• CSM Fontana Meeting, North Carolina: Membership faces controversy and conflict. Members vote on activist resolutions and 51% poor people on Board.
• New Commissions established for new Council members: Black Appalachian Commission, Youth Commission, and Poor People's Self-Help Commission.
• Phil Young, CSM President.
• Black Lung Movement sparks massive wildcat strikes for compensation legislation.
• Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 passed by Congress.
• "Jock" Yablonski and family murdered after challenges to Tony Boyle's leadership of UMWA.
• Appalachian Research and Defense Fund founded in West Virginia.

1970

• CSM Lake Junaluska Meeting, North Carolina: Several resignations of executive staff of CSM, ML&W & most programs due to controversial discussions.
• Jones replaced by "Troika" of Warren Wright, Julian Griggs, and Ike Vanderpool.
• Office of Economic Opportunity and foundation funding for CSM drying up.
• Loyal Jones lists 3 Crises facing CSM (Money/Management/Purpose).
• Hyden Mine Disaster, Clay County, Kentucky: 38 miners killed in explosion in Finley mine.

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• CSM Conference in Berea, Kentucky: Features reports and leadership of community activists.
• President: James Somerville; Vice-President: Edith Easterling; Secretary: Dan Hendrickson; Treasurer: George Brosi.
• "March for Survival" in Washington, DC, opposing Nixon's HR 1, combined forces of Welfare and Black Lung Associations.
• Hyden Mine Hearings.
• Council staff moves into "collective" structure, with no coordinator or executive director.
• CSM's Executive Director helped found Save Our Kentucky (SOK).
• Contract strike for UMWA nationwide.
• "People Speak Out Against Strip Mining": Wise, Virginia hearings
• Appalachian Volunteers disband.

• CSM's 60th Annual Meeting, Pipestem, West Virginia.
• President: James Somerville; Vice-President: Edith Easterling; Secretary: Anne Leibig; Treasurer: George Brosi.
• Buffalo Creek Dam Breaks, Logan County, West Virginia.
• CSM office moved to Clintwood, Virginia.
• Council members change structure to include direct representation of community groups on CSM Board.
• Black Lung Association wins major reforms in federal black lung compensation programs.
• Pikeville Hospital strike, 1972-1975.
• Miners for Democracy defeated Tony Boyle's leadership in first democratic election in UMWA history.

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• CSM Conference, Emory & Henry College, Virginia: CSM initiates Community Unions and Mine Health and Safety Programs.
• President: Mart Shepherd; Vice-President: Mike Smathers; Secretary: Clayton Jackson; Treasurer: Almetor King
• Several Welfare Rights Organizations (WRO) in southeast Virginia broaden to found the Citizens for Social and Economic Justice (CSEJ).
• Brookside Strike, Harlan County, 1973-1974.
• CSM Bookstore doubled inventory and sales in 1972-1973.
• Mountain Life & Work Special Issue in April on Textile Strikes.
• ML&W Special Issue on Education.
• Board of Commissioners name changed to Board of Representatives.
• CORA's Appalachian Development Project Committee (ADPC) formed.
• UMWA Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

• CSM 62nd Annual Meeting, Union College, Barbourville, Kentucky: Splits membership over by-laws in attempt to certify formal representation on CSM Board.
• Mart Shepherd, CSM President; Mike Smathers, CSM Vice-President; Secretary: Beth Bingham; Treasurer: Almetor King
• ML&W Special Issue on Women.
• CSM Community Unions Program (CSEJs) and Elmer Rasnick.
• CSM Staff gained Sally Ward Maggard and Dan Hendrickson.
• CSM Board abandons staff collective model to provide for office manager for Clintwood office.
• UMWA Contract Strike nationwide.
• HEAD was formed as Economic Development task force (spin off from CORA).
• Urban Affairs Commission in essence replaced by Urban Appalachian Council in Cincinnati.

