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This collection has access restrictions. For details, please see the restrictions.
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the FAQ section for more information.
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Collection Overview
| Size | About 118,000 items (about 300.0 linear feet) |
| Abstract | William R. Ferris (1942- ), born and raised in Vicksburg, Miss., is an author, folklorist, filmmaker, professor, photographer, administrator, and scholar chiefly working in the areas of African American and southern culture. Among his many published works is the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, which he co-edited with Charles Reagan Wilson. The collection consists of papers, photographs, slides, sound recordings, videotapes, films, and other materials documenting Ferris's life and work. Professional papers relate to his teaching career at Jackson State University, Yale University, the University of Mississippi, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and to his activities at the Center for Southern Folklore, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, the Center for the Study of the American South, and as chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Personal papers include student materials, family correspondence, and other papers from the 1940s to 2002. Papers, images, and recordings document life in Mississippi and the Mississippi Delta; folk, blues, gospel, fife and drum corps music, and other musical types; folk and music festivals; folk arts, culture, and humor; Highway 61; the Ku Klux Klan; prisons, especially Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary); auctioneers; and other topics. Films and videotapes include footage of Ferris's documentaries. Individuals important in the collection include writers, artists, musicians, political figures, and others. |
| Creator | Ferris, William R. |
| Language | English. |
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Information For Users
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Subject Headings
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
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Biographical Information
William R. Ferris was born 5 February 1942 in Vicksburg, Miss. He attended public school in Vicksburg until high school, when he was accepted to Brooks School in North Andover, Mass. Ferris got his B.A. in English Literature at Davidson College in 1964, and an M.A. in English Literature from Northwestern University in 1965. He attended Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, for one year from 1965 to 1966, and returned to the U.S. to continue his graduate studies. In 1967, he received a Master's and, in 1969, a Ph.D. in folklore from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ferris's scholarship has focused on southern African American folklore and culture, through a variety of media: print, sound, film, and photography. From 1970 to 1972, he was an assistant professor in the Department of English at Jackson State University in Mississippi. From 1972 to 1979, he was an associate professor in the American and Afro-American Studies Programs at Yale University. During his tenure at Yale, Ferris co-founded the Center for Southern Folklore in Mississippi, and was its director from 1972 to 1984. Ferris returned to the South, and, from 1979 to 1997, he was the founding director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture and a professor of anthropology at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. While there, he established several annual conferences, including the Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference.
In 1997, Ferris was appointed chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities by President Clinton, a post he held through 2001. In 2002, he was a Visiting Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the Senior Associate Director of the Center for the Study of the American South, professor of history, and adjunct professor in the Curriculum in Folklore.
Ferris is the author of ten books, including You Live and Learn. Then You Die and Forget It All: Ray Lum's Tales of Horses, Mules and Men , and co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture . He has written fiction, poetry, and numerous articles on folklore and literature, as well as book, record, and film reviews. Ferris has recorded blues albums, produced 15 documentary films on southern folklore, and, for ten years, hosted the weekly Mississippi Public Radio blues show, Highway 61. Ferris's photography, documenting aspects of African American southern folklore, has been featured nationally, including in an exhibit by the Smithsonian Museum and an article by the New York Times .
Ferris has traveled and lectured extensively throughout Europe and the U.S. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Charles Frankel Prize in the Humanities, bestowed by President Clinton, and France's Chevalier and Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters, and has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
Ferris has four siblings. His brother, Grey, was a senator in the Mississippi State Legislature from 1992 to 2001. Ferris is married to Marcie Cohen Ferris and has a daughter named Virginia.
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Scope and Content
The William R. Ferris Collection consists of papers, photographs, slides, sound recordings, videotapes, films, and other materials documenting the life and work of William Ferris. Professional papers relate to his teaching career at Jackson State University, Yale University, the University of Mississippi, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and to his activities at the Center for Southern Folklore, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, the Center for the Study of the American South, and as chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Personal papers include student materials, family correspondence, and other papers from the 1940s to 2002. Papers, images, and recordings document life in Mississippi and the Mississippi Delta; folk music, the blues, gospel music, fife and drum corps music, and other musical types; folk festivals and music festivals; folk arts; folk culture; folk humor; Highway 61; the Ku Klux Klan; prisons, especially Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary); auctioneers; and other topics.
