Documenting the American South: Oral Histories of the American South

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Environmental Transformations

Piedmont Industrialization

Southern Politics

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Interviewer:

1.	Clark Foreman, November 16, 1974. Interview B-0003. Civil Rights Advocate Discusses his Work with the Roosevelt Administration and Civil Rights Organizations: Clark Foreman worked in the Atlanta Commission on Interracial Cooperation, the Roosevelt Administration, and the Southern Conference for Human Welfare from the 1920s through the 1940s. This interview traces his efforts to provide equal social services and political rights for African Americans through these organizations and explains how he developed these goals. He also discusses his travels in Europe, his work with Black Mountain College and organized labor, and his criticism of the Red Scare. Interviewee: Clark Foreman Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall, William Finger Duration: 04:55:32 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 17 excerpts.
2.	David Burgess, September 25, 1974. Interview E-0001. Religious Activist Reflects on Southern Labor Union Work: David Burgess discusses how his religious faith fused into his life work of social activism. In particular, he explains his involvement in labor organizing in the South. Interviewee: David Burgess Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall, William Finger Duration: 01:32:40 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 17 excerpts.
3.	Julius Fry, August 19, 1974. Interview E-0004. North Carolina Textile Mill Worker and Labor Activist Describes the Formation of a Union in Lumberton, North Carolina: Julius Fry was a textile worker for Mansfield Mill in Lumberton, North Carolina from 1927 to 1943. During the early years of the Great Depression, Fry was increasingly drawn to labor activism, especially after the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the rise of the New Deal. Fry describes what it was like to work at the Mansfield Mill, the organization of a union in Lumberton, and his own role within the labor movement in the South. Interviewee: Julius Fry Interviewer: William Finger Duration: 01:31:31 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 8 excerpts.
4.	Zeno Ponder, March 22, 1974. Interview A-0326. Rebuilding the Democratic Party in the North Carolina Mountains: Zeno Ponder is one of the most respected and influential leaders of Madison County, North Carolina. This interview begins with his descriptions of his family's activities in the area and local political traditions. Ponder briefly describes his experiences at local schools, including Mars Hill College. Ponder became involved in local politics through a training program and his brother's campaign for sheriff. Interviewee: Zeno Ponder Interviewer: William Finger Duration: 02:07:02 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 18 excerpts.
5.	John Seigenthaler, December 24 and 26, 1974. Interview A-0330. Southern Journalist Discusses His Path from Investigative Journalist to His Position in the Kennedy Administration: Investigative reporter John Seigenthaler discusses his early career as a journalist at The Tennessean of Nashville during the 1950s, his work with Robert F. Kennedy during the 1960s, and his role as the editor of The Tennessean into the mid-1960s. Seigenthaler focuses on the unique nature of southern journalism and the homogenization of southern culture during the 1960s and 1970s. Interviewee: John Seigenthaler Interviewer: William Finger, Jim Tramel Duration: 03:55:39 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 9 excerpts.
6.	Scott Hoyman, July 16, 1974. Interview E-0010. Textile Workers Union of America Bargainer Describes His Work in the South during the 1950s and 1960s: Scott Hoyman worked as an organizer and bargainer for the Textile Workers Union of America (TWUA). In the 1950s, he was transferred to the South, where he was primarily based in North Carolina, following the Baldanzi-Rieve split in the TWUA. He describes his work during the 1950s and 1960s, focusing primarily on obstacles the TWUA faced in organizing southern textile mills during these years. Interviewee: Scott Hoyman Interviewer: William Finger Duration: 02:06:52 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 5 excerpts.
7.	Joseph D. Pedigo, April 2, 1975. Interview E-0011-1. Labor Organizer Describes Unionization of Textile Mills During the 1930s and 1940s: Joseph Pedigo was an active participant and leader in the labor movement among textile workers in the South during the 1930s and 1940s. In this interview, he describes his role in the formation of a local union at American Viscose in Roanoke, Virginia, and his work with the Textile Workers Union of America towards organizing textile workers throughout the South. Interviewee: Joseph D. Pedigo Interviewer: William Finger Duration: 02:05:37 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 10 excerpts.
