Lovett and in so doing,… Continued
Joe Little on the early days of the Center for Health Services
Joe Little shares his perspective on the impetus behind the establishment of the Center for Health Services, based on his own recollection and from his deep dive into the archives. Toward the end of this clip, he also briefly touches… Continued
Sharon Roberson on institutional racism and her invitation to Chancellor Heard’s home
Sharon Roberson shares what she’s most proud of from her time in West Tennessee, explaining how it cultivated greater depth to her critical understanding of institutional racism and the ensuing drive to educate others on the matter. Full footage… Continued
On Sharon Roberson’s mother, Lady Kendall
Sharon Roberson shares a story exemplifying her mother’s legacy of kindness and advocacy, highlighting the power of leaders to change institutions. Full footage of Sharon Roberson’s 2018 oral history interview. Continued
“Whites treated Whites and Blacks treated Blacks”
Sharon Roberson discusses her witness of racial segregation in rural West Tennessee healthcare (circa late 1970s), noting how said disparities severely limited access to healthcare for many in the area. Full footage of Sharon Roberson’s 2018 oral history interview. Continued
Sharon Roberson on respect for elders
Sharon Roberson shares how her cultural upbringing facilitated an innate respect for elders that, she believes, is foundational to achieving societal civility. Full footage of Sharon Roberson’s 2018 oral history interview. Continued
Sharon Roberson on systemic racism: then and now
Sharon Roberson reflects on her witness and personal experience of racism together with our ongoing culture of racism today, highlights the widespread mistrust of Medicaid expansion and Obamacare common among many people (largely due to politically-driven misinformation and propaganda), and… Continued
On the anti-establishment origins of the Coalition and Center for Health Services
Sharon Roberson and Margaret Ecker discuss how Vanderbilt University no longer has a Student Health Coalition or Center for Health Services, in part due to an unspecified anger more characteristic of the 1960s and 1970s student generation, on top of… Continued
Sharon Roberson’s work with the YWCA
Sharon Roberson delves into more detail about her ongoing work with the YWCA and how her experience with the Coalition shaped the values which, to this day, inspire her professional priorities. Full footage of Sharon Roberson’s 2018 oral history… Continued
West TN summers and their impact on Sharon Roberson’s career arc
Sharon Roberson shares how her experience with the Center for Health Services informed her professional pursuits, particularly as it relates to combatting the mentality she’d witnessed among many people in West Tennessee–that being the impetus not to “rock the boat”… Continued
Differences between West and East TN core injustices and approach to community organizing
Sharon Roberson describes community organizing work over time and the growing tension that transpired among Vanderbilt students from one summer to the next, particularly in light of apartheid in South Africa and the ongoing domestic fight for civil rights. Many… Continued
Sharon Roberson on her family stay and community relationships in West TN
Sharon Roberson provides insight into the dynamic of student stays with local families and developing community relationships, including the mutually shared desire not to disrupt existing social norms that would persist after they left. Full footage of Sharon Roberson’s… Continued
Appealing to community leaders, the health fair model, and rights and benefits counseling in West TN
Sharon Roberson describes the student-led approach to community organizing in West Tennessee, such as appealing to established community leaders (namely, ministers from local churches). She also details the health fair model and rights and benefits counseling, both of which were… Continued
Sharon Roberson on Black deference to White people in West Tennessee
Sharon Roberson describes an air conditioning situation in the Haywood County Public Health Services building which, to her surprise, highlighted how Black people, according to custom and engrained mentality, demonstrated deference to the White demographic. Full footage of Sharon… Continued
Sharon Roberson’s early involvement with the Center for Health Services
Sharon Roberson tells of her first getting involved with the Center for Health Services, a Vanderbilt-sponsored affiliate program of the Student Health Coalition. She worked in West Tennessee (primarily Haywood County) and explains that unique to this region, in comparison… Continued
An anecdote on Bill Dow from John Williams
John Williams shares a fun Bill Dow anecdote as the ETRC and BLA panel comes to a close. Full footage of the 2017 ETRC panel featuring John Williams, John McArthur, Lark Hayes, and Neil McBride. Continued
Neil McBride on the spirit of ETRC
Lark Hayes highlights Neil McBride’s thoughtfulness and tenacity in his litigative work with the East Tennessee Research Corporation (ETRC), and shares an email verbalizing his perception of ETRC’s empowering spirit. Full footage of the 2017 ETRC panel featuring John… Continued
Lark Hayes’ origins with ETRC
Lark Hayes shares her history with the East Tennessee Research Corporation (ETRC), highlighting responsibilities such as putting together a rights and benefits handbook, southern coal property title research, and overloaded coal truck fact-finding (for lawsuits) alongside Charles “Boomer” Winfrey and… Continued
Bob Firestone and John Twiggs arrive in Jacksboro
John McArthur tells the story of his and the board’s decision to hire Bob Firestone and John Twiggs, both from the University of Minnesota, as the Jacksboro Clinic’s first two National Health Service Corps physicians. Despite cultural differences, the community… Continued
John McArthur on Columbus and Ruby McGhee
John McArthur names two of his heroes in the effort to organize the black lung clinic in Jacksboro, Tenn. According to him, Columbus McGhee, a coal miner, and his wife, Ruby, were the lifeblood of the Black Lung Association (BLA)… Continued
On John McArthur’s background
John McArthur elaborates on how his familial background and upbringing set him apart from many others involved with the Black Lung Association (BLA). Raised in Appalachia, he was radicalized while in college at UTC and shifted his studies from forestry… Continued
J.W. Bradley lobbying for strip mining legislation
John Williams recalls J.W. Bradley’s tenacity while lobbying Congress in support of strip mining regulation, which in 1976, was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter. Full footage of the 2017 ETRC panel featuring John Williams, John McArthur, Lark… Continued
ETRC’s lawsuit against Davidson County Health Department
John Williams shares ETRC’s successful lawsuit against the Health Department in Davidson County. The effort was collaborative alongside other environmental organizations, including Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM), and initiated as a means to mandate the monitoring and enforcement of water… Continued
