Never Been Rich: The Life and Work of a Southern Ruralist Writer, Harry Harrison Kroll

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments No book produces itself and no author writes biography or history alone. I must, simply must, thank the Kroll family and close friends, all of whom have been both kind and generous throughout this process: Harry Jr. and Nelle Kroll, Robert T. and Edith Kroll, and Claudia Hicks. Each has contributed materially to the Kroll collections at the University of Tennessee at Martin, answered many questions, and provided hours of pleasant conversation and exchanges of correspondence. Unless credited otherwise, all photographs appear by the courtesy of the late Robert T. Kroll. Acknowledgement for direct assistance or support is made to the late Steve Rogers, former Paul Meek Library director; Ed Frank, Special Collections librarian at the Univ. of Memphis; and Jimmie Corbitt, whose generous foresight established an endowment at my institution without which I never would have been induced (or been able) to acquire Kroll material for the collection. Particular thanks are due my fellow library professionals, those who indulged me as I leafed through dozens of dusty bound volumes (sometimes as the first person ever to do so) or who ironed out research queries in collections I could not examine personally for this project: particularly Leanne Garland, former archivist and special collections librarian at Lincoln Memorial University and now at Nashville Public Library, together with Sandra Bates of the Bodleian Library, Oxford University, England; Moreen Blader from the Library and Archives of Canada; Carolyn Davis of Syracuse University Library; Sheila Frey of Cook Communications Ministries; Peter DePuydt at Elizabethtown College; Michelle Ganz, Lincoln Memorial University; Stephen Gateley and the library staff of Dargan Library at LifeWay Inc., Nashville; Sara Harwell, Disciples of Christ Historical Society library, Nashville; Jennifer Nace, Syracuse University Special Collections; Karl Schneider, National Agriculture Library; Jennifer Woodruff Tait, Methodism Librarian at Drew University; Wilfredo Tangunan, Drew University; Phillip B. Tucker of Vanderbilt University; as well as the reference staffs of the Library of Congress and British Library, clerks in a dozen county courthouses across Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, and an equal xii Acknowledgments number of nameless librarians and volunteers in small public libraries who offered help and suggestions with their local history and its sources. Thanks also to Chris Green of Marshall University, who organized a session on Kroll and his Lincoln Memorial University atelier at the 2006 Appalachian Studies Association conference, where I was fortunate to cross paths with fellow presenters James Lorance (Don West’s biographer) and Carol Boggess (James Still’s biographer). Charles Bradshaw of University of Tennessee at Martin, Thomas E. Douglas of East Carolina University, and Elizabeth Lamont of Lincoln Memorial University, read and commented on the manuscript. Liz was involved almost from the ground floor. She not only read, but her criticism and encouragement made this biography relevant. She has been in my corner throughout the project. Many others helped by supplying details or other services incident to research or writing, including Peggy D. Downing, and the ever-cheerful Kathleen Smith at Vanderbilt University Archives. I also encountered, without introduction or warning, goodly souls whose spontaneous kindnesses provided answers, leads, and context at various places across small Tennessee towns, rural Mississippi, and south Alabama: Tracy W. Latham, Dr. Steven Petcher, Dorothy Quimby, Willie and Frank Thornton, Elizabeth P. Henderson, and Joy Nored are among those I can name, but there were many other helpful acquaintances of a moment whose names I have either forgotten or never knew. Editorial folks are not ignored. Scot Danforth took the risk on bringing Harry before the public in printed form. Joanna Juzwik McDonald conducted the heroic battle for verb agreement, sentence structure, continuity, and slew the run-on sentences. As usual, the family made the sacrifices and provided the greatest support. Thank you, dear; thank you AnnMarie, Stephen, Heidi, and now David, who have fledged and flown, and thank you to those still in the nest: Pinkie, Dan, Missy, and Nathan as well. Writing may make life fun, but all y’all make it worthwhile. ...