Administrative Information

Access

Collection is open for use without restrictions

Use Restrictions

None

Preferred Citation

Box/Folder, Clarence L. Townes, Jr. Papers, M 293, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University

Acquisition Information

The collection was a gift to Special Collections and Archives from Clarence L. Townes, Jr. in 1991.

Processing Information

Collection processed in September 1995. The collection was donated to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in 1991. Prior to the donation of the materials described in this guide, the collection was electronically scanned and stored on computer disks as part of VCU's MultiCultural Archives Project.

Biographical/Historical Information

Clarence Lee Townes, Jr., businessman, political activist, and a significant participant in the revitalization of Richmond, Virginia, has spent much of his life working to broaden and increase economic and political opportunities for African-Americans in Virginia.

Born in Richmond on January 21, 1928, Townes is the son of Alice Smith and Clarence L. Townes, Sr. and graduated from Armstrong High School in 1944. Townes attended Virginia Union University and received a B.S. degree (Commerce). In 1951, he married Grace Elizabeth Harris of Richmond and the couple had four children. Commissioned in 1952 as a Second Lietenant in the United States Army Infantry, Townes received an honorabel discharge in 1953.

After the army, Townes was appointed Assistant Manager (Richmond Office) of the Virginia Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company, a company his father had helped found. He later became director of training (1964- 1966).

Townes was active in Republican Party politics in the late 1950s. As many African-Americans were turning towards the Democratic Party, he served on the Richmond City Republican Committee (1958-1961) and as a board member of Richmond Forward, a political action group. Also, her served as commissioner (1963-1966) of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Townes attended the 1964 Republican convention as the first black member of a Virginia delegation in modern times. After the convention, he ran as the Republican Candidate for the Richmond-Henrico seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. Although he lost, and would not seek public office in the future, the election race brought national attention to the South and its treatment of African-Americans in the political process. "The great thing that came out of this (election), "Townes wrote at the time, "was to focus the attention of both parties on legitimately seeking the Negro vote (in Virginia)."

Townes was Special Assistant to the State Chairman, Republican Party of Virginia in 1965 (1965-1966). He organized and was treasurer of the National Negro Republican Assembley (1965-1966) which ran an eight man Republican slate against an eight man Democratic slate. In 1966, Townes became an Assistant to the Chairman of the Republican National Committee (1966-1970) and later Director of Minorities (1967-1970), working to increase Republican ties with minorities.

In 1970, after leaving the RNC, he helped found the Joint Center for Political Affairs, an African-American think-tank associated with Howard University. The Joint Center was created to help newly elected black officials with the business of government. Townes sereved as Director of Governmental Affairs (1970-1974).

In addition, Townes was a board and founding member of the Jefferson Townhouse Corporation of Richmond, Virginia, a black controlled enterprise that operated a housing complex located in the city. In 1970 he became a member of the Board of Directors of the Consolidated Bank and Trust Co. of Richmond, the oldest black controlled bank in the nation. Townes also worked as a consultant on federal programs to Virginia State College and was a consultant to the Virginia Electric and Power company on matters pertaining to equal employment. He was also a consultant for the Manpower Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, evaluating the agency's National Office Equal Opportunity Program.

After commuting by bus from Richmond to Washington, D.C. for eight years, Townes returned to Richmond in 1974 to establish a bus company called Metro Coach. After a series of business disappointments, lawsuits and investigations the company eventually turned into a success. At this time, the early 1980s, Townes chaired Richmond Renaissance, a non-profit, biracial corporation formed to foster economic development in downtown Richmond. Townes served as Richmond Renaissance's deputy director from 1982 until 1991 when he appointed director.

In the early 1990s he served as head of the Richmond School Board and the Metropolitan Richmond Convention and Visitors Bureau. He was a member of the VCU Board of Visitors in the late 1990s. In the 2000s he served as a consultant and member to several boards and campaigns, including as a member of the VCU Real Estate Foundation and a Board of Trustees emeritus at the Valentine Museum.

Scope and Content Information

The collection includes correspondence, notes, newspaper and journal clippings, various organizational minutes, numerous reports and files, drafts of speeches, manuscripts and published materials dating from 1944 through 1988. The bulk of the collection dates from the early 1960s through the mid 1980s and focuses on Townes' interest in and involvement with issues concerning race, politics, and the revitalization of downtown Richmond. The collection also includes a significant amount of material on the role of African-American Republicans in the Virginia Republican Party of the 1960s and in the National Republican Party during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Related information on the revitalization and development of downtown Richmond can be found in the Richmond Renaissance Archives (M 303) and the McClenahan (M 302).

Series I contains materials documenting Townes' numerous entrepreneurial and civic activities, mostly dating from the late 1950s until the early 1960s. Miscellaneous material, which were not appropriate for other major sections of the collection, are also located within this series.

Series II contains the largest quantity of material and concerns the Virginia Republican Party (1963-1966) and the Republican National Committee (1966-1972). Correspondence, reports and publications, material from Townes' race for the Virginia General Assembly and his work with the National Negro Republican Assembly (1964-1966) are included in this series, in addition to miscellaneous Republican items.

Series III consists of records from Townes' work with the Joint Center for Political Studies, dating from the early 1970s.

Series IV is composed of materials generated by Townes as deputy director in the early years of the Richmond Renaissance. These records focus on projects, particularly Sixth Street Marketplace and the Richmond Metro Visitors Center.

Series V contains an abundant collection of publications and reports collected by Townes, many on urban and minority issues. The majority of the publications were distributed by the Republican Party (late 1960s-early 1970s). There are also U.S. government publications, publications from the Joint Center for Political Studies, and miscellaneous publications pertaining to business, education, localities, civic organizations and public policy organizations.

Series VI is comprised of ephemeral material, primarily related to the Republican Party, as well as tapes of speeches, business cards, address books and business calendars. This series also contains nearly forty photographs of Townes (including photos of Townes with Martin Luther King and national political leaders) and others. Most of the photographs were taken for publicity, dating from his campaign for the General Assembly in 1965 through his days at the Republican National Committee in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Arrangement

Materials have been separated into six series and arranged alphabetically and chronologically therein.

Series I--Business/Civic Work/Miscellaneous (n.d., 1961-1972)

Series II--Republican Party, Subseries A: Virginia (1948-1970), Subseries B: Third Congressional District (n.d., 1963-1965),Subseries C: National negro Republican Assembly (n.d., 1964-1966), Subseries D: Republican National Committee (n.d., 1965-1970), Subseries E: Miscellaneous (n.d., 1957-1972)

Series III--Joint Center for Political Studies (1970-1976)

Series IV--Richmond Renaissance (n.d., 1982-1987)

Series V--Publications (n.d., 1961-1973)

Series VI--Ephemera and photographs (n.d., 1940s-1970s)