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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 | 112.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 55,000 items) |
| Abstract | Howard Washington Odum, sociologist of the American South; author; professor at the University of North Carolina from 1920 to 1954; and founder of the Sociology Department, the School of Public Welfare, the Department of City and Regional Planning, and the Institute for Research in Social Science at the University of North Carolina. The collection documents Howard Odum's active and varied career in sociology, race relations, regional planning, Jersey cattle breeding, and several regional national boards and commissions concerned with social and economic welfare, especially during the Roosevelt administration. There is very little material concerning Odum's formal education or his early career days in Philadelphia and Atlanta. The original deposits (circa 10,000 items) are arranged in six series: 1) Correspondence, chiefly 1925-1955, concerning the origin of the School of Public Welfare at the University of North Carolina; the Commission on Interracial Cooperation, Atlanta, Ga.; and arrangements for Frances Sage Bradley of the Children's Bureau of the United States Department of Labor to teach and do field work with Odum's students. 2) Odum's speeches and writings, 1919-1954. Speeches address topics such as regionalism, education, race relations, and Southern development. Writings consist of Odum's book drafts, research notes, articles, and other material. 3) Flyers, minutes, budget reports, agendas, and related materials concerning the various organizational activities of Odum, circa 1920-1954. 4) Photocopies of newspaper clippings, flyers, articles, and announcements related to Odum's numerous activities, circa 1920-1982. 5) Various items including contracts with publishing houses, class syllabi, photocopies of newspaper clippings, awards, and membership certificates concerning Odum, his family, and employees, circa 1922-1954. 6) Photographs intended for publication in an unfinished novel by Odum, and of Odum in various settings. Additions after 1990 have added over 45,000 items similar to those in the original deposits, but expanding the date span of the collection. |
| Creator | Odum, Howard Washington, 1884-1954. |
| Language | English |
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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
Howard Washington Odum was born in 1884, on a small farm near Bethlehem, Georgia, the son of William Pleasants and Mary Ann Odum.
In 1900, Odum began his studies at Emory College, and graduated four years later. Odum then moved to Mississippi, where he taught school and attended the University of Mississippi at Oxford. He also earned a master's degree in the classics at Mississippi.
After Odum received a Ph.D. degree in psychology from Clark University, he entered Columbia University. Under the direction of Franklin Henry Giddings, Odum completed the requirements for his second doctoral degree, this one in sociology. In 1910, his dissertation, "Social and Mental Traits of the Negro," was published in part by Columbia.
Odum then worked at the Philadelphia Bureau of Municipal Research as a research expert, and later as a professor at the University of Georgia. He returned to Emory in 1919 as the dean of liberal arts.
In 1920, Odum arrived in Chapel Hill, N.C., to direct the School of Public Welfare and Department of Sociology. A few years after his arrival, Odum established the Institute for Research in Social Science, and founded the journal Social Forces . While at the University of North Carolina, he began to demonstrate the variety of talents and great energy that his peers found remarkable. Odum toiled constantly to improve race relations, the quality of education, and living conditions in the South.
During the 1920s and through the Great Depression, Odum authored three novels, served as Assistant Director of Research for President Herbert Hoover's Research Committee on Social Trends, and chaired the North Carolina Emergency Relief Administration. In addition, Odum was president of the American Sociological Society, chief of the Social Science Division of "A Century of Progress" at the Chicago World's Fair, and head of the North Carolina Commission for Interracial Cooperation.
In 1944, Odum was one of the five founding members of the Southern Regional Council. He also became president of the North Carolina Jersey Cattlemen's Association during World War II. Along with Odum's skill as organizer and social reformer, he was a prolific writer. From 1909 until his death in 1954, he wrote more than twenty books and 200 articles reflecting his concern for race relations, education, the social sciences, and regionalism.
Odum received at least three honorary degrees; the College of the Ozarks, Harvard University, and his alma mater in Georgia bestowed honors on him. He also received the O. Max Gardner Award from the University of North Carolina.
In 1909, Odum met Anna Louise Kranz. They were later married and had three children: Mary Frances, Howard Thomas, and Eugene Pleasants. Odum died 8 November 1954.
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Scope and Content
The collection documents Howard Washington Odum's active and varied career in sociology, race relations, regional planning, Jersey cattle breeding, and several regional national boards and commissions concerned with social and economic welfare, especially during the Roosevelt administration. There is very little material concerning Odum's formal education or his early career days in Philadelphia and Atlanta. The original deposits (circa 10,000 items) are arranged in six series: 1) Correspondence, chiefly 1925-1955, concerning the origin of the School of Public Welfare at the University of North Carolina; the Commission on Interracial Cooperation, Atlanta, Ga.; and arrangements for Frances Sage Bradley of the Children's Bureau of the United States Department of Labor to teach and do field work with Odum's students. 2) Odum's speeches and writings, 1919-1954. Speeches address topics such as regionalism, education, race relations, and southern development. Writings consist of Odum's book drafts, research notes, articles, and other material. 3) Flyers, minutes, budget reports, agendas, and related materials concerning the various organizational activities of Odum, circa 1920-1954. 4) Photocopies of newspaper clippings, flyers, articles, and announcements related to Odum's numerous activities, circa 1920-1982. 5) Various items including contracts with publishing houses, class syllabi, photocopies of newspaper clippings, awards, and membership certificates concerning Odum, his family, and employees, circa 1922-1954. 6) Photographs intended for publication in an unfinished novel by Odum and of Odum in various settings. Additions after 1990 have added over 45,000 items similar to those in the original deposits, but expanding the date span of the collection.
