Manuscripts Department
Library of the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
SOUTHERN HISTORICAL COLLECTION
#4501
FRANK HUNTER KENNEDY PAPERS
Inventory
Abstract: Frank Hunter Kennedy received his A.B. from the
University of North Carolina in 1913, served as
principal of Lees-McCray Institute in Plumtree, N.C.,
1914-1915, and graduated from Harvard Law School in
1918. He practiced law in Charlotte, N.C., 1918-1970.
Kennedy and his wife, Margaret (Rita) Letzer Kennedy,
had three children: Margaret, Mary Hunter, and
Philip.
Chiefly personal correspondence of Frank Hunter and
Rita Kennedy with family members and friends. Most
items from the period 1912-1916 are love letters to
Frank Kennedy from young women attending North Carolina
State Normal and Industrial College in Greensboro, N.C. These
letters provide some detail about student life in a
women's college. Kennedy described his experiences at
Harvard Law School in a letter of 21 November 1915.
Most of the correspondence for the period 1919-1921
concerns Kennedy's law practice in Charlotte.
Beginning in the 1930s and continuing into the 1970s,
most items are personal letters to and from Rita
Kennedy, chiefly from her son Philip. Correspondence
from 1951 documents Philip's studies and activities in
Paris, France. Also included are memorabilia and
dance cards from the University of North Carolina, ca.
1913, and materials relating to Frank Kennedy's years
as principal of the Lees-McCray Institute. Later
additions include family correspondence from 1877 to
1983, Frank Hunter Kennedy’s Harvard Law School notes,
materials relating to Frank Kennedy’s death in 1975,
and his children’s correspondence, Margaret Kennedy
from 1948 to 1958 and Philip Kennedy from 1946 to
1987. There are also a few eighteenth- and nineteenth-
century family papers.
Online Catalog Terms:
Charlotte (N.C.)--Social life and customs.
Family--North Carolina--Social life and customs.
Harvard Law School--Students--Social life and customs—20th
century.
Kennedy, Frank Hunter, 1893-1975.
Kennedy, Margaret Letzer.
Kennedy, Margaret.
Kennedy, Mary Hunter.
Kennedy, Philip.
Lawyers--North Carolina.
Lees-McCray Institute (Plumtree, N.C.).
Love-letters.
Paris (France)--Description and travel--20th century.
Schools--North Carolina--History.
North Carolina State Normal and Industrial College--
Students--Social life and customs.
University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--Students--Social
life and customs.
Women college students--North Carolina.
Women--Education (Higher)--North Carolina.
Size: About 6,000 items (10.5 linear feet).
Provenance: Created 24 November 1987 from material transferred
from the Mary Hunter Kennedy Papers (#3242).
Addition received from Philip Kennedy in January
1997 (Acc. 97008).
Access: No restrictions.
Related Collection: Mary Hunter Kennedy Papers (#3242).
Copyright: Retained by the authors of items in these papers, or
their descendants, as stipulated by United States
copyright law.
Table of Contents:
Biographical Note
Description
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Frank Hunter Kennedy, son of Philip Butler Kennedy and
Elizabeth Susan Dalton Kennedy, was born in Iredell County, N.C.,
15 April 1893. Kennedy received his A.B. from the University of
North Carolina in 1913 and graduated from Harvard Law School in
1918. Before he entered Harvard, Kennedy taught high school
Latin in New Bern, N.C., 1913-1914. Kennedy also served as
principal of Lees-McCray Institute in Plumtree, N.C., 1914-1915.
After graduating from law school, Kennedy opened his own law
office in Charlotte, N.C., where he practiced from 1918 to 1924.
From 1925 to 1937, Kennedy was a partner in the Charlotte law
firm of Tillett, Tillett, and Kennedy. From 1948 to 1957,
Kennedy was a senior partner in the Charlotte law firm of
Kennedy, Covington, Lodbell and Hickman. Kennedy continued to
practice law until his retirement in 1970.
Kennedy married Margaret Letzer (called Rita). They had three
children: Margaret, Mary Hunter, and Philip. Frank Hunter
Kennedy lived in Charlotte, N.C., until his death on 19 December
1975.
