Oral History Interview with David Thurmond

Partial Transcript: I want to ask you about your parents; where they grew up, and how they met.

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond discusses where his parents grew up, and states that he does not know how they met, and discusses how they moved to Detroit after World War II to find jobs. He states that his parents had their first child while living in Detroit.

Subjects: Family life; World War II

Partial Transcript: What was your grandfather's business?

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond speaks about his grandfather's funeral business, and his concrete products business in Russellville, Kentucky. Thurmond states that his father learned concrete products manufacturing from his father, and then started his own concrete business in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Thurmond states that his father set up his company in Hopkinsville rather than Russellville, because Hopkinsville was a bigger city and had better access to transportation such as the railway system.

Keywords: Hopkinsville (Ky.); Russellville (Ky.)

Subjects: Concrete

Partial Transcript: How did Fort Campbell change or impact your father's business?

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond describes the expansion of Fort Campbell, which was accelerated by the Vietnam War. He states that he was opposed to the War, but believes the Vietnam War helped him and his brother get through college due to the need for his father's business during that time, as well as the advancements in higher education and the expansion of the economy that were occurring.

Keywords: Fort Campbell

Subjects: Vietnam War

Partial Transcript: How did your father react to you and your brother being opposed to the war while his business was helping build Fort Campbell at the same time?

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond states that he and his brother had strong moral values, which they learned from their mother. He describes his father as being stuck in the Cold War mindset during the time. He states that his family had a lot of debates and discussions about moral issues, but everyone was allowed to hold their own opinions.

Keywords: Fort Campbell

Subjects: Cold War; Vietnam War

Partial Transcript: Where do you think your parents' drive for morality and justice was fostered?

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond describes how his father had many health problems as a middle-aged man that forced him to re-evaluate his spiritual life. His father grew up Methodist, but was not a church-goer. Thurmond's mother was a life-long Catholic, and his father became attracted to Catholicism during Vatican II. Thurmond states that his father became a "true believer," by coming to a realization that one's faith depends on what you do, i.e. "good works". His father's favorite prayer was the Prayer of Saint Francis, and was attracted to the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. Catholic beliefs influenced his father's social and political views, and he used these views by serving his community. Thurmond states that his mother joined his father in this statement and action of belief, and both parents were public figures and provided a great example for their children. Thurmond tells a story of a game he, his brother and their friends were playing as children. They were pretending to be soldiers in the Civil War, and his mother overheard them and scolded them about not understanding what that War was about. She explained to them why it was fought, and the historical and social significance of the Civil War. Thurmond explains that his father was the first chair of the Hopkinsville Human Relations Commission, and the Mayor of Nashville invited his father to aid in the creation of Nashville's Human Relations Commission.

Keywords: Hopkinsville Human Relations Commission

Subjects: Catholic; Civil War; Methodist; Vatican II (Council) (1962-1965 : Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano)

Partial Transcript: Thurmond goes onto describe what it was like growing up in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond grew up in a time where the community was segregated, except for the Catholic school he attended. His father and mother attempted to enact change in their community. He comments that his parents and he himself had African-American friends and playmates, which was anomaly for the community at the time. He states that his father was in favor of the "open housing for all" initiative.

Subjects: Segregation

Partial Transcript: I want the listeners to understand your family life; how many children were your parents raising while being civically involved and running a business?

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond states that he was the fourth born into his family, and there were four more children born after him. Thurmond's mother was a stay-at-home-mom, but volunteered at their school and around the community as well. Thurmond states that he never felt neglected by his parents even though they were very busy.

Partial Transcript: What kind of experiences did your mother have in social circles due to her political beliefs?

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond states that he and his siblings learned most things from his parents at the dinner table every night. Thurmond remembers his mother saying that he should not hate people who were on the side of hate, or in other words, racist. His mother believed you should feel sorry for those individuals, because they are ignorant and do not know what they are doing or what they believe. His mother's belief on this matter came from the teaching of Jesus Christ on forgiveness. Thurmond believes he and his family were socially privileged, even though they fought for social and civil justice.

Partial Transcript: Can you describe some of the specific activities that your parents were doing in this movement?

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond states that his father was the first chair of the Hopkinsville Human Relations Commission, and was an out spoken voice for Civil Rights in the 1960s. His dad wanted to know where and how white children and black children could come together to socialize and feel comfortable. Their house became a bit of a crossroads because in was in between an all white neighborhood and an all black neighborhood, and this is how Thurmond and his siblings made African-American playmates because they ran into them on the street outside of his house. Thurmond states that his parents became two people that could answer questions for mostly white children who were curious about all the change that was happening in their community at the time, and wanted to ask questions about race relations. He states that their basement eventually became a meeting places for black teenagers and white teenagers to come and discuss issues and ways to solve them.