Individuals important in the collection include writers, artists, musicians, political figures, and others. They include: Imamu Amiri Baraka, Victor Bobb, Cleanth Brooks, Fannie Bell Chapman, Edith Clark, Leon "Peck" Clark, Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Willie Dixon, John Dollard, Louis Dotson, Walker Evans, William Faulkner, Marcie Cohen Ferris, Shelby Foote, Ernest J. Gaines, Allen Ginsberg, Amanda Gordon, Theora Hamblett, Bessie Jones, B. B. King, Alan Lomax, Ray Lum (auctioneer), Arthur Miller, Ethel Wright Mohamed (embroiderer), Ola Belle Reed, Pete Seeger, Charles Seeger, Harry Smith, James "Son" Thomas, Othar Turner, Alice Walker, Pecolia Warner, Robert Penn Warren, Eudora Welty, and members of the Rose Hill Baptist Church in Vicksburg, Miss.
The films include footage of Ferris's documentaries: Mississippi Delta Blues; Ray Lum: Mule Trader ; Fanny Bell Chapman: Gospel Singer ; and Delta Blues Singer: James "Son" Thomas.
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Series Quick Links
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Series 1. Papers, 1942-2004.
Professional and personal papers relating to the life and career of William Ferris, dating from 1942 through 2004.
Professional papers concern Ferris's research and teaching at Jackson State University, Yale University, the Center for Southern Folklore, the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Also included are papers relating to Ferris's work as chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, 1997-2001; his tenure as a scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, February-July 2002; his writings and research on Ray Lum; research indexes and inventories on folklore topics; and other papers.
Personal papers document Ferris's personal life and education and include correspondence from family and acquaintences, 1942-2003, along with subject files; childhood and grade school papers; high school materials from Carr Central High School and Brooks School; college materials from Davidson College; and graduate materials from Northwestern University, the University of Pennsylvania, and a Rotary Fellowship at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.
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Subseries 1.1. Professional Papers, 1970-2004.
Correspondence, writings, publications, research materials, teaching materials, reports, memorandums, itineraries, photographs, clippings, and other papers relating to William Ferris's professional career. Included are papers regarding Ferris's work at Jackson State University (1970-1972), Yale University (1972-1979), the Center for Southern Folklore (1974-1983), the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi (1977-1998), the National Endowment for the Humanities (1997-2001), the Woodrow Wilson International Center (2001-2002), and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2001-2004). Also included are Ferris's writings and research on Ray Lum, research indexes and inventories on folklore topics, and other papers.
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Subseries 1.1.1. Jackson State University, 1970-1972.
Arrangement: Note that original file folder titles have, for the most part, been retained.
Access to some of these materials is restricted (folders 2653-2654).
Correspondence, writings, publications, research materials, teaching materials, photographs, clippings, and other papers relating to Ferris's tenure at Jackson State University, where he was an assistant professor of English, 1970-1972. Also included are materials relating to folklore topics and to the publications Mississippi Black Folkfore and Gigline.
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Subseries 1.1.2. Yale University, 1972-1979.
Arrangement: Note that original file folder titles, have, for the most part, been retained.
Access to some of these materials is restricted (folders 2655-2668).
Correspondence, writings, publications, research materials, teaching materials, photographs, clippings, and other papers relating to Ferris's teaching and research at Yale University. In 1972, Ferris became an assistant professor in the American and Afro-American Studies Program at Yale. He was promoted to associate professor in 1976, a position he held until moving to the University of Mississippi in 1979. While at Yale, Ferris also directed the Center for Southern Folklore in Memphis, Tenn., which he helped establish in 1972.
Materials in this series document Ferris's professional activities, including research projects and teaching duties. Also included are files that Ferris maintained on folklore topics and folklore and academic professionals that he associated with. Chronological files include correspondence, reports, and research materials. Notable subjects inlclude Ferris's publications Afro-American Folk Arts and Crafts and Blues From the Delta; James "Son" Thomas; Rose Hill; the National Endowment for the Humanities; publications; Ferris's 1978 European lecture tour; Yale; and Mississippi folklife. Interspersed throughout the subseries are materials relating to Ferris's work with the Center for Southern Folklore.
