The Floyd County Times reports AppalReD founder to receive humanitarian award. John Rosenberg, founded the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund 45 years ago with funding from the Office of Economic Opportunity and served 28 years as the director of the program. He also served as Section Chief in the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice. Saturday, Rosenberg will receive the Muhammad Ali Kentucky Humanitarian Award. Working to improve the lives of low income families in Eastern Kentucky, Rosenberg has received several other awards and, while retired at 85, says “he doesn’t feel his age or feels like [he] needs to stop.”