Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

[A Guide To the Papers of Harry Walter Roberts], Accession #[ 1984-39], Special Collections and Archives, Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA.

Acquisition Information

A gift from Mrs. Roberts

Biographical/Historical Information

Harry Walter Roberts was born in Philadelpha, Pennsylvania to Wallace and Frances (Jackson) Roberts and grew up in Berlin, New Jersey. After completing his secondary education, he matriculateed at Wilberforce University, where he earned an A.B. Magna Cum Laude, and the B.D. degree from Yale Univerity. He also studied at the London School of Economics, where he earned the M.A. with distinction in 1935.

With the completion of his M.A. in 1935, Harry Roberts joined the faculty of what was the Virginia State College for Negroes, now Virginia State University. During his thirty-four years at Virginia State he established the Department of Sociology and was the founder of the Alpha Chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, and the National Sociology Honor Society. He also continued his academic studies and earned from Yale University in 1942, a Ph.D. degree.

Roberts was a member of a number of professional organizations far too numerous to cite here. In many of these organizations he held elected offices. In addition, he worked with a number of groups and associations in the academic arena.

Dr. Roberts was an authority on rural Virginia Blacks and rural Baptiat churches and conducted extensive research in there area, some of which were done in cooperation with Virginia Polytechnic Institute ( and State University). His works have been published in the American Journal of Sociology, Journal of Negro Education, the Journal of Social Science Teachers, Phi Delta Kappa, the Quarterly Review of Higher Education Among Negroes, Social Forces, Social Problems, Rural Sociology, Viginia State University Gazette, and the Viginia Teachers Bulletin.

Scope and Content

Roberts like many other members of the faculty at Virginia State was both a scholar and a social and political activist. As a scholar Roberts was a prodigious investigatior of African American life and culture in rural Virginia. He also produced a number of scholarly studies, which examined the problems of race relations in the United States. Harry Roberts was also active in a number of activities, which attempted to bring about social, economic, and political change. He maintained a life long relationship with Jerome Davis who he met while a student a Yale Univeristy. In the 1960's he joined Davis on a trip to the Soviet Union, which raised local conerns abour Roberts politics. In addition Roberts attempted to form an alliance of local ministers in Petersburg who would commit to bringing about peaceful integration in Petersburg. Harry Roberts was a scholar, and an ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was also a believer in the social gospel. The Roberts papers document his activities not only as a scholar but also a social and policital activist. The Roberts papers are a window into a time lost. Anyone interested in the Aferican American history in the rural life in Virgina should seek the papers of Harry Roberts

Arrangement

Series I. Correspondence, Family, Personal, and Community Activites Boxes #1-14

Sub-Series A. Family Box #1 Correspondence generated by Harry Roberts and other members of his family. Most of the correspondence is with his sister and brother. Arranged chronologically within the folder.

Sub-Series B. Personal Boxes #1-12 The bulk of this sub-series consist of correspondence between Harry Roberts and hundreds of individuals he met and worked with. Included in this sub-series are material, which help to document the Civil Rights movement in Petersburg. of particular note was Roberts attempts to establish a forum to disciss interracial problems. This sub-series is divided into two sections. The first part is made up of correspondences arranged by folder headings. The second section is made up of correspondence by date. both sections are arranged chronologically.

Sub-Series C. Community Activities Boxes #13-14 Correspondence maintained by Harry Roberts concerning numerous issues in and around Petersburg. The correspondence includes copies of many of Robers' editorials written during the late 1950's and early 1960's.

Series II. Organizations and Affiliations Boxes #15-34

Sub-Series A. The Association of Social Science Teachers in Negro Colleges Boxes #15-17A,18A The ASSA was established by African-American professeors of social science and served as a platform for the presentation of paper and, issues directed to the African-American experience. Roberts held several positions within this group including this association published The Journal of Social Science Teachers.