For additional materials related to Ferris's work at Yale and the Center for Southern Folklore, see Series 1.1.3. Center for Southern Folklore and Series 1.2.1. Personal Papers.
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Subseries 1.1.3. Center for Southern Folklore, 1974-1983.
Arrangement: Note that original file folder titles have, for the most part, been retained.
Access to some of these materials is restricted (folder 2669).
Correspondence, reports, promotional materials, clippings, legal papers, publications, and other materials regarding the operations of the Center for Southern Folklore. In 1972, Ferris co-founded the Center for Southern Folklore in Memphis, Tenn., to document and make available the region's folklore through a variety of media, including written publications and film. He served as the director from 1972 to 1984.
Materials in this series concern daily operations, budgets, organizational policy, and publication and film projects sponsored by the Center. The chronological files contain correspondence, reports, budget materials, clippings, grant projects, legal papers, and promotional materials. Notable subject files include Local Color: A Sense of Place in Folk Art ; Fife and Drum; film listings and promotional materials; Ray Lum; mule and auction research; Pathe Cinema; the Tennessee Arts Commission; the National Endowment for the Arts; and publications.
For additional materials related to Ferris's work at the Center for Southern Folklore, see Series 1.1.2. Yale University and Series 1.2.1. Personal Papers.
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Subseries 1.1.4. University of Mississippi/Center for the Study of
Southern Culture, 1977-1998.
Arrangement: Note that original file folder titles have, for the most part, been retained.
Access to some of these materials is restricted (folders 2670-2683).
Correspondence, writings, publications, research and teaching materials, photographs, clippings, promotional materials, and other papers relating to William Ferris's work at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi. Ferris was the founding head of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture and a professor of anthropology at the University of Mississippi, 1979-1997.
Materials in this series document Ferris's professional activities and interests, including research projects and publications, operations of the Center for the Study of Southen Culture, teaching duites, and various topics relating to southern folklife and culture. Materials related to the operations of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture concern publications, folklore festivals, grants and research projects, study programs and cirriculum, the annual Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conferences, and the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. Chronological files contain correspondence, reports, promotional materials, publications, administrative materials, information on events and projects sponsored by the Center, and materials concerning the Mississippi, the University of Mississippi, southern folklife, and cultural activities. Subject files include clippings related to Ferris, southern culture, Mississippi, the University of Mississippi, and other topics; screenplays donated by Kent Moorehead; travel to Europe, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobogo, and Guyana; Rose Hill; planners and notebooks; press releases; and materials about conferences, festivals, and symposia. Notable subjects include William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Robert Penn Warren, James "Son" Thomas, Benny Andrews, James Meredith, the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture , the Elvis Presley Conferences, and Ferris's 1997 nomination to head the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Subseries 1.1.5. National Endowment for the Humanities, 1997-2001.
Arrangement: Note that original file folder titles have, for the most part, been retained.
Access to some of these materials is restricted (folders 2684-2753).
Correspondence, reports, agendas, schedules, programs, event announcements, speeches, publications, research materials, photographs, clippings, compact discs, and other papers relating to William Ferris's work as chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, 1997-2001.
Materials in this subseries document Ferris's NEH work, including administrative duties, public relations, humanities projects, and initiatives sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Correspondence with scholars, politicians, and others interested in the humanities concerns a wide variety of topics, including National Endowment for the Humanities activities and policies, individual projects and scholarship, fundraising, meetings, speaking engagements, conferences, professional organizations, events and exhibits, and topics related to folklore and the humanities. Also included are letters of congratulations concerning Ferris's appointment as chair and correspondence concerning President Bush's appointment of a new chair in 2001.
Materials related to Ferris's administrative duties as NEH chair include internal reports and correspondence documenting the daily operations of the National Endowment for the Humanities; budgets and fundraising; briefings for congressional hearings; schedules and notes; papers concerning the National Council for the Humanities; travel itineraries; materials concerning speaking engagements and meetings with various people and organizations; and materials relating to the humanities projects and initiatives sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Also included are materials relating to Ferris's travels as chair, including conferences, visits, committee meetings, speaking engagements, and commencement addresses.
