Helen Matthews Lewis: Living Social Justice in Appalachia

Chronology

Chronology 1924 Born in Nicholson,Georgia,to Hugh and Maurie Harris Matthews 1934 Moves with family to Cumming, Georgia 1941 Graduates from Forsyth County High School, Cumming 1941 Attends BessieTift College, Forsyth, Georgia 1942 Works for insurance company inAtlanta 1942 Works as secretary to Forsyth County school superintendent in Cumming 1943–46 Attends Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville; works in library; plays leading roles on yearbook staff her junior and senior years 1945 Participates inYWCA “Students in Industry” project, Hartford, Connecticut 1946 Graduates from Georgia State College forWomen with a BA in social science 1946 Codirects“Students for Good Government”campaign for Jimmy Carmichael, candidate for governor of Georgia; lives in hotel campaign headquarters,Atlanta 1946–47 Enters graduate school, studying sociology and anthropology at Duke University; meets Judd Lewis of Virginia 1947 Returns toAtlanta to become a speechwriter for Governor MelvinThompson ; marries Judd Lewis 1948 Leaves governor’s office to work with studentYWCA regional office; is arrested for participating in interracial meetings organized by theYWCA; moves toVirginia with Judd 232 Chronology 1948 Enters the graduate program at the University of Virginia School of Sociology andAnthropology; becomes a Phelps-Stokes fellow 1948 Serves as the director of the Bureau of Population and Economic Research, studying the impact of manufacturing on road use for the Bureau of Roads 1949 Receives her MA in sociology from the University of Virginia, writing a thesis entitled “TheWoman Movement and the Negro Movement: Parallel Struggles for Rights” 1952–55 Serves as a social worker with the American Red Cross, Richmond ,Virginia 1955 Accepts job at Clinch Valley College, a new branch of the University of Virginia inWise, as a librarian and lecturer in sociology 1959 Works as a summer lecturer in sociology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville 1962 Receives a National Science Foundation Summer Institute grant and studies anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley 1964 Spends six months in Paris studying French 1964 Receives a National Science Foundation faculty award and enters graduate programs in sociology and anthropology at the University of Kentucky 1966 Lectures at the University of Kentucky 1966 Travels to theYucatan, visiting Mayan ruins 1967–69 Receives Bureau of Mines grants for coal mining research; studies effects of mechanization on coal miners and families and conducts comparative study of zinc mining 1967 Becomes an assistant professor of sociology and anthropology at East Tennessee State University, creating an MA program in sociology 1969 Is fired by EastTennessee State University 1969 Rejoins the faculty at ClinchValley College; develops rural social work program and launchesAppalachian studies and urban sociology courses 1970 Earns her PhD in sociology from the University of Kentucky, writing a dissertation entitled “Occupational Roles and Family Roles: A Study of Coal Mining Families in the Southern Appalachians” Chronology 233 1972 Copurchases the River Farm on the Clinch River in Dungannon, Virginia 1974 Is divorced from Judd Lewis; moves to River Farm 1975 Receives a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship to study coal mining inWales; lives in Brynamman,Wales; works with Miners Library at University of Wales-Swansea, serving as a lecturer with the Extramural Program, University College 1976 Arranges and leads field trip in Wales for a group of West Virginia miners 1977 Resigns from ClinchValley College 1977 Joins Highlander Research and Education Center staff; works with health programs and community clinics in Central Appalachian region 1978–79 Serves as acting director of Highlander Center 1978 Directs study and produces a report entitled “Coal Productivity and Community:The Impact of the National Energy Plan in the Eastern Coalfields” for the U.S. Department of Energy 1978 Coedits, with Linda Johnson and Donald Askins, Colonialism in Modern America:The Appalachian Case 1978 Delivers the DistinguishedAlumni Lecture,University of Kentucky 1979 Organizes a series of forums on environmental health problems in Appalachia, funded by the National Science Foundation Science for Citizens Program 1979 Organizes and leads a three-week cultural visit of sixWelsh coal miners toAppalachia 1979 Attends the international Congress of Folk Medicine in Peru 1980 Works as a visiting professor in anthropology and Appalachian studies for the National Collegiate Honors Semester in Appalachian Culture,Appalachian State University 1980 Arranges and leads a field trip to Wales for American women coal miners 1980 Attends an international conference on adult education and participatory research inYugoslavia 1980–84 Serves as the project director for the“History ofAppalachia”film series atAppalshop,resulting in Strangers and Kin and Long Journey Home 234 Chronology...