DESCRIPTION
Chiefly personal correspondence of Frank Hunter and Rita
Kennedy with family members and friends. Also included are
memorabilia and dance cards from the University of North
Carolina, ca. 1913, and materials relating to Frank Kennedy's
years as principal of the Lees-McCray Institute. Later additions
include family correspondence, 1877-1983, Frank Hunter Kennedy’s
Harvard Law School notes, materials relating to Frank Kennedy’s
death in 1975, and his children’s correspondence, Margaret
Kennedy from 1948 to 1958 and Philip Kennedy from 1946 to 1987.
There are also eighteenth- and nineteenth-century family papers.
Personal correspondence of Frank Hunter Kennedy and his wife
Rita with family members and friends includes letters from 1877
to 1912 about family affairs, postcards sent to the Kennedys from
friends and family members, and letters about life at various
schools. The bulk of the letters for the period 1912-1916 are
love letters to Kennedy from several young women, many of whom
attended State Normal and Industrial College in Greensboro, N.C.
In addition to its romantic content, this correspondence provides
some detail about student life at a women's college in the early
twentieth century. Also of interest is a letter dated 21
November 1915 in which Frank Kennedy describes his experiences at
Harvard Law School.
Most of the correspondence for the period 1919-1921 concerns
Kennedy's law practice in Charlotte, N.C.
Beginning in the 1930s and continuing into the 1970s, the bulk
of the correspondence consists of personal letters to and from
Rita Kennedy. These are chiefly from Philip Kennedy, although
letters to and from Rita's other children, and letters between
the children are also included. These letters document the close
relationship between the Kennedys and their children.
Correspondence from the 1950s and 1960s traces Philip
Kennedy's academic career and the continued financial support he
received from his parents. Correspondence of 1951 documents
Philip's studies and activities in Paris, France.
The last two folders of the first box contain memorabilia and
dance cards from the University of North Carolina, ca. 1913, and
materials relating to Frank Kennedy's years as principal of the
Lees-McCray Institute, Plumtree, N.C.
The Margaret Kennedy papers filed in folders 127-176 cover
her life from high school through young adulthood. Many of the
letters are from suitors, friends, and family members discussing
social occasions and relations and university and employment
activities. Also letters of interest are to Margaret from Hannah
Nixon, mother of Richard Nixon, and friend of Margaret Kennedy’s
aunt, in which she invited Margaret, a graduate student at
Berkley, to visit the Nixon home.
The Philip Kennedy correspondence and papers in folders 177-
197 chronicles his life from his teenage years in prep school
through adulthood. It contains information about his life and
that of his family, especially about his time at the University
of North Carolina, his work with folk music, his marriage to
Laura Hasenpflung, and his Ph.D. in French.
Folders 198-210 contain primarily family papers from
Kennedy’s ancestors. Most of these are account books and school
journals of members of the Houston family.
Account ledgers of Frank Hunter Kennedy in three volumes
covering 1942-1970 and Kennedy’s Harvard law school notes in nine
bound volumes are filed in folders 211-222. The law school
notebooks cover various law classes Kennedy took at Harvard in
1917-1918. The books are not differentiated by topic, date or
class.
Folder 1 1902-August 1911
2 September-December 1911
3 January-February 1912
4 March-April 1912
5 May-August 1912
6 September-October 1912
7 November 1912
8 December 1912-January 1913
9 February-March 1913
10 April-June 1913
11 July-September 1913
12 October 1913
13 November-December 1913
14 January-May 1914
15 June-July 1914
16 August-15 September 1914
17 16 September-October 1914
18 November 1914
19 December 1914
20 January 1915
21 February 1915
22 1-21 March 1915
