Interview with Frederick W. "Rick" Bell, May 30, 2019

Interview Summary

Rick Bell talks about his time at the University of Kentucky from 1965-1969. He discusses the Kentucky Kernel, the official newspaper of the University of Kentucky. He talks about his fellow Kernel employees. He discusses growing up during the 1960s and talks about his perceptions of major events of the decade. Bell speaks about the Vietnam War and the impact that it had and how it was influenced by television. He talks about his fascination with war correspondents. Bell goes in depth about the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the announcement that Lyndon B. Johnson made about him not running for re-election, and what that was like for him and his team hearing the news. Bell talks about a conference that was held at UK called “The War and the Draft.” He remembers the Black Student Union and the impact that they had on University of Kentucky’s campus. Bell goes into depth about his friend Don Pratt, and how he was indicted and convicted of draft evasion.

Interview Keyword

Kentucky Kernel Photojournalism Photo journalists Newspaper reporters Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) The War and the Draft Black Student Union (BSU) Civil rights Racism. African Americans--Segregation African Americans--Social conditions Race relations Draft resisters.

Interview LC Subject

Courier-journal (Louisville, Ky.) Journalism University of Kentucky Photographers College environment College students--Attitudes. College students--Conduct of life. College students--Social conditions Universities and colleges. Kent State Shootings, Kent, Ohio, 1970. Vietnam War, 1961-1975. Television. Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Press coverage. Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Public opinion War correspondents. War photographers.

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.