Chester Young Collection on Ancil Gatliff and family

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: BCA 0080 -SAA 080

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection comprises biographical data on Ancil Gatliff (1850-1918), Gatliff family information, materials concerning Williamsburg Institute / Cumberland College, and business correspondence. In addition to being a successful Kentucky physician, Dr. Gatliff was a founder of the Proctor Coal Company and a noted philanthropist.

Dates

Creation: 1887 - 1987

Creator

Gatliff, Ancil. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access and Use

The collection is open for research and may be accessed in the Berea College Special Collections and Archives Reading Room of Hutchins Library.

Copyright Statement: It is the responsibility of the user to obtain copyright authorization.

Sensitive Material Statement: Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications for which Hutchins Library assumes no responsibility.

Biographical Note

Dr. Ancil Gatliff was born January 2, 1850 on a farm in Whitley County, Kentucky, near Watts Creek. His parents were John Speed Gatliff and Luvisa Jones Gatliff. He was educated in the county schools and secured his medical training at the Louisville Medical College. On October 26, 1876 he journeyed by horseback to Bell County where he married Miss Florida Ellen Moss. They had five children; Ruby Gatliff Archer, Pearl Gatliff Perkins, Una Gatliff Mahan, J.B. Gatliff, and E.M. Gatliff.

Gatliff was an outstanding physician and was especially successful in treating pneumonia. On several occasions the Democrats of the state would have given him, without opposition, the gubernatorial nomination, but he declined, choosing rather to stay in the ranks and serve.

Ancil Gatliff was founder, first president, and largest contributor of the Kentucky Baptist Educational Society, giving 4,000 acres of land to the organization at the General Association of Kentucky Baptists in Richmond, Kentucky in 1906. In 1915, Kentucky Baptists in session at Jellico, representing 240,000 members, called him to serve as moderator, which was the chief place of honor and leadership of the denomination.

Gatliff had a deep love and devotion to Cumberland College (formerly Williamsburg Institute). It has been estimated that he gave some $100,000 to the college. Additionally, Gatliff helped many individual students pay their school bills.

At the time of his death on October 14, 1918, Gatliff was the president of the Southern Coal and Coke Company, Southern Mining Company, Gatliff Coal Company, and High Splint Coal Company. He was also president of the Bank of Williamsburg and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Cumberland College.

Extent

9.00 ms_boxes

3.4 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Ancil Gatliff family papers document the life of Kentucky physician, philanthopist, and businessman Dr. Ancil Gatliff (1850-1918). The collection also includes materials on members of his immediate family and correspondence with Proctor Coal Company manager J. L. Boyd.

Arrangement Note

The collection is arranged in series as follows:

Series 1: Personal and Biographical Materials

Series 2: Williamsburg Institute / Cumberland College

Series 3: Correspondence

Series 4: Business Records

Source of Acquisition

Chester Young

Method of Acquisition

The papers of Dr. Ancil Gatliff were placed in the Berea College Southern Appalachian Archives as a gift by Chester Young on June 25, 1996 and were open for research in June of 2000.