Interview with Art Gallaher, Jr., December 24, 1984

Interview Summary

Art Gallaher came to the University of Kentucky in 1963 to work with a newly developing program for social change which eventually became UK's Center for Developmental Change (CDC). Art Gallaher also became a faculty member in the Anthropology Department at this time. He describes the development of the CDC and recalls primary movers including Tom Ford, Lee Coleman, and Jim Brown of the Sociology Department. Others involved included Eldon Smith of Agriculture, David Blythe of Engineering, and Bob Strauss of Behavioral Sciences. One idea that they had was to put together a seminar series, and Gallaher explains that he took primary responsibility for putting together these seminars.

Gallaher describes the search for a director for the CDC. Meanwhile in July of 1964, he was asked to take over the active directorship of the center and he discusses his role in advertising the goals of the CDC to the university and grant providers. He describes CDC's international concern for developing areas, and the evaluation of a Kellogg project on Appalachian development. Ed Weidner eventually accepted the position of Director of the CDC, and Gallaher went to Western Ireland to do research on a grant project. Gallaher was then offered the role of Deputy Director of the CDC. Gallaher describes the work of the CDC at this time, such as their involvement with the Peace Corps and a project in Knox County, Kentucky. Gallaher also explains Weidner's hope of developing an exchange program with the University of Ghent in Belgium for research into coal mining in Belgium and Kentucky which proved to not be feasible.

Gallaher discusses the difficulty of getting people involved in the CDC due to the upheaval and restructuring of the University of Kentucky during the Oswald administration. He describes Weidner's decision to leave UK to serve as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay, and how the CDC took over UK's Indonesian project. Gallaher discusses other CDC projects after Howard Beers became director, including a successful Thailand project and an unsuccessful program studying rural poverty. Gallaher left the CDC in 1970 and became Chairman of the Department of Anthropology and only slightly remained in contact with the CDC. He states that the CDC is different than it was in the beginning and that when Thomas Ford took over the directorship of the CDC, he had a much more realistic picture of the role of the organization. He also describes interdisciplinary programs at other universities like Harvard.

Interview Keyword

Center for Developmental Change College administrators College benefactors College environment College teachers--Social conditions Universities and colleges--Administration. Universities and colleges--Faculty. Universities and colleges--Research

Interview LC Subject

Educators Gallaher, Art, 1925- Gallaher, Art, 1925- --Interviews University of Kentucky University of Kentucky--History

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.