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Collection Number: 04975

Collection Title: Harry E. Groves Papers 1929-1999

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 Duplication Policy section for more information.


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Size 3.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 2500 items)
Abstract Harry E. Groves (1921- ), Colorado-born African-American lawyer and professor of law, with special interests in constitutional law, particularly of newly formed nations. He served as law school dean at Texas Southern University, 1956-1960, the University of Malaya, 1962-1964, and North Carolina Central University, 1976-1981; president of Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio, 1965-1968; and Brandis Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1981-1986. The collection includes correspondence and other items, 1951-1999, relating to Groves's work with Texas Southern University, the University of Malaya, the Asia Foundation, Central State University, North Carolina Central University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; to his interest in constitutional law, particularly relating to Malaysia; and to his law practice. Writings, 1942-1999, include articles, speeches, and lectures on affirmative action, domestic law, constitutional law, African-Americans in education, and the future of African-American institutions; unpublished book-length manuscripts, one of which is a Groves family history; and day journals containing travel descriptions, including one from 1984 with Groves's impressions of South Africa. Personal papers include items relating to Groves's school career and activities of family and friends, 1929-1998; military service, 1944-1946; real estate holdings in Ohio, North Carolina, and Houston, Tex.; Groves family history; and other items. There are also a few photographs of Groves engaged in various activities and of the institutions in which he served.
Creator Groves, Harry E.
Curatorial Unit Southern Historical Collection
Language English.
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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Information For Users

Restrictions to Access
No restrictions. Open for research.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Harry E. Groves Papers #4975, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Provenance
Received from Harry E. Groves of Chapel Hill, N.C., in April 1999 (Acc. 98347) and January 2002 (Acc. 99158).
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.
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expand/collapse Expand/collapse 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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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Biographical Information

Harry E. Groves was born in Manitou Springs, Colo., on 4 September 1921. An African American in a predominantly white state, Groves was valedictorian of his class, which earned him a full scholarship to the University of Colorado from which he graduated cum laude in 1943. Groves planned to teach high school English, but after graduation immediately enlisted in the Army, serving as a second lieutenant of artillery for 13 months in the European Theater.

Discharged after World War II, Groves enrolled in summer school at the University of Chicago, preparing for a degree in educational administration. Unchallenged by his classes, Groves applied to the law school and earned a J.D. in 1949. While in Chicago, Groves married Evelyn Apperson. An earlier marriage, which produced his only child Sheridon, had ended in divorce.

Groves's understanding of the law and his writing skills impressed a number of academics and won him a Ford Foundation Fellowship to study at Harvard University. While at Harvard, Groves became interested in constitutional law, especially in constitutions of newly formed nations. This passion became a lifelong professional interest in Asian countries, leading him to a professorship and deanship at the University of Malaya in Singapore, numerous lecture tours in several Asian countries, and writing articles on Asian law and four books on the constitution of Malaysia.

In a 1976 newspaper interview, Groves described lawyers as providing "the public and political leadership for a community." He practiced this philosophy in every community in which he lived, serving on numerous committees, councils, boards of directors, and with associations both on the local and national levels. Highlighting this service was his election to the Fayetteville, N.C., City Council, 1951-1952, and his selection as Ethics Committee chair for the United States Olympic Committee, 1993-1996.

Groves was Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Delta Kappa, and Kappa Delta Pi. He received a number of important awards, including a Carnegie Research Grant, and was the 1986 recipient of the North Carolina Bar Association's Judge John L. Parker award. In 1991, the National Bar Association inducted Groves into its Hall of Fame.

Following is a chronology of Groves's career, which included both private practice and legal education:

1944-1946 Second lieutenant, Artillery, United States Army
1946-1949 University of Chicago
1949-1951 Associate professor, North Carolina College Law School, Durham, N.C.
1951-1952 Captain, Judge Advocate General's Corps, 82nd Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, N.C.
1952-1956 Private practice of law, Fayetteville, N.C.
1956-1960 Dean, School of Law, Texas Southern University, Houston, Tex.
1960-1964 Visiting professor, head, Department of Law; dean, faculty of law, University of Malaya, Singapore
1965-1966 Visiting professor, School of Law, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.; private practice of law, Houston, Tex.; Director, Minority Groups Project, Association of American Law Schools
1965-1968 President, Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio
Summer 1968 Visiting professor, School of Law, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
1968-1970 Professor, School of Law, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
Summer 1970 Visiting professor, School of Law, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
1971-1974 Private practice of law, Dayton, Ohio; Referee, Domestic Relations Court, Montgomery County, Ohio
1971-1985 Consultant, Asia Foundation, San Francisco, Calif.
1974-1976 Professor, School of Law, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio; Hearing examiner, Ohio Civil Rights Commission
1976-1981 Dean, School of Law, North Carolina Central University, Durham, N.C.
1981-1986 Henry Brandis Professor of Law, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
1989-1990 Herff Visiting Professor of Excellence, School of Law, Memphis State University, Memphis, Tenn.
Fall 1992 Visiting professor of law, University of Minnesota
Spring 1993 Visiting professor of law, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C.
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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Scope and Content