Notable humanities projects and initiatives sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities include My History is America's History, Edsitement, Marcopolo, the Jefferson Lecture, the National Endowment for the Humanities Folklore Initiative, the National Humanities Medal, Regional Humanities Centers, and state and regional encyclopedias. Files include clippings concerning Ferris, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and other humanities and folklife topics; speeches; notebooks; schedules and contact information; materials relating to the Woodrow Wilson International Center, the President's Council on the Arts and Humanities, the White House Millennium Council, and the American Folklife Center; and pictures of Ferris with Bill Clinton and others.
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Subseries 1.1.6. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars,
2001-2002.
Arrangement: Note that original file folder titles have, for the most part, been retained.
Access to some of these materials is restricted (folders 2754-2758).
Correspondence, notebooks, programs, speeches, calendars, event annoucements, and other materials relating to William Ferris's tenure as a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, February-July 2002. Materials concern Ferris's research and his activities at the Center in addition to outside professional activities, including speaking engagements. Also included is correspondence relating to Ferris's decision to accept a teaching position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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Subseries 1.1.7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2001-2004.
Arrangement: Note that original file folder titles have, for the most part, been retained.
Access to these materials is restricted.
Correspondence, writings, publications, research materials, teaching materials, photographs, clippings, and other papers relating to Ferris's teaching and research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2001, Ferris joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the Senior Associate Director of the Center for the Study of the American South, Joel R. Williamson Distinguished Professor of history, and adjunct professor in the Curriculum in Folklore.
| Folder 1688-1803 |
Restricted Materials #20367, Subseries: "1.1.7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2001-2004." Folder 1688-1803 |
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Subseries 1.1.8. Inventories and Indexes.
Arrangement: folders are arranged alphabetically by subject. Index cards are arranged in boxes by subject. Note that original file folder and box titles have, for the most part, been retained.
Inventories, indexes, and card files compiled by William Ferris, relating to his research and to various folklore topics. Inventories and indexes list Ferris's audio materials, field recordings, films, videos, photographs, slides, and publications. Card files cover American and foreign general folklore and theory; English folklore; Scottish folklore; Irish folklore; Canadian folklore; Australian and New Zealand folklore; African-American folklore; children's folklore; folksongs and ballads; country and western; a music index; and a book, brochure, and exhibit catalog index arranged alphabetically by author.
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Subseries 1.1.9. Ray Lum, 1970s-1990s.
Arrangement: Note that original file folder titles have, for the most part, been retained.
Writings, drafts, correspondence, clippings, articles, pictures, notes, and other materials relating to William Ferris's publications on mule trader Ray Lum. Ferris's book Ray Lum: Mule Trader was first published in 1980, and You Live and Learn, then You Die and Forget it All : Ray Lum's Tales of Horses, Mules, and Men was first published in 1992. Included are multiple drafts of Ferris's two books on Ray Lum, book illustrations, publication materials, book reviews, background research, and a card file index of bibliographic references and glossary terms.
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Subseries 1.1.10. Student Papers.
Arrangement: Note that original file folder titles have, for the most part, been retained.
Access to these materials is restricted.
Student papers on folklore topics from classes William Ferris taught at Jackson State University and Yale University. Also included are grade reports and other administrative paperwork relating to classes Ferris taught at Yale.
| Folder 2014-2167 |
Restricted Materials #20367, Subseries: "1.1.10. Student Papers." Folder 2014-2167 |
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Subseries 1.1.11. Other Papers .
Arrangement: Alphabetical by subject.
Posters, awards, artwork, writings, fans, and other materials collected by William Ferris. Posters document events, exhibits, lectures, movies, festivals, and other topics relating to southern culture. Included are posters documenting lectures and other events featuring Ferris; National Endowment for the Humanities initiatives; films of William Faulkner's books; Eudora Welty; B. B. King; events related to foklore and southern culture at Yale and the University of Mississippi; and posters in Russian. Writings include undated short stories and other papers written by Ferris. Awards and certificates include Ferris's diplomas, honorary degrees, and various awards. The fans feature advertisements for churches and businesses in Mississippi.
