A Guide to the Watkins Family Papers, ca. 1910-2000 (bulk ca. 1930-1960) Watkins Family Papers, ca. 1910-2000 (bulk ca. 1930-1960) 42063

A Guide to the Watkins Family Papers, ca. 1910-2000 (bulk ca. 1930-1960)

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Accession Number 42063


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© 2007 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.

Processed by: Renee M. Savits

Repository
The Library of Virginia
Accession Number
42063
Title
Watkins Family Papers ca. 1910-2000 (bulk ca. 1930-1960)
Physical Description
1.65 cu. ft. (5 boxes)
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Watkins family. Papers, ca. 1910-2000 (bulk ca. 1930-1960). Accession 42063. Personal papers collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA 23219.

Acquisition Information

Purchased July 2005.

Biographical Information

Dr. George W. Watkins was born in Pickens County, South Carolina, on 17 October 1898, son of James and Lattie Watkins. He died in Quinton, New Kent County, Virginia, on 26 September 1972 and was buried at Elam Baptist Church, Ruthville, Virginia. Dr. Watkins attended Virginia Union University where he received a Bachelor of Arts and an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree, and Hampton Institute where he received a Master of Arts Degree. He served as pastor of Second Liberty Baptist Church of Quinton and Elam Baptist Church of Ruthville, Virginia. He was also principal of New Kent Training School and the George W. Watkins Elementary and High School for over 30 years.

Watkins was married to Thelma Jones (1904-2005), daughter of Sedley Dixon Jones (b. 1877) and Mary Lou Carpenter Jones, furniture store owners in Richmond, Virginia. Thelma Jones Watkins attended Armstrong High School in Richmond and received her degree from Virginia Union University in 1926. She was a librarian and teacher at the George W. Watkins Elementary and High School, retiring in 1964.

Scope and Content

Papers, 1910-2000, (bulk ca. 1930-1960), of the Watkins and Jones families of Quinton and Richmond, Virginia. Includes certificates, clippings, correspondence, photographs, programs, receipts, and yearbooks relating mainly to George Washington Watkins (1898-1972) and his wife, Thelma Jones Watkins (1904-2005). The bulk of the collection consists of photographs of the Watkins and Jones families at social gatherings, family events, church, and school.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into the following series:

Series I. Papers, ca. 1930-2000. Series II. Photographs, ca. 1910-1994.

Contents List

Series I: Papers, ca. 1930-2000.
Boxes 1
Extent: .25 cubic feet.

This series includes advertising blotters from the Richmond Paper Company, certificates for Thelma Watkins, clippings, Christmas and birthday cards, funeral programs, and blank receipts from Sedley D. Jones furniture store in Richmond. Also included are yearbooks for the George W. Watkins School (1958, 1959, 1965) and Virginia Union University (1969).

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

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Series II: Photographs, 1910-1994
Boxes 1-5
Extent: 1.4 cubic feet.

This series includes photographs, ca. 1910-1994, of the Jones, Watkins, and related families of Quinton and Richmond, Virginia. Other surnames of note include: Bassett, Boykins, Bryant, Burrell, Carter, Crump, Dailey, Jefferson, Johnson, Otey, Storrs, Taylor, Washington, and Williams. Many of the photographs depict social gatherings, family, church, and school events, and provide insight into the social life of an African American family during the mid-twentieth century. Included are numerous photographs of students, as well as teachers and other administrative staff, from George W. Watkins School, often with dedications to the Watkins'. Included are photographs of Elam Baptist Church, Second Liberty Church, Virginia Union University, and George W. Watkins School. Also included are photographs of picnics, graduations, military service men, and sporting events. Of note are photographs of the Jones family as children and young women, ca. 1910-1930, and the store front of Sedley D. Jones furniture store in Richmond, Virginia. The series is grouped into individual photographs, group photographs, miscellaneous photographs, and photograph albums. For preservation reasons the photograph albums were unbound and a numbering system was created to maintain the original order. A photocopy of each album was made to create a key to the photographs and is available at the beginning of each album. Many of the photographs were identified and for those without identification, the archivist tried to provide some type of description and date range.

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

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