Interview with Okey Mills, August 18, 1987

Partial Transcript: I've (??) been running things like we run the state road, and we give them the best road supervisors...

Segment Synopsis: Mills talks about road repair, and the federal money that supported this project. [the interview begins abruptly]

Keywords: Aid to Dependent Children Program; Bob Swinny; Jobs; Roads; Welfare department

Subjects: Children

Partial Transcript: Well it seems to me what you were leading up to when you were talking about the fifties...

Segment Synopsis: Mills talks about the loss of jobs for coal miners in the 1960's. He also discusses his election and his terms as sheriff of Raleigh County, West Virginia.

Keywords: County sheriffs; Elections; Employment; Jobs; Pinecrest; Sheriffs; War on Poverty

Subjects: Coal mines and mining; Raleigh County (W. Va.); United States. Economic Opportunity Act of 1964

Partial Transcript: So what did you think of the local community action program and the VISTA program...

Segment Synopsis: Mills describes some of the problems that his community had with the VISTA volunteers who were sent to Raleigh County.

Keywords: Parties; Provocation; Sabotage; Sex; VISTA; VISTA volunteers

Subjects: Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968; Raleigh County (W. Va.); Volunteers; Volunteers in Service to America

Partial Transcript: Why do you think... kids would be taught to do that? I mean, if he was saying that this was part of the training program...

Segment Synopsis: Mills tells how he reported the behavior of the VISTA volunteers to Senator Robert Byrd, and how the program began to gradually improve after that time. He also shares ways that he and others assisted impoverished community members before the advent of welfare.

Keywords: Board of Education; Groceries; Local government; Money; VISTA; War on Poverty

Subjects: Byrd, Robert C.; Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973; Public welfare; United States. Economic Opportunity Act of 1964; Volunteers in Service to America

Partial Transcript: T... um, what about the um, as I recall from just some of the, uh, some old newspaper articles...

Segment Synopsis: Mills tells how the VISTA volunteers in Raleigh County agitated against the conditions of the local roads. He also mentions some of the other ways he felt they were deliberately trying to provoke local people.

Keywords: Agitation; Arrests; Bridges; Clackson Posey Road (??); Laws; Lawyers; Road conditions; Roads; Safety; School buses; VISTA

Subjects: College students; Raleigh County (W.Va.); Volunteers; Volunteers in Service to America

Partial Transcript: Um, one of the guidelines as I recall in these federal programs was always maximum feasible participation...

Segment Synopsis: Mills gives his opinion on some of the problems with the idea of "maximum feasible participation", as it was carried out during the War on Poverty. He also talks briefly about the politics of school boards and other organizations, and why it is so hard for them to truly be fair.

Keywords: "Maximum feasible participation"; Ability; Fairness; Favoritism; Nepotism; Politics; School boards; War on Poverty

Subjects: American Civil Liberties Union; Schools; United States. Economic Opportunity Act of 1964; Women

Partial Transcript: ...You mentioned you got to know one of the VISTAs fairly well.

Segment Synopsis: Mills states that VISTA volunteers were often college students who were in various protest groups, and describes how this was a problem. He he feels that they were often agitators, and describes what they said to local young people in particular.

Keywords: Agitators; Aid to Dependent Children; Cutting brush; Ditches; Goals; Participation; Parties; Protest groups; Protestors; Protests; VISTA; VISTA volunteers; Young people

Subjects: College students; Volunteers; Volunteers in Service to America; Youth

Partial Transcript: When the poverty program was first announced and you knew that uh, there would be these projects...

Segment Synopsis: Mills describes how he feels the War on Poverty changed from being mainly about social agitation to genuinely helping people in need. He also discusses the nature and character of communists.

Keywords: Agitation; Agitators; Assistance; Community action programs; Construction; Deceit; Herb Hillbrake; Houses; Protestors; VISTA; War on Poverty

Subjects: College students; Communism; Communists; United States. Economic Opportunity Act of 1964; Volunteers in Service to America

Partial Transcript: Do you recall what else the, uh, di, di, were the VISTAs here involved in uh, later on in the anti-strip mining movement?

Segment Synopsis: Mills discusses the integration of Raleigh County, West Virginia, and talks about Cassie Anderson, an exceptional black teacher. He also talks about the friendship and eventual falling out between Senator Robert Byrd and President Lyndon B. Johnson over the War on Poverty in West Virginia.

Keywords: Agitation; Cassie Anderson; Conservatism; Liberalism; Politics; Reform; Respect; School boards; Senators; VISTA; VISTA volunteers

Subjects: Byrd, Robert C.; Integration; Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973; Raleigh County (W. Va.); School integration; Schools; Strip mining; Volunteers in Service to America

Partial Transcript: In all your years as serving as sheriff, what, what, wh, when you think back on it, what are you proudest of?

Segment Synopsis: Mills discusses some of the more difficult duties of being sheriff, such as making arrests and solving criminal cases. He stresses the importance of not enjoying making arrests.

Keywords: Arrests; Controversies; Criminal cases; Criminals; Friends; Murder cases; Murders; Protests; Public relations; Rape; Rape cases; School buses; Sheriffs; War on Poverty

Subjects: Communists; Raleigh County (W. Va.); United States. Economic Opportunity Act of 1964

Partial Transcript: That was just like when we had to arrest the communists... up here.

Segment Synopsis: Mills tells how communist protestors in Raleigh County would try to get arrested intentionally, and describes some of the other tactics that they used. The interview concludes abruptly.

Keywords: Agitators; Arrests; College riots; Demonstrations; Doctors; FBI; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Fights; Flyers; Injuries; Leaflets; Protests; Publicity; Riots

Subjects: Communists; Raleigh County (W. Va.)