Key issues tackled by ETRC
John Williams and Neil McBride share a list of the East Tennessee Research Corporation’s range of legal issues addressed between 1974 and 1977, including but not limited to: coal industry regulation, industrial development, environmental litigation, barriers to independently-run rural health… Continued
ETRC’s first board of directors
John Williams explains the first priority upon establishing the East Tennessee Research Corporation: electing a Board of Directors that could oversee the organization’s operations. Billy Christopher, named Chairman of the Board, Dean Rivkin, and Jack Gibbons were three of the… Continued
Establishing the East Tennessee Research Corporation (ETRC)
John Williams details the development of the East Tennessee Research Corporation (ETRC) as a 501(c)(3) in 1973. Those involved considered a couple different precedented models for doing so, but the organization ultimately achieved its goal with help from Vanderbilt University’s… Continued
On values-based and community-driven archives
Biff Hollingsworth, Collecting and Public Programming Archivist at the Southern Historical Collection, provides an excellent thumbnail description of the ongoing shift in archiving toward community-driven, values-based collecting practices. Follow this link to learn more. Full footage of the 2017… Continued
On the origins of the Jacksboro Clinic
John Kennedy shares the story behind the establishment of the Jacksboro Clinic (1973) at a 2019 Coalition gathering in Nashville. Full footage of the 2019 gathering. Continued
Janie Hiserote and Kaye Bultemeier on being nurse practitioners
Janie Hiserote and Kaye Bultemeier discuss how and why they became nurse practitioners and talk about finding their niche in family practice. Full footage of the interview with Janie Hiserote, Kaye Bultemeier, and Chuck Darling from October 25, 2017. Continued
Kaye Bultemeier introduction
Kaye Bultemeier introduces herself and talks about how she came to work in Stoney Fork, Tennessee. She was initially part of the National Health Services Corps and ended up staying in the community for eight years. Full footage of the… Continued
Janie Hiserote on Byrd Duncan
Janie Hiserote talks about the dynamics between practitioners and the boards of the community clinics. She speaks candidly about the disagreements she had with community leader Byrd Duncan, which ultimately led to her resignation. Full footage of the interview… Continued
Janie Hiserote on Family Practice
Janie Hiserote talks about being a nurse practitioner providing family and community care in the communities of Petros and Coalfield, Tennessee. She shares a touching story about attending to a dying man in the middle of the night and the… Continued
On the sense of community
Kaye Bultemeier, Janie Hiserote, and Chuck Darling reflect on the sense of community among residents of Petros, Stoney Fork, and Norma, Tennessee, and make note of changes in the region over time. Kaye says, “You could be a little bit… Continued
The community worker’s role in supporting health fairs
Dick Burr delves into more detail about the community worker’s role with the Student Health Coalition, namely as it relates to the operation and success of health fairs. Full footage of Dick Burr’s interview from March 25th, 2021. Continued
SHC appeal and Dick Burr’s decision to join
Dick Burr examines his first impressions of the Coalition and what enticed him to join the effort in 1970. Full footage of Dick Burr’s interview from March 25th, 2021. Continued
Dick Burr on the contributions of Carolyn Klyce
Dick Burr reminisces the kind, joyful, and diligent character of Carolyn Klyce and explains how her many remarkable qualities advanced the Student Health Coalition’s core, activist mission. Full footage of Dick Burr’s interview from March 25th, 2021. Continued
Byrd Duncan welcomes “June Beasley” to his home
Dick Burr shares the comedic story of Byrd Duncan first meeting folk musician Joan Baez. Full footage of Dick Burr’s interview from March 25th, 2021. Continued
“Get your hand off my shoulder.”
Dick Burr tells the story of a heated confrontation that ensued between him and a middle-class community member during a gathering of organizers strategizing how to empower the poorest in the community. His reflections on this confrontational style of organizing… Continued
Dick Burr and the Stringfields
The Stringfield family housed Dick Burr during the summer of 1970, his first summer spent with the Coalition in East Tennessee. He recalls the lasting value of his relationship with the Stringfields and how formative his experience living among them… Continued
Dick Burr reminisces Harriet Hahn and Bonnie McWorter
Two memorable characters emerge from Dick Burr’s recollections of his time in Morgan County, Tenn. Full footage of Dick Burr’s interview from March 25th, 2021. Continued
A Coalition adventure with Dick Burr’s VW beetle, 1970
Dick Burr shares the amusing story of Carolyn Klyce with his VW beetle during the summer of 1970. Full footage of Dick Burr’s interview from March 25th, 2021. Continued
Dick Burr on Coalition successes and mistakes
Dick Burr reflects on how the SHC succeeded in its approach to community organizing and posits, in retrospect, how the student-led coalition fell short. He focuses primarily on the value of a more intersectional approach to the needs of poor… Continued
Reflections on the first generation of SHC community workers
Dick Burr and John Davis discuss the characteristic anger of the first generation of community organizers with the Student Health Coalition. They conclude that, albeit a driving force, this was sometimes counter-productive to the SHC mission. Full footage of… Continued
Dick Burr’s three-day stint as a labor organizer
Upon returning to Nashville, Dick Burr sought out to be a labor organizer through an apprenticeship program with the local carpenter’s union. Full footage of Dick Burr’s interview from March 25th, 2021. Continued
Dick Burr’s admonition to organizers today
In response to a question posed by Gillian McCuistion, one of the Southern Historical Collection’s archival technicians with the Coalition project, Dick Burr delineates how he would encourage students (and others) to organize today. He centers his commentary on lessons… Continued
Bill Dow’s “steely gaze”
Dick Burr recalls Bill Dow’s eccentric, impassioned personality and its driving force in the evolution of the Student Health Coalition. Full footage of Dick Burr’s interview from March 25th, 2021. Continued
Grant proposal process for the Douglas Community Health Center
Jean Carney details the convoluted grant proposal and approval process for establishing the Douglas Community Health Center, and the lengths to which she and others had to go to make it happen. Despite the several setbacks, she persisted and the… Continued
Origins of the Douglas Community Health Center’s Board of Directors
Jean Carney recounts the story of how the Board of Directors for the Douglas Community Health Center in Stanton, Tenn. first came to be, as well as the role Irwin Venick‘s feasibility study played in determining the community’s need for… Continued
Inadequacies of healthcare system in Stanton, Tenn.
