Manuscripts Department
Library of the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
SOUTHERN HISTORICAL COLLECTION
#3904
EDGAR WALLACE KNIGHT PAPERS
Inventory
Abstract: Edgar Wallace Knight (1885-1953) was professor
of education at Trinity College, 1913-1917, and at the
University of North Carolina, 1919-1953.
Papers of Edgar Wallace Knight include
letters concerning his work written while he was a
fellow at the Social Science Research Council,
studying folk schools and rural education in Denmark,
1925-1926; letters, 1918-1922, exchanged with R. H.
Claytor, Orange County, N.C., superintendent of public
instruction, about a reading circle conducted by
Knight for Orange County teachers; correspondence,
1945-1949, related to his Documentary History of
Education in the South Before 1860; extracts of
letters, 1945-1953, from scholars about proposed
publishing projects; speeches, 1920s and 1930-1945,
given by Knight at professional meetings, college
commencements, and other events; articles written by
Knight; and miscellaneous other items.
Online Catalog Terms:
Claytor, R. H.
College teachers—North Carolina—History—20th century.
Denmark—Social conditions.
Education, Rural—Denmark—History—20th century.
Folk high schools—Denmark—History.
Knight, Edgar Wallace, 1885-1953.
Orange County (N.C.)—Intellectual life—20th century.
Social Science Research Council (U.S.)—History.
Teachers—North Carolina—History—20th century.
University of North Carolina (1793-1962)—Faculty—History—20th
century.
Size: About 1850 items (3.0 linear feet).
Date Span: 1915-1953.
Provenance: Received from William Kornegay of Sunderland,
Mass., in 1970, 1989 (Acc. 90089), 1992 (Acc.
92190), 1995 (Acc. 95014), and 1997 (Acc. 97128);
transferred from the North Carolina Collection in
1976; transferred from the Louis Round Wilson
Papers (#3274) in 1976; and transferred from Edgar
Wallace Knight Collection of materials relating to
education in the South before 1860 (#1662) in
1992.
Access: Some unprocessed materials.
Related Collections: Edgar W. Knight Collection of materials
relating to education in the South before 1860
(#1662); Clifton Landon Hall Papers (#3863);
Forrest L. Rollins Papers (#3864).
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
9 April 1886 Born in Woodland, Northampton County, N.C.
Parents: John Washington and Margaret Davis
Knight, small farmers whose chief crop was
tobacco.
1909 Graduated from Trinity College.
1911 Masters degree from Trinity College.
1913 Ph.D., Teachers College, Columbia
University
1913-1917 Assistant professor of education, Trinity
College
28 June 1916 Married Annie Mozelle Turner
1917 Superintendent of Wake County Schools
1918 Assistant educational director for the
southeastern states of the Committee on Education
and Special Training for the War Plans Division of
the General Staff
1919 Joined the faculty of the University of
North Carolina in Chapel Hill
1920s Assistant superintendent without pay for
Orange County schools.
1922-1952 Member of Chapel Hill School Board.
1925 Observed rural and folk schools in
Denmark, with grant from Social Science Research
Council
1929 Published Education in the United States,
revised editions appeared in 1934, 1940, 1951
1934 Appointed Kenan professor
1949-1953 Published Documentary History of Education in
the South Before 1860
1952 Doctor of literature, Duke University
7 August 1953 Died.
For additional biographical information, see Dictionary of North
Carolina Biography.
DESCRIPTION
This collection contains papers of Edgar Wallace Knight,
including letters concerning his work written while he was a
fellow of the Social Science Research Council, studying folk
schools and rural education in Denmark, 1925-1926; letters, 1918-
1922, exchanged with R. H. Claytor, Orange County, N.C.,
Superintendent of Public Instruction, about a reading circle
conducted by Knight for Orange County teachers; correspondence,
1945-1949, approximately 500 items), related to his “Documentary
History of Education in the South Before 1860”; extracts of
letters, 1945-1953, from North Carolina teachers; speeches, 1920s
and 1930-1945, given by Knight at professional meetings, college
commencements, and other events; articles written by Knight; and
miscellaneous other items.
Correspondence, 1915-1926
Family correspondence, 1915, and almost daily letters, 1925-
1926, from E. W. Knight to his wife and daughters while he was in
Copenhagen, Denmark, with letters also written from Paris,
London, and New York, en route.
