Participation Type
Panel
Session Title
Appalachian Education and the Arts: John C. and Olive Dame Campbell Views and Influences
Session Abstract or Summary
John C. and Olive Dame Campbell spent a good part of their lives thinking about ‘mountain problems,’ particularly in the field of education, with Olive extending into the arts. They were both firm believers in the Progressive idea that if one gathers facts and studies a problem that the solution will become clear and people will act on the information. While practice has revealed a more complex world, their thinking and the influences that brought about the development of their views, have proven the basis for both subsequent scholarship and action. The following presentations will provide the context for their thoughts on education and personal fulfillment, explore the folk school idea as an appropriate approach for the mountains, and examine the role of the arts in fostering a full and satisfying life.
Presentation #1 Title
Thoughts on Education from John C. and Olive Dame Campbell
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
One of the primary interests of the Campbells was education. There are four main sources for their thoughts about education – Olive’s diary of their 1908 & 9 travels in the mountains, an essay that John wrote in 1917 about denominational and independent schools, “The Southern Highlander and His Homeland,” and Olive’s biography of John. The Campbells agreed that it would take a long time – perhaps a generation – to bring the schools up to an acceptable standard. They also dealt with the issue, still in contention today, of whether to educate students for the life they will likely lead or to prepare them to compete in a wider world.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Philis Alvic is an artist and writer. She is the author of Weavers of the Southern Highlands (University Press of Kentucky, 2003) and over 100 articles in weaving, craft, and art magazines. She edited Crafts of Armenia (IESC/Armenia, 2003) as part of her international work as a crafts development consultant.
Presentation #2 Title
A Practical Education for Mountain Children: John C. and Olive Dame Campbell, Tuskegee Institute, and early 20th Century Appalachian Reform
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
John C. and Olive Dame Campbell were instrumental figures in defining an agenda for Appalachian reform in the early 20th century, and education was a foremost concern. I will explain the roots of the Campbells’ ideas for providing a “practical” education that would encourage mountain youth to remain in the region rather than leave by exploring explores the influence of Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute upon John C. Campbell’s evolving ideas about the function and goals of education during his years as president of Demorest College in Georgia. I will also trace the development of the Campbells’ ideas for adapting education to the needs of mountain people.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Penny Messinger is Associate Professor of History at Daemen College in Amherst, NY, where she teaches history and women’s studies. Her recent essay on women leaders of the early Conference of Southern Mountain Workers was published in the Women of the Mountain South anthology (2015).
Presentation #3 Title
Two Views of Empowerment Through the Arts: Olive Dame Campbell and Allen Eaton
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
Allen Eaton assumed indirect and unofficial responsibility for the Russell Sage Foundation’s work in Appalachia following the death of John C. Campbell, and he worked closely with Olive Dame Campbell for two decades to found the Southern Highland Craft Guild and promote mountain arts to a national audience. A firm belief in the arts’ ability to foster individual and communal well being undoubtedly drew Eaton and Campbell together, but a comparison of their work from the 1920s through the 1940s (Eaton’s “America’s Making” exhibitions vs. Campbell’s advocacy for a folk school model; Eaton’s advocacy for the arts in WWII Japanese confinement camps vs. Campbell’s involvement with Rockefeller craft education projects), reveals significant differences in their respective understandings of self-determination, autonomy, tolerance, and empowerment through education and the arts.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Joy Gritton teaches art history at Morehead State University and coordinates the MSU Interdisciplinary Appalachian Studies Program and the Eastern Kentucky Arts Project. She is currently completing a book on Allen Eaton.
Thoughts on Education from John C. and Olive Dame Campbell
One of the primary interests of the Campbells was education. There are four main sources for their thoughts about education – Olive’s diary of their 1908 & 9 travels in the mountains, an essay that John wrote in 1917 about denominational and independent schools, “The Southern Highlander and His Homeland,” and Olive’s biography of John. The Campbells agreed that it would take a long time – perhaps a generation – to bring the schools up to an acceptable standard. They also dealt with the issue, still in contention today, of whether to educate students for the life they will likely lead or to prepare them to compete in a wider world.