Jean Carney discusses the several, primarily race-related inadequacies of the healthcare system in Stanton, Tenn. prior to the 1977 establishment of the Douglas Community Health Center. Full footage of Jean Carney’s tour and narrative of the Douglas Community Health… Continued
Reflections on the level of care at SHC health fairs
Tom John and Rick Davidson retrospectively comment on the level and quality of care provided at the Student Health Coalition summer health fairs, and how theses experiences shaped their own understanding of and perspective on healthcare. Full footage of… Continued
Memories from the mountains
Tom John and Rick Davidson share some of their most memorable moments and takeaways from their time spent in Appalachia with the Student Health Coalition. Full footage of the 2013 interview with Tom John and Rick Davidson. Continued
What the SHC did (and didn’t do) well
Tom John and Rick Davidson share their retrospective thoughts on how the Student Health Coalition succeeded, as well as how, in certain respects, the SHC could have operated differently. These critical reflections offer insight to community organizing efforts today, particularly… Continued
Tom John and Rick Davidson on their ongoing connections with community members
Tom John and Rick Davidson share the depth of their many relationships born from their respective Student Health Coalition experiences, and the long-term impact said connections have had. Full footage of the 2013 interview with Tom John and Rick… Continued
Tom John on the origin of his participation with the SHC and its community-oriented focus
Tom John reflects on how he first got involved with the Coalition, the multi-dimensional impact his SHC involvement had on him, and sets the student-led organization apart from others at the time as he details its community-oriented approach to rural… Continued
Rick Davidson on what led him to work in the mountains with the Coalition
Rick Davidson shares the impetus behind his involvement with the Student Health Coalition and how that decision impacted him both personally and professionally for years to come. Full footage of the 2013 interview with Tom John and Rick Davidson. Continued
Art Van Zee on the first health fair in St. Charles and early clinic history
Art Van Zee shares about the first health fair in St. Charles, Va. (1973) and expands on the origins of the clinic that still stands today. Recorded March 17th, 2013. Full footage of Art Van Zee’s interview. Continued
The role of community control in structure of Stone Mountain Health Clinics
Art Van Zee discusses the impact of community agency on the success of the St. Charles Clinic and the key role local ownership plays in rural healthcare centers. Recorded March 17th, 2013. Full footage of Art Van Zee’s interview. Continued
Art Van Zee on the opioid epidemic in southwestern Virginia
Art Van Zee was among the first physicians in the U.S. to warn people about the dangers of OxyContin and take a multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical company head on for its marketing blunders. He describes his witness of the problem rapidly… Continued
On Art Van Zee’s activism in the 1960s
His work with the Student Health Coalition and subsequent dedication to accessible primary healthcare aside, Art Van Zee expands on his activism with other social causes of the time–namely, the anti-war movement. Recorded March 17th, 2013. Full footage of… Continued
Art Van Zee’s message to students today
Art Van Zee discusses how the legacy of St. Charles Clinic may serve as inspiration to students today, and encourages them to harness a belief that they, too, should feel empowered to get involved in social movements. Recorded March 17th,… Continued
The power of multi-generational primary care
Art Van Zee describes how meaningful the opportunity to provide care for several generations of the same family has been on his medical career, and why community-run clinics in rural areas, such as the one in St. Charles, model a… Continued
On Art Van Zee’s decision to stay in St. Charles
Art Van Zee shares the motivation behind his decision to stay at the clinic in St. Charles, Va., long after the Student Health Coalition’s activity there. His story is but one example of the long-term impact the SHC had on… Continued
Bridging a cultural divide: St. Charles welcomes SHC students, 1973
Art Van Zee reminisces the power of St. Charles‘ warm welcome to students in the summer of 1973, commenting on the richness and impact of mountain culture on nurturing sustainable community relationships. Recorded March 17th, 2013. Full footage of… Continued
History of the St. Charles Clinic ft. Art Van Zee
Art Van Zee, an active participant in the Student Health Coalition’s work in St. Charles, Va., beginning first in 1973 with a visiting summer clinic, discusses the now more established center’s evolution and his role as a physician there. Recorded… Continued
New River Boys
As illustration of the depth and strength of relationship between the communities and the students, witness the example of the New River Boys. The Boys were a distinguished bluegrass band in the early 1970s. They played in venues around the… Continued
Betty Anderson’s introduction to SOCM
Betty Anderson shares how she first became involved with Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM) and the Student Health Coalition. Included in her account is a story about how she and others responded to opposition of the rural health clinics in… Continued
Reflections on the SHC’s sense of fashion
Kate Bradley and Marie Cirillo share some laughs thinking back to the effort Student Health Coalition (SHC) participants put toward demonstrating modesty and respect so as to cultivate relationships with community members. But sporting bowl cuts, long skirts, and duct-taped… Continued
Art Van Zee on community hosts Howard and Elsie Elliot
Art Van Zee reminisces Howard and Elsie Elliot, a local couple with whom many Student Health Coalition (SHC) participants were welcomed to stay. He highlights their hospitality as a hallmark of the Coalition’s community-centered approach to effective organizing. Continued
On the SHC’s provision of hope as fuel for systemic change to rural healthcare
Kate and J.W. Bradley share sweet reflections of the friendships made during the Student Health Coalition’s (SHC’s) community organizing efforts in rural Tennessee, and explain that the organization’s leader, Bill Dow, gave them hope to change what they’d always been… Continued
Charles “Boomer” Winfrey on the Coal Creek War of 1892-1893
Charles “Boomer” Winfrey delineates the historical account of Coal Creek, Tennessee’s Coal Creek War (the battle atop Militia Hill at Fort Anderson) to Maureen O’Connell, Tom John, and Biff Hollingsworth. He explains the conflict’s origins within a larger context of… Continued
Minnie Bommer’s encounter with hospital segregation
Having overcome the adversity of racially biased employment discrimination imposed upon her at the outset of her nursing career, Minnie Bommer shares also about the realities of healthcare inequities and segregation experienced post-hire at a hospital in Covington, Tenn. Recorded… Continued
Minnie Bommer on racially charged employment discrimination and her journey to nursing career
Minnie Bommer shares her tumultuous experience at the outset of her nursing career, detailing the extent of racially biased obstacles intended to bar her from hire at hospitals in Tipton County, Tenn. Recorded on June 1, 2018. Full footage… Continued
SOCM’s and the SHC’s culture of ‘family fun’
Maureen O’Connell and Charles “Boomer” Winfrey reflect on the value of having fun, highlighting the Student Health Coalition (SHC) as an especially stimulating group of people to be around. Their commitment to collective recreation ultimately facilitated a stronger sense of… Continued
Where can the SHC go from here?