Sub-Series B. The Virginia Social Science Association 1964-1967 Boxes #18-18A The Virginia Social Science Association opened its doors to African-Americans in the 1960's.

Sub-Series C. The Virginia Council of Churches Boxes #19-20 Correspondence, newsletters, and reports mainly focused on how the church could or should aid in bringing about social change.

Sub-Series D. The Faculty Christian Fellowship Box #20 Organized in 1952 at Berea, Kentucky this organizations goal was to improve and make aware of developments and activities of Christian faculty members in U.S. schools and universities. Correspondence arranged chronology.

Sub-Series E. Hollins College Box #20 Correspondence with Bell Beard Boone and the sociology department of Hollins College. Much of the correspondence pertains to their studies of rural life in South West Virginia.

Sub-Series F. Central State Hospital Box #20 Mainly correspondence pertaining to improving services at the Central State Hospital, which provided services to African-Americans only. Included in the sub-series are a number of newsletters concerning activities at the training school. Although a state agency the newsletters were printed by the employees of the training school.

Sub-Series G. The Society of Social Problems Boxes #21-22 One of the many professional organizations Roberts held membership

Sub-Series H. The Southen Sociology Society Box #22 Correspondence with other members, concerning meetings, papers and research interest.

Sub-Series I. The Frontiers Club Boxes #23-25A The Frontiers a national service organization, which devoted it's time and resources to uplifting the life and total betterment of African-American young men. A regional chapter of this organization was established by the teaching faculties of Virginia State and Peabody High School

Sub-Series J. The Rural Sociology Society Box #26 The Bulk of these materials document Roberts professional involvement with this group. Correspondence with fellow members regarding interest, grants, and areas of mutual concerns.

Sub-Series K. Southern Regional Education Board Box #26 The Southern Regional Education Board. Established in 1949, this group met on a yearly basis and discussed some of the South's problems. This sub-series contains minutes, reports, and correspondence.

Sub-Series L. The Virginia Council on Human Relations Box #27 One of the oldest organizations in Virginia which sought to improve race relations in the commonwealth reports, minutes and correspondences which document some of their activities.

Sub-Series M. The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Boxes #28-31 Harry Roberts was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, and chaired the educational committee which awarded a prize for the best essay addressing some aspect of citizenship in America. The sub-series includes copies of those essay, beginning in box 30.

Sub-Series N. The Virginia Voters League Box #32 The Virginia Voters League was first organized by Luther Porter Jackson and Robert Cooley in 1941. Luther Jackson died in 1950 and there were several unsuccessful attempts to continue the work of the league through the early 1950's.

Sub-Series O. The NAACP Box #32 Correspondence form both the national and state offices.

Sub-Series P. The Summer School for Ministers Boxes #33-33A In 1943 a meeting was held at Virgina State College for Negroes (now Virginia State Univeristy) to discuss the problem of "rural Negro ministers." This was a cooperative meeting attended by the president of the states's HBCU's. At this meeting the "Conference of Virginia Negro Colleges on Rural Life" was formed. The first summer school for ministers was held in 1943 and continued until 1950 under Roberts direction at Virginia State.

Sub-Series Q. The Leagues of Colored Peoples Box #34 The League of Colored Peoples was established at the London School of Economics and Political Science to support those students who were from various parts of the Empire. Students from the Caribbean, East, West, and South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, and India composed the membership. Included are copies of their newsletter, The Keys.

Series III. The Department of Sociology Boxes #35-48

Sub-Series A. Annual Reports Box #35 Harry Roberts began the department of Sociology at Virginia State Univerisity in 1935. In this sub-series are all of the deparments records from 1935-1968.

Sub-Series B. Correspondence By Folder Heading Box #35 Correspondence maintained by Roberts, arranged by folder heading.

Sub-Series C. Correspondence By Date Boxes #36-46 Correspondence maintained bt Roberts arranged by date.

