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HARDING, VINCENT. Vincent Harding Papers, 1952-2014

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HARDING, VINCENT. Vincent Harding Papers, 1952-2014 HARDING, VINCENT. Vincent Harding papers, 1952-2014 Emory University Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library Atlanta, GA 30322 404-727-6887 [email protected] Collection Stored Off-Site All or portions of this collection are housed off-site. Materials can still be requested but researchers should expect a delay of up to two business days for retrieval. Descriptive Summary Creator: Harding, Vincent. Title: Vincent Harding papers, 1952-2014 Call Number: Manuscript Collection No. 868 Extent: 211.5 linear feet (242 boxes), 1 oversized papers box (OP), AV Masters: 10.25 linear ft. (11 boxes and CLP3), and 14.4 GB born digital material (2,084 files) Abstract: Papers of African American historian and civil rights activist Vincent Harding documenting his work in Atlanta, Georgia, with the Mennonite Church, Spelman College, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center; and the Institute of the Black World. Language: Materials entirely in English. Administrative Information Restrictions on access Special restrictions apply: Collection stored off-site. Researchers must contact the Rose Library in advance to access this material. Use copies have not been made for audiovisual material in this collection. Researchers must contact the Rose Library at least two weeks in advance for access to these items. Collection restrictions, copyright limitations, or technical complications may hinder the Rose Library's ability to provide access to audiovisual material. Access to processed born digital materials is only available in the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library (the Rose Library). Use of the original digital media is restricted. Emory Libraries provides copies of its finding aids for use only in research and private study. Copies supplied may not be copied for others or otherwise distributed without prior consent of the holding repository. Vincent Harding papers, 1952-2014 Manuscript Collection No. 868 Terms Governing Use and Reproduction All requests subject to limitations noted in departmental policies on reproduction. Source Purchase, 2000, with subsequent additions. Citation [after identification of item(s)], Vincent Harding papers, Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University. Processing Processed by Pat Clark, September 9, 2003. Born digital materials processed, arranged, and described by Zhexiong Liu and Brenna Edwards, 2019 to 2020. Born digital materials include files taken from 146 3.5" floppy disks, four Zip disks, two optical discs, and one external hard drive. For information as to how these materials were processed, see the processing note in the description of series 11, Born digital material. This finding aid may include language that is offensive or harmful. Please refer to the Rose Library's harmful language statement for more information about why such language may appear and ongoing efforts to remediate racist, ableist, sexist, homophobic, euphemistic and other oppressive language. If you are concerned about language used in this finding aid, please contact us at [email protected]. Collection Description Biographical Note Vincent Gordon Harding was born in New York City in 1931 and grew up in Harlem and the Bronx. He attended New York City public schools and graduated in History from the City College of New York in 1952. He earned an MS degree in journalism at Columbia University in 1953. After two years in the Army (1953-1955), Harding lived in Chicago for six years, serving as lay minister in churches on Chicago's South Side and working on graduate studies at the University of Chicago. Harding married Rosemarie Freeney in 1960, and they spent four years as workers in the freedom movement, assisting the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and Congress of Racial Equality throughout the South. During the years from 1961-1964, they were supported by the Service Committee of the Mennonite Church as they headed an interracial work project, The Mennonite House in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1964 Harding returned to Chicago to complete his doctorate degree in History, which he accomplished in 1965. In the spring of 1965, Vincent Harding returned to Atlanta to chair the History and Sociology Department at Spelman College (1964-1969). During his last year at Spelman, Harding also worked to help organize the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center, including the Library- Documentation Project and the Institute of the Black World. In 1970 when the Institute became an independent entity, Harding's relationship to the King Center ended and he became director of the Institute. He remained with the Institute until 1974. 