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• CSM Annual Conference, Richlands, Virginia: Passed by-laws which changed "Commissions" from program areas to autonomous organizations and recognized direct representation as main structure of "Board of Representatives."
• Mart Shepherd, CSM President; Vice-President: Madeline James; Secretary: Helen Powell; Almetor King, CSM Treasurer
• UMWA Organizing drive in eastern Kentucky ground down with losses at Denham, Arjay, Highsplint, Martin County, and Magoffin Counties (1974-1975).
• Mountain Life & Work celebrated 50th Anniversary in two "Special Anniversary Issues."
• ML&W doubled its size to 48-pages and dramatically mushroomed use of photos.
• Appalachian Coalition against strip mining founded.
• Carolina Brown Lung Association founded, and began organizing several chapters among textile workers in North and South Carolina.
• Mike Maloney - Keynote speaker, gives speech "We Learned a Lot in the 60s." Says CSM has become working class. Promoted local groups rather than mountain culture of education. Asks how professional or well-educated people can continue to be a part of CSM.

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• CSM 64th Annual Meeting, Clifftop, West Virginia.
• President: Mart Shepherd; Secretary: Helen Powell; Treasurer: Almetor King
• CSEJs began organizing for economic development projects, including small-scale farm and house coal projects.
• Knott County Food Store opened, with broadest support of regional groups and funding sources of any project.
• Bill Worthington, CSM Mine Health & Safety Project.
• Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM).
• Stearns Strike began in July against Blue Diamond (1976-1979).
• Workers' Rights.
• UMWA Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio.

• March 8, 1976 - Federal inspector, Cecil Davis, found three violations of federal mine ventilation laws.
• March 9, 1976 - Just before Noon, the first explosion occurred in 2 Southeast Section. MESA personnel took charge of operations at 1:15 p.m.
• March 10, 1976 - In the Early morning, rescue team recovered all fifteen bodies and withdrew from the mine.
• March 11, 1976 - Exploration crew entered the mine. Just before midnight, a second explosion was reported.
• March 12, 1976 - All eleven bodies located at 12:07 p.m. 27th life claimed, Herschel Foutch killed wile driving to mine site where his son-in-law was trapped in 2nd explosion.
• March 13, 1976 - Decision to seal the mine.
• March 15, 1976 - Memorial services for men killed in mine disaster held in Cumberland, KY.
• March 16, 1976 - Project of sealing the mine began; within a few days, all openings sealed completely.
• March 17, 1976 - 28th life claimed; Scotia employee James Houston, workmate of fifteen dead, took his own life.
• March 21, 1976 - Memorial services held in Whitesburg, Kentucky.
• March 24-25, 30-31, 1976 - Senate subcommittee on Labor began hearing testimony in regard to mine disaster.
• March 30, 1976 - Scotia Coal Co. Attorneys met with widows concerning compensation settlements.
• April 5-9, 1976 - Interior Department's hearings in Whitesburg, Kentucky.
• April 27, 1976 - Interior Department's hearings in Whitesburg, Kentucky, resumed.

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• Annual Meeting, Hindman Settlement School, Hindman, Kentucky: CSM elected first woman president, Judy McKinney.
• President: Judy McKinney; Vice-President: Almetor King; Secretary: Helen Powell; Treasurer: Winifred D. Hagans
• Dan Hendrickson officially is elected by the Board as "Coordinator" in Fall 1977.
• Congress finally passed Federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, Black Lung Compensation Reform Act, and Reform Act on Mine Safety and Health.
• CSM becomes first safety representative of coal miners in non-UMWA mine.
• UMWA Contract Strike began (longest in history).
• J.P. Stevens Strike.
• Appalachian Alliance founded in Williamson, West Virginia.
• Worst floods hit all major river watershed areas of central Appalachia. Most organizations responded with flood-recovery work.
• ML&W Issue tributes Scotia Anniversary.

• President: Judy McKinney; Vice-President: Almetor King; Secretary: Helen Powell; Treasurer: Winifred D. Hagans
• Blue Diamond Strike.
• UMWA cuts health benefits.
• CSM and UMW file petition to U.S. Department of Labor about requiring self-rescuers.
• As contract strike ended, Jericol and other strikes continued all year, ending in earl 1979.
• Appalachian Studies Conference founded, and held first conference at Berea College
• CSM experimented with first federal money in nine years: a CETA contract for 5 then 9 labor positions.
• Community groups throughout the region tried VISTA contracts again.
• The farm and garden projects throughout Appalachian expanded with a donation of 50 tons of fertilizer from Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
• ML&W prints Special Issue on Textile industry and Brown Lung in September.
• Coalition of Appalachian Energy Consumers (CAEC) founded.