Sub-Series D. Sociology Graduates Box #47 Roberts undertook a ten year study to document the accomplishments of the department. Information was obatined from graduates regarding what they were doing, located, graduate training, and how had the program chainged their lives.

Sub-Series E. Notes on History of the Sociology Department Box #48 Research date compiled by Roberts and he attempted to develop a profile of the sociology department and its graduates.

Sub-Series F. HBCU, Graduates in the TVA States 1941-1950 Box #48 In the 1960's a study was undertaken to measure how certain programs of the Tennessee Valley authority had helped or hurt African-American population in the Tennessee Valley.

Series IV. Literary Boxes #49-52

Sub-Series A. Diary Box #49 Diary maintained by Roberts over a period from 1932-1968. Entries begin while Roberts was a student in England. Some of the material, record his observations, thoughts and general items of interest from the perspective of a young African-American male living and studying in Europe. Other materials of interest concern various issues concerining the Chesterfield and Petersburg area later after joining the faculty at Virginia State University.

Sub-Series B. Articles Box #49 A wide range of pieces authored by Roberts. This sub-series includes articles published as well as pieces addressed to local newspapers. In this sub-series is Roberts study on "Black-White" soldiers, additionally there are articles or papers based on his Doctoral Dissertation and Master Thesis.

Sub-Series C. Thesis and Dissertation Boxes #50-52 Drafts of Roberts Dissertation, and his thesis The Life and Labor of Rural Virginia Negroes, 1942.

Series V. Research Data Boxes #52-55

Sub-Series A. Dissertation Research Boxes #52-53 Articles, (non published) about rural Viginia life, and local problems of interest

Sub-Series B. The Jerome Davis Papers 1954-1955 Boxes #54-55 The correspondence and minutes of the Columbia Conserve Company document Jerome Davis's role in mediating a labor dispute. Other arbitratiors were Paul H. Douglan Sherwood Eddy and James Myers. The Conserve Company in the 1930's was experimenting with what they called "Industrial Democracy"

Series VI. Photographs Box #56-57

Sub-Series A. Family/Personal Photographs Box #56 A board range of photographs kept by Harry Roberts. Several photographs of family members. The majority however are related to travel and organization which Roberts was associated with and university activities

Sub-Series B. Jerome Davis Photographs Box #57 Taken in Russia before and during the Bolsheviks Revolution.

Series VII. Printed Boxes #58-64

Sub-Series A. African-American Newspapers Tray #58 Unique grouping of African-American Newspapers, published in Virginia.

Sub-Series B. The Expected Box #59 The offical publication of the Virginia Baptist State Converntion. News articles, biographies, views of the association.

Sub-Series C. The Zion Herald News Box #59 Church news, items of intrest concerning church members and highlights of this Petersburg church.

Sub-Series D. The Baptist Trumpet Box #59 Published in Arrington, on behalf of a number of churches in the northern Virginia area.

Sub-Series E. The Mountain Voice Box #59 Published in Pinewood, Kentucky for the Mountain Preachers Bible and Kindred Clear Creek Activists; 1948-1951

Sub-Series F. Religion and Labor Box #59 THe offical newsletter for the Religion and Labor Foundation 1958-1960

Sub-Series G. The Richmond Unitarian Boxes #60-61 Newsletters of the First Unitarian Church of Richmond, Virginia.

Sub-Series H. Newsletters Box #61 Publications that include the Virginia Council of Churches, NAACP newsletters, journals and other materials.

Sub-Series I. Printed programs and brochures Box #62 A combination of printed programs and brochures some of which document Roberts speaking engagements.

Sub-Series J. Journals and Pamphlets Box #63 A wide range of printed material. Most of the materials consern interest of Roberts as a faculty member at Virginia State.

Sub-Series K. Postcards and Scrapbooks Box #46 Roberts aquired a number of postcards during his travels. In addition several scrapbooks were maintained which include a number of printed journals.