Kester, Howard, 1904-1977

Variant names
Dates:
Birth 1904
Death 1977

Biographical notes:

Howard Anderson Kester was a theologian, educator, and administrator active in Christian movements relating to race relations, pacifism, and economic reform in the South from the 1920s until his retirement in 1970.

From the description of Howard Kester papers, 1923-1972. WorldCat record id: 38224023

Howard Anderson Buck Kester was a theologian, educator, and administrator active in Christian movements relating to race relations, pacifism, and economic reform in the South from the 1920s until his retirement in 1970.

21 July 1904 Born, Martinsville, Va., son of William and Nannie Holt Kester 1916 Kester family moved to Beckley, W.Va. 1921 1925 Attended Lynchburg College Summer 1923 Traveled with other students on an American Pilgrimage of Friendship to European Students 1925 1926 Attended Princeton Theological Seminary 1926 1927 Attended Vanderbilt University School of Religion 18 February 1927 Married Alice Harris 1927 1934 Worked for Fellowship of Reconciliation 1929 1931 Attended Vanderbilt University 1931 Awarded B.D. degree by Vanderbilt University Fall 1931 Joined Socialist Party 1932 Ran for Congress on Socialist Party ticket 1932 1933 Involved with striking coal miners, Wilder, Tenn. January 1934 Left Fellowship of Reconciliation 1934 1941 Worked for Committee on Economic and Racial Justice, Reinhold Niebuhr, chair 27 April 1934 Nancy Kester born May 1934 First meeting of Conference of Younger Churchmen of the South (later Fellowship of Southern Churchmen), Monteagle, Tenn. 1935 1941 Worked with Southern Tenant Farmers' Union 1936 Revolt Among the Sharecroppers published 1937 Elected to National Executive Committee, Socialist Party 1939 Built house in High Top Colony, Black Mountain, N.C. 1941 1943 Worked as executive secretary for the Fellowship of Southern Churchmen 1944 1948 Worked as principal, Penn School, Saint Helena Island, S.C. May 1949 May 1950 Worked as director of the Congregational Christian Church Displaced Persons Program in New York City, N.Y. July 1950 January 1952 Worked as headmaster, John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, N.C. February 1952 August 1957 Served as executive secretary, Fellowship of Southern Churchmen 1957 1960 Served as director of student life, professor of history, dean of students, Eureka College, Eureka, Ill. 1960 1965 Served as executive director of Christmount Assembly, Black Mountain, N.C. 1963 1965 Part-time instructor at Montreat-Anderson College, Montreat, N.C. 1965 1971 Full-time instructor at Montreat-Anderson College, Montreat, N.C. 1968 1970 Dean of students at Montreat-Anderson College, Montreat, N.C. April 1970 Alice Harris Kester died 1972 Howard Kester died

Full biographical note on Howard Kester (PDF)

From the guide to the Howard Kester Papers, 1923-1972, (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.)

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Subjects:

  • Religion
  • Education
  • African Americans
  • African Americans
  • Agricultural laborers
  • Church and social problems
  • Civil rights
  • Education, Higher
  • Labor movement
  • Political activists
  • Segregation
  • Segregation in education
  • Sharecroppers
  • Social justice
  • Social justice
  • Social movements
  • Social reformers
  • Tenant farmers
  • Tenant farmers
  • Vocational education
  • Young Men's Christian associations

Occupations:

not available for this record

Places:

  • Southern States (as recorded)
  • Black Mountain (N.C.) (as recorded)
  • Delta Cooperative Farm (Rochdale, Miss.) (as recorded)

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