OH208 Thelbert Joyce Oral History
Collection Title
Jackson Purchase Oral History Project - Kentucky Dam Project
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Series Number
OH208
Interviewee
Joyce, Thelbert
Interviewer
Miller, Chamonie S.
Date Interviewed
November 16th, 1995
Processed by
Benjamin J. Drake
Date Processed
March 14th, 2013
Description
1 sound disc (55 minutes)
Abstract
Thelbert Joyce describes life in Trigg County, Kentucky prior to the construction of the Kentucky Dam and his years of employment with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). He describes his duties during the dam's construction prior to and after his service in the United States Navy during the Second World War. The topics discussed include working conditions, unions, hiring practices and the economic and environmental impact the dam had on Trigg County and the surrounding areas. Joyce also mentions his military service in the Navy, the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Night Riders, racial and class discrimination in Trigg County and the effects of the Social Security program.
Biographical/Historical Note
Thelbert Joyce was born on July 30, 1918 in Trigg County, Kentucky. He worked with the Works Progress Administration (WPA) building roads in the area and later employed by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) during the construction of the Kentucky Dam. He worked for the TVA from 1941 to 1944, after which he entered the United States Navy. When he was discharged from the Navy he was re-employed by the TVA. Joyce later owned a grocery store and worked for the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. He died on June 26, 2010.
General Information
No user access to original recordings. Use audio user copies, digital derivatives, transcripts, and/or tape indexes. This collection may be protected from unauthorized copying by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code). Permission for reproduction must be requested from Murray State University.
Subject Headings/Descriptors
Joyce, Thelbert, 1918-2010
Kentucky Dam (Ky.)
Tennessee Valley Authority. Dams - Kentucky.
Land Between the Lakes (Ky. And Tenn.) - History.
Trigg County (Ky.) - History.
Recommended Citation
Miller, Chamonie S., "OH208 Thelbert Joyce Oral History" (2025). Kentucky Dam. 19.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/oh-kendam/19
Audio Transcript