Folklore Commons^™

The Folklife Archives At Western Kentucky University: Past And Present, David Puglia

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This work focuses on Western Kentucky University’s Folklife Archives located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Western Kentucky University has a rich history of folklore scholarship, dating back to at least the early 20th century and the work of Gordon Wilson. Folklore archives across the nation have long been repositories for the fieldwork of folklorists and a place to look to supplement future studies both of folklorists and other disciplines. Western Kentucky’s Folklife Archives are no exception, housing thousands of impressive pieces donated from many generations of folklore scholars. Yet very little has been written about the Western Kentucky Folklife Archives. Through …

The Blood Drive Of Wku Greek Week: Issues Of Altruism, Egoism, Integration And Separation, Cynthia Halcyone Cotton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis focuses on the Blood Drive which takes place during the spring Greek Week event at Western Kentucky University. I primarily investigate the varying methods of negotiating issues of altruism and egoism in terms of the Blood Drive as well as way that the Blood Drive fits into the WKU Greek yearly cycle. I focus on issues of the process of identity in social Greek-letter organizations and how the process of this identity is renegotiated during the Blood Drive and other Greek events.

I interviewed people from several groups for this paper. Initially, I interviewed Blood Donor Recruitment Representatives …

Settlement Reached In 'Rock War', Kenneth Hart

Indian Head Rock Project

An article published in the Ashland Daily independent on the final settlement and return of Indian Head Rock to Kentucky from July 9, 2010.

Legal Battle Over Ownership Of River Rock Officially Ends, Lexington Herald-Leader

Indian Head Rock Project

An article published in the Lexington Herald Leader from July 9, 2010 on the end of the legal battle over Indian Head Rock.

Exploring Local Communities: Conducting Ethnographic Research In Folklore Studies, Lisa Gabbert

English Faculty Publications

Cookie traditions? Family reunions? Snipe hunting? Jell-O recipes in Utah? Undergraduates’ folklore research projects cover an amazing variety of offbeat subjects. These topics may seem superficially unimportant to many scholars in other fields, and they usually are overlooked in the serious halls of academe (although undergraduate research in folklore often finds its way into professional books and publications as scholars use materials deposited in folklore archives, a recent example of which is Elizabeth Tucker’s 2007 book Haunted Halls).

Kesler, Jonathan G. (Fa 201), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 201. Paper: "Day of Disaster: Brandenburg, Kentucky, and the Tornado of April 3, 1974," written by Western Kentucky University folk studies student Jonathan G. Kesler, about the tornado that wreaked death and destruction on Bradenburg, Meade County, Kentucky, on 3 April 1974.

Belcher, Scott Minor (Fa 195), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 195. Interview done by Scott Belcher with Bill Thompson,BreckinridgeCounty, Kentucky, in which Thompson reminisces about his youth. Includes transcription and cassette tape.

Scisney, Sheri L. (Fa 256), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 256. Paper: "The African-American Set on Western Kentucky University Campus" written by Sheri L. Scisney for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Bowers, Joseph P. (Fa 269), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 269. Paper: Analysis of Brooks Campbell written by Joseph P. Bowers for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Parel-Sewell, Amethel (Fa 280), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 280. Paper: "Genres of Children's Folklore Found in Advertisements of Three Popular Magazines..." written by Amethel Parel-Sewell for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Le Festin De Chessex Ou Comment Apprêter La Littérature Suisse, Marie-Hélène Larochelle, Jean-Pierre Thomas

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

This paper focuses on the definition of the monster as presented in Jacques Chessex’s novel L’ogre. the authors observe how the monstrous figure modifies the Swiss literary heritage, and try to understand how it brings a mythological tradition up to date.

Glynn, Luanne Carol (Aylesworth) (Fa 518), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 518. This collection contains tape recorded interviews (28) conducted by Luanne Glynn with Ellis Yeargin Hurt (1900-1994) of Cadiz, Trigg County, Kentucky. The interviews relay Ellis's life history.  The project also includes an interpretive paper, a project proposal and summary as well as tape indexes.  This project was the result of a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University.

Williams, Michael Ann (Fa 512), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 512.  This collection contains an application for an assistance grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for the assessment and preservation of the audio recordings in Western Kentucky University’s Folklife Archives.  Also included is the final performance report “Preservation Assessment of Audio Recordings in Western Kentucky University’s Folklore Archives.”

Federal Judge Sets June 28 For Final Disposition Of Case Involving Indian Head Rock, G. Sam Piatt

Indian Head Rock Project

An article in the Portsmouth Daily Times on the federal case involving Indian Head Rock from May 13, 2010.

Reader Offers A Poem About Indian Head Rock, Esther M. Vasser

Indian Head Rock Project

A poem published in the Portsmouth Daily Times on the Indian Head Rock from May 11, 2010.

Kentucky To Display Indian Head Rock, G. Sam Piatt

Indian Head Rock Project

An article in the Portsmouth Daily Times on the Indian Head Rock from May 1, 2010.

Indian Head Rock Case Reaching An End, Frank Lewis

Indian Head Rock Project

An article published in the Portsmouth Daily Times on the conclusion of the criminal case against Steve Shaffer regarding the Indian Head Rock from April 30, 2010.

Thomas' Visit Indian Head Rock, Portsmouth Daily Times

Indian Head Rock Project

A brief article published in the Portsmouth Daily Times on the visit by relatives of J. W. Bannon to Indian Head Rock on April 30, 2010.

A New Home For The Rock?, Benita Heath

Indian Head Rock Project

Article published in the Ironton Tribune on the return of the Indian Head Rock to Kentucky from April 25, 2010.

Interview With Larry Butch Carroll (Mss 707), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Oral Histories

Transcription of an interview with Larry Butch Carroll conducted by Dallas John Duvall related to the mining of rock asphalt at Kyrock in Edmonson County, Kentucky. The majority of the interview concerns the life and residence of Henry St. George Tucker Carmichael, 1882-1949.