Charles “Boomer” Winfrey and Maureen O’Connell ruminate on work left to be done in the eastern Tennessee region of Appalachia. Their focus pertains mostly to the ongoing need for augmented healthcare resources, drug education and reform, and meeting the needs… Continued
Bill Dow as a community organizer in Appalachia
Maureen O’Connell and Charles “Boomer” Winfrey reflect on Bill Dow‘s character and personal philosophy about community organizing. They describe him as an other-oriented person driven by creative, actionable service and mutually respectful relationships best illustrated by his perception of and… Continued
Decline of coal camp healthcare and subsequent basis of need for reform
Charles “Boomer” Winfrey and Maureen O’Connell discuss the local healthcare setting upon Save Our Cumberland Mountain’s (SOCM) and the Student Health Coalition’s (SHC) early stages of community organizing in East Tennessee. Maureen details several local factors which established a major… Continued
Reflections on the SHC’s approach to community healthcare
Charles “Boomer” Winfrey and Maureen O’Connell consider what set the Student Health Coalition (SHC) apart from other community development efforts in the Appalachian region of East Tennessee. Boomer focuses on the Coalition’s and Save Our Cumberland Mountains’ (SOCM’s) value of… Continued
Charles “Boomer” Winfrey’s origins with SOCM
Boomer discusses his introduction to Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM) in 1972. Inspired by his geological studies and depth of conviction about unregulated strip mining’s adverse effects on both the environment and community health, Boomer has been an active participant… Continued
Maureen O’Connell’s introduction to SOCM and the SHC
Maureen traces the development of her involvement with Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM) and the Student Health Coalition (SHC), beginning with her 1969 introduction to Marie Cirillo and research presence in Clairfield, Tenn. Recorded on May 20th, 2013. Full… Continued
SHC Archive Project outreach and recruitment
Lark Hayes suggests a focused approach to participant recruitment and story collection for the archive project. John Davis supports this strategy and ends the meeting with a thematic “bucket” yet undiscussed: stories about opposition to the Student Health Coalition (SHC).… Continued
Emerging themes from the Appalachian Student Health Coalition Archive Project
Margaret Ecker delineates some emerging themes from the Student Health Coalition Archive Project in the effort to cement a framework for their story collection process and website structure. These thematic “buckets” include partnership and collaboration, empowerment, student activism, and service… Continued
Coalitioners ruminate on purpose behind community-driven archives project with UNC
Amidst discussion about the archive project’s outreach initiatives, John MacArthur and Paul Joffrion offer insight into why this work matters and how it can be of use to researchers and/or community organizers today. Recorded at a gathering held on June… Continued
Behind the scenes: non-medical techs with the Student Health Coalition
Dal Macon explains his role as coordinator of the Student Health Coalition’s (SHC’s) non-medical techs, bringing light to its operations behind the scenes. Full footage of interview with Dal Macon. Continued
Dal Macon’s community return and ongoing work post-Student Health Coalition
Dal Macon briefly shares about some of his post-Student Health Coalition (SHC) community projects, including having served on the board of Marie Cirillo‘s Community Land Trust and organized outreach efforts through the Center for Health Services (CHS) at Vanderbilt University.… Continued
Community reception of Student Health Coalition participants
Dal Macon shares how local communities perceived, received, and supported Student Health Coalition (SHC) participants, as well as how their approach to relationship-building manifested. Full footage of interview with Dal Macon. Continued
Was the Student Health Coalition radical? Dal Macon responds.
Dal Macon distinguishes the Student Health Coalition’s (SHC’s) activism from other “radical” movements of the time. He expounds on the context of what it meant to be “radical”, how it was generally perceived, and why SHC participants didn’t identify as… Continued
The focal role of listening in community organizing
Dal Macon highlights the Student Health Coalition’s (SHC’s) emphasis on listening as the primary agent of sustainable, lasting community change. Solidifying its importance, Dal shares how this philosophy impacted his long-term relationship-building with community members and overall connection to the… Continued
Dal Macon’s introduction to Bill Dow and the Student Health Coalition
Dal Macon shares his first impressions of Bill Dow and what attracted him to the Student Health Coalition’s (SHC’s) unique approach to community organizing. He frames the SHC and its work of rural healthcare delivery as a mission of listeners… Continued
Margaret Ecker on her inspiration to pursue nursing
Margaret Ecker shares about early career pursuits and explains how the Student Health Coalition (SHC) played a prominent role in steering her toward a life of service through nursing. Recorded on June 2, 2018. Full footage of the conversation… Continued
“Freedom from drain” and the Maternal-Infant Health Outreach Worker Project (MIHOW)
Barbara Clinton shares about the program she started as an appendage of the Student Health Coalition (SHC), known as the Maternal-Infant Health Outreach Worker Project (MIHOW). The largest and most renowned of the SHC’s various outgrowths, this program sought to… Continued
The Student Environmental Health Program
Barbara Clinton delineates the incitement of Vanderbilt’s Student Environmental Health Program following discovery by SHC participants of widespread water contamination in several rural and inner city communities across Tennessee. This student-led organization attracted those from hard science disciplines to tackle… Continued
Barbara Clinton on the emergence of Vanderbilt’s Center for Health Services
Barbara Clinton discusses the influence of Vanderbilt’s Student Health Coalition (SHC) on various subsequent initiatives, speaking specifically to the extension of its core mission and student-led approach to several programs. She focuses on the Center for Health Services (CHS) and… Continued
Hearts of Gold
Brought to us by Margaret Ecker and others involved in its 2013 production, this special collection of insights from several Student Health Coalition (SHC) figureheads in the 1970s features Bill Dow, Bill Corr, Carolyn Burr, Dal Macon, and Marie Cirillo–among… Continued
Square Morman’s sons on 1960s civil unrest and Tent City
Dana Ellis, a nurse and co-director of the West Tennessee Student Health Coalition, asks two of Square Morman’s sons what it was like in the early 1960s — from racial tensions to the development of “Tent City.” Recorded on June… Continued
