Interview with Margaret Gabriel, November 13, 1990

Partial Transcript: This is an oral history interview with Peggy Gabriel for the Christian Appalachian Project Oral History as part of the UK Oral History Program conducted by Gil Rosenberg November 13th, 1990 at 7 o'clock p.m. in Peggy's residence at [address removed], Lexington, Kentucky.

Segment Synopsis: Margaret "Peggy" Gabriel describes her childhood in the 1950s and 1960s in Louisville, Kentucky. She talks about her education up until she graduated from the University of Kentucky. She talks briefly about the different occupations her parents and each of her siblings went into.

Keywords: American Red Cross.; Careers; Family; Fathers; High schools; Jobs; Mothers; Nursing.; Sacred Heart Academy; Siblings; Trinity High School; University of Kentucky

Subjects: Brothers and sisters.; Catholic schools.; Childhood.; Families.; Louisville (Ky.); Occupations.; Parents.

Partial Transcript: Uh, how old were you when you first heard of Father Beiting?

Segment Synopsis: Gabriel talks about her first memories of Father Beiting back when her parents volunteered for him at Cliffview Lodge in 1961. She tells some stories about her time at Cliffview Lodge and Camp Andrew Jackson, including Father Beiting telling scary stories to the children.

Keywords: Activities; Apostolic works; Boats; Boys' camps; Camp AJ; Camp Andrew Jackson; Campers; Charity work; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Christian Family Movement; Cliffview Lodge; Contact; Donations; Duties; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Father Terence Hoppenjans; Girls; Girls' camps; Involvement; Lake Herrington (Ky.); Leadership; Refrigerators; Responsibilities; Rita Brockman; Skills; Summer camps

Subjects: Beiting, Ralph W.; Camps.; Children.; Christian Appalachian Project; Ghost stories.; Parents.; Poverty.; Volunteers.

Partial Transcript: So when next did you have personal contact with him? How'd that come about?

Segment Synopsis: Gabriel talks about graduating from the University of Kentucky and finding work with Father Beiting in 1977. She talks about not having a formal job description and describes some of the work she did. She also talks about where she lived while working for the Christian Appalachian Project.

Keywords: 1980 Census; Activities; CAP emergency fund; Catholicism; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Christmas baskets; Church activities; Community outreach; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Finances; Funding; Home visiting; Home visits; Incorporation; Job expectations; Job interviews; Jobs; Kathy Kluesener; Kathy O'Donnell Kluesener; Lancaster (Ky.); Living conditions; Needs; Saint Williams; Sunshine Center; Supervision; Supervisors; Volunteer work

Subjects: Catholics; Community-based family services.; Families.; Occupations.; Parishioners; University of Kentucky; Voluntarism.; Volunteers.

Partial Transcript: You talked a little bit about your work activities. What were your activities outside of work?

Segment Synopsis: Gabriel briefly talks about what activities she did outside of the Christian Appalachian Project. She talks about the benefits they gave her as a volunteer, including housing and food. She talks about transferring from a volunteer to a full-time employee and becoming editor of "The Mountain Spirit" magazine.

Keywords: Assistant editors; Awareness; Benefits; Checking accounts; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Christmas baskets; Church activities; Education tools; Emergency assistance; Expectations; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Food; Free time; Fundraising tools; Housing; Informal; Job applications; Job positions; Leisure time; Medical insurance; Movie theaters; Payment; Promotions; Provisions; Replacements; Socializing; Staff; Stipends; Structure; The Mountain Spirit (Magazine); Work

Subjects: Christian Appalachian Project; Church music.; Editors.; Education.; Employees.; Housing.; Recreation; Teaching.; Volunteers.

Partial Transcript: What was your apprenticeship like in terms of coming on board there? Was--were you guided around? Or was it more like the volunteer days where, here's a pen and a camera?

Segment Synopsis: Gabriel describes her work as editor of "The Mountain Spirit" in more detail and talks about her quality of work in the beginning. She talks about the magazine and the staff she has worked with over the years. She talks more about her transition from assistant editor to editor and describes the changes that the Christian Appalachian Project went through during that time, including when Father Beiting left.

Keywords: Advisory boards; Apprenticeships; Assignments; Assistant editors; Associate editors; Belongings; Change of assignment; Changes; Decision-making; Decisions; Design; Experience; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Freelance writers; Hands-on involvement; Influence; Instructions; Job interviews; Ken Craven; Layouts; Leadership; Magazine editors; Management teams; Organizations; Outside influence; Photographs; R. Kenton Craven; Randy Jordan; Reactions; Roles; Saint Williams; Stories; Supervision; The Mountain Spirit (Magazine); Training; Transitions; Turning points

Subjects: Beiting, Ralph W.; Bishops.; Clergy--Kentucky; Editors.; Parishioners; Staff; Themes; Volunteers.; Writing.

Partial Transcript: So it came from the diocese and the bishop that he should move. Before then and, you know, after then, you know, until now, what--what do you get from the bishop and the diocese in terms of your activities?

Segment Synopsis: Gabriel talks about the Christian Appalachian Project's ties to the Catholic Church and how it has become an integral part of the community they serve. She talks about how much Catholic philosophy influences CAP. She talks about Father Beiting's career since being moved from CAP by his bishop. She talks about Father Beiting's influence over the Christian Appalachian Project in more recent years and his current projects.

