Interview with Mary Beth Bingman, March 12, 1991

Partial Transcript: Okay, you can just start by telling me your full name and where and when you were born?

Segment Synopsis: Bingman discusses her early life including moving around as a child and her college background.

Keywords: Clinch Valley College; Family history; Father's occupation; Growing up

Subjects: Appalachian Region; Education--Appalachian Region; Mary Washington College; Wise (Va.)

Partial Transcript: And, and so when did you get involved in the AVs?

Segment Synopsis: Bingman talks about initially getting involved with the Appalachian Volunteers during her first year of college. She talks about her motivations for getting involved with the AVs.

Keywords: AVs; Clinch Valley College (Wise, Va); Getting involved; Motivations; Parental influence

Subjects: University of Virginia's College at Wise

Partial Transcript: Berea's where you ended up going?

Segment Synopsis: Bingman talks about her experiences during her training for the Appalachian Volunteers.

Keywords: Appalachian Volunteers (AVs); Atmosphere; Training

Subjects: Berea College

Partial Transcript: You ended up going to Rockcastle County out of someone else's choice then?

Segment Synopsis: Bingman discusses working in a one-room school and living within the community during her first summer as an Appalachian Volunteer.

Keywords: Appalachian Volunteers (AVs); Assignments; Buffalo (Rockcastle County, Ky.); Community cooperation; Living conditions; Living experiences; Summer programs

Subjects: Rockcastle County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: I don't know. Would it be useful to read some of this stuff to you?

Segment Synopsis: Bingman reads from the journal she kept during her summer as an Appalachian Volunteer, mentioning her state of mind throughout her experience.

Keywords: AVs; Alicia Timbrook; Book drives; Church revivals; Experiences; R&R; Summer programs

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Religion; Rockcastle County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Do you remember, um--or does this bring back any memories...

Segment Synopsis: Bingman talks about working with the local Clinch Valley Appalachian Volunteers in a coal camp. She talks about the work they did within the community.

Keywords: Appalachian Volunteers (AVs); Clinch Valley College; Coal camps; Esserville (Va.); Saturday programs

Subjects: Wise (Va.)

Partial Transcript: And you said you ended up where the second summer?

Segment Synopsis: Bingman talks about her experiences during her second summer as an Appalachian Volunteer/VISTA.

Keywords: Appalachian Volunteers (AVs); Cranes Nest (Va.); Summer volunteers; VISTA

Subjects: Volunteers in Service to America; Wise County (Va.)

Partial Transcript: And I really--at the end of that summer I really considered staying on as a VISTA and I really thought I would do that.

Segment Synopsis: Bingman talks about Jon Henderickson and mentions Karen Mulloy.

Keywords: Jon Henderickson

Partial Transcript: Do you remembering feeling um--being bothered at all by the fact that...

Segment Synopsis: Bingman discusses her feelings on the gender roles among the AVs and VISTAs.

Keywords: AVs; Interactions; Involvement

Subjects: Volunteers in Service to America

Partial Transcript: Somewhere in here I have our, our Peter Pan--oh whatever it is, Peter Pan program...

Segment Synopsis: Bingman reads her from the journal that she kept during her second summer as an Appalachian Volunteer.

Keywords: AVs; Community involvement; Cranes Nest (Va.); Living situations

Subjects: Rural schools--Appalachian Region; Wise County (Va.)

Partial Transcript: You left off with you leaving the last--um, leaving Cranes Nest, is that right?

Segment Synopsis: Bingman talks about finishing college at Mary Washington College, becoming a teacher, and other things she was involved in.

Keywords: Clinch Valley; Involvement

Subjects: Mary Washington College

Partial Transcript: How do you--how would you say you perceived what you learned those summers...

Segment Synopsis: Bingman talks about the impact her experiences had on her later life. She talks about the differences between the various communities she worked in.

Keywords: Awareness; Cranes Nest (Va.); Differences; Influences; Lessons learned; Poverty in coal camps

Subjects: Poverty--Appalachian Region; Rockcastle County (Ky.); Social reformers--Appalachian Region

Partial Transcript: Well how 'bout what are your perspective on, on, uh, your enlightenment...

Segment Synopsis: Bingman talks more about the treatment of woman by both the Appalachian Volunteers and the men from the local community.

Keywords: Appalachian Volunteers (AVs); Awareness; Local community; Treatment of woman

Subjects: Feminism

Partial Transcript: What was, what was the activist persona?

Segment Synopsis: Bingman talks about being an activist, mentioning what it meant to her and when she became an activist. She also discusses what the AVs' legacy was in Appalachia.

Keywords: AVs; Activism; Anti-strip mining; Community organizers; Ex-AVs

Subjects: Appalachian Region

Partial Transcript: Well um, what do you feel that, um, if there were another War on Poverty...

Segment Synopsis: Bingman discusses what she thinks should be done if there were another War on Poverty. She goes on to discuss whether or not the general perception of Appalachia has changed since the War on Poverty.

Keywords: New; People's perceptions; War on Poverty

Subjects: Adult education--Kentucky; Appalachian Region

Partial Transcript: Do you feel like there's any things about your experience that we haven't touched on?

Segment Synopsis: Bingman discusses the different reasons she thinks the various factions involved in the War on Poverty got involved in the Appalachian region.

Keywords: Different factions; Government; Involvement; Motivations; Staff members; Volunteers

Subjects: Economic assistance, Domestic--Appalachian Region; Poverty--Appalachian Region; Social reformers--Appalachian Region

Partial Transcript: What, what did you parents figure in this? How, how did they view...

Segment Synopsis: Bingman mentions how her parents reacted to her work in Appalachia. She goes on to reflect upon her experience with the Appalachian Volunteers.

Keywords: Appalachian Volunteers (AVs); Journals; Meetings; Memories; Reflections; Surveys