Jesse Stuart was a man of cyclonic energy and activity. He was a prolific author, a far-sighted conservationist, an active spokesperson for the people of his Appalachian homeland, and “first, last, and always,” said Stuart, “I am a teacher. Good teaching is forever, and the teacher is immortal.” Stuart’s teaching career began in 1935 at Cane Creek Elementary School, a one-room school in Greenup County. In the years ahead, [...]

In 1985, when I assumed executive leadership, the Jesse Stuart Foundation was an organization that lacked leadership and direction. Those early board meetings, between 1979 and 1985, had a clown-car atmosphere. I brought the Jesse Stuart Foundation to Ashland through the generous leadership of Judy B. Thomas, president of the Ashland Oil Foundation. Judy chaired our Board of Directors for 17 years. During that time, we transformed the JSF [...]

To celebrate Independence Day, I offer the following praise for the soldiers who won and preserved our independence.  For the purpose of this article, I use the word soldier to mean any man or woman who served in any branch of America’s armed forces. Historically, the people of Appalachia have played a major role in fighting for and defending America’s freedoms.  From colonial times to our current war, Appalachian [...]