Keywords: Board of directors; Catholic identity; Catholic organizations; Catholic philosophy; Catholicism; Charity work; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Control; Cooperation; Dangers; Denominations; Direction; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Influence; Interdenominational; Intervention; Leadership; Listening; Local people; Moving; Public opinion; Separation; The Mountain Spirit (Magazine)

Subjects: Beiting, Ralph W.; Bishops.; Camps.; Catholic Church.; Dioceses.; Oppression; Poverty.; Social justice.

Partial Transcript: You mentioned, uh, the board of advisors and then the board of directors. Uh, when was that shift made and what did that entail?

Segment Synopsis: Gabriel talks about the Christian Appalachian Project's board of directors and how they get chosen. She talks about the work they do and the direction they have tried to steer the Christian Appalachian Project in recent years.

Keywords: Benefits packages; Board members; Board of advisors; Board of directors; Budgets; Businesspeople; Chairman of the board; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Deficit budgeting; Diversity; Economic development; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Feedback; Human development; Influence; Input; Local activists; Minority representation; Nominations; Selection; The Mountain Spirit (Magazine)

Subjects: Beiting, Ralph W.; Education.; Minorities.; Nonprofit organizations.

Partial Transcript: What about, uh, minorities in CAP?

Segment Synopsis: Gabriel talks about the Christian Appalachian Project's policies on diversity and hiring minorities. She talks about the women that she works with and the need for more diversity within the organization.

Keywords: Advocacy; Affirmative Action plans; Affirmative Action programs; Black people; Board of directors; Diversity; Experience; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Hiring; Human development programs; Integration; Management; Mandates; Policies; Programs; Representation; Skills; The Mountain Spirit (Magazine); Women; Workforce

Subjects: Appalachian Region--African Americans.; Christian Appalachian Project; Education.; Minorities.; Race relations.; Women employees.

Partial Transcript: I'm going to hop back now to that transition that we were talking about a while back, uh, where Father Beiting left and CAP formed a management team. What was your role in that transition as you saw it?

Segment Synopsis: Gabriel talks more about when Father Beiting received a new assignment from the Catholic Church and when he stepped down as president of the Christian Appalachian Project. She talks about how the transition seemed to affect Father Beiting as well.

Keywords: Changes; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Crisis times; Evolution; Family; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Feelings; Head volunteer; Identity; Leaving; Management teams; New management; Organization presidents; Parish priests; Positions; Presidency; Reassigned; Resignation; Saint Williams Church; Transitions

Subjects: Beiting, Ralph W.; Christian Appalachian Project; Employees.; Parishes.; Volunteers.

Partial Transcript: We're talking, well, over a quarter of a century that you've known Father Beiting.

Segment Synopsis: Gabriel describes her relationship with Father Beiting and talks about his strengths and weaknesses as a person. She talks about how Father Beiting's personality impacted the Christian Appalachian Project, as well as some of the organization's weaknesses.

Keywords: Administration; Assets; Attention to detail; Bosses; Business; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Continuity; Description; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Father figures; Growth; Ideas; Impact; Influences; Management; Michael McLaughlin; Mike McLaughlin; Perseverance; Personal; Programs; Projects; Promotions; Relationships; Roles; Spiritual mentors; Strengths; Structure; Usefulness; Weaknesses; Writing

Subjects: Beiting, Ralph W.; Christian Appalachian Project; Friendship.

Partial Transcript: Which--and the growth of the organization came from basically?

Segment Synopsis: Gabriel talks about needing a lot of resources and funding for the Christian Appalachian Project and the role of "The Mountain Spirit" in getting those resources.

Keywords: Administration; Advertisements; Budgets; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Development; Direct mail programs; Donations; Donors; Expenses; Funding; Fundraising; Fundraising tools; Giving; Growth; Income; Infrastructure; Money; Needs; Outreach; Programs; Resources; Revenue; Support; The Mountain Spirit (Magazine)

Subjects: Advertising.; Childhood development.; Education.; Fund raising.

Partial Transcript: Okay, uh, when you're editing for "The Mountain Spirit," that's the type of editing you're talking now that you're sort of shifted that way, but in your editing through do you edit for content and, and when you do what kind of things are you looking for as, as not fitting the style, or?

Segment Synopsis: Gabriel describes the type of work she does as editor of "The Mountain Spirit" and talks about the feedback she receives on the publication. She attempts to describe the type of people that read "The Mountain Spirit" and briefly talks about the future of the Christian Appalachian Project.

Keywords: Appalachian literature; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Circulation; Commissioned; Communities; Community development; Content; Controversial; Critiques; Daniel Berrigan; Editing; Expansion; Feedback; Five-year plans; Fundraising; Future; Goals; Grammar; Helping; Language; Moonshine; New material; Newspaper columns; Organizations; Publishing; Readership; Religion; Religious; Responsibility; Spirituality; Spiritually uplifting; Stereotypes; Stories; Style; The Mountain Spirit (Magazine); Turnover; Typical reader; Voice; Women; Writers; Writing styles

Subjects: Appalachian Region.; Community development.; Readers.; Women editors; Writing.