Diana Baldwin was an American hospital receptionist and miner. She and Anita Cherry, hired as miners in 1973, are believed to have been the first women to work in an underground coal mine in the United States. They were the first female members of

United Mine Workers of America The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the Unit ...

to work inside a mine.

Early life

Baldwin was born on August 31, 1948, to Lelar Baldwin, in

Letcher County, Kentucky Letcher County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 21,548. Its county seat is Whitesburg, Kentucky, Whitesburg. It was created in 1842 f ...

. She first worked as a waitress, then as receptionist at a medical clinic. During that time, Diana had 3 children - Lori, born in 1966, Scott, who lived 1968 – 2022, and Mark, born in 1970. Later she married James Roger Gibbs (m. 1982 – 1991). Baldwin moved to South Carolina in 1992 where she received her

Commercial driver's license A commercial driver's license (CDL) is a driver's license required in the United States to operate large and heavy vehicles (including trucks, buses, and trailers) or a vehicle of any size that transports hazardous materials or more than 15 ...

and became an on-the-road truck driver. She met William Christian, a truck driver as well. They were married from 1994 to 2002.

Coal mining career

In 1973, Baldwin (aged 29) decided that she needed a better-paying job to support her family. She applied for a job at a coal mine operated by the Beth-Elkhorn Coal Company in

Jenkins, Kentucky Jenkins is a home rule-class city in Letcher County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,203 as of the 2010 census. History In autumn of 1911, the Consolidation Coal Company purchased the current location of Jenkins as part of a ...

and was hired. Soon after, she was brought to national attention as a woman coal miner.

Walter Cronkite Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the ''CBS Evening News'' from 1962 to 1981. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trust ...

did a story on Baldwin in 1973. She also appeared on the show ''

What's My Line? ''What's My Line?'' is a Panel show, panel game show that originally ran in the United States, between 1950 and 1967, on CBS, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent American revivals. The game uses celebrity panelists ...

''. She was interviewed by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' in May 1974. Before retirement, Baldwin became a Mine Boss then Assistant Federal Mine Inspector.

Death

Baldwin died of

lupus Lupus, formally called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in many parts of the body. Symptoms vary among people and may be mild to severe. Common ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

on May 28, 2016, at the age of 67.

References

People from Letcher County, Kentucky 1948 births 2016 deaths American coal miners American women trade unionists {{US-bio-stub Deaths from lupus People with lupus Trade unionists from Kentucky Women in mining