Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Public Career Of Maurice Hudson Thatcher, Randy Ream

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The public career of Maurice Hudson Thatcher was wedded to one of the most interesting epochs in Kentucky history and Kentucky politics. From 1895, with his election as county clerk of Butler County, to his defeat for the United States Senate in 1932, Maurice Thatcher was intimately involved in almost every statewide political campaign. He participated in the rise of the Republican party to a point where it was a definite force in state politics and won almost as many statewide races as it lost. He also participated in the party’s relegation to minority status with the advent of the …

"No Bob Yet" A Collection Of Narratives From Nobob, Kentucky, Keith Ludden

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Transcribed naridtives from the community of Nobob (Barren County), Kentucky, and its surroundings. The narratives were tape recorded between October, 1977 and November, 1978. Interpretation is offered in the form of an introduction, which includes a brief history of the area and a discussion of genre and annotations to the narratives. Annotations make use of standard bibliographical reference works and archival sources available at Western Kentucky University.

The narratives are divided into legend, tale, and personal experience stories. A number of the narratives refer specifically to the Great Depression. The collection seeks to particularly demonstrate the presence of valuable historical …

Fiddle Songs And Banjo Songs: A Description Index, Gilbert Wayne Howard

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

English-language texts associated with fiddle and banjo in the southern United States are described and then indexed for comparative reference. The fiddle songs are typically humorous, very brief, highly variable and disunified. The same is true of many banjo songs associated with the banjo. Ballads in the fiddle and the banjo repertory are not indexed if previously catalogued by Child or Laws.

Fiddle and banjo songs are defined as texts associated with fiddle or banjo playing, either through instrumental accompaniment or because informants mentally associate them with the fiddle or banjo. Various ways of performing the songs are enumerated, with …

A Sourcebook For The Interpretation Of Traditional Dance By Outdoor Museums & Historic Sites, Jan Alm

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Folklife scholars often produce work which is valuable to outdoor museums and historic sites. Folklife scholars deal with functional, contextual, emic, and interdisciplinary studies--all approaches which produce valuable interpretive data for museums and sites. This thesis is an example of folklife work designed for use in the museum field.

Outdoor museums and historic sites are increasingly involved with the interpretation of social and emotional life. Because it is a social and emotional event, dance can be a valuable part of this interpretation.

Sites and museums developing programs of traditional dance interpretation may find it helpful to follow several steps: 1.) …

The American Liberalism Of Eleanor Roosevelt, Janet Wolfe

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A biographical study of the life of Eleanor Roosevelt was undertaken to explore the various obstacles she was required to overcome as she grew to become an influential figure in the world of liberal politics. During the New Deal years her influence was most visible as she traveled across the country and relayed to her husband the concerns of the average man. As a delegate to the United Nations, after the death of her husband, Eleanor's devotion toward attaining a United Nations which would keep peace among all nations and her ability to carry out tasks in a patient and …

Folklore, Folklife & Still Photography: A Synergetic Approach, Debbie Gibson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In 1973 folklorist Jan Brunvand presented a definition of modern folkloristics that challenged folklorists to take an eclectic approach to the study of traditional culture by employing theoretical and methodological approaches from a variety of disciplines including communications. This thesis represents one effort at addressing part of this challenge by discussing specific folklore and folklife objectives and how still photography can be incorporated in the research process.

Chapter one includes a brief overview of how still photography has been used in social science research, emphasizing use of the camera for examination and communication. Chapter two examines the photographic "moment" and …

The 1938 Kentucky Senate Election: Alben Barkley, The New Deal & The Defeat Of Governor A.B. "Happy" Chandler, Walter Hixson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Analysis showed that the 1938 Kentucky State primary became the focal point of a national political struggle over the New Deal. The Kentucky campaign was the most significant of the mid-term elections which represented a major test of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's political strength. Senate Majority Leader Alben W. Barkley gave unwavering support to Roosevelt and the New Deal while his opponent, Kentucky Governor Albert B. Chandler, represented conservative Democrats who sought to wrest control of the party from Roosevelt. The clash of two powerful Kentucky politicians and the widespread use of federal and state patronage distinguished the campaign. Barkley's …

A Case Study: Neighborhood Ii Conservation Plan, Alice Brooks-Giles

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study was initiated to demonstrate how declining neighborhoods can be revitalized through the cooperation and Partnership of local residents, financial institutions, and local government. The Neighborhood II Conservation Plan assumes that interested and informed residents can plan their own environment just as they plan their own family affairs and budget their incomes. The plan further assumes that residents working together as a team can revitalize their neighborhood at the point of decline. This study pursues various approaches to neighborhood preservation which may be useful to other cities.

They'd Have The Biggest Time You Ever Saw: Square Dances As Settings For Community Social Interaction In Trigg County, Kentucky Ca. 1920-1979, Elizabeth Harzoff

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study focuses upon dance events, those occasions which have as their purpose the convening of persons to square dance or play party games which resemble square dances. Four different forms of these events were identified in Trigg County, Kentucky: neighborhood dances, play-parties, picnics and barbecues and public dances. I have described them from a historical perspective, examining the social interactions that occurred during the events.

The major portion of the information presented was gathered through interviews with current and past residents of this county. The descriptions span the years from the turn of the twentieth century to the 1970s. …

Thomas Jefferson And The West, Denise Baker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

From his childhood on the fringe of the Virginia frontier until his years of retirement at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson displayed a special interest in the vast expanse of land stretching westward. The land provided the ideal place for the expansion of Jefferson’s dream of an American empire for liberty. He viewed the continent as the home of an agrarian nation living under the principles of democracy.

Chapter one is introductory in nature, linking Jefferson’s ideals to his interest in the West. Chapter two concentrates on his early contributions to the West. Emphasis is placed on land speculation, the western land …