Guardians of Historical Knowledge: Textbook Politics, Conservative Activism, and School Reform in Mississippi, 1928-1982
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Mississippi State University Scholars Junction Theses and Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 1-1-2014 Guardians of Historical Knowledge: Textbook Politics, Conservative Activism, and School Reform in Mississippi, 1928-1982 Kevin Boland Johnson Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td Recommended Citation Johnson, Kevin Boland, "Guardians of Historical Knowledge: Textbook Politics, Conservative Activism, and School Reform in Mississippi, 1928-1982" (2014). Theses and Dissertations. 2456. https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/2456 This Dissertation - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Scholars Junction. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholars Junction. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Template Created By: Damen Peterson 2009, Modified by James Nail 2013 Guardians of historical knowledge: textbook politics, conservative activism, and school reform in Mississippi, 1928-1982 By Kevin Boland Johnson A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Mississippi State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History in the Department of History Mississippi State, Mississippi May 2014 Copyright by Kevin Boland Johnson 2014 Guardians of historical knowledge: textbook politics, conservative activism, and school reform in Mississippi, 1928-1982 By Kevin Boland Johnson Approved: ____________________________________ Jason Morgan Ward (Major Professor) ____________________________________ Richard V. Damms (Minor Professor) ____________________________________ Alison Collis Greene (Committee Member) ____________________________________ Michael Williams (Committee Member) ____________________________________ Mark Hersey (Graduate Coordinator) ____________________________________ R. Gregory Dunaway Professor and Dean College of Arts & Sciences Name: Kevin Boland Johnson Date of Degree: May 17, 2014 Institution: Mississippi State University Major Field: History Major Professor: Jason Morgan Ward Title of Study: Guardians of historical knowledge: textbook politics, conservative activism, and school reform in Mississippi, 1928-1982 Pages in Study: 326 Candidate for Degree of Doctor of Philosophy This project examines the role cultural transmission of historical myths plays in power relationships and identity formation through a study of the Mississippi textbook regulatory agency and various civic organizations that shaped education policy in addition to textbook content. A study of massive resistance to integration, my project focuses on the anticommunism and conservative ideology of grassroots segregationists. Civic-patriotic societies such as the Daughters of the American Revolution, the American Legion, and Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation formed as the major alliance affecting the state’s education system in the post-World War II era. Once the state department of education centralized its services in the late 1930s and early 1940s, civic club reformers guarded against integrationist and multicultural content found in textbooks, deeming both as subversive and communistic. From the early 1950s through the 1970s, Mississippi’s ardent segregationists and anticommunists shaped education policy by effective state- level lobbying and grassroots activism. I demonstrate that the civic clubs had more influence in the state legislature than did the upstart Citizens’ Council movement. In addition, I show that once social studies standards emphasizing God, country, and Protestant Christianity became codified in state education policy, it became ever more difficult for other reformers, namely James W. Loewen and Charles Sallis, to dislodge and alter those standards. Through numerous legal cases, DAR and Farm Bureau ephemera, and state superintendent of education files, this work argues that the civic clubs played an integral role in defense of white supremacy—a role that has been underemphasized in the existing literature on massive resistance. DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this work to two my very close and dear friends, Karen Aki Senaga and Scott George Pujol, because without their encouragement this project could not have been possible. The past four years that I have known and been close to Karen—a fellow graduate student—have been without a doubt the happiest time of my life, while in the past twenty years Scott has remained as my very best friend and closest confidant. When one receives unwavering support from people close to you, then good things are possible, and my two dear friends remained by my side. Karen has provided unflinching support and encouragement while also offering incisive wit and criticism of my work. Scott has never hesitated to listen to my trepidation and provide good vittles and kind spirits for a weary “professional” student. Karen and Scott, this dissertation is for you! ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful for the guidance of my committee members, Professors Jason Morgan Ward, Alison Collis Greene, Richard V. Damms, and Michael Williams, all of whom provided me with suggestions and criticism that has made this dissertation a much better piece of historical scholarship. In particular, Jason Morgan Ward has been an outstanding major professor, and his role in that capacity began in August of 2008 when we met briefly at a pre-semester party at our department chair’s house. I explained my research interests and he spoke about his book manuscript. From that moment forward, I recognized that I wanted to work with Jason during my graduate career. Since our initial meeting, he has pushed me when I needed a nudge, and left me alone when I became unbearably busy. Unlike other major professors at large research universities, Jason has always been available when I needed advice. A few other scholars have guided my career as an aspiring historian. First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge the role played by my department chair, Alan I. Marcus. Similar to my committee members, Dr. Marcus has always encouraged me and has never failed to provide me with blunt honesty and authenticity. In his wisdom, Dr. Marcus assigned me as Stephanie Rolph’s teaching assistant during my first semester at Mississippi State. Working with Stephanie allowed me to understand what graduate school was all about: training. Stephanie provided me, as well, with much knowledge iii about how to teach at the university level, and I am very grateful for having worked with her during my first semester as a master’s student. I must acknowledge several other faculty members and graduate students at Mississippi State. Professors James C. Giesen and Anne Marshall are outstanding historians, and without their knowledge of my abilities my work on this dissertation could not have been possible. Moreover, Dr. Stephen Middleton in African American Studies is an exemplary scholar of American jurisprudence and constitutionalism, and his instruction has made an indelible mark on my work. Dr. Mark Hersey, in addition, always believed in me and helped cultivate my own research agenda. A couple of scholars who are no longer at Mississippi State, likewise, deserve acknowledgement: Drs. Jason and Tricia Phillips. Jason Phillips helped me form the foundation of this project while taking his colloquium on the Early Republic. His wife Tricia took time away from her own work to mentor me during a couple of semesters of independent study in social and political philosophy—my true love outside of the field of history. Lastly, Dr. Peter Messer is an attack-dog in class; he sharpened my analytical skills and always emphasized the implications to an historical interpretation. And I must express gratitude to my fellow graduate students for listening to me and for proofing my many papers and dissertation chapter drafts, namely Karen Aki Senega, Nancy Traylor, Alyssa Warrick, Kayla Moore, Whitney Snow, Owen Hyman (who is an outstanding teaching assistant), and Jason Hauser. Because Mississippi State attracted such aspiring scholars as the aforementioned, I found the moral courage and intellectual discipline to continue with this dissertation. Since beginning graduate school in 2008, I have met quite a few historians from across the country, lending me support, advice, and consolation. I first met Dr. Aram iv Goudsouzian at a conference hosted by the University of Memphis, and he made a point to find me after my presentation to give me positive feedback. Dr. Jon Hale at the College of Charleston has been very enthusiastic in the two short years that I have known him. Similarly, Annmarie Valdes at Loyola-Chicago is a great friend and scholar who finds curriculum history to be a fascinating and important lens of analysis in producing original historical scholarship. In addition, while presenting on panels, I had the chance to share and bounce ideas off of some sharp minds, especially Sarah Theussen, Walter Stern, Margaret Freeman, and Mercy Harper. While presenting selected chapters at conferences, I received valuable advice from many scholars of education and conservatism, namely Wayne Urban, Philo Hutcheson, Michelle M. Nickerson, Joan Marie Johnson, and Rene Luis Alvarez. Dr. Alvarez convinced me, along with Jason Ward, that the Spencer Foundation would be interested in my research. In the spring of 2013, I received word that the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation approved of my project for a dissertation fellowship. Without