Doris Stam: The Early Years of Appalachian State

Before Appalachian State was a university, before it was even a college, it was a wooden building built with borrowed lumber, fifty-cent donations, and two brothers who refused to let their corner of the mountains stay uneducated. In this episode, Mark Perzel sits down with Doris Perry Stam, author of "D.D. Dougherty, Lillie Dougherty and the Early Years of Appalachian State," to trace the improbable origin story of one of North Carolina's largest universities. Whether you're an App State alum, a North Carolina history buff, or just curious how a regional teacher-training school with 53 students turned into a university of nearly 22,000, this one's worth the listen.

LISTENER DISCOUNT CODE: Receive a 25% discount on this title when purchased from McFarland's website by using the code BESTPART at checkout: mcfarlandbooks.com/product/dd-dougherty-lillie-dougherty-and-the-early-years-of-appalachian-state

FEATURED TITLE: D.D. Dougherty, Lillie Dougherty and the Early Years of Appalachian State (Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies, 55). McFarland, softcover (2024) ISBN: 9781476696638 mcfarlandbooks.com/product/dd-dougherty-lillie-dougherty-and-the-early-years-of-appalachian-state

BOOK DESCRIPTION: The 125-year history of Appalachian State University rests on the ambitious yet selfless dream of empowering impoverished mountain families through education. Dauphin Disco Dougherty, his wife Lillie Shull Dougherty, and his bachelor brother, Blanford Barnard Dougherty, founded a small semi-private high school in 1899 at great personal cost and would only be able to sustain its growth to a state teacher’s college through their fortitude of character and commitment.

Drawing extensively on primary sources, some of which have appeared in no previous book, this history presents the first 30 years of the university’s life and background. With over 100 historic images and dozens of first-hand accounts and interviews, the text uncovers forgotten foundations and fascinating personal details of the school’s founders, bringing the first 30 years of App State to life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Doris Perry Stam’s roots go deep in Watauga County—home to all her ancestors, including the founders of Appalachian State University. She enjoyed a career of music and elementary education before launching into writing and research. In 2025, Doris received the President's Award from the North Carolina Society of Historians. She lives in Durham, North Carolina.

MORE BY DORIS: Mountain Educators: The Dougherty Family and the First Fifty Years of Appalachian. Publisher, softcover (2010) ISBN: 9780615332512 (out of print)

High Country Magazine. Six-part series on Lillie Shull Dougherty. www.hcpress.com/front-page/lillie-shull-dougherty-co-founder-of-appalachian-state-university.html

Ashe County Historical Society presentation on higher education in Appalachia. theappalachianonline.com/local-author-presents-lecture-on-higher-education-in-appalachia

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