Correspondence and other items, 1951-1999, relating to Groves's work with Texas Southern University, the University of Malaya, the Asia Foundation, Central State University, North Carolina Central University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, to his interest in constitutional law, particularly relating to Malaysia; and to his law practice. Writings, 1942-1999, include articles, speeches, and lectures on affirmative action, domestic law, constitutional law, African-Americans in education, and the future of African-American institutions; unpublished book-length manuscripts, one of which is a Groves family history; and day journals containing travel descriptions, including one from 1984 with Groves's impressions of South Africa. Personal papers include items relating to Groves's school career and activities of family and friends, 1929-1998; military service, 1944-1946; real estate holdings in Ohio, North Carolina, and Houston, Tex.; Groves family history; and other items. There are also a few photographs of Groves engaged in various activities and of the institutions in which he served.

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Contents list

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series Quick Links

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 1. Professional Papers, 1944-1999.

About 1500 items.

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.1. Administrative, Educational, and Law Practice, 195644-1990.

About 700 items.

Arrangement: chronological.

Mostly correspondence and other items relating to Groves's work with Texas Southern University, the University of Malaya, the Asia Foundation, Central State University, North Carolina Central University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; to his interest in constitutional law, particularly relating to Malaysia; and to his law practice. Included are letters exchanged with administrators, law school professors, and other academics about teaching positions, academic work-in-progress, and course loads; letters relating to Groves's work as a lawyer; inquiries about positions with government agencies, including the Peace Corps; and letters about the Malaysian constitutions. There are also a few quarterly reports to the Asia Foundation; academic bulletins; and newspaper clippings, some in scrapbooks, highlighting Groves's professional achievements.

Folder 1

Texas Southern University, 1956-1960

Folder 2

University of Malaya, Singapore, 1960-1964

Folder 3

Asia Foundation: Correspondence, 1960-1962

Folder 4

Asia Foundation: Correspondence, 1963-1965

Folder 5

Asia Foundation: Quarterly reports, 1960-1964

Folder 6

Asia Foundation: Newspaper clippings, 1967

Folder 7

Singapore: General correspondence, June-December 1964

Folder 8

Singapore position: Correspondence, post-1964

Folder 9

Houston, 1964-1965

Folder 10

Central State University: Presidential candidate, 1964-1965

Folder 11

Central State University: Inauguration, 1965

Oversize Volume SV-4975/1

Central State University scrapbook, 1965-1968

Folder 12

Folder number not used

Folder 13

Ohio law practice, 1968-1973, 1991

Folder 14

Malaysiaconstitution correspondence: Inche Al-Mason Adabi, 1977-1979

Folder 15

Malaysiaconstitution correspondence: S. Jayakumar, 1976-1978

Folder 16

Malaysiaconstitution correspondence: H. P. Lee, 1976-1978

Folder 17

Malaysiaconstitution correspondence: Lee A. Sheridan, 1966-1980

Folder 18

Malaysiaconstitution correspondence: Miscellaneous, 1967-1980

Folder 19

North Carolina Central University: Dean of Law School, 1976-1981

Folder 20-22

Folder 20

Folder 21

Folder 22

North Carolina Central University scrapbook, 1976-1980

Folder 23

North Carolina Central University, 1981/University of North Carolina scrapbook, 1981-1986

Folder 24

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Brandis chair, 1981-1986

Folder 25

Memphis State University, 1989-1990

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.2. Committees and Courses, 1951-1999.

About 600 items.

Arrangement: chronological.

Correspondence with members of legal and university committees, newspaper clippings, committee and association programs, directories, bulletins, newsletters, and awards. Also included are correspondence with a number of United Nations ambassadors and other items relating to a constitutional law course Groves gave at North Carolina Central University. Groves contacted representatives from Argentina, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Egypt, Iran, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kuwait, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Zambia about participating in the course. There are also materials relating to civic and other groups with which Groves worked.