Note that voluminous material received after 1990 remains arranged as received. Researchers are advised to scan these folder lists for materials of interest.
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Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982.
Arrangement: chronological.
1908-1920. #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982."Odum's correspondence chiefly concerns the origin of the School of Public Welfare at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the Interracial Commission, Atlanta, Ga.; and arrangements for Dr. Frances Sage Bradley of the Children's Bureau of the United States Department of Labor to teach and do field work with Odum's University of North Carolina students. Scattered letters concerning publication of his work in southern periodicals. Major correspondents: Harry Woodburn Chase, University of North Carolina president; Jesse Frederick Steiner, director of the Educational Service of the Red Cross and Odum's close personal friend; Drs. Anna Rude, Julia Lathrop, and Frances Sage Bradley of the United States Department of Labor; Will W. Alexander, Commission on Interracial Cooperation; Leo Perla of the Southern Review; and Albert Bushnell Hart, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 1908-1912 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 1a1913-1918 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 1b1919 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 1c-1d1920 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 2-5Folder numbers not used #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 6-7 |
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1921. #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 6-7Correspondence is chiefly with the United States Department of Labor concerning Dr. Frances Sage Bradley's work with Odum's students, and with those involved with the Commission on Interracial Cooperation. Several items of correspondence concern the Russell Sage Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund, and the Southern Cooperative League, for which Odum served on the Organization Committee. Correspondents: Jesse F. Steiner; Judia C. Jackson Harris (about a lynching); Cameron Morrison; W. L. Poteat; John Sprunt Hill; Frederick W. Jenkins; James B. Dudley; Anna E. Rude; Frances Sage Bradley; Barry C. Smith; Mrs. John Everett; and J. E. McCulloch. 1921 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 8-11 |
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1922. #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 8-11Major topics concern the January 1923 issue of Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science , which Odum edited; the Journal of Social Forces; and city officials of Raleigh, Durham, and Greensboro about ways to link the University of North Carolina more closely to the cities and towns of the state. Lesser topics include correspondence with J. W. McCulloch on the Southern Cooperative League; and with George Ross Pou, superintendent of the North Carolina state prison system, on prison reform; and the Commission on Interracial Cooperation. Chief correspondents: Clyde King, editor of The Annals; W. W. Alexander; J. E. McCulloch; and Gerald W. Johnson, with the Greensboro Daily News. 1922 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 12-20 |
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1923. #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 12-20Correspondence chiefly concerns the Journal of Social Forces . Minor topics include traveling institutes in industrial centers in North Carolina and South Carolina and the Commission on Interracial Cooperation. Chief correspondents: W. W. Alexander, Franklin H. Giddings, Gerald W. Johnson, Dr. Worth M. Tippy, H. W. Chase, Henry E. Barnes, William Ogburn. Also four letters (written in September) from H. L. Mencken. 1923 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 21-27 |
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1924 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 21-27Correspondence mainly concerns the Journal of Social Forces. Also included are letters about traveling institutes in industrial cities of North Carolina and South Carolina; a meeting of teachers of sociology Charlotte, N.C., March 25-26; three Weil lectures given by E. A. Ross of the University of Wisconsin; a visit of Beardsley Ruml of the Rockfeller Foundation to discuss scholarships and other Odum projects; work on a five-year study on industrial social life in the South; an Institute for Research in the Social Sciences; correspondence with Gerald and Mrs. Johnson about their new house. Major correspondents: Beardsley Ruml, H. W. Chase, Frank H. Hankins, Franklin H. Giddings, W. W. Alexander, Worth M. Tippy, Gerald Johnson, Harriet Herring, Ora Latham Hatcher. Also four letters from H. L. Mencken (October and December). 1924 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 28-51Folder number 47 not used Folder numbers not used #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 52-55 |
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1925 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 52-55Chief topics are evolution, atheism, and academic freedom at the University of North Carolina. There is little about the Scopes trial, although Odum attended it, but much about the autonomy and independence of the university, the North Carolina state legislature's proposed laws banning the teaching of evolution, and essays in the Journal of Social Forces criticized as atheist and blasphemous by pastors in North Carolina. Lesser topics include the Southern Women's Educational Alliance concerning Cordelia Cox's research at the University of North Carolina on the Four County Plan and rural vocational guidance. Major correspondents: Beardsley Ruml, Frank Hankins, Harry E. Barnes, H. W. Chase, Ora Latham Hatcher, Charles E. Merriam, Sydnor H. Walker, and assorted local clergy. 1925 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 56-82Folder number not used #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 83 |
