Interview with Maeve Williams

Interview with Maeve Williams

Maeve Williams, Warren Wilson College student, athlete, and influential worker and leader on campus during the autumn following Helene, was interviewed by Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections intern Jonah Turner on November 7, 2024. 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.

Maeve recounts the events of the recovery effort, describing the first campus-wide meetings after the storm [00:16:04] and new work routines [00:23:12]. They recount the false alarm about the Bee Tree Dam that occurred on Sunday night [00:26:32], how their work evolved as student workers settled into a productive rhythm [00:37:57], and the story behind the Skeleton Crew, nine essential workers who stayed after campus closed [00:42:13]. They close by describing students' return to campus after a month of recovery [00:47:03] and reflect on the college's decisions and over growth as a leader, worker, and institution [00:54:40].

Narrator portraits depict Maeve outside the pig pen of the agricultural utility buildings of Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, NC, November 20, 2025. Photos by Bill Green Photography.

Interview copyright Maeve Williams and Buncombe County Special Collections. Photos copyright Bill Green Photography.

English

MS456.002K

1 digital audio recording (0:58:01); 1 transcript (31 pages); 2 digital photographs

0:58:01

Jonah Turner

Maeve Williams