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  Oral History Interview: William T. Arnold

  William T. Arnold

  William T. Arnold (Bill Arnold), a Native West Virginian, lived the majority of his life in Clay County. Mr. Arnold spent his early childhood on a farm on Galon Mountain. After the death of his father, Mr. Arnold moved with his family to various towns within Clay County. In 1911, when he was eleven years old, Mr. Arnold started his first job in coal mining, working thirteen hours a night as a water dipper. When he was eighteen years old, Mr. Arnold began working as a postman and delivered mail on a route near the New River, between the towns of Nutall and Devide. In the audio clip provided, Mr. Arnold describes delivering mail on his route during World War I. He discusses his wages and the weight of mail delivered to servicemen. In his interview, Mr. Arnold focuses on his life on the family farms, food preservation and preparation, the price of grocery items, and working with livestock.

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  Oral History Interview: Bertha May Asbury

  Bertha May Asbury

  Bertha May Asbury was born in 1888 and began attending school in a one-room school house in 1894 at the age of six. She attended school through the ninth grade. She left school at the age of 17 when she began “courtin’” with young men. In her interview, Mrs. Asbury discusses living on Route 4 in Kanawha County, West Virginia. She focuses on food preservation and preparation, planting and harvesting crops, building a new home, going to square dances, and quilting. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Asbury discusses what it was like to attend a square dance. She focuses on how she had to sneak out of the house with her neighbors to attend the dances.

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  Oral History Interview: Moses ("Mosey") Asbury

  Moses Asbury

  This interview is one of series conducted concerning the Oral History of Appalachia. Mr. Moses Asbury discusses: his extensive employment history (which includes livestock trading, land trading, road building, and farm work); his family; his life on a farm; the Cleveland Panic (the depression of the 1930s); the Great Depression; raising animals for meat; and other topics.

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  Oral History Interview: Martha Lilly Atha

  Martha Lilly Atha

  This interview is one of series conducted concerning the Oral History of Appalachia. Mrs. Atha discusses: her childhood and adult years; religion (including Pentecostal beliefs, the Holy Spirit, and speaking in tongues); coal mining; her education (including her stay at a boarding school); jobs she held; social activities; the economy during World War II and the Great Depression; her interest in art and painting; some discussion about diseases; and other topics.

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  Oral History Interview: Forrest Atkinson

  Forrest C. Atkinson

  During his interview, Forrest Atkinson reminisces about growing up on a farm in Cabell County, West Virginia. His father was a tobacco farmer and timber cutter. He focuses on food preservation processes and home entertainment, including music and books. He also focuses on changes in technology during his lifetime. In the audio clip provided, Mr. Atkinson discusses raising and selling tobacco.

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  Oral History Interview: Ronald Atkinson

  Ronald Atkinson

  This interview is one of series conducted concerning the Oral History of Appalachia. The topic of this interview is the Civil Rights Movement. Mr. Atkinson discusses: his personal history and childhood; his family; restaurants; segregation & integration; religion and the Church; the Marshall plane crash that killed the football team; Douglass High School; individuals such as William Jackson & Thelma Gordon; punishments for children (including corporeal punishment); and some anecdotes.

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  Oral History Interview: Charles Aurand

  Charles Aurand

  This interview is one of a series conducted concerning the history of Marshall University. At the time of the interview, Reverend Charles Aurand was a part- time professor of history and religious studies as well as a minister of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Huntington, WV. In this interview, he discusses his background, his experiences with Africian-Americans and the Civil Rights movement, the Lutheran Church and their relations to African-Americans, his experiences as a student at Marshall University restaurants, movie theaters, a discussion of Huntington (WV).

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  Oral History Interview: Paul Bailey

  Paul Bailey

  This interview is one of a series conducted concerning the history of various businesses in West Virginia. Paul Bailey, the resident golf professional of the Guyan Golf and Country Club, discusses the services and recreation which the club offers both its members and the general public. He discusses the golf club's financial operations, as well as the history of the country club as a whole. The interview closes with Bailey's comments concerning the future of the golf club.

