Phillip J. Obermiller Papers and Appalachian Migration Research Collection, 1950-2013

Born in North Canton, Ohio, Phillip J. Obermiller, is a sociologist, scholar, and advocate for urban Appalachians. While not from Appalachia, Obermiller’s experience growing up in a family of European migrants living in a company town echoed the experience of Appalachians who he came to serve through his work.

Obermiller came to the Appalachian Studies wing of the Appalachian movement from the neighborhood level.  In the mid-1960s, while attending Catholic seminary in Cincinnati, Obermiller was mentored by Ernie Mynatt, a social worker tending to the city’s Appalachian migrant community.   Working with Mynatt and Michael Maloney, Obermiller helped to establish the Urban Appalachian Council (UAC) in 1974.  The UAC developed into a regional resource and educational center for Appalachian affairs, promoting pride in cultural heritage among urban Appalachians.  Obermilller actively participated in the UAC’s Research Committee, producing studies and writings on the social issues facing urban Appalachians.

In addition to his work with the UAC, Obermiller has been involved in the Appalachian Studies Association since its beginnings (serving as president in 2005-2006) and is known for his advocacy of quantitative research and interdisciplinary collaboration in the field.   In addition to his numerous publications, Obermiller has provided consulting, training, and evaluation services for many urban education and welfare organizations in Cincinnati and elsewhere.  Obermiller holds graduate degrees in philosophy and theology from the Athenaeum of Ohio and in sociology from the Union Institute.  He has taught Appalachian Studies at the University of Cincinnati and Edgecliff College and has served as a tenured associate professor at Northern Kentucky University, a research associate at the University of Kentucky and visiting scholar at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Urban Planning.  Living in Cincinnati, Obermiller continues his academic and advocacy work.