John D. Whisman Papers

Scope and Contents note

The Early Life Series consists of the following sub-series: Kentucky House Page, 1936; Early College, 1942; Father, 1919-1958; Military Service, 1942-1957; University of Kentucky Student, 1946-1950; ADCO, 1948-1960; Kentucky State Division of Publicity, 1946-1957; Political Activities, 1949-1955; and Irving Air Chute, 1954-1969. This material reflects Whisman's activity before he became Executive Director of the Eastern Kentucky Regional Planning Commission in 1958. The period is primarily seen as the time, which prepared him to launch his career in regional development.

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The Jaycees Series covers the period when John Whisman was active in the Lexington, Kentucky, and United States Junior Chamber of Commerce. He joined the Lexington Jaycees while a student at the University of Kentucky. The Jaycees was seen as an organization for ambitious young men to be involved in the community, to learn and exercise leadership, and to make contact with established leaders in the community. Whisman used the Jaycees to develop and implement a program of comprehensive development for communities in Kentucky. The program became a pilot effort that was eventually used for regional development by state and federal governments.

The records show that Whisman was involved in many major activities during his time with the Jaycees. He organized and coordinated a seat belt campaign nationwide, helped organize and direct Wendell H. Ford's campaign for the presidency of the national Jaycees, created a community development program in Kentucky, and directed the national version of Kentucky's community development program. While Ford was vice president of the national Junior Chamber of Commerce in 1955-1956, Whisman formulated and directed "Operation Lifebelt," a program that promoted the use of seat belts in automobiles. It was promoted at the community level throughout the United States, and legislatures were lobbied to enact laws requiring their use. During his last year of eligibility, Whisman served as president of the Kentucky Junior Chamber of Commerce. His primary initiative was to initiate a program by local chapters to take an inventory of community resources, which would then lead to ideas for development projects. Whisman was also active in organizing and directing Ford's campaign for the national presidency of the Junior Chamber of Commerce. After his year as president of the Kentucky Jaycees, Whisman served as chairman of Program Number One at the national level. This was the national version of the community development program he had prepared as president.

The sub-series in this series are Lexington, Kentucky, Whisman's presidency, United States, National Chair, Jaycee Community Development (1957-1958), Jaycee International, and Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. The Lexington through United States sub-series are generally divided into Publications, Organization, and Community Outreach, and then chronologically. The other sub-series are chronologically organized.

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Acting Governor Harry Lee Waterfield formed the Eastern Kentucky Regional Planning Commission in 1957 after the disastrous flood in Eastern Kentucky earlier that year. Whisman was appointed executive director of the Commission in 1958, and helped the Commission identify and finance a variety of improvement projects in the region. He directed the preparation of "Program 60", which was Eastern Kentucky's first strategic plan for development during most of the 1960s. The Commission actively sought federal money for better highways, water resource development, education, and health care facilities, it also sought the participation of local authorities and businessmen in diversifying the region's economy. Whisman thus traveled constantly and his often hurried correspondence reflects this. Records here include meeting minutes and agendas, correspondence, reports, clippings and press releases, speeches, congressional testimony, and numerous planning documents for programs in agriculture, education, forestry, health care, and tourism, to name just a few.