Manuscript Collections
In 1989, Virginia Beach Police officers in riot gear clashed with young Blacks attending that year's Greekfest. National Guardsmen were soon called in to aid in restoring order, a decision later regretted by the then-mayor of Virginia Beach. This collection documents the 1989 Greekfest disturbances and efforts to avert future clashes. These records include letters to the editor, letters to the Laborfest committee, and correspondence from committee members to heads of city agencies, state officials, and national celebrities.
The Bells were a prominent African-American family in Norfolk during the first half of the 20th century, headed by Charles E. Bell, Sr. and Lucy Barnes Bell attended Norfolk Mission College. Included in this collection are photographs, news articles, publications, awards, correspondence, and obituaries of their descendants:
- Maude M. Bell, school teacher, guidance counselor, writer, and social leader
- Charles E. Bell, Jr., former Assistant Director of the New York City Housing Authority
- Randolph Bell, electrician, and musician
- Lucy Bell Powell, Assistant in Housing, New York City Housing Authority
- Mattie Bernice Bell, teacher
- James M. Bell, M.D., psychiatrist and Colonel in the U.S. Army;
- June Melba Bell, Social Worker
Donated by the Norfolk YWCA
The Berry Family Collection documents the personal and professional careers of Rev. Llewellyn L. Berry, and his son, Dr. Leonidas L. Berry.
Rev. L.L. Berry served as a local minister in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church for many years. He pastored at Emanuel AME Church in Portsmouth in 1926, St. John AME Church on Bute Street in Norfolk from 1926 to 1932, and Bethel AME in Hampton from 1932 onward. By the date of his death, Rev (Dr.) Berry was regarded as one of the greatest Secretaries of Missions in the history of the Church.
Dr. Leonidas L. Berry was born in Woodsdale, North Carolina on July 20, 1902, the son of Rev. Llewellyn L. and Beulah A. Harris Berry. Leonidas Berry attended Abraham Lincoln and Booker T. Washington public schools in Norfolk, Virginia. Leonidas attended college at Wilberforce University and medical school at the University of Chicago. He had a distinguished medical career in Chicago becoming the first black specialist in the treatment of gastro-intestinal diseases. In 1982, he published I Wouldn't Take Nothin For My Journey: Two Centuries of an Afro-American Minister's Family (1816-1981).
Highlights of the collection include medical articles published by Dr. Leonidas L. Berry, a biographical sketch of Rev. Llewellyn L. Berry, obituaries, photographs, a daily log, Dr. Leonidas Berry's speech at St. John AME Church, Norfolk, correspondence, curriculum vitae, newspaper articles, and citations.
Donated by Dr. Leonidas L. Berry
Herbert Martell Collins was a member of the Norfolk City Council, a third-generation grocer, and a plaintiff in a successful lawsuit that ended at-large districting in Norfolk.
The Herbert M. Collins Collection includes Oral history transcripts dated November 7, 1990; letter to Bishop L.E. Willis (5-15-95) from Collins clarifying concerns Willis had about activities of the Task Force on Public Housing; copy of resolution establishing a Task Force of the City Council for the purpose of analyzing all publicly assisted housing in Norfolk; notes on meetings with NAACP and National Maritime Center regarding hiring practices; letter to Richard A. Goldbach from Paul Riddick (9-4-92) regarding black community representation in the administrative hierarchy of Nauticus; letters from William E. Swindell, Jr. to the Norfolk City Council regarding race relations, statement to the City Council (7-27-93) from Swindell letters to James Oliver from Collins (5-23-96) concerning the handling of allegations of racial insensitivity case; Stanley Stein, Director of Parks and Recreation, copies of letters addressing the necessity for an African American in the front office of the Norfolk Tides organization; newspaper articles describing his civic activities, campaign and political contributions; also pictures, awards, citations, and campaign literature.
Correspondence between Zachary Fields, a member of a segregated Army battalion, and his wife Nettie, during the Spanish-American War. These 27 letters highlight the unique challenges faced by Black soldiers prior to the integration of the armed forces, as well as their personal lives. Six of these letters were written in 1930-31.
Donated by Ronald Carrier.
Compiled by University Archivist Emeritus Tommy Bogger, these papers contain extensive data on free blacks in Norfolk and the surrounding counties from the 1770s to 1860. Most of this collection is comprised of handwritten notes and photocopies of documents. The information was gleaned from Census data, city directories, tax lists, deed and will books, maps, free black registers, naturalization records, letters, marriage bonds, church records, apprenticeship lists, medical reports, civil suits, sailor reports, news articles, and birth and death records.
Donated by Dr. Tommy Bogger.
James "Duke" Fulcher was a prominent businessman in the Norfolk area. Mr. Fulcher maintained a prosperous packaging business from the late 1930s to late 1950s. This collection consists of:
- business stationary
- sales ledgers
- purchase receipts from various vendors
- business contracts with the Naval Supply Center Scrap Yard
- business license applications
- photographs
- church recording booklets
Donated by Mses. Jean and Ruth Fulcher.