Folder 26

Fayetteville, N.C., City Council, 1951-1956

Folder 27

Probate judge election, Xenia, Ohio, 1972

Folder 28

Constitutional law course: Correspondence, 1977-1981

Folder 29

Constitutional law course: Miscellaneous, 1977-1980

Folder 30

North Carolina Central University: Plagiarism case, 1979-1984

Folder 31

North Carolina Bar activities, 1986-1996

Folder 32

Continuing Care State Advisory Committee, 1988-1998

Folder 33

American Bar Association: Committees, 1993-1997

Folder 34

Olympic Ethics Committee, 1993-1997

Folder 35

Carolina Meadows Residents Association, 1994-1997

Folder 36

National Continuing Care Residents Association (NaCCRA), 1998

Folder 37

North Carolina Central University: Dean search, 1999

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.3. Lecture Trips, 1961-1984.

About 200 items.

Arrangement: chronological.

Mostly correspondence with officials, professors, and other participants relating to Groves's various lecture trips. Also included are newspaper clippings about various trips, biographies of participants, itineraries, rosters, and notes on conferences and meetings.

Folder 38

Burma trip, June-August 1961

Folder 39

People to People Law Delegation, 1978-1981

Folder 40

Asia Foundation: Bangladesh, 1983

Folder 41

Russia, July-August 1983

Folder 42

Singapore, 1982-1984

Folder 43

South Africa, August 1984

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 2. Writings, 1942-1999 and undated.

About 700 items.

Arrangement: by type.

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 2.1. Articles and Book-Length Manuscripts, 1942-1998 and undated.

About 60 items.

Unpublished articles, 1942-1989 and undated; published articles, 1942-1984; and three unpublished book-length manuscripts, 1968-1998, one of which is a Groves family history. Article topics include affirmative action, domestic law, constitutional law, the future of African-American institutions, admission policies, and how to write law. Note that there may be some duplication between the unpublished and published articles.

Folder 44

Unpublished articles: A-F

Folder 45

Unpublished articles: H-R

Oversize Paper Folder OPF-4975/1

Published articles

Folder 46

Unpublished manuscript: Anatomy of a Campus Riot

Folder 47

Unpublished manuscript: How Did You Get to Singapore

Folder 48

Unpublished manuscript: The Story of a Black American Family: Into and Out of The Colorado Mountains

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 2.2. Speeches, 1960-1990 and undated.

About 200 items.

Arrangement: chronological.

Speeches and lectures from Groves's Singapore and Central State University years and from lecture trips. Topics include comparative constitutional law, African-American institutions, African-Americans in education, domestic and family law, and continuing care law.

Folder 49

Singapore: A-F, 1960-1964

Folder 50

Singapore: I-N, 1960-1964

Folder 51

Singapore: O-T, 1960-1964

Folder 52-54

Folder 52

Folder 53

Folder 54

Central State University, 1966-1968

Folder 55

Ohio Domestic Court, 1973-1975

Folder 56

North Carolina Central University, 1978-1981

Folder 57

Asia Foundation, 1981-1984

Folder 58

Post-1988

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 2.3. Day Journals, 1960-1984.

3 items.

Arrangement: chronological.

Day journals containing travel descriptions that emphasize local scenery and people. Especially informative are Groves's impressions of South Africa.

Folder 59

Day journals, 1960, 1981, 1984

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 3. Personal Papers, 1942-1999 and undated.

About 400 items.

Arrangement: chronological.

Materials relating chiefly to Groves's personal life. Early papers include clippings and a few letters, among them a 1941 letter appointing Groves the official delegate from the Colorado Springs branch of the NAACP to the national conference in Houston. Also included are high school and college English class papers and Groves's University of Colorado graduation book; postcards to his parents; papers relating to Groves's military service; deeds and other materials relating to properties in Ohio, North Carolina, and Houston, Tex.; correspondence with Groves's Singapore friend Tun Suffian; a few letters relating to Groves family history; and other items.

Folder 60

Early papers, 1929-1943

Folder 61

College short stories, 1942

Folder 62

University of Colorado graduation book, 1943

Folder 63

Military records, 1944-1951

Folder 64

Military records, 1951-1956

Folder 65

Postcards to parents, 1945-1963

Folder 66

Houston property, 1965

Folder 67

Ohio farm, 1966-1979

Folder 68

Dayton, Ohio, residence, 1975-1976

Folder 69

North Carolina property, 1975-1978

Folder 70

Springmoor Retirement Community, 1987-1988

Folder 71

Tun Suffian correspondence, 1989-1998

Folder 72

Groves family history, 1991-1998

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse 4. Pictures, 1939-1981.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Additions

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Groves Family Correspondence and Clippings (Addition of January 2002)

Approximately 40 items.

Acquisitions Information: Accession 99158

Box 7

Cards and letters to Harry E. Groves' parents

Clippings of Harry E. Groves' mother

Miscellaneous correspondence

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Items Separated

Oversize papers (OPF-4975/1)

Oversize volume (SV-4975/1)

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