Bill Keightley's Oral History Project

"The William B. Keightley Project contains interviews with Bill Keightley about his life and experiences as the equipment manager for the University of Kentucky Men’s Basketball team from 1962 until his death in 2008. Keightley talks about the basketball coaches he served under including Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Eddie Sutton, Rick Pitino, Tubby Smith, and Billy Gillespie, he discusses players he interacted with over the years, and he reflects on changes to the game of men’s college basketball. Keightley, nicknamed "Mr. Wildcat," also reflects on his personal life and family, his career as a postal carrier in Lexington, Kentucky, and his experiences as a United States Marine."

I know that many UK fans want to hear what Mr. Wildcat experienced all his many years at UK. I am going to listen to all of them in my spare time.

I personally think ASoB should have a permanent link on this site Tru. UK will never have another Mr. Keightley IMO.

10 months ago kykat51 4 comments 0 recs |

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I just finished listening to the first one...

That is amazing memories from Keightley and his young years.
My husband was almost 14years older than me and reared on a farm and along with his stories and my grandma of 101, these stories are priceless to me. My granddad owned a tobacco warehouse back in those days when tobacco was the #1 cash crop in Ky. I can remember watching the loaded tobacco haulers going to market and we would go out and pick up anything that fell and taking to Grandpap and he would give us maybe .25 a hand…LOL

by kykat51 on Jan 10, 2009 9:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Helping My Uncle Strip And Hang Tobacco To Dry In The Barn

Was tough work in my teenage years in the 60’s.

by FortyYearCatFan on Jan 11, 2009 8:58 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Well I was not involved in the stripping part

But Grandpap owned several farms and many grands at the time right next door. He would load up his pickup truck with probably 8-10 willing workers to head out to the tobacco patch. I don’t think they even do this now, but we would crawl on our hands and knees through the patch and pick off the lower leaves. My whole body and especially my hair was so sticky, like a glue patch, UGH! But hey, he paid us $5/day lol and that was damn good pay back in the early 60’s for kids.

Forty can you tell me what that process was called? It was supposed to make the tobacco grow taller. Suckering perhaps? We did the deflowering later.

by kykat51 on Jan 11, 2009 5:17 PM EST reply actions 0 recs