ORAL HISTORY CENTER
AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF MADISON COUNTY
EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

An Index of a Recorded Interview
With
Turpin, Leonard B.
Charles Hay, Interviewer
17 November 1994

The following is an unrehearsed taped interview with Rev. Leonard B. Turpin.
Rev. Turpin describes his life as a Predestinarian Baptist minister and
resident of Madison County.
This interview was taped in conjunction with the
African American Community of Madison County Oral

History Project at Eastern Kentucky University.

LOCATION: Richmond Predestinarian Baptist Church
DATE: November 17, 1994
TIME: Morning
LENGTH OF INTERVIEW: 165 Minutes
TYPE OF MACHINE USED: Califone Cassette
000-045 Leonard Broaddus Turpin born in Lancaster, KY, to Henry Clay Turpin and Jane Myers Turpin; his grandparents; date of birth.
045-061 Step grandfather's life after slavery. Grandfather belonged to the First Baptist Church of Lancaster.
061-121 Richmond Predestinarian Baptist Church history; explains the differences in Baptist sects.
121-133 Baptisms in ponds.
133-143 Growth of the church and previous pastors including Ballew, Covington, and Black.
143-157 Split within the Church.
157-171 Demographics of the congregation; members that left Richmond for work, the appearance of better jobs for blacks in Richmond.
171-192 Post Civil War segregation.
192-232 Feelings of helplessness due to to segregation; places where he was denied services.
232-246 Siblings.
246-280 His father worked for the railroad; he moved to Richmond at age 14.
280-299 Childhood in Lancaster and the Calloway Creek School.
299-328 Richmond High School: Mr. Fletcher, Mr. Merritt, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Freeman, Ms. Taylor, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Reed.
328-376 Played football for Richmond High; black high school league and Mr. Dillingham's bus.
376-390 Family lived in company house at Red House.
390-403 More on Richmond High and Mr. Freeman.
END OF SIDE ONE
BEGINNING SIDE TWO
000-015 Richmond High and history class.
015-024 Strict teachers and discipline.
024-035 Summer of 1938 bought a Chevrolet from money made farming.
035-058 Recollections of working for white farmers and discrimination.
058-067 Drove a 1929 Chevrolet to school.
067-088 Enrollment at Richmond High; students from Berea; Lincoln Institute.
088-106 Job history and the educational background of his siblings.
106-117 More on playing football and Coach Johnson.
117-131 Father wanted education for his children.
131-135 His parents.
135-214 Service in WWII: drafted in1943, Fort Thomas, basic training, Camp Young, CA. and New Jersey.
214-264 Overseas in England, loaded ammunition, and the V-1 rocket.
264-307 Experiences a different culture in England.
307-334 Army accidents loading ammunition.
334-406 European Invasion.
END OF SIDE TWO
BEGINNING TAPE TWO, SIDE ONE
000-027 More on the European Invasion,"Crossing the English Channel."
027-061 After landing on Normandy Beach helped establish a depot.
061-099 General Patton and the Battle of the Bulge.
099-118 Comments on blacks during WWII.
118-124 Served with fellow Kentuckians David Huguely and Ed White.
124-132 "Dog fights" (airplanes).
132-162 After the Invasion, POWs and hungry Germans.
162-199 Rest and relaxation in Southern France.
199-229 Berlin and beggars at camps.
229-274 The holocaust and concentration camps.
274-301 The end of WWII and his trip back home to the US.
301-306 Atomic bomb.
306-332 Recollections of Germany.
332-350 USO and the Red Cross.
350-369 The social effects of witnessing a nonsegregated Europe.
369-399 Mr. Hay closes the interview.
399-405 Empty.
END OF SIDE ONE
BEGINNING SIDE TWO, TAPE TWO
000-030 Returning to the US after the war.
030-048 Lessons from WWII.
048-076 Turpin returns to Red House, is employed as a mechanic, and finishes school.
076-103 Describes his return to school after the war and meeting his wife Mary Creed.
103-136 Employed as a mechanic and at the Bluegrass Ordinance; spent one semester at Kentucky State.
136-183 More on his employment at ordinance.
183-226 Lived with and rented from his in-laws; built own home in 1971.
226-273 Faced difficulty obtaining a loan. His children Zelma and Henry.
273-322 More on building his home and obtaining a loan.
322-371 GI Bill and Veteran benefits.
371-407 Various positions held while working at Ordinance.
END OF SIDE TWO, TAPE TWO
BEGINNING SIDE ONE, TAPE THREE
000-036 More on work at Ordinance and storing chemicals.
036-061 Working as security at Ordinance.
061-086 Unethical treatment of employees and establishing a union.
086-102 Baseball League.
102-156 Integration and women at the Ordinance.
156-198 Illustration of racial attitudes in 1950s.
198-219 "Never carry bills larger than a twenty."
219-240 Getting credit and Perkin's store.
240-255 Interracial relations during the 1950s-1960s.
255-270 Eastern professor fired for protest activities and organizing.
270-282 NAACP.
282-322 Sit ins in Richmond and NAACP.
322-336 Organizing during Civil Rights Movement and Marches.
336-361 School integration.
361-374 Telford Center in the 1960s.
374-387 More in school integration.
387-405 Business integration and those forced out of business.
END OF SIDE ONE
BEGINNING SIDE TWO, TAPE THREE
000-007 More on integration and attitudes.
007-010 CORE
010-015 KKK
015-040 Religious life.
040-078 In 1947 became a deacon, in 1956 he is called to ministry. Explains the Baptist Conference.
078-094 Becomes an assistant pastor.
094-111 Pastor of three churches at once.
111-133 Cooperation between black pastors.
133-148 Relationship between white pastors and congregations.
148-155 Predictions for future of church.
155-170 His career as a minister.
170-190 Women as preachers.
190-199 Views on interracial relations.
199-213 Richmond's black community and economics.
213-232 More on children and grandchildren.
232-246 Comments on the future of the community and the condition of his health.
246-252 Closing.
252-406 Empty.

END OF INTERVIEW

Back to African American Project | Back to Oral History Index | Back to Special Collections | Back to EKU Library | Back to EKU

Send any comments or corrections to archive@acs.eku.edu