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Special Collections, Kegley Library, Wytheville Community College
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Processed by: Cathy Carlson Reynolds
Collection is open to research.
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Agnes Graham Sanders Riley Papers, Mss. Collection 2004.6, Kegley Library, Wytheville Community College, Wytheville, VA
Donated by Agnes Graham Sanders Riley in 2004.
The daughter Edwin Hanson Sanders (1871-1948) and Elizabeth Graham (1870-1956), Agnes Graham Sanders Riley was born on 13 February 1902 in Wytheville, Virginia. She was the granddaughter of Andrew Tate Sanders (1827-1877), Shipton Kincannon Curran Sanders (1848-1933), David Pierce Graham (1838-1898), and Nancy Montgomery Tate Graham (1843-1923).
Agnes graduated from Max Meadows High School in 1920 as valedictorian and Hollins College in 1924 with a bachelors degree in chemistry. She continued her education at the University of Chicago where she graduated with a masters degree in chemistry in 1925. Unable to pursue her doctoral degree because of her family's limited financial resources, Sanders embarked upon a teaching career. She taught chemistry at Hollins College (1925-1930) and the Newcomb College of Tulane University (1932-1936). She also worked as a research assistant in the department. During World War II, she taught chemistry to soldiers enrolled in the Army Specialized Training Program at the University of Kentucky.
Sanders met Dr. Herbert Parkes Riley, of Brooklyn and Mount Temple, New YOrk, at Tulane University. They married on 21 August 1935 at Anchor and Hope Presbyterian Church, Max Meadows, Virginia. Riley, a botanist who received his doctorate from Princeton University, taught at the University of Washington in Seattle and then at the University of Kentucky where he taught and supervised the department of botany. He retired from teaching and research in 1974; he died on 22 March 1988 in Lexington, Kentucky. Their only child, William Parkes Riley, was born on 15 August 1941 in Seattle, Washington.
As faculty wives were banned from teaching, Agnes Riley embraced volunteering with active participation in the University of Kentucky Woman's Club and the University of Kentucky Medical School Hospital Auxiliary as well as the American Cancer Society.
She also wrote numerous articles on colonial Virginia and Southwest Virginia history for the Wythe County Historical Review , National Genealogical Society Quarterly, and the Historical Society of Washington County Bulletin. She also was a member of the Wythe County Historical Society, Virginia Historical Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Colonial Dames of America.
She also maintained membership in the American Chemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Iota Sigma Pi, a national chemical honor society for women.
Agnes Graham Sanders Riley died on 3 October 2006 in Lexington, Kentucky. She was buried in the Graham family cemetery in the Graham's Forge community in Wythe County, Virginia.
The Papers are arranged in three series. Series I, Genealogy consists of five folders that contain information on the Campbell, Graham, Kincannon, Newell, and Sanders families. Series II, Publications, contains copies of various articles written and collected by Agnes Graham Sanders Riley pertaining to her work as a professional chemist and amateur historian. Finally, Series III, Miscellaneous Records, contains copies of her curriculum vitae, list of publications, and copies of histories of the University of Kentucky Hospital Auxiliary and the University of Kentucky Woman's Club.
This folder contains "The Earliest Campbell Line, " notes on the family from its origins with David I, King of Scotland, Robert Bruce, Marjory Bruce Campbell, Duncan Campbell and others from Scottish genealogy.
This folder contains a copy of the "Graham Family History " by Nancy Montgomery Tate Graham, 1918. The original document is in the Graham, Tate, and Related Families Papers at the University of Virginia, Special Collections.
This folder contains photostat copies of the "Kincannon Family " by Curran Frances Sanders, research notes on the Kincannon family, Newell family, Woods family, Drake family, and Sanders family.
This folder contains photostat copies of the "Newell Family History " by Senah Newell Sanders and Curran Sanders.
This folder contains information compiled by Agnes Graham Sanders Riley about her brothers, Friel Tate Sanders and Andrew Trigg Sanders, and their World War II.
The folder contains a copy of the dissertation, entitled "The Oxidation of Compounds Possessing the Primary Amino Group: Diphenylmethylamine, " by Agnes Graham Sanders Riley. She wrote this for her master of science in chemistry from the University of Chicago in September 1925.
This folder contains a typescript of the article "Why Be a Chemist, " written and presented by Agnes Graham Sanders Riley at the annual banquet of the Oxygen Chapter, Iota Sigma Pi, the national chemistry honor society for women, on 27 January 1940 at the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. Also included is a Iotan Newsletter, (May 1973) containing a reprint of this article as well as a copy of the MAL of Iota Sigma Pi Newsletter, (SPring 1996) containing the article "I Was Born in 1902 Just Like Iota Sigma Pi " by Riley. Also included is a copy of "Celebrating Centennials: Agnes G. S. Riley and Iota Sigma Pi, " by Sharon V. Vercellotti, written in 2002.
This folder contains a July 1927 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society containing an article by Agnes Graham Sanders and Leslie Hellerman entitled "The Oxidation of Compounds Possessing the Primary Amino Group: Diphenylmethylamine. " Also included are two copies of the reprint article, "The 2, 3, 5 - Triphenylfurans and the Related Saturated and Unsaturated 1, 4-Diketones, " by Robert E. Lutz, W. R. Tyson, Agnes G. Sanders and C. K. Fink, published in 1934.
This folder contains a typescript article by Agnes Graham Sanders Riley entitled "Diazotization Processes and Stability of Diazotized Amines, " written while she was an instructor at Newcomb College of Tulane University; she presented this at a meeting. Also included is the article "Progress Report on the Determination of Iodine in Certain Vegetables and Sea Foods, " written but never published while she was at Tulane.