8.	Jim Pierce, July 16, 1974. Interview E-0012-3. Southern Labor Organizer Describes his View of the Movement During the Mid-Twentieth Century: Jim Pierce first learned about the labor movement while growing up in Oklahoma during the 1930s. By the late 1940s, he had become a leader in his local union at Western Electric in Fort Worth, Texas. During the 1950s and 1960s, he organized unions for the CIO, the IUE, and the IUD. He describes his belief in labor activism but also his growing disillusionment with the movement by the end of the 1960s. Interviewee: Jim Pierce Interviewer: William Finger Duration: 02:04:47 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 12 excerpts.
9.	Lawrence Rogin, November 2, 1975. Interview E-0013. Labor Activist Discusses Radical Politics, Organizing Hosiery Workers in the South, and Labor Education: Lawrence Rogin grew up in the Northeast in an immigrant family inclined toward radical politics. In the 1930s, Rogin became actively involved in the labor movement. In this interview, he describes his work in labor education, focusing specifically on the Brookwood Labor College, the Central Labor Union, and his work with the Hosiery Workers Union in the South. Interviewee: Lawrence Rogin Interviewer: William Finger Duration: 02:26:38 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 9 excerpts.
10.	Lacy Wright, March 10, 1975. Interview E-0017. Southern Worker Describes Life's Work in the Textile Mills and His Thoughts on the Labor Movement: Lacy Wright worked for Cone Mills in Greensboro, North Carolina, for nearly fifty years, from the late 1910s at the age of twelve to the mid-1960s. He describes work in the textile industry, life in the mill villages, and the role of the labor movement in the southern textile industry during a large stretch of the twentieth century. Interviewee: Lacy Wright Interviewer: William Finger, Chip Hughes Duration: 01:34:44 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 9 excerpts.
11.	Howard Kester, July 22, 1974. Interview B-0007-1. Southern Social Justice Activist Describes Views on Race, Labor, and Religion: Howard Kester was a pacifist and social reformer in the South from the early 1920s through the 1960s. In this interview, he focuses on his adherence to pacifism, Christianity, the Social Gospel, and Socialism. He describes his work to end injustices associated with race and labor, and assesses the work of prominent social justice leaders in the South during the 1920s and 1930s. Interviewee: Howard Kester Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall, William Finger Duration: 02:58:02 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 10 excerpts.
12.	Wilbur Hobby, March 13, 1975. Interview E-0006. Southern Tobacco Worker Describes His Involvement in the Labor Movement and Politics: Wilbur Hobby describes growing up impoverished in Durham, North Carolina, during the Great Depression and his eventual involvement in the labor movement. Employed by the American Tobacco Company after World War II, he became an active member of the union and eventually became a leader in such organizations as the Voters for Better Government and the Committee on Political Education. Interviewee: Wilbur Hobby Interviewer: William Finger Duration: 01:28:53 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 5 excerpts.
13.	John Russell, July 25, 1974. Interview E-0014-2. Organizer for the Fur and Leather Workers Union Describes the Events Leading to the Merger with the Amalgamated Meat Cutters Union: John Russell describes the events leading to the merger of the Fur and Leather Workers Union with the Amalgamated Meat Cutters in 1955. Russell focuses on the progressive political views of the Fur and Leather Workers, their strong regional presence in the South, the role of leaders within their trade union movement, and the aftermath of the merger. Interviewee: John Russell Interviewer: William Finger Duration: 01:18:50 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 7 excerpts.
14.	John Russell, July 19, 1975. Interview E-0014-3. Radical Labor Activist Describes His Work With the Amalgamated Meat Cutters in the South and the Changing Nature of the Labor Movement: John Russell describes his work as an international representative and organizer for the Amalgamated Meat Workers Union following its merger with the Fur and Leather Workers Union in 1955. Russell discusses the limitations and opportunities that resulted from this merger, his work organizing poultry workers, and his thoughts on the changing nature of the labor movement. Interviewee: John Russell Interviewer: William Finger Duration: 01:34:50 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 7 excerpts.

About this Collection • Acknowledgments