Highlights from J.W. Bradley’s collection of papers
Biff Hollingsworth, archivist at UNC’s Wilson Special Collections Library’s Southern Historical Collection, comes across some highlights from J.W. Bradley‘s recently donated collection of papers. The first is a newspaper clipping of J.W., president of Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM), with… Continued
Resilient Reba: A bittersweet story from Diane Lauver
During a health fair in the 70s, I stayed with a couple in Elgin, Tenn.: 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… Continued
David Morrow on the personal legacy of his student activism
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, Tenn., where the Coalition concentrated on environmental and occupational… Continued
Negro League’s Josh Gibson in contrast to MLB’s first black ballplayer Jackie Robinson
Ron Carson explains why he considers Josh Gibson of the Negro League’s Homestead Grays to have been the best Black ball player ever, and how racist behavioral expectations contributed to Jackie Robinson’s acceptance in MLB. Full footage of Ron… Continued
First integrated band in St. Charles, VA: Smith Carson and the Black and White Melody Boys
Ron Carson shares about his grandfather’s, Smith Carson, first integrated band in the area: the Black and White Melody Boys. Their legacy throughout the South includes having played with Louis Armstrong and Elvis Presley. Full footage of Ron Carson’s… Continued
The renaming of “Negro Head Rock”
Ron Carson showcases an old check with an emblem of what used to be called “Negro Head Rock” and shares the story about his grandmother’s 1968 petition to have it renamed. It’s now known as Stoneface Rock. Interestingly, former Student… Continued
Post-Reconstruction African American migration and the St. Charles coal camps
Ron Carson details post-Reconstruction African American migration trends from cotton fields to coal camps in St. Charles, Va. (including migration years later in the mid-20th century to northern urban centers for manufacturing jobs) and their impact on resulting Black diaspora… Continued
History of Rosenwald School in Pennington Gap, VA, 1930s-1960s
Ron Carson discusses the history of the Rosenwald School (or Pennington Gap Colored School, now the site of the African American Cultural Center) between the 1930s and 1960s, showcasing various school records and sharing stories about its day-to-day operations. More… Continued
Dr. Daniel Gabriel’s legacy in St. Charles, VA
Ron Carson discusses Dr. Daniel Gabriel, M.D. and his local legacy in African American healthcare as the only doctor who in the 1940s and 50s would see Black patients. Full footage of Ron Carson’s tour of the African American… Continued
Post-Reconstruction African American land ownership in Pennington Gap, VA
Ron Carson shares about the origins of the building now home to the African American Cultural Center (formerly a Rosenwald School) in Pennington Gap, Virginia. His great-great-grandmother, Rachel Scott, owned the land upon which it was built–along with a significant… Continued
Challenges facing nurse practitioners
Outside the old clinic building of what used to be Douglas Community Health Center, Margaret Ecker and Jean Carney discuss the multitude of challenges facing nurse practitioners and what legislative movement’s been made to overcome adversity of such restrictive practice.… Continued
Pushback against Douglas Community Health Center
Jean Carney shares how rhetoric against the Black-run Douglas Community Health Center manifested as several false accusations and presented various legal challenges to both the clinic and associated nurse practitioners. Full footage of Jean Carney at the old Douglas… Continued
Behind the scenes at Douglas Community Health Center
Jean Carney reminisces the early days of Douglas Community Health Center in Stanton, Tenn. Following a brief overview of the clinic’s architectural layout and functional operations, she delves into the impact of race relations on healthcare at the time. … Continued
Bob Hartmann on the importance of defining health beyond the physical
Bob Hartmann explains how his and many others’ formative experience in rural healthcare and community medicine with the Center for Health Services (CHS), Student Health Coalition (SHC), and Mountain People’s Health Councils (MPHC)—both as students and young professionals—left a lasting… Continued
Bob Hartmann on the influence of cultural understandings about death and healing
Bob Hartmann shares about a Stoney Fork community member known as Uncle Ben and speaks to the impact of local culture—particularly as it regards matters of death and healing—on rural healthcare. Full footage of Bob Hartmann’s interview with Rick… Continued
Bob Hartmann on community medicine in Stoney Fork, TN
Bob Hartmann shares an inside look at the culture and people of Stoney Fork, Tenn., a fascinating anecdote which captures the realities of rural healthcare and community medicine. Full footage of Bob Hartmann’s interview with Rick Davidson. Continued
Bob Hartmann on Appalachian culture and rural healthcare
Bob Hartmann shares a story about one of his patients while working with Mountain People’s Health Councils (MPHC) in Norma, Tenn. The narrative speaks to the influence of Appalachian culture on rural healthcare and community medicine. Full footage of… Continued
Bob Hartmann on the National Health Service Corps and its role in his development as a young doctor
Bob Hartmann shares about his return to Mountain People’s Health Councils (MPHC) after graduating from Vanderbilt medical school and explains the role of the National Health Service Corps in his education and early professional development. Full footage of Bob… Continued
Sally Kimberly and Rick Davidson on the generosity of local surgeons
Sally Kimberly and Rick Davidson discuss the life-saving assistance from local Scott County surgeons who offered to take free-of-cost patients in need of additional care. Sally describes the deal between her and Chuck Darling and Rick comments on Dave Stanley’s commitment to surgical patients in Oak Ridge. Full footage of… Continued
How the perception of nurse practitioners and midwives has changed over time
Rick Davidson asks Sally Kimberly to reflect on how the role and societal perception of nurse practitioners and midwives has evolved—from the time she first became certified in the early 1970s to present day. She celebrates that the profession has… Continued
Sally Kimberly on the professional development of nurses with MPHC
Sally Kimberly describes what became an essential element to her and other nurses’ weekly routines while working in Scott County: self-directed educational sessions committed to their professional development. She explains that these weekly meetings were both a professional and social support system… Continued
Sally Kimberly’s take on patient education in rural healthcare
