I moved to Ashland in 1985, and I have provided executive leadership for the Jesse Stuart Foundation for the past 40 years. During that time, the JSF has received dozens of state, regional, and national awards.
For example, on Saturday June 2, 2007, I accepted Morehead State University’s prestigious Appalachian Treasure Award on behalf of the Jesse Stuart Foundation. It was a momentous occasion, as it was the first time in the award’s twenty-year history that it had been granted to an organization. Previous winners had been notable artists like James Still, Minnie Adkins, Tom T. Hall, and Loyal Jones. The annual award was founded in 1988 and sponsored by MSU’s Kentucky Folk Art Center and the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music. It was presented during Morehead’s Bluegrass ’n More festival, a celebration of Appalachian heritage and a regional talent showcase.
The award selection committee chose the Jesse Stuart Foundation because of its “contributions to the arts and culture of Appalachian Kentucky.” Matt Collinsworth, director of the university’s Folk Art Center and chair of the selection committee, added, “We are pleased and proud to honor the Jesse Stuart Foundation because of the great work it does and because the university has been so involved in the organization’s preservation and revitalization.” The JSF and Morehead’s missions “mesh well,” observed Keith Kappes, who was then MSU’s Vice President of University Relations and the Foundation’s board chairman. “Both institutions seek to promote and preserve Appalachian culture,” said Kappes. “Additionally, the Jesse Stuart Foundation’s CEO and senior editor, Dr. James M. Gifford, taught history at Morehead, and the university houses a Jesse Stuart collection.” In 2007, The Independent reminded its readers: “The Jesse Stuart Foundation is a treasure. Check it out.”
Today, JSF books enjoy a national readership, and they play a major role in promoting the literature, values, and interests of Appalachians, whose cultural assets have traditionally been misunderstood and ignored by mainstream culture. The work accomplished by JSF board members, staff, and devoted volunteers genuinely strengthens the local economy and culture through workshops, a reading group, the annual Jesse Stuart Weekend, the annual Writers Workshop which will be held at the Delta Marriott Hotel in downtown Ashland in 2026, booksignings and author talks, and, most importantly, the publication of valuable regional classics. No other town in Kentucky—and few in America—can boast the existence of a publishing house that exists to promote the culture of its home community and region. The Foundation has published more than 150 regional titles. Working with other organizations and individuals, we have donated more than $800,000 in regional books to colleges, public schools, and libraries.
The Foundation was established in 1979. For the next six years, it was an all-volunteer organization. By 1985, it was clear that the organization had potential and warranted a deeper commitment, so Morehead State and Ashland Inc. provided financial assistance and new staff leadership. The Foundation was relocated to Ashland, and I accepted the executive leadership. Since that time, it has flourished and evolved into a “consortium of good people, good will, and good books that reaches across America.”
As the needs of Appalachian people grow and change, so will the Jesse Stuart Foundation, but it will always remain a faithful steward of the region and a treasure that brings honor and recognition to the City of Ashland. Every book that we produce and sell says Ashland, Kentucky on the back cover. Those books are permanent promotions for the city that we proudly call our home.
By James M. Gifford
JSF CEO & Senior Editor
I moved to Ashland in 1985, and I have provided executive leadership for the Jesse Stuart Foundation for the past 40 years. During that time, the JSF has received dozens of state, regional, and national awards.
For example, on Saturday June 2, 2007, I accepted Morehead State University’s prestigious Appalachian Treasure Award on behalf of the Jesse Stuart Foundation. It was a momentous occasion, as it was the first time in the award’s twenty-year history that it had been granted to an organization. Previous winners had been notable artists like James Still, Minnie Adkins, Tom T. Hall, and Loyal Jones. The annual award was founded in 1988 and sponsored by MSU’s Kentucky Folk Art Center and the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music. It was presented during Morehead’s Bluegrass ’n More festival, a celebration of Appalachian heritage and a regional talent showcase.
The award selection committee chose the Jesse Stuart Foundation because of its “contributions to the arts and culture of Appalachian Kentucky.” Matt Collinsworth, director of the university’s Folk Art Center and chair of the selection committee, added, “We are pleased and proud to honor the Jesse Stuart Foundation because of the great work it does and because the university has been so involved in the organization’s preservation and revitalization.” The JSF and Morehead’s missions “mesh well,” observed Keith Kappes, who was then MSU’s Vice President of University Relations and the Foundation’s board chairman. “Both institutions seek to promote and preserve Appalachian culture,” said Kappes. “Additionally, the Jesse Stuart Foundation’s CEO and senior editor, Dr. James M. Gifford, taught history at Morehead, and the university houses a Jesse Stuart collection.” In 2007, The Independent reminded its readers: “The Jesse Stuart Foundation is a treasure. Check it out.”
Today, JSF books enjoy a national readership, and they play a major role in promoting the literature, values, and interests of Appalachians, whose cultural assets have traditionally been misunderstood and ignored by mainstream culture. The work accomplished by JSF board members, staff, and devoted volunteers genuinely strengthens the local economy and culture through workshops, a reading group, the annual Jesse Stuart Weekend, the annual Writers Workshop which will be held at the Delta Marriott Hotel in downtown Ashland in 2026, booksignings and author talks, and, most importantly, the publication of valuable regional classics. No other town in Kentucky—and few in America—can boast the existence of a publishing house that exists to promote the culture of its home community and region. The Foundation has published more than 150 regional titles. Working with other organizations and individuals, we have donated more than $800,000 in regional books to colleges, public schools, and libraries.
The Foundation was established in 1979. For the next six years, it was an all-volunteer organization. By 1985, it was clear that the organization had potential and warranted a deeper commitment, so Morehead State and Ashland Inc. provided financial assistance and new staff leadership. The Foundation was relocated to Ashland, and I accepted the executive leadership. Since that time, it has flourished and evolved into a “consortium of good people, good will, and good books that reaches across America.”
As the needs of Appalachian people grow and change, so will the Jesse Stuart Foundation, but it will always remain a faithful steward of the region and a treasure that brings honor and recognition to the City of Ashland. Every book that we produce and sell says Ashland, Kentucky on the back cover. Those books are permanent promotions for the city that we proudly call our home.
By James M. Gifford
JSF CEO & Senior Editor
