1972
Cratis D. Williams

Dr. Cratis Dearl Williiams (1911 – 1985), dean of the graduate school at Appalachian State University, received the award in 1972 for outstanding service in the field of highland folklore. In making the award to the native Kentuckian, Dr. Williams was recognized as being a son of Appalachia, whose contributions in preserving and publishing the cultural heritage of the Southern mountaineers have been recognized many times on a national level. The Journal of American Folklore has called Williams’ thesis on the ballads and songs of Eastern Kentucky, “the most comprehensive and valuable current work on Southern highland literature.”