Sally Kimberly discusses clinical challenges during her time as a nurse practitioner with Mountain People’s Health Councils (MPHC) in Norma, Tenn., focusing specifically on the indispensable role of patient education in effective rural healthcare. Full footage of Sally Kimberly’s interview with Rick Davidson. Continued
Sally Kimberly on MPHC community boards
Sally Kimberly discusses the challenges of collaborating with community boards on the frontier of a practice largely unfamiliar in Appalachia at the time—community-driven, rural healthcare. Unique to her and other nurse practitioners’ experience was a widespread misunderstanding about their role. Reminiscing about these hurdles, Sally shares what it was like to be… Continued
Sally Kimberly’s first observations of rural community healthcare with MPHC
Sally Kimberly discusses her preparation for practice and early experiences with Mountain People’s Health Councils (MPHC) at the clinic in Norma, Tenn. Full footage of Sally Kimberly’s interview with Rick Davidson. Continued
Sally Kimberly on becoming a nurse midwife
Sally Kimberly traces her personal development in the medical field and shares what inspired her to become a practicing nurse and midwife with the National Health Service Corps and Mountain People’s Health Councils (MPHC) in Scott County, Tenn. from 1974-1982. … Continued
Ruth Ann Casper and Scheryl Stout on the Maternal-Infant Health Outreach Worker Project (MIHOW)
Ruth Ann Casper, a participant in the Maternal-Infant Health Outreach Worker Project (MIHOW), shares about the powerful impact of home visitors and their value as sources of emotional support and information during her first pregnancy. Scheryl Stout, a home visitor… Continued
Stephanie Park on doctor-patient relationships
Stephanie Park, a community scholar with the Center for Health Services (CHS), shares how her firsthand experience in community healthcare bolstered her education in the field and furthered her understanding of holistic community development—particularly with regard to doctor-patient relationships. … Continued
Frances Henderson on the Center for Health Services’ approach to community development
Frances Henderson from the Service Training for Environmental Progress (STEP) discusses the relationship between environmental pollution and public health, sharing specifically about a nearby contaminated creek in Hendersonville, Tenn. which caused significant medical concerns among community members. She also shares… Continued
Tom John on the Student Health Coalition and community self-determination
Tom John, M.D. comments on his work with the Student Health Coalition (SHC) in 1971. He shares that one of the most powerful takeaways from this learning experience was an introduction to and participation in the development of community health… Continued
Becca Ingle on the SHC and community healthcare
Becca Ingle, R.N., F.N.P. shares about her experience with the Student Health Coalition (SHC) in the summer of 1974 and discusses its profound influence on later becoming a nurse practitioner. She also explains how the organization facilitated a shift in… Continued
Lewis Lefkowitz recalls the legacy of Marie Cirillo and impact of local nurses
Lewis Lefkowitz highlights Marie Cirillo’s contributions to the work of the Student Health Coalition (SHC) and discusses the role of nursing in promoting public health. Recorded on December 1, 2015. Full footage of his recollection about the development of… Continued
Lewis Lefkowitz on the Student Health Coalition’s key accomplishments
Lewis Lefkowitz recalls what facilitated the Student Health Coalition’s (SHC’s) success. He discusses the organization’s framework of community mobilization and agency, and furthermore highlights the leadership legacy of Kate and J.W. Bradley. Recorded on December 1, 2015. Full footage… Continued
Barbara Clinton on the concept of psychological defensive denial and Medicaid expansion
During discussion with Randall and Meryl Rice about Medicaid expansion, Barbara Clinton comments on the role of psychological defensive denial in both the rejection of reality and voting against one’s best interest. Recorded on June 2, 2018. Full footage… Continued
Randall and Meryl Rice on the miseducation about Medicaid expansion
Randall and Meryl Rice discuss misconceptions about and resulting aversions to Medicaid expansion, as well as the repercussions of refusing to adopt it—namely, rural hospital closures. Recorded on June 2, 2018. Full footage of their discussion about rural healthcare. Continued
Meryl Rice on Byron De La Beckwith’s assassination of civil rights activist Medgar Evers
Meryl Rice recalls her family’s business encounters with Byron De La Beckwith (prior to his murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers) and speaks to their horror at learning what he’d committed. Recorded on June 2, 2018. Full footage… Continued
Meryl Rice: A brief look into her background as the daughter of Chinese immigrants
Meryl Rice shares about her family’s history and how it’s inspired her to help others. Recorded on June 2, 2018. Full footage of Randall and Meryl’s discussion about rural healthcare. Continued
Randall and Meryl Rice call for political change in the interest of Medicaid expansion
Randall and Meryl Rice discuss the influence of Tennessee’s political climate on Medicaid expansion and affordable healthcare in rural communities and introduce the resolution which developed in response, an initiative known as Insure Tennessee. They highlight the importance of applying… Continued
Meryl Rice shares an Affordable Care Act enrollment success story
Meryl Rice shares an enrollment success story focused on the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) across party lines. Her assistance in this case speaks to the importance of the expansion of affordable healthcare, particularly in low-income rural communities… Continued
Randall and Meryl Rice on the Affordable Care Act’s enrollment process and their role as navigators
Randall and Meryl Rice explain the internet connectivity and computer literacy hurdles of online enrollment in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in rural West Tennessee and expand on their role as navigators in problem-solving the complexity of this process. Barbara… Continued
Randall Rice on the activist response to challenges imposed on the Affordable Care Act in West TN
Randall Rice discusses state-sanctioned roadblocks to the expansion of affordable healthcare among rural populations in West Tennessee. He also shares about his and others’ success in overcoming these challenges with the support of the nonprofit public policy advocacy organization, Tennessee… Continued
Rick Davidson on connecting with local communities through music
Richard Davidson M.D., M.P.H., talks about how music allowed him to connect with members of the communities he served as the first physician for Mountain People’s Health Councils (MPHC), a consortium of health clinics originally formed by the communities of… Continued
