John Egerton
Encyclopedia
John Egerton, an American journalist
, was born in Atlanta, Georgia, June 14, 1935, the son of William G. Egerton and Rebecca White Egerton. The family settled in Cadiz
, Kentucky, where John graduated from Trigg County High School in 1953. He attended Western Kentucky University 1953-54, then served in the U.S. Army 1954-56. He earned a B.A. degree from the University of Kentucky
in 1958 and an M.A. in 1960.
Between 1958 and 1960, Egerton was with the Public Relations Department of the University of Kentucky, and from 1960 to 1965, he served as Director of Public Information and Publications for the University of South Florida in Tampa. For six years, beginning in 1965, he was a magazine staff writer for Southern Education Report and its successor, Race Relations Reporter, both based in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1971, Egerton began his career as a freelance writer of nonfiction, specializing in education, race relations, and social-cultural issues in his native region. He was a contributing editor for Saturday Review of Education (1972-1973), Race Relations Reporter (1973-1974), and Southern Voices (1974-1975). From 1973-1975, he was a contributing writer for the Southern Regional Council
in Atlanta. In 1977-1978, he was journalist-in-residence at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. In 1988-89, he wrote a syndicated food column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other southern newspapers, and in 1996 he was a senior correspondent for The Tennessean, Nashville's morning daily. In 1997 he was a senior lecturer in American Studies at the University of Texas, Austin. In 1999, Egerton was one of the founders of the Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA) in the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi. In 2007, the SFA established the John Egerton Prize (http://www.southernfoodways.com/hall_of_fame/john_egerton/index.html) to recognize annually selected "artists, writers, scholars, and others—including artisans and farmers—whose work in the American South addresses issues of race, class, gender, and social and environmental justice, through the lens of food."
Egerton has written or edited some twenty non-fiction books and one "contemporary fable," and has contributed chapters to numerous other volumes, and scores of articles to newspapers and magazines. He has also been a participant in and writer for many projects and conferences dealing with education, desegregation
, civil rights
, and the American South, particularly its food. Among his best-known books are "The Americanization of Dixie," "Generations: An American Family," "Southern Food: At Home, on the Road, in History," and "Speak Now Against the Day: The Generation before the Civil Rights Movement in the South."
Video of a speech by Egerton John Egerton was taken at "The End of Southern Exceptionalism" conference held at Emory University in March 2006.
Egerton's bibliography is available at Southern Spaces
[Category: Kentucky (U.S. state) writers]
[Category: Tennessee (U.S. state) writers]
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, was born in Atlanta, Georgia, June 14, 1935, the son of William G. Egerton and Rebecca White Egerton. The family settled in Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, Kentucky, where John graduated from Trigg County High School in 1953. He attended Western Kentucky University 1953-54, then served in the U.S. Army 1954-56. He earned a B.A. degree from the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
in 1958 and an M.A. in 1960.
Between 1958 and 1960, Egerton was with the Public Relations Department of the University of Kentucky, and from 1960 to 1965, he served as Director of Public Information and Publications for the University of South Florida in Tampa. For six years, beginning in 1965, he was a magazine staff writer for Southern Education Report and its successor, Race Relations Reporter, both based in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1971, Egerton began his career as a freelance writer of nonfiction, specializing in education, race relations, and social-cultural issues in his native region. He was a contributing editor for Saturday Review of Education (1972-1973), Race Relations Reporter (1973-1974), and Southern Voices (1974-1975). From 1973-1975, he was a contributing writer for the Southern Regional Council
Southern Regional Council
The Southern Regional Council is a reform-oriented organization created to avoid racial violence and promote racial equality in the Southern United States. Voter registration and political-awareness campaigns are used toward this end. The SRC evolved from the Commission on Interracial...
in Atlanta. In 1977-1978, he was journalist-in-residence at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. In 1988-89, he wrote a syndicated food column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other southern newspapers, and in 1996 he was a senior correspondent for The Tennessean, Nashville's morning daily. In 1997 he was a senior lecturer in American Studies at the University of Texas, Austin. In 1999, Egerton was one of the founders of the Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA) in the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi. In 2007, the SFA established the John Egerton Prize (http://www.southernfoodways.com/hall_of_fame/john_egerton/index.html) to recognize annually selected "artists, writers, scholars, and others—including artisans and farmers—whose work in the American South addresses issues of race, class, gender, and social and environmental justice, through the lens of food."
Egerton has written or edited some twenty non-fiction books and one "contemporary fable," and has contributed chapters to numerous other volumes, and scores of articles to newspapers and magazines. He has also been a participant in and writer for many projects and conferences dealing with education, desegregation
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
, civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
, and the American South, particularly its food. Among his best-known books are "The Americanization of Dixie," "Generations: An American Family," "Southern Food: At Home, on the Road, in History," and "Speak Now Against the Day: The Generation before the Civil Rights Movement in the South."
Video of a speech by Egerton John Egerton was taken at "The End of Southern Exceptionalism" conference held at Emory University in March 2006.
Egerton's bibliography is available at Southern Spaces
[Category: Kentucky (U.S. state) writers]
[Category: Tennessee (U.S. state) writers]