Accession Number: 21
Perley F. Ayer (1900-1967)
Papers, 1952-1968
Bulk Dates: 1959-1967
5.8 linear feet
Online Catalog Record (BANC)

Overview & Series Description
History
Series I- Personal/Biographical
Series II- Correspondence
Series III- Speeches and Interviews
Series IV - Photographs
Series V- Printed Materials
Series VI - Subjects
Series VII - Writings
Series VIII - Great Cities/Gray Areas
Series IX - Sound Recordings

Related Berea College Archives

Council of the Southern Mountains Records, 1912-1970, SAA 1

Series Description
14 Manuscript Boxes

This series consists of biographical information about Perley Ayer, personal correspondence, clippings relating to his death, and various certificates and awards. Also included are appointment calendars and scrapbooks documenting speaking engagements and his work with the CSM.

Box 1

1. Biographical Materials
2. Clippings
3. Death-Clippings, 1967
4. Death-Correspondence and Articles, 1967-1968
5. Memorial Register
6. Personal Miscellaneous

Box 2

1. Appointment Calendars, April 1963-January 1964
2. Appointment Calendars, January-December 1965
3. Appointment Calendars, January-December 1966
4. Appointment Calendars, January-December 1967

Box 3

1. Scrapbook, August 1959-November 1962  (Oversize)
2. Scrapbook, September 1962-July 1963

Box 4

1. Awards and Certificates  (Oversize)

This series includes correspondence relating to Ayer's work with the CSM, accounts from friends involved in the War on Poverty, and letters regarding his various speaking engagements. Student comments on Ayer's teaching at Berea's Foundation School are also included.

Box 5

1. Correspondence, n.d.
2. Correspondence-Student Letters, 1947
3. Correspondence, 1952-1957, 1962-1964
4. Correspondence, 1965
5. Correspondence, January-April, 1966
6. Correspondence, May-December, 1966
7. Correspondence, 1967

This series consists of notes, manuscripts, and clippings relating to Ayer's numerous speeches on education, literacy, and Appalachia. Also included are news accounts of his speaking engagements, interview preparation notes and published interviews relating to Ayer's philosophy of education and his concerns for Appalachia.

Box 6

1. Speech Notes, n.d.
2. Speech Notes, n.d.
3. Speech Notes, n.d.
4. Speech Notes, n.d.
5. Speech Notes, n.d.
6. Speech Notes-Clippings, n.d.
7. Speech Notes, Spring 1963-September 1964
8. Speech Notes, October 1964-April 1965
9. Speech Notes, April-December 1965
10. Speech Notes, February 1966-November 1967

1. Speeches, n.d.
2. Speeches, 1957-1960
3. Speeches, 1962
4. Speeches, 1963
5. Speeches, 1964-1966
6. Speeches, 1967-1968
7. Clippings
8. Locations and Organizations
9. Locations and Organizations-Clippings
10. Program Materials, n.d.; 1956-1963
11. Program Materials, 1964-1968
12. Notes for Interviews
13. Published Interviews

This series consists of CSM publicity photos of Ayer relating to various public appearances, including a visit to Iron Mountain Stoneware in Abingdon, VA.

Box 8

1. Photographs

This series consists of miscellaneous published materials that may have served as resource in various aspects of Ayer's work.

Box 8 (cont.)

2. Miscellaneous
3. Miscellaneous

This series consists of fragmentary correspondence and notes relating the Council of the Southern Mountain, Kentucky Welfare Association and the War on Poverty.

Box 8 (cont.)

4. Council of the Southern Mountains
5. Kentucky Welfare Association
6. War on Poverty

This series includes two notebooks with random entries; letters to newspaper editors, newspaper columns, and manuscripts for articles.

Box 8 (cont.)

7. Notebook, n.d.
8. Notebook, n.d.
9. Miscellaneous-Clippings
10. Miscellaneous-Manuscripts

This series consists of material relating to Ayer's work as a project consultant, including expenses, fragmentary correspondence, and reports from individual cities involved in the Project. Also included are related publications, clippings, and correspondence.

Box 9

1. Ford Foundation Appointment
2. Ford Foundation Information
3. Correspondence
4. Ford Foundation Expense Accounts, July-Dec., 1962
5. Ford Foundation Expense Accounts, July-Dec., 1963
6. Ford Foundation Expense Accounts, July-Dec., 1964
7. Project Consultants

Box 10

1. Baltimore
2. Boston
3. Boulder
4. Buffalo
5. Chicago
6. Cleveland (I)
7. Cleveland (II)
8. Detroit (I)

Box 11

1. Detroit (II)
2. Hershey (I)
3. Hershey (II)
4. Kansas City
5. Milwaukee
6. New Haven

Box 12

1. Oakland (I)
2. Oakland (II)
3. Philadelphia (I)
4. Philadelphia (II)

Box 13

1. Philadelphia (III)
2. Philadelphia (IV)
3. Pittsburgh (I)
4. Pittsburgh (II)
5. St. Louis (I)
6. St. Louis (II)

Box 14

1. St. Louis (III)
2. San Francisco
3. Washington, D.C.

This series consists of fifteen open reel sound recordings that document several of Ayer's speeches and radio interviews during the early 1960s. Cassette listening copies are included.

Box 15

1. Appalachian Social Service Manpower Conference P.F. Ayer and others
2. Appalachian Social Service Manpower Conference P.F. Ayer and others
3. INTERVIEW Recorded by Charles Rhodes, Editor of Appalachian Advance. np. nd. 1 of 2
4. INTERVIEW Recorded by Charles Rhodes, Editor of Appalachian Advance. np. nd. 2 of 2
5. Speech to the American Studies Association (KY/TN Division) Berea, KY: Some Thoughts Regarding Contemporary Appalachian Culture,” Mar. 17, 1967
6. INTERVIEW Berea, KY, nd. Unknown Interviewer [1960s]
7. RADIO INTERVIEW by John Callaway & Claude Soule, WBBM, Chicago, IL [1964]
8. Speech to the Corpus Christi Classroom Teachers Association. Corpus Christi, TX, Apr. 13, 1965
9. Speech: “The Holding Power of the School-Dropouts,” Athens,GA (1 of 4), July 9, 1962
10. Speech: “The Holding Power of the School-Dropouts,” Athens,GA (2 of 4), July 9, 1962
11. Speech: “The Holding Power of the School-Dropouts,” Athens,GA (3 of 4), July 9, 1962
12. Speech: “The Holding Power of the School-Dropouts,” Athens,GA (4 of 4), July 9, 1962
13. Appalachian Workshop; Columbus, OH (poor sound) , Spring 1963
14. Speech to AAUP meeting, Atlanta, GA 1-19- 63 (so-so sound)
15. Perley F. Ayer's Memorial Service: Remembrances by Dean Louis Smith and several students. nd.

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