]
]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.
Expand/collapse
Collection Overview
| Size | 15.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 8500 items) |
| Abstract | Alexander Worth McAlister was founder and president of Pilot Life Insurance Company and a leader in the North Carolina Conference for Social Service and the North Carolina State Board of Charities and Public Welfare. Correspondence, writings, pictures, and other material of Alexander W. McAlister chiefly includes correspondence with associates in business and civic organizations and versions of published and unpublished writings by McAlister. Most items date from 1930 through 1943, although there is some earlier correspondence and some writings from as early as the 1880s. Well-documented in these papers are McAlister's activities as a member of the North Carolina Conference for Social Service and the North Carolina State Board of Charities and Public Welfare, as well as his association with various civic organizations in Greensboro. Much of the correspondence and many writings relate to particular concerns of McAlister, including prohibition, the New Deal, golf, child welfare, prison reform, the Community Church in Greensboro, and education. Although there is some material relating to McAlister's business activities, documentation in these papers of his work as an insurance executive and in other business ventures is incomplete. There also is little personal material regarding McAlister's family and close friends. |
| Creator | McAlister, Alexander W., 1862-1946. |
| Curatorial Unit | Southern Historical Collection |
| Language | English. |
Expand/collapse
Information For Users
Expand/collapse
Subject Headings
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
Expand/collapse
Related Collections
Expand/collapse
Biographical Information
Alexander Worth McAlister, son of Alexander Carey and Adelaide Worth McAlister, was born 21 March 1862 in Asheboro, N.C. He received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of North Carolina in 1882. On 11 April 1894, he married Sara Reid Little, of Richmond County, N.C. They had three sons and two daughters.
In 1895, McAlister organized the first of "the original four" fire insurance companies, the Southern Stock Mutual Insurance Company, which later became the Southern Stock Fire Insurance Company, in Greensboro, N.C. He helped found Pilot Life Insurance Company in 1903, became president in 1909, and was a leader in this company for nearly 30 years.
McAlister was also active in the North Carolina Conference for Social Service from its formation in 1912 and served as its president, 1915-1916. McAlister was instrumental in the formation of the North Carolina State Board of Charities and Public Welfare and served as its vice-chairman in 1917. He remained a member of the latter organization until his resignation in 1944. McAlister also served as president of the Greensboro Board of Public Welfare and of the Greensboro Council of Catholics, Jews, and Protestants.
McAlister died 20 November 1946 in Greensboro, N.C.
Back to Top
Expand/collapse
Scope and Content
The bulk of these papers consist of about 7,000 letters to and from Greensboro, N.C., insurance executive and community leader Alexander W. McAlister, many concerning his interest in social reform in North Carolina, and more than 700 versions of articles, speeches, and other writings by McAlister. Additionally, there are about 39 volumes, including scrapbooks, memo books, and other volumes, and about 30 photographs.
Most items date from 1930 to 1943, although there are some earlier letters and some writings from as early as the 1880s. Arrangement of the correspondence and related material (Subject Files) is alphabetical by correspondent or subject designated by file titles that largely were assigned by McAlister. The writings are arranged by type (articles and essays, speeches and reports, poems).
Well-documented in these papers are McAlister's activities as a member of the North Carolina Conference for Social Service and of the North Carolina State Board of Charities and Public Welfare, as well as his association with various civic organizations in Greensboro. Much of the correspondence and many writings relate to particular concerns of McAlister, including prohibition, the New Deal, child welfare, prison reform, religion, and education. Although there is some material relating to McAlister's business activities, documentation in these papers of his work as an insurance executive and in other business ventures in incomplete. There also is little personal material regarding McAlister's family or close friends.
Back to Top
Expand/collapse
Series Quick Links
Expand/collapse
Series 1. Subject Files, 1910-1946 (bulk 1930-1943).
Arrangement: alphabetical.
Office and reference files of Alexander W. McAlister, chiefly containing correspondence. Also included are reports, printed items, and other kinds of material. This series is the result of the interfiling of four sets of such files, apparently maintained separately by McAlister, which generally covered different chronological periods but which were not chronologically discrete. Original file titles have been maintained in most cases.
The material in this series relates to a wide variety of topics ranging from insurance salesmanship to golf to social welfare. Most material, however, concerns McAlister's involvement in the activities of the North Carolina Conference for Social Service, the North Carolina State Board of Charities and Public Welfare, and various civic organizations. Very little material concerns McAlister's family and friends, and the files relating to his business affairs are incomplete.
Note that material pertinent to some of these subjects may be found in other series.
Expand/collapse
Series 2. Writings, 1880s-1946.
Arrangement: by type.
Chiefly typed and published versions of articles, essays, reports, speeches, and poems by Alexander W. McAlister. Although some of these items had been grouped by topic prior to their arrival at the Manuscripts Department, most were in no order. Arrangement now is by type. Additional writings by McAlister are included in the Volumes series.
McAlister's writings reflect his social and business concerns, and include pieces on insurance, salesmanship, prohibition, democracy, taxation, religion, prison reform, child welfare, government, and politics. McAlister's writings of the 1910s through 1930s concern business, the Great Depression, and social welfare. In the early 1940s, McAlister's writings deal more with political issues and World War II. After the war, concerns shift toward economic growth and the entrance of the United States and the world into the atomic age.
