About the North Carolina Collection Biographical Index

The North Carolina Collection Biographical Index contains citations to biographical sketches about North Carolinians. Over five hundred volumes, primarily from the North Carolina Collection and other libraries at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, have been indexed to date.

To obtain copies of the biographical information cited in the database, ask at your local library for information about borrowing the volumes you need through interlibrary loan. Many of the titles indexed for this database will be readily available in public and college libraries throughout North Carolina. If you have difficulty locating the title you need, or if you have any questions, please contact the North Carolina Collection at nccref@unc.edu.

How to Search the Database

Users can enter as much or as little information as they have into the search fields. Because the entries were taken from multiple sources, the same person may appear under different versions of his or her name. For example, Zebulon Vance appears as "Vance, Zebulon," "Vance, Zeb," and "Vance, Z.B." Users are encouraged to truncate names when possible. A search for "Vance, Z" will retrieve all entries under the last name "Vance" and beginning with the first initial "Z".

To search for entries with a portrait of the individual, check the "Portrait" box. This will limit your search to only those entries for which a portrait is included with the biographical sketch. Please note that staff members have not yet entered all of the portrait information for the books that have been indexed.

To search for all entries in a specific title, enter only the source number and click "submit." The source number appears in each result, and is listed in the complete list of sources, which users may view by clicking on "Show all sources."

What the Index Contains

To view a list of the titles indexed for this database, click on "Show All Sources" on the search screen. North Carolina Collection staff members have tried to identify and index all sources containing biographical sketches of North Carolinians. The North Carolina Collection is continuing to index books for this database. If you would like to suggest a title to include, please contact the North Carolina Collection at nccref@unc.edu.

Image Citations for Photographs on the North Carolina Collection Biographical Index search screen:

Top row (left to right):

"Dr. Edward Caldwell." In History of the American Negro, ed. A.B. Caldwell. Volume IV, North Carolina Edition. Atlanta: A.B. Caldwell, 1921. North Carolina Collection.

Bertha Moore, Macon County, ca. 1911. North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 578-NC.

Wooley Conley, ca. 1895. North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 399-NC

Ivan C. Yagel. North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 81-813.

Mary Lindsay Thornton. North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 82-4.

Paul C. Cameron and family, 30 April 1890. North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 86-67.

"John C. Dancy." In Evidences of Progress Among Colored People, G.F. Richings. Philadelphia: G. S. Ferguson, 1902. North Carolina Collection.

William S. Powell. North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 86-245.

Bottom row (left to right):

Angela Avizonis. North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 86-35.

Tom Dunston. North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 77-913.

Edward Kidder Graham. North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 86-708.

"George Edward Davis and Family." In History of the American Negro, ed. A.B. Caldwell. Volume IV, North Carolina Edition. Atlanta: A.B. Caldwell, 1921. North Carolina Collection.

Howard Washington Odum. North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 86-800.

Sylvester Brown Shepherd. North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 83-393.

Katherine Sloan Graham (mother of Frank Porter Graham). North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 753-NC.

Zebulon Vance. North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 83-235.

Viola Phillips, ca. 1910. North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 405-NC