James F. Gay was a successful lawyer and political activist most notable for his crusade against at-large districting of the Norfolk City Council (see Collins, Herbert M. for more information). The collection contains judicial decisions, appeals, exhibits, newspaper articles, notes, correspondence, interrogatories, testimonies, and a scrapbook containing newspaper articles detailing Gay's achievements and activities from 1958 to 1994.
Donated by James F. Gay
Cal Jacox, a Norfolk native and former athlete at Lincoln University in Missouri, served as a sports reporter and columnist at the Norfolk/New Journal and Guide for 25 years. Mr. Jacox was the only reporter in the area who covered black athletics before integration. In 1973 he was named the Sports Information Director at Norfolk State University.
The collection prominently showcases Mr. Jacox's work in the world of sports. Records in the collection pertain to the Virginia Interscholastic Association (VIA) and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). This includes the Master Eligibility List for boys' basketball, 1957-1964; VIA Master Eligibility List for football, 1964; VIA football schedules, 1968-1969, CIAA records from 1951 to 1961, CIAA football schedules from 1963 to 1969, CIAA non-conference records, and official reports of championship baseball games.
Louis Jaffe was a Pulitzer prize-winning editor of the Virginian Pilot. Jaffe served on the Board of Visitors to what became Norfolk State University. In this role, Jaffe was instrumental in acquiring St. Vincent Hospital as a home for the growing institution.
He corresponded with St. Vincent de Paul officials, Governor Colgate Darden, Dr. Foster of Virginia State College, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Norfolk's City Manager, the Commandant of the Naval Base, and officials at the Norfolk Division of Virginia State College. Reports from engineers, architects, inspectors, and surveyors are also found in the collection.
These papers are photocopies of the originals. Copyright permission must be obtained from the University of Virginia.
Dr. William P. Robinson Sr. served as a professor and administrator at several colleges before returning to Norfolk to establish and head the Department of Political Science at the Norfolk Division of Virginia State College in 1962. In 1969, he was elected to the House of Delegates and eventually became one of its most influential legislators. He chaired the powerful Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee of the House of Delegates, the Joint Subcommittee Studying Highway Maintenance Allocations, the Conference of Black Elected Officials of Virginia, and the Steering Committee of the Concerned Citizens of Norfolk.
The collection contains extensive correspondence ranging from 1971 to 1975, proposed bills, resolutions, Education Subcommittee papers, Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions papers, House and Senate Documents, highways and transportation papers, newspaper articles, and speeches.
Ethelyn Ratcliff Strong, a graduate of Virginia Union University, received her M.S.W. from Columbia University and the Doctorate of Social Work from Catholic University of America. She was the Dean and founder of the Norfolk State University School of Social Work.
Dr. Strong, along with others, lobbied and testified before a special committee of the Virginia General Assembly, to push for the 1972 legislation which authorized graduate degree programs at Norfolk State University. She retired in 1983 and was awarded Emerita Status. Dr. Strong continued to be active as a speaker and guest lecturer until her untimely death on July 19, 1986.
The Strong Collection includes such documents as: The history, purpose and administrative organization of the new graduate degree program in Social Work at Norfolk State College, cover letters and surveys on the need for a School of Social Work, papers on a code of ethics, and proposed bylaws for the National Association of Social Workers, letters of endorsement for NSC School of Social Work from various area agencies, and many other valuable documents.
This collection reflects the history of a prominent African-American family from 1879 to 1996. Beginning with twelve letters that were written to Mary Lou Stith by John W. Tyler between 1879 and 1890, the papers also contain two long letters written by Father Ellis Christian to Mrs. Mary Lou Henderson. The letters are remarkable. Father Christian is a descendant of President John Tyler, and he acknowledges that Mrs. Henderson's father, John W. Tyler is his first cousin and a descendant of the President. There is also correspondence from the 1917 era showing loving relationships in a tight-knit family. Other significant items in the collection are an 1882 autograph book, a cradle roll, the family Bible with genealogical data, photograph albums, NSU programs and memorabilia, obituaries, legal certificates, Masonic memorabilia, and Langston Hughes October 22, 1960 letter to Winston Tyler.
Donated by Mrs. Mary Lou Tyler Henderson.
On Friday, April 27, 1945, an interracial group of women met at Ohef Sholem Temple, upon the suggestion of Mrs. William T. Mason that an interracial women's group be established to work for better race relations. Having in its membership some of the most prominent white and African-American women in the city, the organization had a remarkably progressive agenda for its time. Their activities included: a campaign for the hiring of blacks as policemen, introducing bedside instruction for sick black children, lobbying for an anti-segregation bill, calling for removal of a mammy figure, holding interracial Christmas parties, lobbying for the appointment of a black on the school board, sponsoring an interracial nursery school, surveying slum housing, and working for the improvement of children's health. Minutes, correspondence, newspaper articles, maps, and booklets are included in this collection.
Donated by Dr. Marian Palmer Capps