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  Oral History Interview: Elaine Baker

  Elaine Baker

  This interview is one of a series conducted concerning the history of Marshall University. In this short interview, Dr. Elaine Baker addresses the political and social atmosphere at Marshall University. She describes the changes that she has seen occur since she began teaching at the university in 1972, and discusses her involvement in various faculty committees, including the Institutional Board of Advisors.

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  Oral History Interview: J. Harry Baker

  J. Harry Baker

  This interview is one of a series conducted with West Virginia religious leaders. This interview contains the recollections of Reverend J. Harry Baker. He talks of his personal background, school, home life, Christmas in the early Twentieth Century and how religion and the church has influenced his life. He also discusses recreational activities, close family ties, and the social life of the past and present.

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  Oral History Interview: Earl Balderson

  Earl Balderson

  Mr. Balderson has spent most of his life in Lockhart, West Virginia. He worked at a variety of jobs before purchasing a grocery store in Lockhart where in 1976 he continued to reside. This interview deals with Mr. Balderson's work experiences. He discusses teaching school, the army, and his grocery store.

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  Oral History Interview: Fay Ball

  Fay Ball

  Fay Ball was born on March 28, 1904, in Lincoln County, West Virginia. She was raised on a farm and shared most of the farming responsibilities with her family. Mrs. Ball discusses social interactions within the farming community of Lincoln County, including barn raisings and harvesting. She focuses on entertainment during her childhood and explains styles of popular music and games. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Ball discusses how to play games like “Blind Man,” “Aunt Me Over,” and “Nay Hide.”

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  Oral History Interview: Frank Ball

  Frank Ball

  In this interview, Frank Ball discusses the history of Barboursville and West Virginia, including the Civil War, slavery, religion, railroads, specific people who lived in the area, Jesse James. and events from the 1800's. This interview is one of series conducted concerning the Oral History of Appalachia.

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  Oral History Interview: Robert Barbour

  Robert Barbour

  This interview is one of a series conducted concerning the Marshall University Society of Yeager Scholars. At the time of the interview, Mr. Barbour was the first Diplomat- in-Residence of the Society of Yeager Scholars and a past Ambassador of Suriname. He discusses: his personal history, education, and family; his tour of foreign service, including Italy, France, Spain, Iraq, and Viet Nam, and the varied duties of those posts; how he came to be involved with the Yeager Scholars program; his work for the program; his plans for when he leaves the program; and other topics relating to his career.

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  Oral History Interview: John G. Barker

  John G. Barker

  This interview is one of a series conducted concerning the history of Marshall University. This interview is listed as 90 pages, but it seems to cut off at 72. Dr. John Barker was president of Marshall University from January 1971 to August 1974. He discusses: his educational background; his first impressions of Marshall and Huntington; the hiring process he went through; athletics at Marshall; Marshall gaining accreditation; campus libraries; the Faculty Senate; the medical school; Governor Moore politics; community colleges; his views on the Old Main building (which he proposed tearing down); legislation concerning drinking on campus; race relations; the Dr. Bottino controversy; drug culture; a campus riot; and campus security.

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  Oral History Interview: Ethel Barnes

  Eva Ethel Barnes

  Eva Ethel Barnes, who is referred to as Ethel Barnes during her interview, was born on February 25, 1900, in Ivydale, Clay County, West Virginia. She attended a one room school house as a child. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Barnes discusses her education as a child in a one room school house. She focuses on the classroom schedule and her teachers at this school. During her interview she also discusses preserving and preparing food and soap with her mother.

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  Oral History Interview: Callie J. Barnett

  Callie J. Barnett

  Callie J. Barnett grew up in Ohio, but moved to Huntington, WV, in the early 1900s when her husband took a job as the principal of Douglass School, an African American school. In this interview, Mrs. Barnett focuses on segregation of schools in Huntington, and specifically discusses the differences between schools in West Virginia and Ohio. She emphasizes her decision to educate her sons in Granville, OH, instead of in Huntington, WV. She believed they had the opportunity for a better, more equal education in Ohio. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Barnett discusses the differences in the quality of supplies and education in the segregated schools of Huntington, WV. In her interview, Mrs. Barnett also focuses on African American jobs with C & O Railroad, African American churches in Huntington, WV, her father-in-law Dr. Barnett, and Carter G. Woodson, a family relative.

