Scope and Contents: The David Williams Collection consists of over 100 interviews with members of the Valdosta community and surrounding areas that lived during the Great Depression. The interviews chronicle the major difficulties of life during this trying era. Topics include descriptions of the struggle for daily provisions for the family, farm life, race relations, interaction with the Ku Klux Klan, as well as school, church and social aspects. The interviewees include members of the community from all socio-economic strata including business owners, doctors, housewives, and farmers among many others. An interview with S. Walter Martin, the former president of Valdosta State College, will be of particular interest to those interested in the history of the college. This interview describes Martin’s college years as well as his first years as a young professional.
Contains permission forms, interview transcripts, along with dvd and tape cassette recordings.