East Tennessee State University
Archives of Appalachia
Box 70295
Johnson City, TN 37614-0138
Request Information here.
Telephone: (423) 439-4338
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Title: |
Richard C. Austin Collection |
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Collection Number: |
Acc. No. 77 |
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Physical Description: |
1 file folder |
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Creator: |
Richard C. Austin |
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Repository: |
Archives of Appalachia, East Tennessee State University |
Provenance: The papers of Richard C. Austin were placed in the Archives of Appalachia in April of 1980 by Richard C. Austin.
Access: The collection is open for research.
Processing Information: and were opened for research in May of 1980.
On August 15, 1966, Richard C. Austin became the director of the West Virginia Mountain Project of the United Presbyterian Church, an organization of nine churches which serves in the Big Coal River Valley of West Virginia. During the year previous to this date, and the year following it, he was involved in "in-parish studies" concerning "The Heart of Appalachia" and "The Church in Community Organization" (see manuscript). Through a prior acquaintanceship with Harry Caudill, professor at the University of Kentucky, Mr. Austin was invited by a E. S. Fraley of Bristol, Virginia, to a meeting of people concerned for the development of the southern Appalachian region. This meeting served as the introductory meeting of the Congress of Appalachian Development (CAD).
Mr. Austin was elected at a later meeting of CAD as a member-at-large of the Board of Directors. He played an instrumental role in the planning and initial organizational stages of an Appalachian People's Congress, which was proposed by CAD. The members of CAD were very careful not to identify this People's Congress as a "CAD project," for fear that this identification might discourage other groups and organizations from becoming involved. This Congress, in fact, never was held, but Austin continued to be active in CAD.
Austin was invited in 1965 to serve on the Board of Directors of the Council of the Southern Mountains.
Appalachian People's Congress
Austin, Richard Cartwright, 1934-
Congress for Appalachian Development
1 File Folder
1. Manuscript: "Coal Valley Organizing" by Richard C. Austin.
MTC 07/01