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1926 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 83Major topics are the offer of the presidency of the University of Oregon to University of North Carolina president, H. W. Chase; studies in progress at the IRSS, especially studies of Negroes financed by the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial; articles by Odum on Negro folksongs for The Country Gentleman; buying and selling of prize Jersey cows; finding someone to deliver the annual Weil lectures; the North Carolina conference of social service, "North Carolina's Social Deficit"; and the Henry Holt American Social Science Series. Major correspondents: Beardsley Ruml, E. H. Taylor, Frank A. Daly, W. C. Jackson, Moore C. Tussey, and Leonard Outhwaite. Also several letters each from H. L. Mencken, Jesse Steiner, Gerald Johnson, Sydnor Walker, Julia C. Harris, H. W. Chase, Dr. A. A. McGeachy, Rev. William P. McCorkle, Rev. Thomas F. Opie, George W. Ochs Oakes, Henry N. MacCracken, William E. Spaulding, W. W. Alexander, Henry W. Thurston, C. A. Madison, F. A. Sondley, N. E. Mullen, T. S. Cooper, Louis Round Wilson, Kate Burr Johnson, Loring A. Schuler. 1926 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 84-120 |
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1927 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 84-120Major topics are financing and staffing of School of Public Welfare and the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences, and publication of various manuscripts by Odum with Henry Holt, Bobbs-Merrill, and Houghton-Mifflin publishing houses. Books involved are American Masters of Social Science (Henry Holt, 1927); Man's Quest for Social Guidance (Henry Holt, 1927); Rainbow Round My Shoulder: The Blue Trail of Black Ulysses (Bobbs-Merrill, 1928). Odum edited a social science series for Henry Holt, the first volume of which appeared in 1927. Lesser topics are Odum's prize Jersey herd; activities of the Interracial Commission; and conferences and projects related to public welfare and the social sciences. Major correspondents: Jesse Steiner, William E. Spaulding, C. A. Madison, T. S. Cooper, D. L. Chambers, Moore C. Tussey, W. W. Alexander, Sydnor Walker. There are several letters each from Worth M. Tippy, Harry Elmer Barnes, Julia C. Harris, Louis R. Wilson, Beardsley Ruml, F. A. Daly, H. W. Chase, Gerald Johnson, Henry W. Thurston, William F. Ogburn, Paul Blanshard, H. L. Mencken, Thomas Jesse Jones, and Broadus Mitchell. 1927 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 121-156 |
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1928 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 121-156Bulk of correspondence is January-June; Odum was on leave for the rest of the year. He traveled throughout the South, gathering material for a book, and apparently did not keep copies of the letters he wrote. Major topics of correspondence include: the publication and promotion of Odum's Rainbow Round My Shoulder; the social science series Odum was editing for Henry Holt; development of the University of North Carolina's social science program--schools of public welfare and sociology, the Journal of Social Forces, and IRSS; the Social Science Research Council's study of Negro culture on St. Helena Island, SC, run by T. J. Woofter, Jr.; correspondence with bankers, newspaper editors, merchants, and others asking them for case studies of cotton farmers for an IRSS study by Rupert Vance, "Human Factors in Cotton Industry"; and some correspondence concerning J. G. de Roulhac Hamilton's attempt to start a collection of resource materials on the South (now the Southern Historical Collection). Also included are Odum's memoranda on various departments, and a list of prominent Negro leaders in the South, 1 February 1928. Major correspondents: Richard H. Thornton, D. L. Chambers, W. W. Alexander, William F. Ogburn, C. A. Madison, Gerald Johnson, Jesse F. Steiner, Julia C. Harris, L. L. Bernard, H. W. Chase, H. L. Mencken, Anne Johnston, Herschel Brickell. Also letters from George Foster Peabody, Frederic A. Ogg, Harold G. Moulton, J. G. de Roulhac Hamilton, W. T. Couch, Thomas Jesse Jones, Robert S. Lynd, Louis R. Wilson, Aaron B. Bernard, Lorine Bruette, Beardsley Ruml, Henry W. Thurston, Mrs. Chase Going Woodhouse, Daniel L. Grant, Worth M. Tippy, Broadus Mitchell, T. J. Woofter, Jr., George Shively, Sydnor H. Walker, W. Bedford Moore, Jr. 1928 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 157-182Folder number 181 not used |
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1929 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 157-182Major topics are procuring funds to publish Charles S. Johnson's study of the Negro in America, arising out of the National Interracial Conference; publication matters with Bobbs-Merrill and Henry Holt and Co.; problems of financing, staffing, and organizing the schools of social sciences at the University of North Carolina; and various committees and conferences in which Odum participated. Chief correspondents: Franklin H. Giddings, William F. Ogburn, C. A. Madison, Sydnor H. Walker, French Strother, Gerald Johnson, Richard H. Thornton, Herschel Brickell, W. W. Alexander, Robert S. Lynd, Anne Johnston, President H. W. Chase, and Mary Van Kleeck. Also letters from Jesse Steiner, Beardsley Ruml, H. L. Mencken, Oswald Garrison Villard, Worth M. Tippy, W. T. Couch, Edmund E. Day, D. L. Chambers, and 2 letters from Wilbur J. Cash - one a 5 1/2 page typed letter discussing Cash's proposed book, 13 November 1929. 1929 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 183-199 |
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1930 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 183-199Odum was at the forefront of activities in diverse areas. Those with most correspondence are the annual meeting of the American Sociological Society, of which Odum was the first southern president; President Hoover's Research Committee on Social Trends, of which Odum was assistant director; and the organization of the Southern Regional section of the Social Science Research Council. Also correspondence with Henry Holt and Bobbs-Merrill about An American Epoch and Cold Blue Moon; and some describing Mississippi Governor Bilbo's abrupt dismissal of approximately 50 members of the faculty and administrative staff of the University of Mississippi. Major correspondents: William F. Ogburn, Herschell Brickell, Robert S. Lynd, Sydnor Walker, W. W. Alexander, D. L. Chambers, Edward Eyre Hunt, Edwin B. Wilson. Also several letters each from French Strother, Franklin H. Giddings, Edmund E. Day, Wilson Gee, Arnold Bennett Hall, Anne Johnston, Jesse Steiner, Edwin R. Embree, Gerald Johnson, Benjamin B. Kendrick, President H. W. Chase, Frank Porter Graham, Maurice J. Karpf, Thomas D. Eliot, O. Max Gardner, Louis Round Wilson, Ernest R. Burgess, Malcolm Eilley, Arthur M. Schlesinger, John B. Andrews, Herbert Blumer, George Ross Pou, Leroy E. Bowman, L. L. Bernard, Edwin B. Bridges, Edward W. Ruggles, George S. Counts, Sidney P. Simpson, George Foster Peabody, George Ford Milton. 1930 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 200-246 |
