John Williams and Neil McBride on their work with ETRC

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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) in the 1970s and beyond. Recorded June 25th, 2018 by Lark Hayes and Irwin Venick in Nashville, Tenn.

Note: Below this clip, we’ve provided a detailed and time-stamped account of major topics covered during the full-length interview. Use it alongside your viewing of the 2+ hour interview for quick access to specific interests.

 

Table of Contents for full-length interview

  • 00:03:52 – 00:08:55: John Williams’ introduction to the Student Health Coalition and subsequent role in the establishment of ETRC
      • References the SHC’s expansion of recruitment to law students in 1970/71; Williams’ summer of 1972 participation with the Coalition; Williams’ 1973 Vanderbilt employment; two of ETRC’s Vanderbilt faculty supporters, Dr. Frederick Billings and Chancellor Alexander Heard; ETRC’s Ford Foundation grant; ETRC’s first Board of Directors; and ETRC’s hire of head lawyer, Neil McBride.
  • 00:08:55 – 00:11:42: Neil McBride’s introduction to ETRC
      • Details his attraction to the concept of community connection characteristic of ETRC’s model (in contrast to the Washington Law scene) and includes (during the last minute of this segment) John Williams’ description of his and McBride’s already established connection/professional relationship from previous collaborative work on a project in Savannah, Georgia.
  • 00:13:03 – 00:14:22: on the Ford Foundation’s financial support and ETRC’s early organizational development
      • References Chancellor Alexander Heard’s and John Gaventa’s instrumental roles in securing funds and the role of several community leaders on ETRC’s Board of Directors (including Marie Cirillo).
  • 00:15:05 – 00:16:57: discussion of ETRC as early model for rural public interest law firm
      • References the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund.
  • 00:18:02 – 00:18:57: more on John Williams’ role in the establishment of ETRC, 1973/1974
      • Includes further delineation of ETRC’s primary areas of interest: (1) environmental research and regulation, (2) healthcare, and (3) economic development.
      • References strip mining and overweight coal trucks; legal support of community health clinics; and Marie Cirillo’s work with the Model Valley Development Council.
  • 00:19:35 – 00:20:37 + 00:28:53 – 00:30:00: on how ETRC’s primary areas of interest (see previous clip) developed into actionable programs
      • References United Mine Workers.
  • 00:20:50 – 00:27:45: John Williams on property tax work, including Neil McBride’s reflection on the role of scholarly research in shaping ETRC’s advocacy priorities
      • 00:24:20 – 00:25:57: Neil McBride comments on local resistance to and fear of upsetting status quo (due to the established and entrenched power of coal companies in local politics).
      • 00:26:00 – 00:27:45: John Williams explains the need for taxpayer(s) as plaintiff in case, emphasizing the courage of local citizens who agreed to participate as such.
      • References John Gaventa’s and Heleny Cook’s investigative research with Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM); the administrative case before Tennessee’s State Board of Equalization initiated, in part, by Gaventa’s 1971 study; and local attorney Gilbert Merritt’s support of the case which represented five counties (Campbell, Claiborne, Anderson, Scott, and Morgan).
  • 00:27:47 – 00:28:52 + 00:30:02 – 00:30:40: more on who supported investigative work and their relationship with the East Tennessee Research Corporation
  • 00:30:41 – 00:34:17: on ETRC’s writ of mandamus regarding penalties for coal mining companies who polluted waterways
      • References Collier Goodley, an inspector with the State Water Pollution Control Division; J.W. Bradley in Petros, Tenn.; Irwin Venick’s strip mining research; SOCM, the plaintiff in this case; and several other supporting organizations (Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association, Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning, and the Tennessee chapter of the Sierra Club).
  • 00:34:23 – 00:47:05: on ETRC’s multi-phasic response to overweight coal trucks
      • References Commissioner of Revenue, Jane Anne Woods; key coal industry figureheads, including Jack Walls; Johnny Burroughs’ investigative work at TVA’s Kingston plant; J.W. Bradley’s role in collecting evidence of coal layering (a malpractice); TVA; Georgia Power; Congressman Sam Gibbons; and the role of media/bad press in securing compliance.
  • 00:47:08 – 01:14:50: on ETRC’s role in the national campaign against James Hooper’s nomination for TVA Board, 1975
      • Includes explanation of why proper governance of TVA was so critical to overall quality of life in Tennessee; details of ETRC’s commission of research on leading candidate, James Hooper; the subsequent 1976 Senate committee report that ultimately led to his withdrawal of candidacy; Hooper’s libel lawsuit against ETRC; and the organizational impact defending this libel lawsuit had on ETRC.
      • References members on 1975 TVA Board (Aubrey Wagner, Don McBride, and Bill Jenkins); Pat Kalmans’ ETRC-commissioned research on James Hooper; Don DePreist, one of Kalmans’ primary sources on Hooper; reporter Nat Caldwell with the National Tennesseean; the 1976 presidential election’s impact on TVA nominations; and presidents Ford, Carter, Bush, and Obama.
  • 01:16:15 – 01:26:45: on ETRC’s sponsorship of federal strip mining legislation
      • References previous iterations of the bill in 1974 and 1975, both of which were vetoed by President Ford; J.W. Bradley’s, Heleny Cook’s, and others’ work with the Environmental Policy Center; Louise Dunlap; and the film, The Stripping of Appalachia.
  • 01:26:53 – 01:31:22: on ETRC’s role in eliminating eight-party telephone lines
  • 01:31:48 – 01:36:05: details of the work behind improving TVA transparency
      • Emphasizes ETRC’s use of public opinion and community participation toward establishing open board meetings.
      • References Kathy Foster with LaFollete Press as being instrumental in local dissemination of information.
  • 01:36:07 – 01:48:05: on ETRC’s legal support of local health clinics and councils, some of which grew out of SHC health fairs
  • 01:48:45 – 01:52:15: more on legal and research resources ETRC had at its disposal in the 1970s
  • 01:52:33 – 01:56:31: on ETRC fundraising
      • References the Ford Foundation and the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation.
  • 01:56:45 – 02:10:00: winding down ETRC, 1977
      • 02:00:20 – 02:04:39: details of the Coal Employment Project.
      • 02:05:05 – 02:10:00: on the origin of Rural Legal Services of Tennessee, an ETRC legacy.
      • References Dick Hall; Judge Asbury’s tour of coal mine and Maureen O’Connell’s barrier from joining other SOCM staff; sexist coal mining superstitions and practices; Linda Letterman’s research into nationwide diversity of coal mine employment and subsequent Ms. Foundation grant; and Betty Jean Hall in relation to coal mine peep hole cases.
  • 02:11:00 – 02:19:35: John Williams’ and Neil McBride’s final reflections on ETRC impact