University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation 2015 Missed Opportunities in the Mountains: The University of Kentucky's Action Program in Eastern Kentucky in the 1960s Bradley L. Goan University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Goan, Bradley L., "Missed Opportunities in the Mountains: The University of Kentucky's Action Program in Eastern Kentucky in the 1960s" (2015). Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation. 29. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/epe_etds/29 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained needed written permission statement(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine) which will be submitted to UKnowledge as Additional File. I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I agree that the document mentioned above may be made available immediately for worldwide access unless an embargo applies. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of my work. I understand that I am free to register the copyright to my work. REVIEW, APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE The document mentioned above has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor, on behalf of the advisory committee, and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), on behalf of the program; we verify that this is the final, approved version of the student’s thesis including all changes required by the advisory committee. The undersigned agree to abide by the statements above. Bradley L. Goan, Student Dr. John R. Thelin, Major Professor Dr. Jeffrey Bieber, Director of Graduate Studies MISSED OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MOUNTAINS: THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY’S ACTION PROGRAM IN EASTERN KENTUCKY IN THE 1960s DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky By Bradley L. Goan Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. John R. Thelin, University Research Professor and Professor of Educational Policy Studies Lexington, Kentucky Copyright © Bradley L. Goan 2015 ABSTRACT MISSED OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MOUNTAINS: THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY’S ACTION PROGRAM IN EASTERN KENTUCKY IN THE 1960s This dissertation explores the University of Kentucky’s efforts to develop and implement an “action program” in eastern Kentucky in the 1960s. By the late 1950s, Kentucky’s political, business, and academic leaders had identified eastern Kentucky as the state’s problem area, and they sought strategies to bring the region into the economic and cultural mainstream. This generation of post-war leaders had an uncompromising faith in the power of knowledge, technology, and planning, and University leaders saw their action program as a university-wide effort to address what most would argue was Kentucky’s ugliest problem. This study begins with an examination of the rushed and disorganized Kellogg Foundation-funded Eastern Kentucky Resource Development Project (EKRDP) in 1960. With the national “rediscovery” of Appalachia in the early 1960s and the passage of the Equal Opportunity Act (EOA) and the Appalachian Regional Development Act (ARDA) in 1964 and 1965, University leaders reframed their thinking about how to engage eastern Kentucky in the midst of a War on Poverty. Institutional support for the EKRDP dwindled, and administrators tried to shift the responsibility of the eastern Kentucky program to the newly developed Center for Developmental Change (CDC). However, the leadership of the CDC lacked stability, the faculty who had been the driving force behind the Center did not want to be tied down to Appalachian projects, and the changing expectations for faculty ushered in by the “Oswald Revolution” did not reward interdisciplinary work. KEYWORDS: Appalachia, Eastern Kentucky, University of Kentucky, Action Program, War on Poverty, Eastern Kentucky Research Development Project Bradley L. Goan Student’s Signature April 27, 2015 Date MISSED OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MOUNTAINS: THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY’S ACTION PROGRAM IN EASTERN KENTUCKY IN THE 1960s By Bradley L. Goan John R. Thelin Director of Dissertation Jeffrey Bieber Director of Graduate Studies April 27, 2015 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Balancing doctoral studies, demanding professional obligations, and life as a husband and a father can be tough. Too frequently, I had to set aside work on this project to attend to matters in other areas of life. At different times and in different ways, a whole host of people provided support that allowed me to see this work through. I am grateful for their assistance, for their patience, and for their encouragement. First, thank you to my committee. I first became an “Eller student” twenty years ago, and though his retirement arrived a year too early for him to continue to serve as part of my graduate committee, Ronald Eller continues to have a profound influence on my thinking and writing about Appalachia. Richard Angelo has always pushed me to see the bigger picture and to ask the really difficult questions. Likewise, Tracy Campbell reminded me that every worthy project must adequately respond to the “so what?” question, and David Hamilton encouraged me to expand my field of vision and make valuable connections between my work and scholarship in other areas. Terry Birdwhistell frequently helped me to put things in perspective, both intellectually and personally, and I was often buoyed by his encouragement and his example. I could not imagine a better “coach” than John Thelin. I have learned that the most influential scholars are often the best teachers and the nicest people. That is true of Dr. Thelin, and I am grateful for his guidance throughout these many years. I am thankful to Ruth Bryan and Matt Harris in the University of Kentucky Special Collections Library for tracking down valuable source material and suggesting additional avenues for investigation. As my supervisors, Philipp Kraemer and Charles Shearer both encouraged my continued studies and provided opportunities for me to iii pursue the work. Colleagues at Transylvania University, notably Mike Nichols and Michael Covert, frequently asked about my progress and encouraged me to press on. Kim Chaffer Schroeder, a long-time friend and colleague, was a constant cheerleader and provided a valuable example as she worked toward and completed her Ph.D. Jim and Cathy Haubenreich and other members of our small group at church followed my progress closely and were always quick with an encouraging word. My in-laws, Kay and David Beals, asked often about my work and provided summer get-a-ways for my family so I could concentrate on the project. My sister-in-law, Ashlie Arkwright, and I swapped stories of our research successes and failures, as we followed similar timelines for completion of our dissertations. My parents, Edwin and Nancy Goan, have provided their full support at every step in my educational journey. They, too, have provided opportunities for my family to leave me to my research and writing, and their confidence in my work has been unwavering. My children have sacrificed much to my Ph.D. work, but their support has been without fail. At thirteen, ten, and eight, Addison, Eli, and Grayson have different levels of understanding of why their dad has spent so much time “dissertating,” but through this experience and others, they are beginning to understand the transformative quality of education and the value of seeing long and difficult projects through to their completion. Finally, this work is dedicated to my wife Melanie. As a historian, she read every word of this project and posed valuable and challenging questions for me to consider. As my life partner and best friend, she has done all of the other things, the things that frequently go unnoticed by anyone but me, that have allowed me to concentrate time and energy on my research and writing and produce a work of which we can be proud. While the words iv on the page are mine, the fact that those words exist is the direct result of Melanie’s love and her willingness to bear far more than her share of our life’s responsibilities. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ vii Chapter 1- Introduction ......................................................................................................