Olive Dame Campbell -A Woman Way Ahead of Her Time FOLK SCHOOL FOUNDER
Olive’s Early Life
Olive Dame Campbell was a woman ahead of the times she lived in. She was the daughter of the headmaster of a private school, so her upbringing was such that her own education was of paramount importance.
In 1900, Olive graduated from Tufts College, a rare achievement for women of the era. She taught literature for several years before fate intervened on a sea voyage abroad. There Olive met John C. Campbell, and by journey’s end, they were engaged.
Olive and John shared a passion for educating underserved communities. After receiving a grant to study Appalachian culture and raise education standards, the idealistic couple ventured by horse and wagon into the rugged backwoods of Western North Carolina.
During four years of research, the Campbells came to know the people viewed by outsiders as backward. But the couple saw them differently – as resilient survivors making art and music despite their harsh environment. Olive Dame Campbell had a significant effect on the Appalachian music scene. She was the first to understand the important historical significance of the music she was hearing nestled in the high country of Western North Carolina.
Olive’s higher education had set her apart from most women at the turn of the century. Now, she and John aimed to uplift the Appalachian families who lacked the same opportunities. The Campbells’ journey into the mountains would shape their life’s work of opening doors through education.
“I Sing Behind The Plow”
SONGCATCHER
Olive’s trained musical ear told her the lively tunes she heard being played in Appalachia were rooted deep in the British Isles. Many seemed untouched by time, preserved in the remote mountains. Olive took it upon herself to collect these songs before they were lost, hoping to capture the attention of musical scholars.
But the songs of poor mountaineers were not deemed worthy of study by the academics of the day. It was not until Olive joined forces with acclaimed British historian Cecil Sharp that the traditional Appalachian melodies gained legitimacy.
Together, the unlikely pair documented the treasured songs and published them in a collection titled “English Folk Songs From The Southern Appalachians.” Though Olive had long appreciated the humble music of her people, it took an outsider’s validation to bring wider recognition.
Yet Olive’s prescient songcatching efforts ensured that the soulful ballads of her homeland would be preserved for generations to come. The mountains would echo with those same notes of history, heritage, and home.
Founding The Folk School
Olive Campbell knew firsthand the power of education. In the secluded Appalachian mountains where she lived, only the brightest children were sent to school while others were denied the chance to learn.
Having lost her husband, Olive found inspiration for a different kind of school during a fateful trip to Scandinavia. There she discovered the folk schools, where students of all abilities learned together in a warm, nurturing environment that emphasized the joy of knowledge.
Olive dreamed of bringing this inclusive approach to the rural communities back home. Steeped in the Scandinavian values of cooperation and lifelong learning, she envisioned a school that would uplift all who wished to better themselves, regardless of background.
While exploring locations for such an experimental school, Olive chanced upon the small town of Brasstown and struck up a conversation with local shopkeeper Fred O. Scroggs. She shared her vision of a collaborative school and promised to return soon to gauge interest. Olive hoped the seed of her idea might take root in Brasstown’s fertile soil.
When Olive came back weeks later, it was to a packed church of over 200 townspeople. The people of Cherokee and Clay counties eagerly pledged supplies, labor, land – anything needed. The Scroggs family donated a parcel for the school.
In 1925, the Folk School opened its doors. Learning there was unlike any other school – no grades, no competition, just conversation and hands-on experience. Students blossomed sharing talents rather than vying against each other. This was “The Living Word” method Miss Butler brought from Denmark.
With the community’s embrace, the little schoolhouse fostered something greater than academic success – a spirit of fellowship that would shape Brasstown far into the future.
The Blacksmithing Shop at John C Campbell Folk School
The folk school operates year-round and has very comfortable lodging facilities, some located in the middle of the livestock or farming fields. You could awaken to the soothing sound of morning cattle calls.
Check out what classes are coming up at the school. Current schedule
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