By Jennifer Hall and Ty Reagan, Pippa Passes
In the early 1900s, a frail, 40-year-old woman traveled from Boston to the isolated eastern Kentucky hills, deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. Alice Spencer Geddes Lloyd, who had been given six months to live by her doctor, made the arduous journey in the hope that the fresh air would strengthen her.
Arriving in Knott County, she discovered something more important than better health. She found poor, yet proud, people who needed her. It was there that Lloyd discovered her purpose in life and set out to educate the mountain people. This year marks the 100th year of Alice Lloyd College, which was established as Caney Junior College in 1923.
Shortly after she arrived in the area, Lloyd met a local resident, Abisha Johnson, who told her that he had had a vision from God that she was sent to bring education to the people. He promised her enough land on which to build a school if she assured him that she would educate his children. Lloyd accepted, and after settling in, she quickly realized the potential of her students. Inspired by the mountain people’s eagerness to learn and better themselves, Lloyd knew she needed money to sustain her endeavor. She didn’t turn to the government but rather to America’s free enterprise system and sought funding from friends in New England.
She sat behind her typewriter for countless hours, composing thoughtful and persuasive letters asking for money, books, supplies and teachers. Lloyd’s letters proclaimed that “the leaders are here, waiting to be trained and given a chance.” One of the thousands of letters Lloyd wrote found its way to June Buchanan, who “just couldn’t resist Alice Lloyd’s burning vision.”
Planning to visit Caney Creek for only a short stay and to see Lloyd’s work first-hand, Buchanan remained in Pippa Passes and dedicated her life to serving generations of students until her death in 1988. The Caney Creek Community Center, which was founded in 1917, grew. By 1923, it had developed into the Caney Junior College, renamed Alice Lloyd College after Lloyd died in 1962.
Lloyd and Buchanan did more than teach the mountain folk how to read and write; they provided an affordable education. To cover the cost of tuition, college students worked. The college even set out to support its students in graduate studies, promising that alumni would return to their communities as doctors, lawyers, educators and other professionals. Alice Lloyd College built character and produced leaders by teaching the Purpose Road Philosophy, which instilled purpose, goal-setting and traits that enabled students to become leaders in their rural communities. That philosophy remains the foundation for education today at the college, as students are prepared to become leaders upon completing their literal and figurative walk along the Purpose Road.
In the early years, the college relied heavily on funding from Lloyd’s connections across the country. Money was tight, and Lloyd feared the worst for the Caney Junior College.
In December 1955, she journeyed from Pippa Passes to California to appear on This Is Your Life, hosted by Ralph Edwards. Lloyd and several students were featured on the television show and pulled at the heartstrings of numerous viewers with stories of their beloved school. At the end of the episode, Edwards made a plea to the audience: “Let’s keep Lloyd’s dream alive.”
Today, Alice Lloyd College remains true to its roots by providing a quality, character-based education while charging no out-of-pocket cost for tuition. The generosity of friends and donors across the country keeps Lloyd’s vision alive. Since its beginning, the college has relied on private individuals and foundations instead of accepting any direct government funding. Lloyd and Buchanan’s efforts—along with the support of faculty, staff, students and kind friends—have established one of the most unique colleges in America.
Obviously, the campus looks vastly different than it did in 1923. Enrollment is around 600 students, with 150 coming from out of state. Course offerings in the 1920s included education, English, foreign language, fine arts, mathematics, science and social science and led to a certification from Caney Junior College. One hundred years later, students can choose from 18 majors, with the most popular being biology, criminal justice and elementary education.
Though Alice Lloyd College has grown, the mission remains the same: providing an affordable education to Appalachia.
Alice Lloyd College will celebrate its centennial on Oct. 7 with a special ceremony during the college’s Appalachia Day Homecoming. For more information, visit alc.edu.