Caryl Carpenter talks about her experiences with Mountain People’s Health Councils
Caryl Carpenter, former administrator of the Mountain People’s Health Councils (MPHC) of East Tennessee, talks about her experiences with MPHC, which was founded in 1974 as a coalition of three rural health clinics in Norma (Scott County), Petros (Morgan County)… Continued
Caryl Carpenter discusses the challenges with the structure of Mountain People’s Health Councils
Caryl Carpenter, former administrator of the Mountain People’s Health Councils (MPHC) of East Tennessee, talks about challenges in the structure of MPHC, which was founded in 1974 as a coalition of three rural health clinics in Norma (Scott County), Petros… Continued
Caryl Carpenter talks about the origins of the Tennessee Primary Care Association
Caryl Carpenter, former administrator of the Mountain People’s Health Councils (MPHC) of East Tennessee, talks about formation of the Tennessee Primary Care Association. Recorded on May 17, 2017, as a part of a panel discussion at a reunion of the… Continued
Randall Rice on the origins of his and Meryl’s work rolling out the Affordable Care Act in West TN
Randall Rice shares about his and Meryl’s involvement in assisting with open enrollment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in rural West Tennessee communities. Their work began in 2013, developed from a need left by the absence of major enrollment… Continued
Rev. Anderson on the origins and operation of Tent City
Rev. Anderson discusses the foundation of Tent City in Fayette County, Tenn. and other community responses to the civil rights violations imposed on Black sharecroppers registered to vote. He links one of the leading incentives behind registration to Black representation… Continued
Rick Davidson talks about a local healer in the Stoney Fork community
Richard Davidson M.D., M.P.H., recalls his interactions with a local healer in the community of Stoney Fork, Tenn., while serving as the first physician for Mountain People’s Health Councils (MPHC), a consortium of health clinics originally formed by the communities… Continued
Caryl Carpenter on community leader Odes McKamey
Caryl Carpenter, former administrator of the Mountain People’s Health Councils (MPHC) of East Tennessee, shares a story about community leader Odes McKamey of Stoney Fork, Tenn. MPHC was founded in 1974 as a coalition of three rural health clinics in… Continued
“What it took” – Nine nurses reconvene fifty years later and discover the power of common denominators
Nine nurses gathered in Nashville in May 2019 to reminisce about their beginnings as nurses. Nursing practice underwent radical changes in those days. These nine nurses stood apart from their peers and in conflict with convention. Here, they discuss what… Continued
The role of music in the Student Health Coalition
Here’s the link to a wonderful video clip, edited by Rick Davidson, that describes the connections between young student activists and local musicians in East Tennessee. Continued
SHC in Mud Creek, Kentucky
[Story contributed by Jack Beckford, with assistance from Sara Platt Williams] During the Fall of 1970, the SHC was contacted by the Eastern Kentucky Welfare Rights Organization (EKWRO), centered in Floyd Co, Ky. EKWRO was already doing organizing among low-income… Continued
Jean Carney on the motivation to build the Stanton, Tenn. health clinic
Jean Carney discusses how segregation created healthcare disparities in her community and provides a historical account of the health clinic in Stanton, Tenn. Recorded October of 2017. Continued
Notes from the road: Mountain People’s Health Councils
[Story contributed by Caryl Carpenter] On October 23rd, 2017, a doctor, a lawyer, an archivist, and an old lady started out to make history, or more accurately, to record history – the history of Mountain People’s Health Councils (MPHC) in… Continued
Perry Steele on the summer of 1972
[Story contributed by Perry Steele, 15 May 2017] I was finishing my sophomore year at Vanderbilt. Nixon hadn’t drafted me. For some reason Professor Scott suggested I could be a community organizer. Having no other plans for the summer, I… Continued
Video: Bill Dow and Ayrshire Farm
Video hosted on YouTube. “Ayrshire Farm – Preserving Local Agriculture Preserving Community,” courtesy of the Triangle Land Conservancy. 2010. Continued
Frank Pacosa on Bill Dow and SHC summers
[Story contributed by Frank Pacosa, April 2017] It was all about Bill and the world he opened to me. That gravely voice stilled me. And often in his mouth was a toothpick, or hay stalk pulled from the dirt that… Continued
Frank Pacosa in memory of Bill Dow
[Story contributed by Frank Pacosa, March 2017] Heartfelt memories of my SHC days rumble through Bill was the seminal influence. Never met a man who could say more with so few words. His admonition to always question and look deeper… Continued
Dana Ellis: Personal reflections
In this video clip, Dana Ellis reflects on her personal experiences as a student nurse working with community leaders in rural West Tennessee back in the early 1970s and how that work affected her career and her life. Continued
Connecting the dots: from SHC to ACA
In 2013, just as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was about to get rolled out, Bill Corr took time out of his busy schedule as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services to reflect on the resonance between the Coalition… Continued
Nurse Practitioners, in the beginning…
Community leaders recognized early on the added value nurses with expanded roles brought to the table. In this video clip, community leaders Marie Cirillo and Betty Anderson recollect their efforts to lobby for legal changes that would continue to support… Continued
SHC goes to West Tennessee in 1973
Dana Ellis discusses how she got involved and her experience with the first Student Health Coalition (SHC) cohort to visit communities in West Tennessee in 1973. Continued
“I will always be grateful for the gifts that the work and the people of those summers gave to me.”
[Story contributed by Angela Carroll Healy, M.D.] Dear All, Seeing the videos and reading the memories of other Coalitioners has made me want to share what working with the Student Health Coalition (SHC) meant to me. I was a Brooklyn… Continued
1976 St. Charles Health Clinic, VA
After the 1975 health fair in St. Charles, Va., the local health council worked tirelessly to build a permanent clinic. By 1976, that clinic had opened to the public. And over time, it grew into a network of 12 regional… Continued
Pete Moss reflects
On training nurses, reuniting with fellow Coalitioners, and being a non-conformist. Learn more about Pete Moss on his profile page. Continued
Carolyn Burr reflects
In this clip, Burr reflects on how the experience of working with the Coalition shaped her values and future career in nursing. Recorded at a 2013 Student Health Coalition reunion in Nashville, Tenn. Continued
“That kind of learning does not come from a text book.”