Subjects: Civil Rights

Partial Transcript: Thurmond discusses how his father was able to do things in the community that could inact change.

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond tells the story of a segregated hotel where his father took a couple of ministers to breakfast. One of the ministers was African-American, and they were able to have breakfast with no problems. Thurmond states that those were the types of things his father could do when he was the President of the Chamber of Commerce, and also the chairman of the Human Relations Commission. The restaurant then became an integrated after this event.

Keywords: Hopkinsville Human Relations Commission

Subjects: Civil rights

Partial Transcript: I want to talk about what Hopkinsville, Kentucky, was like at the time when you grew up.

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond tells of an African-American family who was very influential in the desegregation of the community of Hopkinsville. He tells the story of his baseball tryouts, where a young African-American boy was told he was not allowed to try out for the team. The baseball team was not integrated after this event, but an all-black team was soon formed. Thurmond goes on to talk about the integration of the schools in his community.

Subjects: Civil rights

Partial Transcript: I want to talk about the scope of the Human Relations Commission. What exactly did they do?

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond states that the Commission did not have any legislative or enforcement power, but was a great moral influence and could make recommendations for change to the mayor and city council. It served as a public forum for discussions and issues within the community. He states that the Commission was able to hire an executive director and his mother became the second executive director of the Hopkinsville Human Relations Commission. Thurmond discusses how his mother served as a mentor for many members of the Hopkinsville community.

Keywords: Hopkinsville Human Relations Commission

Partial Transcript: What was your father's relationship with local politicians and politicians on the state level?

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond states that the years his father was active in politics, the Kentucky governor was from Hopkinsville. Governor Breathitt passed legislation that advanced civil rights farther than it had ever been before in the state of Kentucky. Thurmond states that his father pushed Governor Breathitt to do the right things.

Keywords: Breathitt, Edward T.

Partial Transcript: Tell me a little bit about your foray into politics?

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond suggests that his discussion of his foray into politics is more of a tribute to Governor Breathitt. Thurmond states that he became the chair of the Christian County campaign for Eugene McCarthy in his run for President in 1968. Thurmond states that Governor Breathitt was the chair of the campaign for Hubert Humphrey. Governor Breathitt wanted Thurmond and his young friends to continue to be involved in politics, and helped them win the campaign in Christian County and the young men became delegates to the State Convention. Kentucky was one of very few states that allowed eighteen-year-olds to vote, and Thurmond became the youngest member of the Kentucky delegation. Thurmond discusses how this time period was a time of upheaval in terms of race, because Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated earlier that year, and Robert Kennedy was assassinated in August of that year. However, the Vietnam War consumed National politics so they were not able to discuss and figure out new ways to diffuse racial tensions and racial issues.

Keywords: Breathitt, Edward T.

Subjects: Humphrey, Hubert, 1911-1978; McCarthy, Eugene J., 1916-2005.

Partial Transcript: Do you have any other impressions of Hopkinsville at that time, or anything else you want to add about your parents' civil rights activism at the time?

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond states that he was never afraid of people in his community growing up. But did have crosses burned on their front lawn on two separate occasions, and a Molotov cocktail thrown at their house.

Partial Transcript: What happened to David after the presidential race of 1968?

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond graduated from Bellarmine University with a History degree. He believes he is a poster child for Liberal Arts education. He went to Law School at the University of Kentucky for one year, and he dropped out because he did not like it. He became a preschool teacher in Louisville and learned a lot about teaching. Thurmond began taking ballet lessons at the age of 22, and at 23 became a member of the Louisville Ballet Company. He was recruited to be the dance instructor at the Louisville Performing Arts School. He learned how to choreograph at this school. He became the first director of the Kentucky Governors School for the Arts in 1986. He then became the Deputy Secretary of the Education and Arts Cabinet, and then moved to the Department of Education for Strategic Planning and Public Relations. He founded the Oldham County Arts Center. He is involved in many nonprofit organizations, and consults on many other projects.

Keywords: Bellarmine College; Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts; Oldham County Arts Center; University of Kentucky

Subjects: Ballet; Choreography; Dance

Partial Transcript: Could you name all of your brothers and sisters?

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond lists his brothers and sisters:
Hal Thurmond, Jr.
Elizabeth Thurmond Robb
Bill Thurmond
Bob Thurmond
Mark Thurmond
Mary Lu Thurmond
Patrick Thurmond

Partial Transcript: Is there anything that you would like to add?

Segment Synopsis: Thurmond asks how much money would someone pay to have the type of upbringing that he had. He feels very privileged to have had the type of parents that he had.