2014
Gordon B. McKinney

Dr. Gordon McKinney received the award for educating generations of students who have benefited from his clear and thorough approach to his subject and expanded the reach of Appalachian studies beyond the academic setting. McKinney has emphasized a spirit of inclusiveness throughout his career, and especially during his past service as president of the Appalachian Studies Association. Dr. McKinney advocated for including a diverse membership that embraced people of different racial, ethnic, gender and age groups, and also included health professionals, natural scientists, and environmentalists in the conversation.

McKinney is professor emeritus of history and former director of the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center at Berea College. He is the author of numerous books, including “Southern Mountain Republicans, 1865-1900” and “Zeb Vance: North Carolina’s Civil War Governor and Gilded Age Political Leader.”