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1931 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 200-246Odum spent most of this year traveling and working on committees. Correspondence deals with sales of books; the President's Research Committee on Social Trends; the social science division of the Chicago World's Fair; the Southern Committee for the Study of Lynching; and the Rockefeller Foundation financing for the North Carolina Institute for Research in the Social Sciences. Correspondents include: Edmund E. Day, William F. Ogburn, Edward Eyre Hunt, Herschel Brickell, Richard Thornton, D. L. Chambers, H. W. Chase, W. W. Alexander, Gerald Johnson, Sidney Simpson, Frank Porter Graham, George Fort Milton, Arthur Raper, Louis Round Wilson, Benjamin Kendrick, Sydnor H. Walker, Walter W. Pettit, H. L. Mencken, Robert S. Lynd, R. B. Eleazer, Rudolf A. Clemen, Inez G. Richardson, Harlean James. 1931 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 247-263 |
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1932 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 247-263Correspondence chiefly concerns Odum's three main projects: the President's Research Committee on Social Trends; exhibits for the social science division of "A Century of Progress"; and the study by the Southern Commission for the Study of Lynching. Also correspondence with Bobbs-Merrill and Henry Holt, and with friends concerning the University of Mississippi and its political involvements. Major correspondents: Benjamin B. Kendrick, W. W. Alexander, Sydnor H. Walker, William F. Ogburn, Edward Eyre Hunt, Jackson Davis, Robert T. Crane, Louis R. Wilson. Odum also corresponded with R. A. Clemen, Edmund E. Day, H. W. Chase, Douglas Griesemer, Frank P. Graham, Arhtur Raper, Helen Bennett, Herschel Brickell, Homer N. Calver, C. A. Madison, Elizabeth Burchenal, Charles W. Fitch, William A. Wiltberger, S. C. Gilfillan, H. L. Mencken, W. C. Jackson, Rudolf Modley, Edwin B. Wilson, Lucy Morgan, Gertrude Springer, N. B. Bond, O. Max Gardner, R. H. Ruffner, Jesse Daniel Ames, W. Kerr Scott. 1932 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 264-301 |
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1933 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 264-301Correspondence revolves around Odum's social welfare projects and committees, his eugenics experiments with his Jersey herd, dealings with publishers, and his departments at the University of North Carolina. Projects and committees include the organization of a study of the social implications involved in the Tennessee River Basin; organization of a Southern Regional Study; activities of the North Carolina Commission on Interracial Cooperation; and the North Carolina Civil Works Administration. Chief correspondents: Robert T. Crane, Benjamin B. Kendrick, W. W. Alexander, L. R. Reynolds, N. C. Newbold, George Fort Milton, Alan C. Collins, Louis Round Wilson, Jackson Davis, Sydnor Walker. Also letters to and from Stacy May, Harry F. Comer, L. H. Duncan, W. A. Stanbury, Arhtur Raper, W. Kerr Scott, Donald Slesinger, Helen R. Bryan, R. H. Ruffner, R. B. Eleazer, Margaret Sanger, O. J. Elder, Clarence Heer, J. A. Cotton, Jesse Steiner, Fred W. Powell, D. St. Pierre Du Bose, Lynn Copeland, Harry L. Hopkins, Charles W. Fitch, C. C. Spaulding, William Moore, Norman Y. Chambliss, several high school principals around the state, and the following members of the Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoners, concerning the "Tuscaloosa case" (a lynching): Sidney Howard, Lewis Mumford, Burton Rascoe, George S. Counts, Waldo Frank, W. E. Sapir, Malcolm Cowley, and Robert Morse Lovett. 1933 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 302-336 |
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1934 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 302-336Correspondence primarily concerns the North Carolina Commission on Interracial Cooperation, of which Odum was chair. Also represented are Odum's regional study of the South; and his confrontation with Benjamin Kendrick, Donald Davidson, and the "Nashville Group" on differing views of sectionalism and southernism. Also covered are the reorganization of the history, public administration, and political science departments at the University of North Carolina; Odum's Jersey herd; and dealings with publishers. Major correspondents: Sydnor Walker, W. W. Alexander, Benjamin B. Kendrick, L. R. Reynolds, Jackson Davis, N. C. Newbold, Louis Round Wilson, Harry Woodburn Chase, Edmund E. Day, and Robert T. Crane. Other correspondents include C. C. Spaulding, George Fort Milton, Harry L. Hopkins, Paul and Arthur Kellog, W. Kerr Scott, H. L. Mencken, David St Pierre Du Bose, Helen M. Bennett, J. C. B. Ehringhaus, J. A. Cotton, Alan C. Collins, Charles W. Eliot, Frank P. Graham, Lance G. E. Jones, F. W. Barber, William Moore, R. H. Ruffner, Donald Davidson, John D. Wade, Lynn Copeland, Stacy May, Carl Sauer, J. A. Arey, John Dewey, Bishop Paul B. Kern, Paul Green, Howard E. Jensen. 1934 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 337-361 |
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1935 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 337-361The major topic is the state interracial commission. Other topics include Odum's manuscript on southern regionalism, and the organization, staffing, and financing of Odum's various University of North Carolina departments. Major correspondents: L. R. Reynolds, N. C. Newbold, Sydnor Walker, Louis R. Wilson, Jackson Davis, T. J. Wilson, and Frank P. Graham. Also letters to and from W. W. Alexander, C. C. Spaulding, M. T. Van Hecke, Albert Coates, Carl Sauer, Rev. E. McNeill Poteat, Jr., J. C. B. Ehringhaus, George Fort Milton, Richard Thornton, Margaret M. Edwards, H. W. Chase, Benjamin B. Kendrick, Stacy May, W. C. Jackson, Edmund E. Day, R. Y. Winters, and Richard Shryock. 1935 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 362-385 |