This folder contains an issue of the Filson Club History Quarterly (April 1992) containing an article by Agnes Graham Sanders Riley entitled "The Shelby-Campbell King's Mountain Controversy and the Gubernatorial Campaign of 1812. " Also included is correspondence regarding research and publication of the article from Scott D. Breckinridge, Nelson L. Dawson, Thomas D. Clark, Anna Ray Roberts, and Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood.
This folder contains a Fall 1965 issue of the Historical Society of Washington County Publication featuring an article by Robert Kincaid entitled "Colonel Arthur Campbell: Frontier Leader and Patriot. " Also included is another issue from Winter-Spring with an article on the 48th Virginia Infantry Regiment, C. S. A.
This folder contains a July 1970 issue of the Historical Society of Washington County Publication containing an article by Agnes Graham Sanders Riley on Captain James Newell with a separate sheet of footnotes.
This folder contains two copies of the Fall 1967 issue of the Historical Society of Washington County Publication containing an article by Riley on John Montgomery. Also included are three letters from George R. Rich, clerk of the Virginia House of Delegates, William C. Haygood, editor of the Wisconsin Magazine of History, and Anna Ray Roberts, librarian at Wytheville Community College regarding research and publication of the article. Research notes are also included.
This folder contains a copy of the 1997 Historical Society of Washington County Publication with an article by Riley entitled "The Shelby-Campbell King's Mountain Controversy and the Gubernatorial Campaign of 1812. "
This folder contains a copy of the May 1985 Historical Society of Washington County Bulletin with an article by Riley on General William Campbell. Also included are letters from Mary B. Kegley, Paul C. Nagel, director of the Virginia Historical Society, Thad W. Tate, director of the Institute of Early American History and Culture, and Jane Binger regarding the research and publication of this article. Research notes are also included.
This folder contains a September 1969 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly with an article by Riley entitled "The Pioneer Tate Family of Augusta County, Virginia, ", a March 1972 issue of the Quarterly, and a 1969 index.
This folder contains ten letters received by Agnes Graham Sanders Riley regarding the research and publication of her article "The Pioneer Tate Family of Augusta County, Virginia " published in the September 1969 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. Correspondents include Colin James; William M. E. Rachal, Virginia Historical Society editor; Katherine Gentry Bushman, president of the Augusta County Historical Society; Mary Hall Buchanan; Joanna Brawley, Virginia State Library; Anne Rhea Bruce; and Helen M. Robinette.
This folder contains eight letters received by Agnes Graham Sanders Riley regarding the research an publication of her article "The Pioneer Tate Family of Augusta County, Virginia " published in the September 1969 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. Correspondents include Anne Rhea Bruce, Helen M. Robinette, Rush Crockett, Charles K. Reese, and James W. Hagy.
This folder contains research notes used by Agnes Graham Sanders Riley for her article "The Pioneer Tate Family of Augusta County, Virginia, " published in the September 1969 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly.
This folder contains newspaper clippings written and collected by Agnes Graham Sanders Riley including "Fincastle Foundation News: Assets Today: No. 3, Beauty " and "No Blackout for Christmas " by Frances Curran Sanders. Also included are articles by Agnes Graham Sanders Riley: "A Goodly County Heritage: Wythe County, " 1970; "Kegley's Corner: Triggs Were a Prominent Family, " 1989; "Kegley's Corner: Triggs Were Tied to Wythe, " 1989; "Kegley's Corner: President's Wife Was Born Here, " 1987; "Kegley's Corner: Newells Live in Early Wythe, " 1987; and "Kegley's Corner: Montgomery Served as Judge, " 1987.
This folder contains a July 1972 issue of the Wythe County Historical Review.
This folder contains a January 1973 issue of the Wythe County Historical Review with essay by Riley entitled "Letters of A V.M.I. Cadet, 1857-1858. " Also included is correspondence regarding the article from Helen H. Grove, William M. E. Rachal, and Dorothy Barrett and research notes.
This folder contains a January - July 1975 issue of the Wythe County Historical Review containing an article by Riley about the Tate family of Wythe County. Also included are correspondence from Susan Coeberell of the National Genealogical Society; James A. Davis, Ferrum College; Jacqueline Bull of the University of Kentucky Libraries; Anne Freudenberg, University of Virginia Libraries; Anna Ray Roberts, Wytheville Community College Library; and Julia Smith Martin, Virginia Military Institute. Also included are research notes.
This folder contains a July 1979 issue of the Wythe County Historical Review with article by Mary B. Kegley on David Graham.
This folder contains a July 1985 issue of the Wythe County Historical review with an article by Riley entitled "Some Invitations to Early Parties in Wytheville and Surrounding Areas. "
This folder contains a July 1992 issue of the Wythe County Historical Review with an article by Riley entitled "Letter of a Wythe County Confederate Soldier. " Also included is a letter from James I. Robertson of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
This folder contains a January 1995 issue of the Wythe County Historical Review with an article by Riley entitled "Wytheville's Three Fulton Judges. " Also included is correspondence relating to the article from James I. Robertson, Helen Grove, Norma Greene, George Greene, and Gloria W. Surber and research notes.
This folder contains a July 1998 article of the Wythe County Historical Review with an article by Agnes Graham Sanders Riley entitled "World War II Experiences, " a typescript, and research notes.
This folder contains two copies of a curriculum vitae for Agnes Graham Sanders Riley, a draft obituary written by Riley, and two copies of an 1992 list of publications written by Riley.
This folder contains a history of the University of Kentucky Hospital Auxiliary of which Agnes Graham Sanders Riley was a founding member.
This folder contains a copy of the booklet "The University of Kentucky Woman's Club: 90 Years: a Bridge to the Future. " Riley was a member of this organization.