23 22 March-6 April 1915
24 7-19 April 1915
25 20 April-10 May 1915
26 11-18 May 1915
27 19 May-14 June 1915
28 15 June-July 1915
29 August 1915
30 September-December 1915
31 1916-1919
32 Undated letters, ca. 1911-1916
33 January-September 1920
34 October 1920
35 November 1920-1921
36 1922-June 1928
37 July 1928-December 1929
38 Ca. 1928-1929
39 1930-1932
40 1933-March 1937
41 June 1937-1941
42 1942-September 1945
43 October 1945-1946
44 1947-1948
45 1949
46 1950-July 1951
47 August 1951
48 September 1951
49 October-November 1951
50 December 1951
51 1952-September 1953
52 October 1953-June 1954
53 July 1954-July 1955
54 August 1955-August 1957
55 September 1957-March 1959
56 April-September 1959
57 October 1959-May 1960
58 June 1960-June 1961
59 July-December 1961
60 January-June 1962
61 July-December 1962
62 1963-1964
63 1965
64 1966
65 January-April 1967
66 May-August 1967
67 September-December 1967
68 1968
69 1969-May 1971
70 June 1971-1975
71 1976-1981
72-74 Undated
75 UNC memorabilia
76 Lees-McCray Institute
Family Correspondence Addition
77 1877-1906
78 1907-08
79 1909
80 1910
81 1911
82 1912
83 1913
84 1914
85 1915
86 1916-1919
87 1920-1922
88 1923
89 1924
90 1925-29
91 1930-32
92 1933-37
93 1938-46
94 1947-49
95 1950-51
96 1952-54
97 1955-56
98 1957-59
99 1960-69
100 1970-73
101 1974-83
102 Undated
103 Frank Kennedy's Death (Dec 1975)
104 Death of Betty D. Kennedy (Jan 1926)
105 Memorandum book, 1907
106 Notebook, 1910
107 DI Literary Society Bank Book, 1911-12
108 Law Notes/Patents, 1916-1917
109 Law Notes/Equity, ca. 1915-18
110 School Records
111 Harvard University Letters
112 NC Law Notes [1918?] (1 of 3)
113 NC Law Notes [1918?] (2 of 3)
114 NC Law Notes [1918?] (3 of 3)
115 Mutual Building and Loan Association of
Charlotte, NC payment book, 1919-22
116 Stock, 1938-66
117 Financial Material
118 Real Estate
119 Knights of Pythias
120 Programs and Postcards
121 Greeting Cards
122 School Papers
123 Pamphlets
124 Invitations and Announcements
125 Poems, Notes, and Miscellaneous Papers
126 Newspaper Clippings
Margaret Kennedy Correspondence
127 1944
128 Sept-Oct 1948
129 Nov-Dec 1948
130 Jan-Feb 1949
131 Apr-July 1949
132 Sep-Nov 1949
133 Jan-Feb 1950
134 Mar-Apr 1950
135 May-June 1950
136 July-Aug 1950
137 Sept-Dec 1950
138 Jan-Apr 1951
139 May-June 1951
140 July 1951
141 Aug-Dec 1951
142 1952
143 Jan-Apr 1953
144 May-June 1953
145 June-July 1953
146 August 1953
147 Sep. 1953
148 Oct-Dec 1953
149 Jan 1954
150 Feb 1954
151 Mar 1954
152 Apr-May 1954
153 June-July 1954
154 Aug-Sept 1954
155 Oct 1954
156 Nov 1954
157 Dec 1954
158 Mar-May 1955 (Hannah M. Nixon letters)
159 Jan-Mar 1955
160 Apr-July 1955
161 Aug 1955
162 Sep-Dec 1955
163 Jan-Mar 1956
164 Apr-May 1956
165 Jun-Aug 1956
166 Sep-Dec 1956
167 Jan-Mar 1957
168 Apr-Aug 1957
169 Sep-Dec 1957
170 1958
171 Undated
172 Greeting Cards
173 Newspaper clippings
174 Printed Items
175 Miscellaneous
176 Undated notes
Philip Kennedy Correspondence
177 1946-48
178 1950-53
179 1957-59
180 Jan 1960
181 Feb 1960
182 Mar 1960
183 May 1960
184 Sep-Dec 1961
185 1961
186 1963-67
187 1971
188 1973-77
189 1981-1987
190 Undated
192 Greeting cards
193 Greeting cards
194 Printed Items
195 Financial
196 School records
197 Journal
Other Family Papers
198 Mary C. Houston, arithmetic book, 1826
199 Account book, Iredell County, 1789-98
200 Thomas F. Houston, arithmetic book, 1830
201 Christopher A. Houston, Arithmetic book,
1833
202 Jonesville Male and Female Academies Annual
Catalog, 1856
203 John M. Young, Account book, 1857-59
204 Thomas F. Houston, Latin notebook, 1831
205 Notebook, 1871
206 Dalton & Kennedy Account Book, 1877-78
207 Mellinger E. Henry, List of Autographs and
Autograph letters in library
208 Mrs. M.E. Henry, Notebook, 1931
209 Mellinger E. Henry
210 Miscellaneous
Frank Hunter Kennedy Notebooks
211 Account book, 1942-1948
212 Account book, 1949-1956
213 Account book, 1957-1970
214-222 Law notebooks
Items Separated:
P4501/1 Philip Kennedy photos
P4501/2 Margaret Kennedy photos
P4501/3 Miscellaneous photos