2 Vincent Harding papers, 1952-2014 Manuscript Collection No. 868 In 1981 Harding was appointed professor at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. Scope and Content Note The collection consists of the papers of Vincent Harding from 1952-2014. The papers document Harding's work with the Mennonite Church, Spelman College, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center; the Institute of the Black World, subject files, writings, printed materials and personal papers. The bulk of the collection includes papers from Harding's years in Atlanta, Georgia (1966-1974). The largest part of the collection consists of papers of The Institute of the Black World (1968-1974), which Harding directed from its inception as a component of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center (1969) through its early years as an independent organization (1970-1974). Included in the papers of the Institute is correspondence, including general correspondence (1968-1974) and a large number of inter-office and committee memoranda. These papers also include files documenting Harding's teaching career at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia (1966-1969); his tenure as the first director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center and the Library Documentation Project at the Center from 1968-1970 and his work with the Mennonite Church from 1968-1970. There are also extensive files of printed materials in various formats indicating a wide interest in a variety of topics. In the subject files there is evidence of his commitment to establishing programs relating to African American curricula in colleges and universities (1960s). There is also evidence of his interest and participation in many national efforts and organizations relating to African American causes. The writings in the Harding papers include drafts of many of Harding's articles and speeches as well as the typescript of his dissertation on Lyman Beecher (1965). Harding kept voluminous notes, outlines and lists on various aspects of his work, and many of those notes are included. He also kept typescripts, photocopies, and reprints of the works of large numbers of individuals, and those materials are also present. Arrangement Note Organized into eleven series: (1) The Mennonite Church, (2) Spelman College, (3) The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center, (4) The Institute of the Black World, (5) Subject files, (6) Writings, (7) Printed materials, (8) Photographs, (9) Personal papers, (10) Audiovisual, (11) Born digital material, and (12) Unprocessed additions. 3 Vincent Harding papers, 1952-2014 Manuscript Collection No. 868 Description of Series Series 1: Mennonite Church, 1958-1970 Series 2: Spelman College, 1966-1969 Series 3: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center, 1968-1970 Series 4: The Institute Of The Black World, 1968-1974 Subseries 4.1: Office files, Subseries 4.2: Program /Project files, Subseries 4.3: Miscellaneous files, Series 5: Subject files, 1966-1974 Series 6: Writings, 1956-1973 Subseries 6.1: Writings by Vincent Harding, Subseries 6.2: Writings of others, Series 7: Printed materials, ca. 1960-1974 Series 8: Photographs, 1953-1972 Series 9: Personal papers, 1952-1973 Series 10: Audiovisual, 1973, 2012 Series 11: Born digital material, 1995-2005 Series 12: Unprocessed additions, 1968-2014 4 Vincent Harding papers, 1952-2014 Manuscript Collection No. 868 Series 1 Mennonite Church, 1958-1970 Boxes 1 - 3 Scope and Content Note This series is comprised of small amounts of correspondence and miscellaneous files. The correspondence dates from 1958-1970 and relates to speaking engagements, conferences, and various responsibilities and affairs of the Mennonite Church. Miscellaneous files (1959-1970) consist of reports from various Mennonite groups involved in retreats, mission projects, and conferences; agendas and minutes; and a small amount of printed materials, including programs, newsletters, and clippings. Arrangement Note Arranged in chronological order. Correspondence Box Folder Content 1 1 1958-1962 1 2 1963 January-September 1 3 1963 October-December 1 4 1964 January 1 5 1964 February-March 1 6 1964 April-May 1 7 1964 June-December 1 8 1965-1966 1 9 1967 1 10 1968-1970 and undated Miscellaneous files 2 1 Report of the Dean, Senior Young People's Retreat, 20-26 July 1959 2 2 The Montgomery Improvement Association, Inc., 1960-1961 2 3 Mennonite Central Committee, newsletters and typescript of suggested introduction of Vincent and Rosemarie Harding, 1961-1967 2 4 Eastern Mennonite College, speech and correspondence, 1962 2 5 National Council on Religion in Higher Education, 1962 2 6 Clippings, 1962-1965 2 7 National Conference on Race and Religion, Program, Chicago, 14-17 January 1963 2 8 Fairfield Mennonite Church, membership list, 5 August 1963 2 9 Ecumenical Institute, Chicago, "A Pilot Project Dealing with the Structures and Dynamics of the Local
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