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Subseries 1.2. Personal Papers, 1942-2003.
Correspondence, writings, assignments, clippings, yearbooks, and other papers relating to the personal affairs and education of William Ferris. Included in this series are letters, 1942-2003; subject files; childhood and grade school papers; high school materials from Carr Central High School and Brooks School; college papers from Davidson College; and graduate materials from Northwestern University, the University of Pennsylvania, and a Rotary Fellowship at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.
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Subseries 1.2.1. Personal Papers, 1942-2003.
Arrangement: Note that original file folder titles have, for the most part, been retained.
Access is restricted to all correspondence, 1999-2003, and selected correspondence and other personal materials, 1942-1998, as specified below.
Personal papers of William Ferris, including correspondence, grade school papers, clippings, and other materials. Correspondence from family, friends, and associates dates from 1942 to 2003 and is both personal and professional in nature. Correspondence and other personal papers concern Ferris's birth in 1942; his 1961 trip to Europe; his 1965-1966 Rotary fellowship at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland; his duties as the head of the Center for Southern Folklore and the Center for the Study of Southern Culture; and his 1997 appointment as the director of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Numerous letters from friends and family document family and personal affairs.
Correspondence H-K and subject files dating from the 1970s, include materials relating to Ferris's work at Yale University and the Center for Southern Folklore. Notable subjects include B. B. King, Theora Hamblett, and the Kresge Foundation. Childhood materials include papers related to Ferris's birth, his childhood activities, and grade school materials including assignments and grade reports.
For additional materials related to Ferris's work at Yale and the Center for Southern Folklore, see Series 1.1.2. Yale University and Series 1.1.3. Center for Southern Folklore. For additional materials relating to Ferris's work at the Center for Southern Culture, see Series 1.1.4. University of Mississippi/Center for the Study of Southern Culture.
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Subseries 1.2.2. High School, 1957-1960.
Arrangement: Note that original file folder titles have, for the most part, been retained.
Class notes, assignments, correspondence, programs, pictures, yearbooks, and other materials documenting Ferris's high school years at Carr Central High School in Vicksburg, Miss., and the Brooks School in North Andover, Mass. Class notes and assignments are arranged according to subject. Miscellaneous files contain grade reports, letters from friends and family, paperwork concerning Ferris's admission to Davidson College, and programs and other materials documenting school events. Notable subjects include history, French, English, math, science, and yearbooks.
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Subseries 1.2.3. Davidson College, 1960-1964.
Arrangement: Note that original file folder titles have, for the most part, been retained.
Class notes, assignments, correspondence, programs, yearbooks, clippings, and other materials relating to Ferris's undergraduate education at Davidson College, N.C. Class notes, essays, and assignments have been grouped according to subject. Miscellaneous files contain correspondence from family and friends, grade reports, materials from the Kappa Alpha fraternity, programs from various campus and social functions, and paperwork concerning his activities with the Y.M.C.A. and the United States Army R.O.T.C. Notable subjects include French, English, philosophy, history, R.O.T.C., Y.M.C.A, clippings, and yearbooks.
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Subseries 1.2.4. Graduate Work, 1964-1969.
Arrangement: Note that original file folder titles have, for the most part, been retained.
Class notes, essays, dissertation work, correspondence and other materials relating to Ferris's graduate studies at Northwestern University and the University of Pennsylvania, and to his Rotary Fellowship at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Materials from Northwestern University concern his coursework for an M.A. in English literature. Materials from Ferris's years at the University of Pennsylvania concern his work towards an M.A. and then a Ph.D. in folklore, and include drafts of his dissertation, Black Folklore from the Mississippi Delta .
For additional correspondence and materials documenting Ferris's 1965-1966 Rotary Fellowship in Dublin, see Series 1.2.1. Personal Papers.
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Series 2. Photographic Materials.
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Subseries 2.1. Photographic Prints.
Arrangement is by William Ferris's coding system.
RESTRICTED: Personal photographs are closed to research.
Prints may have contact sheets and/or negatives associated with them. For photographs listed as having negatives only, see Series 2.2. Note that many original photograph captions have been retained.