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 and safety initiatives, Kennedy began to manage the Kentucky and Tennessee programs under UMW’s Black …
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 limited to, Columbus McGhee, Abe Marlowe, and Willis Cooper. Kennedy also discusses the clinic’s first …
Development of the Jacksboro Black Lung Clinic, 1973-1975 Read More »
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 with the East Tennessee Research Corporation (ETRC) and work related to black lung, follow this …
Progression of the Black Lung Association under new union leadership, 1972-1973 Read More »
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 aide in addressing miners’ claims. Second was union reform, which involved supporting Arnold Miller’s campaign …
John Kennedy’s introduction to the Black Lung Association in LaFollette, Tenn. Read More »
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 welcomed them and their expansion of the clinic beyond black lung into primary care. …
Bob Firestone and John Twiggs arrive in Jacksboro Read More »
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) at the time. Full footage of the 2017 ETRC panel featuring John Williams, John …
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 to social work, later connecting with John Kennedy and taking his place at BLA. …
Contributed by John E. Davis, November 2019. The summer before his final year at the Vanderbilt Law School and during the summer and fall after his graduation, John Kennedy worked for the Student Health Coalition in 1971 and 1972. He provided assistance to former miners who were seeking black lung benefits and disability payments from …
Contributed by Irwin Venick, May 2016 I arrived in Nashville, Tenn. on a hot, humid day in August 1971 not really knowing what to expect. One thing for sure was that I was not in Kansas (meaning for me, New York City suburbs) any more. A recent graduate of the State University of New York …