Professional correspondence and related papers includes two
mimeographed letters, 1915, from S. P. Lockhart, Orange County
Superintendent of Public Instruction; lists of names, addresses,
and assignments of white teachers in Orange County, excluding
Chapel Hill, 1918-1919 and 1921-1921; statistics on population,
enrollment, and attendance in white and nonwhite schools in
Orange County, 1908-1918. Also included are letters, 1918-1922,
between Edgar W. Knight, Department of Rural Education,
University of North Carolina and after 1921 assistant
superintendent of education for Orange County, N.C., and R. H.
Claytor, Orange County superintendent of public instruction,
about a reading circle and other workshops conducted by Knight
for the teachers of Orange County and related work done by Knight
for the county, including the conduct of a demonstration school
funded by the University. Mimeographed letters from Claytor to
the county teachers about administration of their schools,
materials available, and educational opportunities available to
them.
Folders 1-6
Correspondence, 1945-1949
This correspondence, arranged alphabetically by author, is
related primarily to the collection of materials for and
preparation of A Documentary History of Education in the South
Before 1860. Correspondents include historians, librarians,
educators, and archivists all over the South and major
repositories elsewhere.
Folders 7-20
Correspondence, 1947-1953
This correspondence includes typed carbon copies of extracts
from about 90 letters, 1947-1948, from college teachers of
education and other scholars all over the United States
commenting favorably on Knight’s plan to publish a multi-volume
documentary history of education in the South. Also included are
two letters, 1948, to Porter Cowles, University of North Carolina
Press, discussing financial arrangements for publication of the
volumes, including a detailed outline of volume I.
Also included are typed carbon copies of extracts from about
60 letters, 1953, from college teachers of education all over the
United States commenting on Knight’s plan to publish a book of
readings in the history of secondary education.
Folders 21-23
Writings and Speeches, 1920-1945 and undated
Writings on education and typed copies of speeches, 1920-1945
and undated, made by Knight at meetings of professional and civic
organizations, college commencements, and other events.
Folders 24-31
Denmark articles, November 1925-April 1926
Articles written by Knight about his experiences traveling and
studying the education system in Denmark. These articles
appeared in seven North Carolina dailies and in 1927, they were
published in a slightly revised form by University of North
Carolina Press. Here are found slight scattered correspondence
with Knight’s newspaper publisher while Knight was in Denmark;
his introduction to the book; typed copies of the articles,
arranged by date, many revised for publication; and miscellaneous
materials collected by Knight in Denmark.
Folders 32-39
Miscellaneous Papers
Typed drafts which may be speeches or articles, near-print
articles by Knight, and clippings about Knight. A photograph of
an early 20th-century school was removed and filed in P-3409.
Folder 40
ADDITION OF MAY 1989 (Acc. 90089)
Size: About 1000 items (1.25 linear feet).
Dates: 1920s-1940s.
Provenance: Received from William Kornegay of Sunderland,
Mass., in May 1989.
Access: No restrictions.
Processing Note: Not processed. May require staff assistance.
Description: Chiefly speeches and other writings by Edgar W.
Knight. Most items relate to his work on the history
of education in the South.
Folders 41-60.
ADDITION OF DECEMBER 1992 (Acc.92190)
Size: About 20 items.
Dates: 1920s-1930s.
Provenance: Received from William Kornegay of Sunderland,
Mass., in December 1992.
Access: No restrictions.
Description: Lecture and class notes for various education
classes.
Folder 61.
ADDITION OF JANUARY 1995 (Acc.95014)
Size: 2 items.
Dates: . 1932 and undated.
Provenance: Received from William Kornegay of Sunderland,
Mass., in January 1995.
Access: No restrictions.
Description: Typed carbon copies of “The Tasks of Teachers and
Teaching (abstract of address by Edgar W. Knight of
the University of North Carolina before the Maryland
State Teachers’ Association, October 22, 1932)” and
“Educational Progress Through Teaching” (undated).
Folder 62.
ADDITION OF SEPTEMBER 1997 (Acc.97128)
Size: 3 items.
Dates: . Early 20th century.
Provenance: Received from William Kornegay of Sunderland,
Mass., in September 1997.
Access: No restrictions.
Description: Three photographs of early 20th-century schools.
Filed in P-3409.