Author Talk with Gretchen Dykstra

Join us as we host one-time local author Gretchen Dykstra to discuss her new book, Lessons from the Foothills: Berea College and Its Unique Role in America. Books will be available for purchase. Registration is requested. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

In 1859, a mob of sixty-five prominent armed men rode into Berea, Kentucky, and forced the closure of its integrated one-room schoolhouse. Founded by Kentucky-born abolitionist John Gregg Fee, the school was open to anyone, regardless of their race or gender—a notion that horrified white supremacists. The mob evicted thirty-six community members, including Fee’s family, but Fee and the others returned to Berea in 1864 and reestablished the institution, still committed to educating Appalachia’s most vulnerable populations.

In Lessons from the Foothills, Gretchen Dykstra profiles modern Berea College with its rich and beloved history. This book is the first to focus on contemporary Berea and its eight Great Commitments—the principles and practices that provide clear aspirations for the college and its community. Each chapter functions as a deep dive into the history, practice, and significance of one Great Commitment, from providing opportunity for low income students, to the college’s high academic standards and its commitment to environmental sustainability. The college has pledged to “provide an educational opportunity for students of all races, primarily from Appalachia, who have great promise and limited economic resources.” To achieve this goal, the college eliminated tuition in 1892 and it also has a robust mandatory paid labor program for all students to assist with living expenses. The students, of whom 50% are students of color, graduate on average with only $2,000 in debt.

Drawn from interviews with a range of members of the Berea community, including alumni, students, faculty, and staff, Lessons from the Foothills is an engaging portrait of a unique and historic institution and its enduring commitment to nurture and support academic excellence and service. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gretchen Dykstra does not have a classic “career path”, but rather a rich professional life. She taught in a middle school, worked as a freelance writer, and taught English at a college in Wuhan, China from 1979-1981. Back in New York, Gretchen cut her civic and political teeth at the NYC Charter Revision Commission of 1989. Gretchen was a student of William Zinsser who helped her through her first book, Pinery Boys, and inspired Civic Pioneers. She released her memoir, Echoes from Wuhan, in July 2022. After four decades in NYC and one in the HV Gretchen moved back to her home town of Haverford, PA in mid-June