Interviewee: Virginia Vaughan
Interviewer: Morna Gerrard
Date of Interview:
Extent: 5 audio cassettes; 5 compact discs;
Biography:
Virginia Vaughan was born on September 3, 1946 in DeKalb County, Georgia. She became interested in social work after participating in mission work around Atlanta with her church in high school. She attended Florida State University as an undergraduate and earned a Masters in Social Work at Chapel Hill. Virginia was the center director for the Economic Opportunity Authority from 1968 to 1969. Upon graduating from Chapel Hill, she became a social worker with the Decatur school district. After the birth of her first child, she began work with the Breakview House, a program for women recovering from addiction. Soon after, Virginia started to work at the Atlanta Day Shelter for Women. In 1989, she helped to create the Dekalb Rape Crisis Center, where she worked until her retirement in 2007.
Abstract:
Virginia Vaughan begins her oral history by describing her early life and education. She talks about her family’s background and how she became interested in social work. Vaughan then details her professional experiences with organizations such as the Economic Opportunity Authority, Decatur City schools, and the Atlanta Day Shelter for Women, before describing her work with the DeKalb Rape Crisis Center. She talks about the history of the Center’s founding, and then explains how the Center functions, giving several anecdotes about both victims and volunteers at the Center. Vaughan ends the interview by explaining how her work at the Center has affected her personally.
Special Collections and Archives
Donna Novak Coles Georgia Women's Movement Archives
Lucy Hargrett Draper Collections on Women's Rights, Advocacy, and the Law
Archives for Research on Women
Phone: (404) 413-2880
E-Mail: archives@gsu.edu
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Atlanta, Georgia 30303-3202
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