Levi Fox-Summary of Research Progress-Article Prospectus
Working Title-“Searching for Doctor Stinson: Doing Oral History in Central Virginia”
Abstract: This article is intended to be more about the process and challenges of doing
oral history than about any specific individuals or issues. As such it will be written
largely in the first person, and may include extended discussions of the area of
Scottsville, atmosphere of the museum and Barclay house, and even some interviewed
individuals (This would of course be with their permission, which I would also seek
before using anyone’s name in the article. I feel that I can get this at least from Charlie
Fry and Bill Mason, based on their personalities and their interest in the subject). It
would entail a discussion of my own personal background, as well as my opinions
concerning the two main issues which will be discussion, abortion and race relations (I
feel that this ‘personal contextualization’ is especially relevant due to the subject matters
and the style in which I wish to work). After setting this background I would then move
on to discuss the issue of race relations based largely upon individual and group
interviews, with special attention paid to the racialized and other divergences of opinion
on issues like integration. In addition I would highlight the viewpoint, oft expressed
both in these interviews and outside scholarship, that relations between individuals of
different races were often warm but that group dynamics often prompted conflictual
situations. (It is possible I may also include a section on people’s experiences during
WWII, with a heavy focus on gender, but this is somewhat of a new idea and thus very
much up in the air). Having briefly explored these issues I then plan to move on to an
extended discussion of Dr. Stinson’s role in the Scottsville community, initially
emphasizing his role as respected physician and birther of innumerable babies, dairy
owner and devotee of schoolchildren, and landowner who rented homes to many
community members. I would then move on to my “discovery” of his role as an
abortionist serving an important function within the extended UVA community. It is my
hope to eventually better understand the role which he played both in Scottsville and
Charlottesville, how his differing roles were understood (or if they were even known
about) by residents of Scottsville, and perhaps even speculate as to how he himself may
have understood and rationalized his participation in a practice illegal nationwide and
frowned upon by many members of a small, conservative community. The article would
conclude with a discussion of what my own experiences over one summer can tell
interested scholars about the process of performing oral history, and how, in the absence
of other sources, it can often be the best (or only) way to recapture important aspects of a
single locality.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Outline-(still in process and subject to perhaps massive changes)
Preface-To ‘grab the reader’ i would likely open with story, right now I’m thinking most
of of Bill Mason’s interview, his off-tape revelations of the abortions
-Introduction-Issues relating to Oral history
-Scottsville background, museum background, oral history project background
-Personal background-Me in search of a good research topic
-Personal views on race relations and abortion
-Part 1-first prospective project-Race relations in Scottsville
-Overview of segregation, integration, and massive resistance
-Description (including some quotes) of Scottsville area residents opinions on
race relations in their community
-discussion of how these opinions often differ by race, how and why this might be
-Part 2?-another possible project-Gendered experiences of WWII-Overview of WWII (specific background readings not yet selected, but I’ve done
a lot before so this shouldn’t be too much of any issue)
-How Scottsvillians perceived WWII, their communities role in it
-emphasis on home front lives (especially women’s lives) during the war
-Part 3- ‘Searching for Doctor Stinson’-how I became most interested in this topic
-Background of Stinson in the community
-real estate mogul, Valmont dairy owner, schoolchild benefactor, car lover
-Stinson as abortionist, whatever information can be culled from interviews
-abortion laws and practices in pre-Roe v. Wade America
-how people in the community understoood his different roles and ‘careers’
-speculations about his own self conception and role in the community
-economic role as landowner, respect as physician, distaste for abortions?
Conclusion- What can be learned from my experiences
-Issues of community morality impacting the practice of history
-Issues of disputed public memories and divergent views on past practices
-Possibilities for oral history filling a gap in local culture and public opinions
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Annotated Source Bibliography:
-Secondary Sources-Caunce, Stephen Oral History and the Local Historian (Longman Press 1994)Overview of a number of issues relating to the process of carrying out and utilizing oral
history interviews in performing local history- Most valuable for its discussion of subject
concerns about the ‘usefulness’ of their own knowledge (which I encountered a lot)
-Hall, Robert ed. Abortion in a Changing World (Columbia University Press,
1970)-Background information on abortion practices in the United States prior to Roe v.
Wade-Especially valuable for its discussion of issues relating to non-medical abortions
versus those performed by licensed physicians and for legal overview
-Lassiter, Matthew The Moderates’ Dilemma: Massive Resistance to School
Desegretion in Virginia (University of Virginia Press 1998)-Best single source relating to
the process of integration and community resistance in post-Brown II Virginia- Provides
multiple if divergent points of view on the issue while placing it within historical contexts
-Reagan, Leslie When Abortion Was a Crime: Women, Medicine, and the Law in
the United States, 1867-1973 (University of California Press 1997)- Outlines the
historical practice and changing morality concerning abortion in the United States in the
century before Roe v. Wade- Illuminating for its detailing of the frequency of illicit
abortions, especially post-WWII and throughout the country, as well as the stark
divergence between community rhetoric and actual practice
Ritchie, Donald Doing Oral History (Twayne Publishers 1995)-Best single
volume discussion of all aspects of the ‘doing’ of oral history, from interviewing to
interpreting to publishing- Especially valuable for its discussion of the different uses of
oral history by different groups, ranging from professional historians to local museums
-Thompson, Paul The Voice of the Past: Oral History (Oxford University Press
1978)-Extended discussion of the uses of oral history for professional historians
interested in rediscovering forgotten historical happenings and issues- Best source I’ve
found on the possibilities of oral histories being used to recapture past cultural practices
-Primary Sources-Oral History Interviews of Scottsville area citizens, mostly 2002-03
-Anderson, Haden-Information relating to Stinson’s personal demeanor as well as
his economic role within the community-vast real estate holdings, rented homes to many
-Dudley, Pearl- Stinson treating all HS students to a free movie every year
-Esmont Senior Center-African-American experiences in Scottsville are both
before and after integration-Useful for the starkly different perspective it provides
-Fry, Charles-Useful discussion of race relations in Scottsville from an ‘outside’
perspective- Invaluable stories from his “Uncle Paul” about the role Stinson played
within the community-Own story of keeping Stinson’s contacts information in his office
desk for distribution to UVA students in need of his services
-Holden, Ann Paulette-Mention of Stinson’s being especially popular among the
girlfriends of UVA students-fascinating quote about her having once been ashamed to be
from Scottsville because “that was where Dr. Stinson was from”-community morality?
-Mason, William- Discussion of personal relations with black area residents as
well as larger issues of race relations in Scottsville-Extended discussion of Stinson’s role
within the community (as owner of Valmont dairy, real estate mogul, and family doctor
who birthed thousands of area residents)-***after the tape was off he said “if you’re
really interested in Dr. Stinson I should tell you about the abortions”***fascinating talk,
he once did a report on Stinson for his junior high school class, unfortunately long lost
-Self(s), Marie Cable and L. L.- discussion of school closings in Farmville area
due to prospect of integration-asserts massive media misrepresentation of the facts
-Stallings, Lawrence- Extended discussion of race relations between both
individuals and groups-Discussion of Stinson’s reputation for cars- Invaluable
information of Stinson as an abortionist, rates charged (different for married or single)
-Pictures of Stinson and his first car (as well as some background) from Raymon
Thacker interview and Scottsville web site
****note: I would love to interview Raymon Thacker personally, specifically about
WWII, race, and Stinson, since I feel that due to his memory and role in the community I
could ask him ‘tougher’ questions than I have so far been able to ask people. *****