Oral History with Jo Ann Underwood, November 4, 2014

Creator:

Kinmond, Damon and Underwood, Jo Ann

Scope and content:

The interview explores Jo Ann Underwood's work as health educator at Virginia Tech and her involvement with the gay students' group, Lambda Horizon. Underwood's family background and her husband Richard's civil rights work in the Together magazine are also discussed. The interview was conducted at Jo Ann Underwood's residence in Blacksburg, VA. Damon Kinmond was the interviewer and Whitney Wright was the technical assistant.

Biographical / historical:

Jo Ann (Murphy) Underwood pioneered tolerance of sexual minorities on the Virginia Tech campus. She and her family came to Blacksburg in the mid-1970s. She worked as a registered nurse at Virginia Tech's Student Health Services and was appointed the university's first health educator in January 1979. A strong advocate for women's issues, safe sex, birth control, and tolerance of sexual minorities, she started the peer education program at Virginia Tech in the mid-1980s. Her columns in the Collegiate Times helped educate students about various health issues. She served as an advisor to the gay students' group, Lambda Horizon. At one time she was known as the "Condom Queen of Virginia Tech" because of her diligence in working to prevent sexually transmitted disease. In June 2014, she was named Ally of the Year at the sixth annual Lavender Ceremony for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender graduates and their allies. After the ceremony, it was announced that the award would henceforth be called the Underwood Ally of the Year Award.

Material specific details:

01:14:25

The original audio file was recorded as an MP3, duration 01:16:31. Small sections throughout the access file were edited out for clarity, reducing the duration to 01:14:25.

Location of originals:

Oral History with Jo Ann Underwood, November 4, 2014.

Subjects:

Sexual minorities
University History

Names:

Underwood, Jo Ann
Kinmond, Damon
Underwood, Jo Ann

Access and use