[Story contributed by Dr. Brent Blue, February 2016] I remember I took these photos when I was first introduced to Jess and Steele. I believe John Gaventa was with us. The Huddleston’s freely admitted that due to my long hair,… Continued
The Origin Story: In the words of Bill Dow
Several years before he died, Bill Dow agreed to participate in recorded conversations about his farming philosophies, with the idea that he would use the recordings to compose a book about sustainable agriculture. He died in 2012, before the project… Continued
Maureen and Boomer on the Coalition’s Legacy
Maureen O’Connell and Charles “Boomer” Winfrey discuss Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM), tax equalization, and “getting to the root of problems (not just providing services).” Recorded in Nashville, Tenn., May 2013. Continued
“Radical Hearts” and their dress code
Margaret Ecker reminisces with the Appalachian Student Health Coalition at a gathering in 2013. Her story about the students’ dress code was influenced by the clip below of Kate and J.W. Bradley, where they discuss what their community said about the students… Continued
One of the best days ever
[Story contributed by Rosalie Hammond, December 2015] During the summer of 1971, I spent a good deal of time on health fair follow-up. We had always been committed to doing more than just identify clinical problems at the health fairs. … Continued
The interview
[Story contributed by Rosalie Hammond, December 2015] I first heard about the Student Health Coalition (SHC) at the end of my freshman year in the spring of 1970 from Lark Hayes. I had not read Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals. … Continued
Mo & Boomer
On strip mining, community organization, and “[having] fun while trying to change the world.” Interview with Maureen O’Connell and Charles “Boomer” Winfrey, recorded at a May 2013 reunion of the Student Health Coalition (SHC) in Nashville, Tenn. Continued
“Liberté, Egalité, Frivolité”
[Story contributed by John Emmeus Davis, 2015] At one emotional pole of the Coalition experience was the gravity and ferocity of the organization’s founder, Bill Dow. He usually displayed little patience for peers whose personal commitment to the SHC’s Appalachian… Continued
Moonshine
Rod Lorenz on the entrepreneurial endeavors of his host family. Learn more about Rod Lorenz. Continued
Living with Vada
Ann Baile Hamric on hospitality, creative home heating, and wasps in the outhouse. Continued
How to do followup after a health fair
Ann Baile Hamric on continuing care, local resources, and navigating through Appalachia. Continued
Tom John in brevis
Dr. Tom John speaks about his experiences with the Student Health Coalition (SHC) and the Center for Health Services (CHS). Recorded by Margaret Ecker, 2013. Continued
Bill Dow on Healthcare Policy, 1973
A clip from Appalachian Genesis, courtesy of Appalshop Film Archives (Whitesburg, Ky.). Continued
A conversation with Martha Stucker
Martha Stucker shares about her time working in the mountains from 1968-1972, and explains her role as a nurse practitioner focused on meeting community needs. Continued
Charles Scott reminisces about the Student Health Coalition
An interview with Charles Scott, professor of philosophy at Vanderbilt University and early supporter of and participant in the Student Health Coalition (SHC). Continued
“Imagine, if you can, these two young Turks trying to give advice to the Governor of Mississippi”
[Contributed John WIlliams] Bill had a friend named Fortenberry. He was a staffer for the Mississippi State Senate in the 1970s. In 1976, lignite coal (a low grade of coal) was discovered in Mississippi, so the state started considering the… Continued
“It isn’t easy to catch a pig, not even in the confines of the back of a truck.”
[Story contributed by Pat Kalmans] The whole bee thing with Bill started in Nashville on the Vanderbilt campus. Bill had been wanting to raise bees for a while, but didn’t want to necessarily mail order the suckers. One day, literally… Continued
“I don’t think I could have made up the memory of crawling through barbed wire with 40 pounds of squealing, snapping, struggling pig in my arms”
[Story contributed by Neil McBride] Ok, I’ll join with the two stories that suggest Bill‘s conversion from radical mountain agitator to organic farmer was not as sudden and distinct as some might think. They also address the sense that when… Continued
“Not a nanosecond of time was allowed for the corn to begin to lose its sweetness between stalk and pot.”
[Story contributed by Trip Van Noppen] In 1975, I began working for Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM) and moved into the Ponderosa, the really old farmhouse outside of Lake City that Bill had somehow obtained for general housing needs. Jimmy… Continued
“I remembered all of those weekends we spent camping.”
[Story contributed by Betsy Scott Metzger] I was hiking in the Smokies recently and it started to rain heavily. Some of the group started complaining, but I welcomed it. I remembered all of those weekends we spent camping. One night… Continued
“Later then, he sent me a check for $10,000”
An interview with Kate Bradley about how she received the money to build a health clinic in Petros, Tenn. Continued
“It pleases me to see community people getting together and then deciding for themselves what they want”
Betty Anderson shares what it was like working with Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM) and Bill Dow. She also discusses the indispensable importance of community organizations. Continued
Bill Dow’s broccoli story
On organic farming and the state’s resistance to nurturing broccoli. Continued
Gathering the Seed Corn: Archiving the Bill Dow Papers
My name is Biff Hollingsworth and I am the Collecting and Outreach Archivist for the Southern Historical Collection at UNC Chapel Hill. My main responsibility at the Southern is to curate new collections and projects, which means that I work on… Continued
“We lived with a coal burning stove and kept our provisions in gallon glass jugs against the mice.”
[Story contributed by Margaret Ecker, RN, MSN] Sometime around 1975, local friends in Lake City offered us newly minted community organizers this abandoned house for a dwelling. We lived communally, our numbers fluctuating with the season. We lived with a… Continued
“For several years after that episode, the family sent me a card on their daughter’s birthday, thanking me for saving her life.”
[Story contributed by Margaret Ecker, RN, MSN] My first job as a nurse practitioner began around 1975, in a Briceville, Tenn. community-run clinic housed in a trailer and managed by a local board chaired by the venerable Byrd Duncan. A… Continued
The story behind the photograph
[Story contributed by Richard Davidson, M.D.] After an initial scouting year in the summer of 1969, the Student Health Coalition (SHC) began health fairs and community organizing in Appalachia in the summer of 1970. After several months of hard work,… Continued