Cecil Haliburton, Registrar: correspondence, 1953-1956

The administration of Fisk University President, Charles Spurgeon Johnson are detailed within this series of materials and were mainly compiled by Bonita Valien in her capacity as Dr. Johnson’s Administrative Assistant, first within the Social Sciences Department and then as the Assistant to the President. Valien’s correspondence are mainly administrative in nature regarding coursework and inquires; employment, fellowships and scholarship opportunities. Of note is a small amount of correspondence from Mary McLeod Bethune, Founder and President of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc.

The largest group of correspondence consists of the outgoing and incoming letters of President Johnson (1941-1956), which contain detailed reporting of his activities, his participation in meeting and conferences, and speaking engagements. The bulk of Johnson’s correspondence is generally administrative in nature for inquiries regarding employment, recommendations for graduates, and research inquires. Of note throughout the correspondence is information regarding Johnson’s interest in public housing projects, including racial patterns of occupancy. Johnson was conducting field research in public housing and occasional reports and analysis of race relations in various housing projects in California, New York City, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Seattle, and Washington are contained throughout the correspondence. Also, of interest within Johnson’s correspondence is the work of the Race Relations Department of the American Missionary Association.

Main correspondents: Arna Bontempts, University Librarian; Charles S. Johnson, Fisk University President; Fred Brownlee, Provost; Frank Horne, Federal Public Housing Authority; George St. John, Acting Dean; and Preston Valien, Chair, Department of Social Sciences.