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Preferred Citation

Luther Porter Jackson Papers, 1772-1960, Accession #1952-l, Special Collections and Archives, Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA.

Biographical/Historical Information

Luther Porter Jackson Sr. was born July 11, 1892 in Lexington, Kentucky. He was the ninth child of Delilah (Culvrson) Jackson and Edward Jackson. He early schooling was at Chandler Normal School in Lexington, where he completed his studies in 1910. Upon completion of his secondary education he entered Fisk University where he received the A.B. degree in 1914. He remained at Fisk for another semester and in 1916 was awarded the A.M. degree.

In 1915, at the ripe old age of twenty-three, he began his teaching career at Vorhees Industrial School, Denmark, South Carolina, where he was also Director of the Academic Department. Jackson left South Carolina in 1918 and joined the staff of the Topeka Industrial Institute, Topeka, Kansas, as Instructor of history and music.

Desiring more education, he returned to the east and sought graduate training at Columbia University in 1920. Here he was to receive one of his many setbacks, which took in stride and proceeded to correct. Writing to a former instructor at Fisk, Jackson stated that Columbia did not consider his A.B. and A.M. from Fisk up to their standards. He, therefore, enrolled for one year at New York City College. Finally, in 1921, he began his studies at Columbia, where he was graduated from their Teachers College in 1922.

After completing his second masters degree, Luther Jackson joined the faculty of what was then the Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute, now Virginia State University. While on staff of the university, Luther Jackson continued his studies, first at Columbia University and then at the University of Chicago, where he received the Ph.D. in history in 1937. Soon after arrival at V.N. & I.I., Jackson took over the College High School and directed its activities from 1923-1928. He headed the history department from 1930-1950, formed the " League of Negro Voters" in 1934, and in 1937 organized the " Petersburg Business League", which became the Virginia Trade Association in 1941.

In 1935, Carter G. Woodson asked Luther Jackson to head all fund-raising activities for the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. As chairman of the Virginia chapter, Jackson went on to establish that chapter as one of the most productive of all state chapters. Somehow he still found time to conduct the Petersburg Community Choir of 100 voices, have his doctoral dissertation, write a column for The Journal and Guide (Norfolk, Virginia) under the general heading of "Rights and Duties in a Democracy" between 1942 until 1948. Although he was now holding down enough work for two people, Jackson was appointed to the Virginia World War II History Commission in 1944 and worked with the N.A.A.C.P, which led to his receiving a plague for service in 1948.

Jackson authored these books:

Free Negro Labor and Property Holding in Virginia, 1830-1860 (1942)
The History of the Virginia Stated Teachers Association (1937)
Negro Office-Holders in Virginia, 1865-1895 (1945)
A Short History of the Gillfield Baptist Church of Petersburg, Virginia (1941)
Virginia Negro Soldiers and Seaman in the Revolutionary War (1944)

In addition to joining the faculty, Luther Jackson married a young lady whom he had met while they were both students at Fisk University. The young lady was Johnella M. Frazer (1897-), a native of Shelbyville, Kentucky, the daughter of Laura and Patterson Tilford Frazer; her father was President of Hopkinsville College in Kentucky. Mrs. Jackson completed the conservatory course at Fisk at the age of seventeen(17) and toured with the Fisk "Jubilee Singers" for two years under John Work. She joined the staff of Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute in 1916, a full nine years before there was a music department, as the University's first full time instructor of piano.

Mrs. Jackson, like Luther, also recognized the need for additional training. During the summer vacation she studied at Temple University at the Chicago Music College and at Columbia University. She remained at Virginia State University for forty-nine years, retiring in 1965.

Additional Biographical Data:

1. Lucious Edwards, Jr." The Luther Porter Jackson, Sr.(1892-1950) Papers" (paper presented at the 63rd meeting of the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History, Los Angeles, CA, October 13, 1978)

2. Marva D. Curtis, "The Virginia Voters League" (unpublished masters thesis, Virginia State University, 1979)

3. Lucious Edwards, Jr., "Luther Jackson Leaves a Legacy of History in Papers to Virginia State University," Progress Index , February 26,1980, p.4.