McAlister's writings include approximately 300 articles and essays. These have been divided into two categories: photocopies of published items and handwritten and typed drafts. Approximately 100 photocopies of articles published in 1918-1946 are included. Most are from the Greensboro Daily News and The Democrat, although McAlister's articles also appeared in the Charlotte Observer, the Asheboro Courier, The State Journal, Presbyterian Standard, and other periodicals. Many of these items are installments from three columns which McAlister wrote: "As a Man Thinketh" and "As Man to Man," both of which were written for The Democrat, 1942-1943, and "Things New and Old" for the Rockingham Post-Dispatch, 1946.
Also included in the writings are approximately 200 handwritten or typed drafts of articles and essays, some of which undoubtedly were later published. The earliest material includes essays written while McAlister was still a student at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in the 1880s. These early essays deal with various topics such as women's dress and Ireland. Two later items which may be of interest are "The History of McAlister, Vaughn and Scales General Agency and Original 4 Fire Insurance Co." (folder 583) and "The North Carolina Conference for Social Service as Pioneer" (folder 601), in which McAlister discussed the adoption of the county as the unit of organization and administration for public welfare in North Carolina.
Nearly 400 typed copies of speeches and reports are included. McAlister addressed various groups, including conferences at the Pilot Life Insurance Company, the North Carolina Conference for Social Service, the Greensboro Council of Catholics, Jews, and Protestants, the Jefferson-Lincoln Club, and the Real Estate Board of Greensboro. Also included is "The History of the Southern Life and Trust Company" (folder 678), which McAlister presented to the Company's Training School on 12 November 1917. Most dated items were written between 1912 and 1940. Many items, however, are undated.
About 50 poems written by McAlister in the early 1930s also are included. Most of these poems appear to have been written for McAlister's friends and family, although a few were published, such as "The Candelabra Tree," which appeared in The Independent in 1933. Many of the poems are addressed to "Ann," McAlister's favorite name.
Drafts and published versions of some of McAlister's writings may also be found in the Volumes series.
Folder 557-570
Folder 557Folder 558Folder 559Folder 560Folder 561Folder 562Folder 563Folder 564Folder 565Folder 566Folder 567Folder 568Folder 569Folder 570 |
Articles and essays: Published material |
Folder 571-616
Folder 571Folder 572Folder 573Folder 574Folder 575Folder 576Folder 577Folder 578Folder 579Folder 580Folder 581Folder 582Folder 583Folder 584Folder 585Folder 586Folder 587Folder 588Folder 589Folder 590Folder 591Folder 592Folder 593Folder 594Folder 595Folder 596Folder 597Folder 598Folder 599Folder 600Folder 601Folder 602Folder 603Folder 604Folder 605Folder 606Folder 607Folder 608Folder 609Folder 610Folder 611Folder 612Folder 613Folder 614Folder 615Folder 616 |
Articles and essays: Handwritten and typed drafts |
Folder 617-693
Folder 617Folder 618Folder 619Folder 620Folder 621Folder 622Folder 623Folder 624Folder 625Folder 626Folder 627Folder 628Folder 629Folder 630Folder 631Folder 632Folder 633Folder 634Folder 635Folder 636Folder 637Folder 638Folder 639Folder 640Folder 641Folder 642Folder 643Folder 644Folder 645Folder 646Folder 647Folder 648Folder 649Folder 650Folder 651Folder 652Folder 653Folder 654Folder 655Folder 656Folder 657Folder 658Folder 659Folder 660Folder 661Folder 662Folder 663Folder 664Folder 665Folder 666Folder 667Folder 668Folder 669Folder 670Folder 671Folder 672Folder 673Folder 674Folder 675Folder 676Folder 677Folder 678Folder 679Folder 680Folder 681Folder 682Folder 683Folder 684Folder 685Folder 686Folder 687Folder 688Folder 689Folder 690Folder 691Folder 692Folder 693 |
Speeches and reports |
Folder 694-698
Folder 694Folder 695Folder 696Folder 697Folder 698 |
Poetry |
Expand/collapse
Series 3. Pictures, 1886-1942 and undated.
Arrangement: by subject.
Twenty-eight photographs and one small photograph album assembled by Nell Rose Hale, daughter of one of McAlister's business associates. Most of the photographs are of Alexander W. McAlister and appear to have been taken for business or publicity purposes.
Expand/collapse
Series 4. Volumes, 1911-1945.
Volumes contain mostly notes and rough drafts of speeches, articles, essays, and poems by Alexander W. McAlister concerning prohibition, religion, insurance, and other subjects. Miscellaneous notes include the names and street addresses of various individuals. Also included is The Eternal Verities of Golf, 1911, a small, cloth-covered book which McAlister write and gave to some of his friends and relatives. In three scrapbooks, McAlister collected "The Breakfast Table", 1934-1936, a column he wrote for the Greensboro Daily News. Most of this column, also known as "The Little Forum," is believed to have been written by McAlister, on behalf of the Community Church, Greensboro, N.C.
Volumes 17-39 are memo books, 1935-1945, which contain handwritten drafts of letters, essays, poems, and articles by McAlister. Much of this material is undated. The date ranges given for the volumes are based on the earliest and latest dates found in each volume but are by no means precise.
Expand/collapse
Items Separated
Items separated include photographs (P-4318/1-28) and a photograph album (PA-4318/1).
Back to Top