Ayer, a native of New Hampshire, was educated at the University of New Hampshire (B.S.1922) and Cornell University (M.S. 1947). Prior to coming to Berea in 1947, he had been employed as an extension agent in New Hampshire and as an instructor at Pleasant Hill Academy in Pleasant Hill, Tennessee. He worked at Berea College as supervisor of an agricultural training program in the Foundation School, as a field representative for the Admissions office, and as an instructor in sociology.
He was appointed executive secretary of the Council of the Southern Mountains in 1951 and continued in that position until his death in 1967. The Council, a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the improvement of social, health, and economic conditions in the Southern Appalachian region, had been in existence since 1912. However, by 1951, it was suffering decreased membership and diminished influence. Ayer’s efforts during his fifteen-year tenure revived interest in the Council's programs and brought it to be one of the largest and most significant social organization in the southern mountains.
Inclluded in the collection are miscellaneous correspondence, speeches and related notes, articles, and program materials reflecting Ayer's activities as executive director of the Council of the Southern Mountains (CSM). Details documented include Ayer's fundraising efforts, arrangements for speaking engagements, and the Council's publication of Mountain Life and Work.
Material in the collection also document Ayer's work with the Ford Foundation's Great Cities / Gray Areas Project (1960-1964). In this project, the Foundation utilized Ayer as a part-time consultant and through the CSM, funded workshops and consultant services for urban educators to aid in the adjustment of rural children to the urban environment.
Materials reflect Ayer's participation in such workshops at numerous urban centers including Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C., among others. Also included are reports to the Foundation, expense accounts, correspondence, and meeting agendas. Also present are newspaper clippings and correspondence relating to Ayer's death and the subsequent memorial fund established in his name (1967-1968).
Perley F. Ayer Papers
Arrangement 
