Interview with Dr. John Gossett
Dublin Core
Title
Interview with Dr. John Gossett
Description
Dr. John D. Gossett, president of Asheville-Buncombe Technical College, was interviewed by Buncombe County Special Collections Manager Katherine Cutshall on September 22, 2025. This interview took place at Blue Ridge Public Radio and was conducted as part of the Come Hell or High Water Oral History Project for Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Library.
Dr. Gossett recalls his experiences of Helene and its impact on A-B Tech. After experiencing a storm far worse than he imagined, he began to delegate A-B Tech’s resources [00:09:43] and briefly left to visit his son-in-law's house in Anderson, South Carolina [00:12:39]. He describes the college’s operations as they became a campus resource [00:14:47], the shelter’s operations after Helene [00:16:50], and the physical and mental impact on the college and its residents [00:21:45]. He finishes by stating the importance of community colleges in the recovery and rebuilding of Western North Carolina [00:27:07].
Photograph provided courtesy of Dr. John Gossett. Also included is an excerpt of the 2025 Spring/Summer edition of A-B Tech Education Journal, pages 8-12, describing Helene impact.
See also archived web content:
Helene Recovery: Six Months Later video
Helene Recovery articles on A-B Tech website
Helene resources on A-B Tech website
Dr. Gossett recalls his experiences of Helene and its impact on A-B Tech. After experiencing a storm far worse than he imagined, he began to delegate A-B Tech’s resources [00:09:43] and briefly left to visit his son-in-law's house in Anderson, South Carolina [00:12:39]. He describes the college’s operations as they became a campus resource [00:14:47], the shelter’s operations after Helene [00:16:50], and the physical and mental impact on the college and its residents [00:21:45]. He finishes by stating the importance of community colleges in the recovery and rebuilding of Western North Carolina [00:27:07].
Photograph provided courtesy of Dr. John Gossett. Also included is an excerpt of the 2025 Spring/Summer edition of A-B Tech Education Journal, pages 8-12, describing Helene impact.
See also archived web content:
Helene Recovery: Six Months Later video
Helene Recovery articles on A-B Tech website
Helene resources on A-B Tech website
Date
Rights
Interview copyright Dr. John D. Gossett and Buncombe County Special Collections.
Format
Language
English
Extent
1 digital audio recording (00:28:48); 1 transcript (15 pages); 1 digital photograph; 1 digital document (5 pages)
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Duration
00:28:48
Interviewer
Katherine Cutshall
Interviewee
Dr. John D. Gossett
Collection
Citation
Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections, “Interview with Dr. John Gossett,” Come Hell or High Water Community Memory Project, accessed December 17, 2025, https://helenehistory.omeka.net/items/show/1326.