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1936 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 362-385During this year, Odum taught second semester at the University of Illinois, withdrew as editor of Henry Holt's Social Science Series, published his work on southern regions, and spoke at various conferences around the country. Major topics of correspondence include his book, Southern Regions; a summer institute on Southern Regional Development and the Social Sciences, held at the University of North Carolina in June; a southeast regional planning group with federal and state representation; and interracial commission activities. Chief correspondents: Gerald Johnson (of special note is a 3 page typed letter, 15 June 1936, to Odum about Frank P. Graham), Donald Young, L. R. Reynolds, Jackson Davis, and Sydnor Walker. Other correspondents include Robert T. Crane, Louis R. Wilson, C. C. Spaulding, N. C. Newbold, Ernest R. Groves, Stacy May, Edmund E. Day, Richard Shryock, J. C. B. Ehringhaus, V. E. Daniel, Edwin R. Embree, Louis D. Brandeis, Lucy R. Mason, David E. Lilienthal, E. S. Draper, D. Clay Lilly, Paul Webbink, A. W. McAlister, Mrs. Spears Hicks. 1936 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 386-404 |
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1937 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 386-404During 1937, Odum was elected president of the Commission on Interracial Cooperation and member and trustee of the Julius Rosenwald Fund. He spent spring semester as visiting professor at the University of Illinois. Topics include activities of the state and regional interracial commissions; programs and financing of the IRSS; planning a North Carolina State Conference for Social Service; the Southern Regional Committee examination of region-wide coordination of research and planning; the consolidation of the University of North Carolina system; Odum and Moore's subregional study called American Regionalism; and cooperation between the University of North Carolina and Duke University. The General Education Board replaced the Rockefeller as chief financier of Odum's University of North Carolina programs. Major correspondents: Jackson Davis, Harry E. Moore, L. R. Reynolds, Frank P. Graham, Edwin Embree, Gerald Johnson, Albert R. Mann. Other correspondents include Edith Abbott, Samuel T. Emory, Edmund E. Day, Jonathan Daniels, H. F. Jenkins, Martha Elizabeth Edwards, Charles W. Eliot, Charles A. Ellwood, George Brett, Jr., W. W. Alexander, Donald Young, T. C. Morehouse, O. C. Carmichael, Wilson Gee, R. Hayne King, Leo M. Favrot, W. C. Jackson, Gertrude Weil, Clyde R. Hoey, George W. Coan, Jr., Capus Waynick, Hugh MacRae, C. C. Spaulding, Mrs. W. T. Bost, Mrs. W. B. Aycock, Chloris Kellum, John E. Pomfret, A. W. McAlister, John S. Bradway, Harvey Couch, H. C. Nixon, B. O. Williams, Edgar B. Stern Lewis Mumford, John Temple Graves II, Virginius Dabney, Richard Thornton. 1937 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 405-424 |
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1938 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 405-424During 1938, Odum corresponded with members of the Commission on Interracial Cooperation, the General Education Board, the Julius Rosenwald Fund board, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Social Science Research Council. There are also letters relating to publication of American Regionalism. Major correspondents: Will W. Alexander, O. C. Carmichael, Emily H. Clay, Jackson Davis, Edwin R. Embree, Mark Etheridge, Leo M. Favrot, Frank P. Graham, Albert R. Mann, Francis Pickens Miller, T. C. Morehouse, Arthur Raper, George M. Reynolds, Sydnor H. Walker. 1938 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 425-450 |
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1939 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 425-450During 1939, Odum corresponded with members of the Council of Interracial Cooperation, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the General Education Board, Julius Rosenwald Fund, and many publishers. Major correspondents: Will W. Alexander, Jesse Daniel Ames, O. C. Carmichael, Emily C. Cly, Virginius Dabney, Jackson Davis, Mark Etheridge, Walter Lippmann, Gilbert Loveland, Albert R. Mann, Francis Pickens Miller, Stanislav Rembski, George M. Reynolds, Lillian E. Smith, Sydnor H. Walker, W. D. Weatherford, and Louis Round Wilson. 1939 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 451-472?? |
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1940 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 451-472??During 1940, Odum corresponded with members of the Council on Interracial Cooperation, the Julius Rosenwald Fund board, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the General Education Board, the University of North Carolina faculty, and publishers. Major correspondents: Will W. Alexander, Jesse Daniel Ames, W. W. Brierley, Jackson Davis, Edwin R. Embree, E. S. Draper, Wilson Gee, Gordon Gray, Gilbert Loveland, Arthur Raper, Syndor H. Walker, W. D. Weatherford, and Louis Round Wilson. 1940 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 473-497 |
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1941 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 473-497During 1941, Odum corresponded with members of the Carnegie Corporation, the General Education Board, the Julius Rosenwald Fund board, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Council on Interracial Cooperation, the National Commission of Christians and Jews, and publishers. Major correspondents: Will W. Alexander, Jesse Daniel Ames, Arthur G. Askey, W. W. Brierley, O. C. Carmichael, Virginius Dabney, Jackson Davis, Edwin R. Embree, A. W. Gottschall, Walter A. Jessup, Albert R. Mann, A. J. Putnam, Tom J. Wilson. 1941 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 498-512 |
