Robert Bagner Hayling oral history interview conducted by Joseph Mosnier in Saint Augustine, Florida, 2011-09-14.

Robert Hayling recalls serving in the air force during World War II, attending the Meharry Dental School, and participating in civil rights protests in Nashville, Tennessee. He remembers starting his dental practice in St. Augustine, Florida, leading the local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) youth group, and the exclusion of African Americans from St. Augustine's 400th anniversary celebration, and being attacked by the Ku Klux Klan. He also discusses resigning from the NAACP, the support of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) for local protests, and his move to Cocoa, Florida.
Summary: Robert Hayling recalls serving in the air force during World War II, attending the Meharry Dental School, and participating in civil rights protests in Nashville, Tennessee. He remembers starting his dental practice in St. Augustine, Florida, leading the local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) youth group, and the exclusion of African Americans from St. Augustine's 400th anniversary celebration, and being attacked by the Ku Klux Klan. He also discusses resigning from the NAACP, the support of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) for local protests, and his move to Cocoa, Florida.
Biographical History: Robert Hayling was born in 1929 in Tallahassee, Florida, married Athea Hayling, and had three children. He attended Florida A & M College and Meharry Medical College and worked as a dentist. He was the principal leader of the Saint Augustine movement in the early 1960s.
Acquisition Note: The Civil Rights History Project is a joint project of the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials of individuals who participated in the Civil Rights movement.
Existence and Location of Copies: Copies of items are also held at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (U.S.).
Conditions Governing Access: Collection is open for research. Access to recordings may be restricted. To request materials, please contact the Folklife Reading Room at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.afc/folklife.contact.
Related Archival Materials: Artifacts associated with the interview are at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.