Oral History with W. Waymon and Cora Pack, March 11, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

Oral History with W. Waymon and Cora Pack, March 11, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

William Waymon Pack was born in Montgomery County on August 7, 1920, and he grew up in Riner, Virginia. Pack attended a local primary school before attending Christiansburg Industrial Institute. Due to financial difficulties, Pack had to drop out of Christiansburg Institute, and he worked a variety of occupations in the Montgomery County area. Pack drove a bus for the Radford Army Ammunition Plant during World War II, worked in the mines, and eventually moved to Washington D.C. where he worked in a public school. In this interview, Waymon Pack describes working at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant, and he describes other work opportunities available to Black Appalachians in the mid-twentieth century. Pack discusses educational opportunities for Black children, and he discusses the push for educational improvements brought by the County-Wide League, a civic association that advocated for educational equality.

Cora Elizabeth Oveter McDaniel Pack was born and raised in Christiansburg, Virginia, and she married Waymon Pack in 1943. Cora Pack joins her husband in describing desegregation and educational opportunities for Black Appalachians. In this interview, Cora Pack discusses racial issues that her son faced in the Montgomery County school system after the Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Ms1991-019_WaymonandCoraPack

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Black Appalachians Oral History Project, Ms1991-019, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

W. Waymon Pack

Cora Pack

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