Inventory of the Tom H. Ray Papers, 1973-1996

Collection Number 5092-z

Manuscripts Department, University Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Contact Information:

Manuscripts Department

CB#3926, Wilson Library

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 27514-8890

Phone: 919/962-1345

Fax: 919/962-3594

Email: mss@email.unc.edu

URL: http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/

Descriptive Summary

Repository

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.

Creator

Ray, Tom H.

Title

Tom H. Ray Papers, 1973-1996

Call Number

5092-z

Language of Materials

Materials in English

Extent

Items: About 120

Administrative Information

Restrictions to Access

Use of audio materials may require production of listening copies.

Acquisitions Information

Received from Tom H. Ray in April 2002 (Acc. 99229) and January 2003 (Acc. 99397).

Processing Information

Processed by: Jackie Dean, June 2006

Encoded by: Jackie Dean, June 2006

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], in the Tom H. Ray Papers #5092-z, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Copyright Notice

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Online Catalog Headings

These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.

Bayes, Ronald H., 1932-

Beam, Jeffery, 1953-

Liner, Amon.

Poets, American--Correspondence.

Poets, American--North Carolina--20th century.

Ray, Tom H.

Williams, Jonathan, 1929-

Related Collections

Ronald H. Bayes Papers (#4949)
Jeffery Beam Papers (#4888)

Biographical Note

Tom H. Ray graduated with honors in writing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1972. He recieved his Masters degree in Library Science from North Carolina Central University in 1972. He has held positions at McNeese State University (Lake Charles, La.), Princeton Theological Seminary (Princeton, N.J.), and, Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, La.) As of 2006, Ray is the Collections Management Coordinator at the Library of Virginia in Richmond, Va., and an adjunct faculty member for Catholic University. Since the early 1990s Ray has been an avid collector of American outsider art, most by African-American artists.

Biographical Statement by Tom H. Ray, June 2006

I am the third of four related Tommie Rays born in Wake or Durham County between 1890 and 1960. My father was a Ray, my mother's mother was a Ray and my mother's father's mother was a Ray. Few Rays have ventured far from the Stony Hill area of Wake County since the late 1700s but I was a military brat. I attended high school near Cambridge (England) and was accepted to UNC-CH in 1968. I lived in Chapel Hill until 1982.

I graduated with honors in writing from UNC in 1972. I earned an MLS degree from NC Central in 1982. I am currently the Collections Management Coordinator at the Library of Virginia (Richmond, Va.) and an adjunct faculty member for Catholic University. I previously held positions at McNeese State University (Lake Charles, La.), Princeton Theological Seminary (Princeton, N.J.), and, Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, La.).

Since the early 1990s I've been an avid collector of American outsider art, most by African-American artists. Though I must admit one of my most prized possessions is a white silk dinner jacket made for "Nicholas Romanoff". It came in very handy when I was Czar of Cataloging here at the Library.

I "came of age" in the Chapel Hill of the late '60s and early '70s coached and coaxed and coerced by the likes of Carolyn Kizer, Reynolds Price, Ron Bayes, Jonathan Williams and all the poets who visited the university during those years. Janis Joplin admonished us in those days to "get it while you can." I certainly tried. And I still do.

Collection Overview

The collection is chiefly postcards and other materials sent to Tom H. Ray by North Carolina poets Ronald H. Bayes, Jeffery Beam, and Jonathan Williams. There are also photographs of Bayes, Beam, and Williams; several letters from Williams to Ray; a 1978 audio cassette of poet Amon Liner reading; and other items.

Items Separated

Audiocassette (C-5092/1)
Pictures (P-5092/1)

Detailed Description of the Collection