Joseph S. Himes papers

The Joseph S. Himes papers encompass 12 linear feet of material covering Himes personal and professional career as a professor of Sociology at several Universities including the University of North Carolina Greensboro and North Carolina Central University. The collection covers the areas  of blindness, teenaged pregnancy, racial conflict, social change and social movements of the civil rights era. The papers are arranged into six groups of materials with the bulk of them being professional in nature with some personal correspondence.



Among the largest group of  materials are professsional correspondence, which span the years (1946-1991). The topics include Himes' career as a Professor of Sociology at the University at North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina Central University, his tenure as a Fulbright Professor at Helsinki University in Finland from (1961-1962) and Madras University in India from (1966-1967); his memberships in several organizations including the American Sociological Association, the Southern Sociological Society, the International Sociological Association, North Carolina Family Council, and the North Carolina Sociological Association where he served as the Association's first president. His main correspondents include Dr. Mozell C. Hill, Dr. Charles H. Thompson, Dr. James Shepard, Dr. J.H. Taylor, and Dr. Alfonso Elder with topics consisting of recommendations, meetings, conferences, committees and career opportunities.

Included among the Himes papers are invitations, clippings, curriculum vitae, and personal correspondence consisting of letters to and from Estelle Himes, Chester Himes and Edward Himes (1928-1991) and topics  include current events, and vacations. The papers also include photographs taken of  Himes at several functions, of interest is a photograph of the Himes brothers as adults.

Memorabilia within the collection includes magazines, brochures, passports, programs, a speech to the President of the Republic of Guinea by Ada T. Spaulding, reports and a Subpeona for the Middle District of North Carolina in the case of Warren H. Wheeler, et als., C.C. Spaulding, III, et als. vs. Durham City Board of Education., et als., which called for further racial desegregation of the public schools in the City of Durham, North Carolina. Lastly, there is a scrapbook containing newspaper articles and programs pertaining to Himes achievements from years (1927 -1955). The papers are arranged chronologically within each catergory.