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• CSM Board meets first time in Cincinnati and hosted by Urban Appalachian Council.
• President: Judy McKinney; Vice-President: Almetor King; Secretary: Carl "Jake" Ritchie; Treasurer: Mike Henson
• CSM Fontana Meeting's 10th Anniversary.
• Southern Appalachian Archives at Berea College opens Council files from 1913-1970.
• Bookstore began operation of Mobile Bookstore.
• Southwest Virginia finally won federal legal services after 10 years of trying: Client-Centered Legal Services founded and funded.
• ML&W published Special Issues on "Housing in Central Appalachia" in the January-February issue, and "Women Coal Miners" in the July-August issue.
• Sorghum Alliance founded.
• First National Conference of Women Coal Miners held in Institute, West Virginia.

• CSM 68th Annual Conference, London, Kentucky.
• President: Almetor King; Vice-President: Ben Poage; Secretary: Carl "Jake" Ritchie; Treasurer: Mike Henson
• Presentation by Office of Surface Mining (OSM) about strip mine reclamation.
• CSM evicted from Clintwood office by building's new owner.
• Scotia Widows get $5.9 million settlement from Blue Diamond.
• Sally Ward Maggard recognized for her four years of work on Scotia Mine Disaster.

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• CSM 69th Annual Meeting, Dickenson County, Virginia.
• President: Almetor King; Vice-President: Ben Poage; Secretary: Joyce Dukes; Treasurer: Mike Henson
• CSM working to get company compliance with 1969 Mine Safety Act about self-rescuers.
• Thomas Galloway recognized for legal work in DC for CSM, 1976-1981, about mine safety issues.

• CSM 70th Annual Meeting, Knoxville, Tennessee: "Energy in Cooperation."
• President: Almetor King; Vice-President: Ben Poage; Secretary: Joyce Dukes; Treasurer: Mike Henson
• $30,000 Budget cut.
• Resolutions about Anti-Klan, cannery workers' strike.
• Appalachian Development Fund control.
• Yellow Creek Concerned Citizens presentation.

• President: Almetor King; Vice-President: Pete Wicker; Secretary: Mike Henson; Treasurer: Andrew Baskin
• CSM and SOCM give testimony about OSM's lack of enforcement.

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• CSM 72nd Annual Meeting, Cincinnati, Ohio.
• President: Almetor King; Vice-President: Jerry Johnson; Secretary: Mike Henson; Treasurer: Andrew Baskin
• Cathy Stanley is Acting Director.
• Money problems.
• Dan Hendrickson begins sabbatical.
• Mike Maloney gives keynote speech, "Seeds of Destruction."
• Advertising for ML&W Coordinator.
• Chapter 11 Filing, due to poor management and loss of grants.
• $140,000 in debt; Grant income is $34,000.
• Membership down to 1,300; had been 4,600 in 1979.

• CSM Mining-Community Health and Safety Program: Talk to and confront families, share grief, vent, suggest legal help when appropriate, photo documentation.
• Citizens strip mining monitoring network: Interface with OSM, record abuses, bring citizens legal pressure.
• CSM: 3 full-time and 4 part-time staff.
• CORA and ADPC deny funds for CSM.

• CSM 73rd Annual Meeting, Knott County.
• President: Nunna Hensley-See; Vice-President: Mart Shepherd; Secretary: Mike Henson
• Out of bankruptcy.
• 2 full-time staff at minimum wage.
• $20,000 grant from a NC foundation.

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• CSM 74th Annual Meeting, Breaks Interstate Park, Virginia.
• President: Nunna Hensley-See; Acting Director: Cathy Stanley

• ML&W Issue on Black Appalachians, April-June.
• ML&W Issue on Urban Appalachians, October-December.

• CSM disbands.

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