Scope and Content Information

The Luther Porter Jackson are one of the most valuable manuscript groups from a historical point of view in the nation, for this former professor of history at Virginia State University lived and worked during an era when the concept of black inferiority was the accepted rule. In addition, this was the time of "Jim Crowism." Segregation was not "de facto," it was legal and challenged by few people, black and white.

During the major time span of these papers, 1920-1950, a number of political and civil rights organizations developed into potent forces and others were born: the NAACP, the Negro Organizational Society, the Southern Regional Council, and the Southern School for Workers. This manuscript group is rich in correspondence with most of the leaders of these movements. Some of the correspondence includes Walter White, Lorenzo C. White, P. Bernard Young, Gordon Hancock and others.

Correspondence with Virginia based political and civil rights groups is strong and gives a good picture of the tempo of the era in the State: the Virginia Voters League, the Committee for Virginia, the Petersburg Negro Business League.

In addition to correspondence with major political and civil rights organizations, Jackson maintained as interesting relationship with others across the U.S. The business or office correspondence of Luther P. Jackson from 1920-1950 include correspondence with John Hope Franklin, W.E.B. DuBois, Hugh Smythe, Helen Edmonds, P. Bernard Young, E. Franklin Frazier, Charles S. Johnson, Rayford Logan, Alrutheus Ambush Taylor, Lorenzo J. Green and others.

The collection also consists of ledgers, pamphlets, financial and legal documents, photographs, speeches, newspaper articles, cards, telegrams, notebooks, artifacts and Jackson's research materials.

Jackson collected personal papers of ante-bellum and post-bellum black families in Virginia: The Butler Papers, the Layton Papers, and the Stephen Wooldrige Papers. In his research of free black property owners in Virginia, he acquired a substantial amount of materials from various counties and cities of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Organization

SERIES I. BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

The first five folders contain writings about Jackson. Some material is not a part of the original manuscript group. (Box 1)


SERIES II. CORRESPONDENCE

A. Family, 1920-1960

The correspondence between Luther and Johnella Jackson are arranged chronologically from 1920-1950. Additionally, letters, postcards and telegrams are arranged alphabetically by the other members of the family. (Boxes 1-5)

B. Business, 1922-1950
Office correspondence, extensive, arranged chronologically. (Boxes 5-12)

C. Personal, 1918- 1960
Letters arranged alphabetically by writer. (Boxes 13-16)


SERIES III. FINANCIAL & LEGAL

Family bills, tax statements, school bills and stocks. Arranged by type. Copyright for Jackson's Negro Office Holders in Virginia, 1865-1895 (Box 17)


SERIES IV. ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATIONS

A. The Virginia Voters League, 1934-1950
Letters, postcards, and telegrams arranged by county, and city. Records include minutes and reports. (Boxes 18-27)

B. The Virginia Teachers Association Office of the "Civic Education Secretaries Office," 1941- 1950
The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, Inc., 1923-1950 (Boxes 28-34)

C. Correspondence with Carter G. Woodson
Arranged chronologically. Other correspondence arranged by county, City, and organization. (Boxes 35-41)

D. The NAACP, 1937- 1950
Correspondence with officials of the NAACP (state and local), arranged chronologically. (Box 42)

E. The I.B.P.O.E. of W.(the Elks), 1943-1950
General correspondence arranged chronologically and the Lodge's alphabetically by lodge. (Box 43)

F. The Virginia World War II History Commission, 1944-1948
Correspondence, minutes and reports of the commission arranged chronologically. Some personal war service records arranged alphabetically. Photographs in container 109. Numbers on folders correspond with folder numbers in the original series. (Box 44)

G. The Southern Regional Council, 1942- 1950
Correspondence arranged chronologically; minutes for some meetings. (Box 45)

H. The Negro Organizational Society, 1941- 1950
Correspondence with the president and field secretaries, minutes (1944-1949) arranged chronologically. (Box 46)

I. The Committee for Virginia, 1944-1950
Letters arranged chronologically, a few minutes, reports. (Box 47)

J. The Petersburg Negro Business League, 1935-1946
Correspondence between Jackson, national and local leaders. Chronologically arranged; one article, one report and one skit. (Box 48)