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1942 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 498-512During 1942, Odum corresponded with members of the General Education Board, the Carnegie Corporation, the Julius Rosenwald Fund Board, the Council on Interracial Cooperation, University faculty members, and publishers. Topics include arrangement of meetings, public lectures, distribution of funds, race relations, and the significance of teaching sociology in American life. Major correspondents: Will W. Alexander, Jesse Daniel Ames, J. Melville Broughton, Emily C. Clay, William E. Cole, Jackson Davis, W. E. B. Du Bois (1 letter), Edwin R. Embree, Wilson Gee, Frank P. Graham, Ralph McGill, Albert R. Mann, Lillian E. Smith, Jesse E. Steiner, Louis Round Wilson, Tom C. Wilson. 1942 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 513-530 |
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1943 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 513-530During 1943, Odum corresponded with members of the General Education Board, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Julius Rosenwald Fund Board, the Commission on Interracial Cooperation, the Southern Regional Council, University of North Carolina faculty and staff, and publishers. Topics include Jersey cattle breeding, race relations, sociological publications, Southern improvements and development, Gordon Blackwell, and University of North Carolina faculty affairs during World War II. Major correspondents: Will W. Alexander, Jesse Daniel Ames, J. Melville Broughton, Emily C. Clay, William E. Cole, Virginius Dabney, Jackson Davis, Edwin R. Embree, Frank P. Graham, Robert B. House, Charles S. Johnson, Gerald W. Johnson, H. S. Latham, Ralph McGill, Albert R. Mann, T. C. Morehouse, Joseph H. Willits, Louis Round Wilson. 1943 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 531-548 |
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1944 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 531-548During 1944, Odum corresponded with members of the General Education Board, the Commission on Interracial Cooperation, the Julius Rosenwald Fund Board, the Southern Regional Council, University of North Carolina faculty and staff, and publishers. Topics include race relations, African-American advances and organizations, Southern improvements, University of North Carolina faculty and staff, and Jersey cattle. Major correspondents: Will W. Alexander, Jesse Daniel Ames, J. Melville Broughton, Emily C. Clay, William E. Cole, Virginius Dabney, Jackson Davis, Edwin R. Embree, Frank P. Graham, Charles S. Johnson, Gerald W. Johnson, Guy Johnson, H. S. Latham, Ralph McGill, Albert R. Mann, T. C. Morehouse, and Henry Estill Moore. 1944 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 549-566 |
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1945-1946 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 549-566During this period, Odum corresponded with members of the Julius Rosenwald Fund, the Southern Regional Council, the General Education Board, University of North Carolina faculty and staff, and publishers. Topics include race relations, Southern improvements, sociological publications, Jersey cattle, and Governor Eugene Talmadge of Georgia. Major correspondents: Will W. Alexander, Emily C. Clay, Virginius Dabney, Frank P. Graham, Charles S. Johnson, Gerald W. Johnson, Guy Johnson, Henry B. McCurdy, Ralph McGill, Albert R. Mann, George S. Mitchell, C. A. Madison, T. C. Morehouse, and Harry S. Truman (1 letter, 1945). 1945-1946 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 563(?)-578 |
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1947-1948 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 563(?)-578During this period, Odum corresponded with members of the Julius Rosenwald Fund, the Southern Regional Council, the General Education Board, University of North Carolina faculty and staff, and publishers. Major correspondents: Edwin R. Embree, Dana H. Ferrin, Frank Porter Graham, Gerald W. Johnson, Guy S. Johnson, Hugh McCurdy, James Putnam, Flora M. Rhind, W. Kerr Scott, and Paul D. Williams. 1947-1948 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 579-591 |
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1949-1951 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 579-591During this period, Odum corresponded with members of the General Education Board, the Southern Regional Council, the Ford Foundation, University of North Carolina faculty and staff, and publishers. Topics include race relations, sociological publications, Southern improvements, Jersey cattle, reforms in North Carolina, and African-American students at the University of North Carolina. Major correspondents: Dana H. Ferrin, Frank P. Graham, Robert B. House, Gerald W. Johnson, Alfred A. Knopf, George S. Mitchell, William F. Ogburn, W. Kerr Scott, Robert L. Straker, and Paul D. Williams. 1949-1951 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 592-604 |
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1952-1953 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 592-604During this period, Odum corresponded with members of the Carnegie Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Southern Regional Council, the General Education Board, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, University of North Carolina faculty and staff, and publishers. Topics include Jersey cattle, race relations, the O. Max Gardner Award, Southern improvements, and academic freedom. Major correspondents: Dana H. Ferrin, Gordon Gray, Robert B. House, Robert M. Hutchins, Gerald W. Johnson, Alfred A. Knopf, Henry Allen Moe, W. Kerr Scott, Robert L. Straker, William B. Umstead, and Marion A. Walker. 1952-1953 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 605-620 |
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1954-1967 #03167, Series: "Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982." Folder 605-620During this period, Odum corresponded with members of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, University of North Carolina faculty and staff, the Southern Regional Council, and publishers. Odum died in 1954; much of the correspondence around the time of his death was handled by Katherine Jocher and Marjorie Tallant. Topics include race relations, integration, Odum's illness and death, and a memorial fund established in Odum's honor. Major correspondents: Dana H. Ferrin, Gordon Gray, Katherine Jocher, Robert B. House, Ralph McGill, Henry Allen Moe, The Odum family, Majorie Tallant, and William B. Umstead. 1954-1967 #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 621-624Undated #03167, Series Series 1. Correspondence, 1908-1982., Folder 625 |
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Series 2. Speeches and Writings, 1919-1954.
