Kentucky Women Writers Conference. Staff and Advisory Committee.

The Kentucky Women Writers Conference began at the University of Kentucky in 1979 with a group of six faculty members from several departments at the university (English, Honors, Undergraduate Studies, and Special Collections). The goal of the original conference was to expose undergraduate students to the issue of the woman writer and the nature of women's writing. The presenters at the first conference included Maya Angelou, Ruth Whitman, and Alice Walker.

Between the years of 1979 and 1983, the Women Writers Conference was directed by Linda Pannill. The conference had an executive committee composed of 5 individuals from various departments at UK (and one faculty member from Transylvania) and an advisory committee of 16 individuals from UK, media outlets, and other organizations in Lexington. From 1984-1985, the conference was directed by Jane Gentry Vance.

From 1985-the mid-1990s, the conference was directed by Betty Gabehart. At this time, it was affiliated with the Continuing Education for Women department at UK. After Gabehart's departure as director, in 1997, Dr. Jan Oaks of the Women's Studies Department was appointed director. However, in early 1998, the Kentucky Women Writers Conference lost university funding from the chancellor's office.

In response to losing support from the University, the Board decided to apply for non-profit status and establish itself as an independent organization. All administrative offices were moved to the Carnegie Center in downtown Lexington. When the conference was housed at the Carnegie Center, from 1998-2002, it was directed by Jan Isenhour. In 2002, UK President Dr. Lee Todd reinstated support for the Kentucky Women Writers Conference. Rebecca Howell directed the conference from 2003-2006.

For the past 30 years, the conference has been funded by various grants (primarily from the Kentucky Foundation for Women, the Kentucky Arts Council, and the Kentucky Humanities Council) and has also been funded and supported by a number of Colleges and Departments at the University of Kentucky.

Throughout its history, the Kentucky Women Writers conference has evolved from a free campus event with mostly undergraduates as the audience to a three-day event with paid registration. The Kentucky Women Writers Conference is the longest-running event of its kind.

From the description of Kentucky Women Writers Conference records. (University of Kentucky Libraries). WorldCat record id: 317567547