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  Oral History Interview: John Barnett

  John Barnett

  This interview is one of a series conducted with Black residents of West Virginia. Born in Alabama, Mr. Barnett has spent a large part of his life in Charleston, West Virginia. At the time of the interview, he was ninety-nine and residing in Charleston. Mr. Barnett, who is Black, discusses the varied experiences of his life. He talks about his childhood and family as a poor black in Alabama. After running away from home at the age of thirteen, Mr. Barnett led a colorful life including working for a circus, gambling, and was tried for killing three men. He also discusses work for the C&O Railroad and the problems of his present life.

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  Oral History Interview: Hazel Bates

  Hazel Bates

  This interview is one of series conducted concerning the Oral History of Appalachia. In this interview, Hazel Bates discusses her family, work experiences of herself and her husband (including raising chickens to sell, working in a pet shop, and a drug store), how she met her husband, brief sections on World War II and the Great Depression , a section on church, the Huntington flood of 1937, and life on a farm.

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  Oral History Interview: Lance Belville

  Lance Belville

  This interview is one of a series conducted concerning West Virginia business history. At the time of the interview, Lance R. Belville was chief executive officer of Myers Foundry and Machine Company in Huntington, West Virginia. He discusses: some history of the company; brief sections on the recession at the time and the Great Depression; his employees; the railroads; his employment history with the company; as well as some government officials (including a brief mention of Ronald Reagan).

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  Oral History Interview: Ella Betler

  Ella Betler

  This interview is one of a series conducted concerning West Virginia town histories. This interview focuses on Helvetia, West Virginia. Mrs. Betler has been a life-long resident of the former Swiss community of Helvetia. She discusses many topics concerning life in this unique village. Swiss celebrations, games, community occupations and crafts, the Swiss Reform Church, and the effects of the World Wars and the Depression on the people of Helvetia are mentioned by Mrs. Betler. She also talks about her childhood and work on her father's farm.

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  Oral History Interview: Harry K. Betros

  Harry K. Betros

  This interview is one of a series conducted concerning West Virginia business owners. Born in Syria, Mr. Betros relates his life experiences in Syria, the type of government there, and the procedure he went through to get to the United States. He mentions that he used to "pack peddle" in West Virginia, talks about food and its preservation in Syria, and then goes into a discussion of his linen business, begun in 1924. The rest of the interview is centered around Mr. Betros's Persian rug business.

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  Oral History Interview: Virgie Altic Bevins

  Virgie Altic Bevins

  This interview is one of series conducted concerning the Oral History of Appalachia. Virgie Altic Bevins discusses: her childhood; her family; making sorghum; the house she lived in; beds and bedclothes; and other topics.

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  Oral History Interview: Ancella Bickley

  Ancella Bickley

  This interview is one of series conducted concerning the Oral History of Appalachia. This interview was part of a project titled "The Contributions of African-American Women in West Virginia." Dr. Bickley discusses: her personal history and childhood; her family (including how it conflicted with her professional life); her education (including an aunt who was a teacher, another teacher named Mrs. Mae D. Brown, and degrees from West Virginia State College and Marshall University); integration in education; her experiences as a student and as a professor; her employment history; church; projects she was involved in; her role in bringing the Carter G. Woodson statue to Huntington; plays & stories she was writing; people who served as role models to her; her experiences at Douglass High School; her involvement in history & oral history projects; discrimination she' faced; the military (including missile defense systems); race relations in Germany and the United States; the Civil Rights Movement; her views on youth and problems of the time; and numerous other topics as well.

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  Oral History Interview: Roma Gail Billups

  Roma Gail Billups

  This interview is one of a series conducted concerning West Virginia communities, focusing on Ceredo. At the time of the interview, Mrs. Billups was the church clerk for the First Baptist Church in Ceredo. She discusses: her personal history and her family; her job at the church; her husband; different pastors (such as Messenger, Patton, Hubert Six, Dr. Armstrong, Dr. John Meadows, and Reverend Kessee); men and women in the church and their roles in the church; different people who attend the church; anecdotes about the church; raising money for a new church building; and how the church has changed over the years.