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Subseries 2.1. Speeches, 1919-1954.
Arrangement: chronological.
Speeches, flyers, lecture notes, drafts, programs, and other related material presented by H. W. Odum. Topics include regionalism, education, race relations, planning, the social sciences, and Southern development and growth. Unless otherwise stated all copies of the speeches are typed, carbon copies.
| Folder 626 |
#03167, Subseries: "Subseries 2.1. Speeches, 1919-1954." Folder 626"The New Southern Attitude," speech at NAACP meeting, circa 1919 "Part of the opening address of the first official meeting of The Educational Association of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South," 4-6 March 1919, by H. W. Odum ? (speech) Third Annual Institute of Public Welfare, 10-21 July 1923 (preliminary program only) University of North Carolina University Lectures, 1 Nov. 1926 (program only) Southern Book Exposition, 18 March 1929 (program only) |
| Folder 627 |
#03167, Subseries: "Subseries 2.1. Speeches, 1919-1954." Folder 627Presidential Address of the American Sociological Society, 30 Dec. 1930 (flyer only) Education and Racial Adjustment: "Sociology and Race," 21 July 1931 (program only) Institute of Public Affairs, "A Regional Approach to Social Planning," 26 July 1934 (program only) "A More Abundant Life Through Better Race Relations," Oct. 1934 (typed copy of excerpts of talk) |
| Folder 628 |
#03167, Subseries: "Subseries 2.1. Speeches, 1919-1954." Folder 628Problems of the Cotton Economy: "Cotton and Diversification," 8 March 1935 (published speech with discussion) The Alpha of Virginia Phi Beta Kappa, 5 Dec. 1935 (program only) "Comments for the Executive Committee of Association of Schools of Social Work," 8 June 1936 (speech) Preliminary Program of the First National Conference on Educational Broadcasting, "Implications of Radio as a Social and Educational Phenomenon," 11 Dec. 1936 (program only) Nineteenth Triennial Council the United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa, "Research and Reality," 9 Sept. 1937 (program only) Twentieth Annual Meeting of the American Dieletic Association, "Sources of New Vitality for the People," 18 Oct. 1937 (program only) |
| Folder 629 |
#03167, Subseries: "Subseries 2.1. Speeches, 1919-1954." Folder 629"The Promise of Graduate and Research Work in the South," 4 Feb. 1938 (speech and program) Regional Sociology, 8, 17 Feb. 1938 (program) Suggested range of discussion topics for the University Broadcasting Council, 4 Sept. 1938 (speech) "Social Sciences in the College Curriculum," 21 October 1938 (speech and program) "Toward a Balanced Regional and National Economy," 17 Nov. 1938 (speech and program) "The Promise and Prospect of the South," 2 Dec. 1938 (speech) |
| Folder 630 |
#03167, Subseries: "Subseries 2.1. Speeches, 1919-1954." Folder 630"The South as Testing Ground for the Regional Approach to Public Health and Public Welfare," 13 Feb. 1939 (speech and program) Untitled speech on American Regionalism, 25 March 1939 (typed copy with handwritten margin notes) "Facing Our Social Problems," 31 March 1939 (copy, revised copy of the speech, and program) "Notes and Abstract Basic to `Cultural Elements Differentiating the South from Other Regions," 17 April 1939 "Next Steps in Patterns of Resource Utilization in the South," 18 April 1939 |
| Folder 631 |
#03167, Subseries: "Subseries 2.1. Speeches, 1919-1954." Folder 631"Presentation for Forum Discussion on 'American Folk Songs in Music Education'" 7-9 June 1939 "Of a Closer Cooperation Between the Physical Sciences and the Social Sciences," 22 June 1939 (two copies of speech draft) "Social Frontiers," 7-8 July 1939 (speech, program, and flyer) |
| Folder 632 |
#03167, Subseries: "Subseries 2.1. Speeches, 1919-1954." Folder 632"The South at Its Best," 5 April 1940 (copy of speech) "Education in the Secondary Schools of the South," 10 April 1940 (speech and abstract of discussion) Working ? concerning speeches, April-May 1940 Baccalaureate Address, Mississippi State College for Women, 3 June 1940 (only two commencement programs) "The Relation of Church and State in the United States," 4 Dec. 1940 (speech) "Southern Resources and Potentialities," 5 Dec. 1940 (speech) "The Sociologist Looks at Contemporary Society," 9 Dec. 1940 (copy of notes) "The Flora" 1940? (speech) |
| Folder 633 |
#03167, Subseries: "Subseries 2.1. Speeches, 1919-1954." Folder 633"Abstract of Talk on Regional Planning," 18 Feb. 1941 (abstract) "The Philosophy of Regionalism," 21 April 1941(announcement only) "Agricultural Trend of the Nation and the Negroes' Part in the Trend," 5 Sept. 1941 (program only) "How Can the Schools Meet the Needs of the Children and Community in this Present Emergency," 19 Feb. 1942 (program only) "For Davidson speech," Feb. 1942 (speech) A Sociologist Looks at Contemporary Civilization, Lecture II, "America at Work: Symbol and Reality," 29 April 1942 (speech and program) "A Sociological Approach to Regionalism," 1 May 1942 (program only) Lecture III, "American Defense Strategy: Maintaining Balance Between Human Culture and War-Time Civilization," 18 May 1942 (speech and program) Address at dinner at University of Washington, 22 May 1942 (program only) "A Philosophy in the Crisis" 26 May 1942 (flyer only) |
| Folder 634 |
#03167, Subseries: "Subseries 2.1. Speeches, 1919-1954." Folder 634"Presenting the Chancellors of the University," 18 Feb. 1944 (speech) "Social Morale in an Age of Science," 4 Dec. 1945 (speech) "Southern Regions of the United States: A Regional Approach to National Crisis," 29 Oct. 1948 (speech) |
| Folder 635 |
#03167, Subseries: "Subseries 2.1. Speeches, 1919-1954." Folder 635"Literature of the South: an exchange of views," 21 April 1950 (printed copy of speech, 1953) "The Social and Non-Political Implications of Governor Scott's Program," 19 Sept. 1951 (typed copy of speech) "The Social Scientist Looks at Public Health," 18 March 1952 (speech) |
| Folder 636 |
#03167, Subseries: "Subseries 2.1. Speeches, 1919-1954." Folder 636"Symbol and Reality of Consolidation," 22 March 1953 (printed and typed copy of speech, and dinner eating list for the O. Max Gardner Award presentation) "A Clear Vision for North Carolina," 5 May 1953 (speech and program) "The State University: Its Renewal and Mission," circa 1953 (speech) [Untitled], 1 May 1954 (speech) |
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Subseries 2.2. Writings, 1913-1954
Arrangement: Minor writings arranged chronologically and substantial writings arranged alphabetically by title.