K. The Virginia Society for Research, 1942-1950 (Box 48)

L. The Petersburg Community Choir
A history, a financial report and membership rosters. Photographs in container 109. (Box 48)

M. The Southern School for Workers, 1944-1949
Correspondence arranged chronologically. (Box 48)

N. The Old Dominion Medical Society
Names of some of the members. (Box 48)

O. The Petersburg Interracial Committee, 1948
One letter and a proposed constitution. (Box 48)


SERIES V. MATERIAL RELATING TO THE DEATH OF LUTHER JACKSON

Letters, telegrams and postcards, arranged chronologically. One box of sympathy cards and one of floral cards. (Boxes 49 & 50)


SERIES VI. RESEARCH DATA: COLLECTED

A. Blacks voting in the South, 1947-1948
Letters arranged alphabetically by state and then chronologically within the state. (Box 50)

B. The Butler Papers, 1813-1888
Tax receipts, identification papers, general receipts and a marriage license. Chronologically arranged. (Box 51)

C. The Dews Papers, 1802-1880
Deeds for properties, tax receipts and general receipts, arranged chronologically. (Box 52)

D. The Layton Papers, 1861-1898
Tax receipts, deeds for properties, teaching certificates. Arranged chronologically. (Box 53)

E. The Woolridge Papers, 1883-1910
Tax receipts and general receipts. Few items about the "Jordan Baptist Church." Chronologically arranged. (Box 54)

F. By County
Papers concerning ante and postpellum blacks in some Virginia Counties. Identification papers, receipts. Arranged chronologically within each county and then arranged alphabetically by county also. (Boxes 55-56)

G. By City
The same as above. Arranged alphabetically by city and then chronologically within each city. (Box 57)

H. Miscellaneous
Papers of antebellum free blacks and slaves. Receipts, identification papers, arranged chronologically. (Box 58)

I. Printed and Diary
Printed pamphlets; handwritten diary belonging to Samuel T. Miller, a missionary in South Africa, 1881-1882. (Box 59)

J. Research Notes (Box 60)

K. Ledgers General
Stockholders ledges, one ledger used as a news clipping scrapbook. (Box 61)

L. Notebooks
Handwritten and typed data, no arrangement, subject varies. (Boxes 62- 63)


SERIES VII. MATERIAL WRITTEN BY LUTHER P. JACKSON

A. News articles : The Journal and Guide (Norfolk,VA), 1942-1947
Typewritten news column. Arranged chronologically. Box list available. (Boxes 64- 66)

B. News Articles: Various Papers
Handwritten and typed sheets, chronological order, some without titles. Box list available. (Box 66)

C. Articles in Journal
Published items, handwritten and typed, copy of printed articles. (Box 66)
D. Addresses
Typed and handwritten speeches, arranged chronologically. (Box 67)

E. Papers, Reports, and Lecture Notes
Various papers and reports, few lecture notes, skits, radio broadcast, handwritten and typed;separated by type, but otherwise there is no arrangement. (Box 67)

F. Unpublished
Papers and term papers, essay, handwritten and typed; no arrangement. (Box 68)

G. Books
Typewritten manuscripts. (Boxes 69- 70)


SERIES VIII. MATERIAL WRITTEN BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY

Articles written by Luther P. Jackson Jr. (Box 71)


SERIES IX. AWARDS & GRADES

Family awards and a few grades of some family members. (Box 72)


SERIES X. PRINTED

Broadsides, leaflets, programs relating to Jackson. (Box 73)


SERIES XI. VISUAL

A. Photographs
Family, friends and Va. World War II History Commision, organizations; some unidentifiable. (Box 74-76)

B. Printer's Blocks
Wood cuts used for publication. (Boxes 77- 80)


SERIES XII. ARTIFACTS

Cufflinks, tie clamp, neck scarf, doctoral gown, hood and mortarboard. (Box 81)


SERIES XII. MEMORABILIA

Baby books, collected programs, Christmas, general greeting and get-well cards, etc. Arranged by type. (Boxes 82-84)


SERIES XIV. NEWSCLIPPINGS

Loose newsclippings from various newspapers on a variety of subjects, no arrangement (Boxes 85)


SERIES XV. OVERSIZED ITEMS

Newspaper, awards and research data.