Don Shoemaker Papers Inventory (#4968)

Manuscripts Department, 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/

Processed by

Aletha Andrew

Date Completed

April 2000

Encoded by

Aletha Andrew

Revisions:

Finding aid updated in May 2002 by Linda Sellars.

Descriptive Summary Including Abstract

Title

Don Shoemaker Papers (#4968) 1937-1998

Creator

Shoemaker, Don, 1912-1998

Extent

About 3,000 items (7.5 linear feet)

Repository

Southern Historical Collection

Abstract

Don Shoemaker (1912-1998), journalist and civic leader, received his A.B. in journalism from the University of North Carolina in 1934. The collection includes correspondence, writings, and other materials chiefly documenting his career as a journalist and his work with the Southern Education Report Service (SERS), a news service dedicated to impartial and nationwide reporting on the progress of school desegregation. Materials, 1937-1955, from his tenure in Asheville, N.C., include personal and professional correspondence relating to his work at the Asheville Times and the Asheville Citizen and with the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Association; writings; and clippings. Materials, 1954-1959, from his tenure in Nashville, Tenn., include correspondence, speeches and articles, clippings, and other items from Shoemaker's tenure, 1955-1958, as executive director of SERS. Materials, 1958-1998, include correspondence, writings, and clippings relating to Shoemaker's work as editor of the Miami Herald, as well as to his involvement in many civic and political concerns of Miami, Fla., and the Dade County area. Also included are a few photographs. The addition of October 2000 contains correspondence with, writings of, photographs of, and other material relating to poet Carl Sandburg, who was a neighbor and friend in western North Carolina.

Administrative Information

Access

No restrictions.

Usage Restrictions

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

Provenance

Received from Suzanne Shoemaker of Miami, Fla., in January 1999 (Acc. 98286) and Elizabeth Shoemaker of Morehead City, N.C., in May 1999 (Acc. 98323) and October 2000 (Acc. 98773, 98774).

Online Catalog Terms

American newspapers--Southern States.

Asheville (N.C.)--History.

Asheville citizen (Asheville, N.C.).

Asheville times (Asheville, N.C.).

Education--Southern States.

Journalism--Southern States.

Journalists--Southern States--History.

Miami (Fla.)--History.

Miami herald (Miami, Fla.).

Newspaper editors--Southern States.

School integration--Southern States.

Segregation in education--Southern States.

Shoemaker, Don, 1912-1998.

Southern Education Reporting Service.

Southern States--Social life and customs.

Thomas Wolfe Memorial Association.

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

Sandburg, Carl, 1878-1967.

Biographical Note

Don Shoemaker, journalist, newspaper editor, and civic leader, was born to American parents in Montreal, Canada, on 6 December 1912. He was married to Lyal Reynolds from 1937 to 1968, and , after her death, to Suzanne Statler, from 1969 until his death in 1998. He received his A.B. from the University of North Carolina as a journalism major in 1934 and a Litt.D. from Hollywood College.

Shoemaker began his newspaper career as telegraph editor for the Greensboro Record, but moved to the Asheville Times in 1937, then to the Asheville Citizen in 1941. There he was associate editor until 1947, when he was made editor. Shoemaker continued as editor of the Asheville Citizen until 1955, when he was made executive director of the Ford Foundation-sponsored Southern Education Reporting Service (SERS), based in Nashville, Tenn. This organization coordinated impartial and comprehensive reporting on the progress of school desegregation throughout the South. A newsletter, Southern School News, was published monthly for national distribution.

In 1958, Don Shoemaker left SERS, to re-enter newspaper work as editorial page editor of the Miami Herald, part of Knight Newspapers, Inc. He served as editor of the Herald from 1962 until 1978. After 20 active years at the Herald, Shoemaker retired in 1978, though he continued to write almost until his death.

Shoemaker's career was highlighted by his intense involvement in the civic life of Asheville and Miami. He served as president of the Buncombe County Community Chest. He was also the first chair of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Association and received the 1950 Cannon Award from the North Carolina Society for the Preservation of Antiquities as a result of his work in helping to buy the Wolfe house for restoration. Shoemaker was involved with several community development and educational projects in Miami, including Seadade, Operation Amigo, the Florida Education Council, and the Florida Council of 100. He was also active in the National Conference of Christians and Jews in both Asheville and Miami.

Shoemaker made several trips to the Middle East, Spain, Greece, and Central and South America, sending back reports, some of which were collected into separate publications, such as Middle East Journey and Spanish Diary. He also edited a collection of essays by SERS reporters, entitled With All Deliberate Speed (1957) and The Case of The Lively Ghost (1957).

Shoemaker was inducted into the Journalism Hall of Fame at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on 22 April 1982. He died in Miami, Fla., on 5 November 1998.

Collection Overview

Correspondence, writings, and other materials of Don Shoemaker, chiefly documenting his career as a journalist and his work with the Southern Education Report Service (SERS), a news service dedicated to impartial and nationwide reporting on the progress of school desegregation. Materials, 1937-1955, from his tenure in Asheville, N.C., include personal and professional correspondence relating to his work at the Asheville Times and the Asheville Citizen and with the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Association; writings; and clippings. Materials, 1954-1959, from his tenure in Nashville, Tenn., include correspondence, speeches and articles, clippings, and other items from Shoemaker's tenure, 1955-1958, as executive director of SERS. Materials, 1958-1998, include correspondence, writings, and clippings relating to Shoemaker's work as editor of the Miami Herald, as well as to his involvement in many civic and political concerns of Miami, Fla., and the Dade County area. Also included are a few photographs.

The addition of October 2000 contains correspondence with, writings of, photographs of, and other material relating to poet Carl Sandburg, who was a neighbor and friend in western North Carolina.

Organization of Collection

1. Asheville, N.C.
1.1. Correspondence
1.2. Writings
1.3. Clippings and Other Printed Material
2. Nashville, Tenn.
2.1. Correspondence
2.2. Writings
2.3. Clippings and Other Printed Material
3. Miami, Fla.
3.1. Correspondence
3.2. Writings
3.3. Clippings and Other Printed Material
4. Pictures
5. Carl Sandburg Material (Addition of October 2000. Acc. 98773, 98774)

Series Descriptions

Items Separated

Items separated include pictures (P-4968); oversize pictures (OP-P-4968); oversize papers (OP-4968.A/1 and OP-4968.B/1-3); oversize clippings (OP-4968/4); oversize volumes (V-4968/S2-3); and three museum items transferred to the North Carolina Collection Gallery, including two award plaques and a silver award cup (WL.22.1-3).