Articles, book drafts, research notes, and related materials which appear to be written or compiled by Odum for publication purposes. This subseries is divided into two sections. The first section contains minor writings arranged in chronological order. The second section is material related to books and monographs penned by Odum. Items of note in the second section include large monograph drafts which may have never been published, such as "American Picture" and "American Road," or were published in part under another title. Also noteworthy, are the clippings, pictures, and notes concerning "White Sands of Bethlehem." This novel was an ongoing project for Odum, from 1925 until his death, that never reached the presses.
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Series 3. Organizational Material, circa 1920-1954.
Arrangement: alphabetical by organization.
Flyers, minutes, budget reports, agendas, and related materials concerning the various organizational activities of Odum. These items reflect Odum's interest in social work, race relations, and education. Of special note are the confidential reports on lynching found in the papers of the Commission on Interracial Co-operation (folders 748-755) and the Southern Regional Council (folder 808). Items related to Odum and Jersey cattle breeding may be found in Series 4 (folders 818-819).
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Series 4. Materials About H. W. Odum and His Work, circa 1920-1982.
Arrangement: by subject.
Photocopies of newspaper clippings, flyers, articles, clippings, and announcements related to the numerous activities of H. W. Odum. The majority of this material concerns Odum's publications with the reviews arranged generally by order of the book reviewed. Noteworthy items include the death notices which give a great deal of information on Odum's accomplishements.
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Series 5. Other Material, circa 1922-1955.
Arrangement: by subject.
Various items including contracts with publishing houses, class syllabi, photocopies of newspaper clippings, awards, and membership certificates concerning H. W. Odum, his family friends, and employees. Although most of the material is related to Odum's numerous interests. The items in folders 836-840 are a representative sample of material saved by Odum, but thought not for the intention of using them as sources for publication.
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Series 6. Pictures, circa 1915-1954.
Pictures related to Odum's unfinished novel, "White Sands of Bethlehem," and of Odum in various settings. The images concerning the novel include Afro-Americans, their homes and churches, as well as whites in rural settings. The photos appear to have been taken from 1915 to 1935. The other pictures are portrait photographs of Odum, and show him at work or with his family. For relevant material related to the photos of Red Cross (P-3167-A/458-472) see folder 817.
| Folder P-3167-A/421-448 |
"White Sands of Bethlehem" #03167, Series: "Series 6. Pictures, circa 1915-1954." Folder P-3167-A/421-448P-3167-A/421P-3167-A/422P-3167-A/423P-3167-A/424P-3167-A/425P-3167-A/426P-3167-A/427P-3167-A/428P-3167-A/429P-3167-A/430P-3167-A/431P-3167-A/432P-3167-A/433P-3167-A/434P-3167-A/435P-3167-A/436P-3167-A/437P-3167-A/438P-3167-A/439P-3167-A/440P-3167-A/441P-3167-A/442P-3167-A/443P-3167-A/444P-3167-A/445P-3167-A/446P-3167-A/447P-3167-A/448 |
| Folder P-3167-A/449-472 |
Other pictures #03167, Series: "Series 6. Pictures, circa 1915-1954." Folder P-3167-A/449-472P-3167-A/449P-3167-A/450P-3167-A/451P-3167-A/452P-3167-A/453P-3167-A/454P-3167-A/455P-3167-A/456P-3167-A/457P-3167-A/458P-3167-A/459P-3167-A/460P-3167-A/461P-3167-A/462P-3167-A/463P-3167-A/464P-3167-A/465P-3167-A/466P-3167-A/467P-3167-A/468P-3167-A/469P-3167-A/470P-3167-A/471P-3167-A/472 |
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Additions after 1990
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Additions of February 1991 (Acc. 91039) and June 1993 (Acc. 93093).
Arrangement: Folder labels appear largely as assigned by Odum. There has been some checking of contents against folder labels, but, because materials are largely unprocessed, researchers should be aware that folder labels may not always comprehensively reflect folder contents. Researchers should also be aware that dates are often duplicated from folder to folder and that letters to and from correspondents with individual folders may appear in general alphabetical folders (e.g., there will be Burr Blackburn letters in the 1924 Burr Blackburn folder, but there may be additional Burr Blackburn letters in the 1924 B: General folder.)