Howard Lee Papers, circa 1949-2010

Collection Number: 05609

Collection Title: Howard Lee Papers, circa 1949-2010

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	7.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 3000 items)
Abstract	The collection of Howard Lee (1934- ), African American politician, social worker, and public officer in North Carolina from the late 1960s through the early 2000s, is primarily composed of correspondence, written speeches and addresses, newspaper clippings, photographs, campaign materials, and audio recordings of speeches. The collection documents Lee's tenure as the first black mayor of Chapel Hill, N.C.; his campaigns for public office including the Chapel Hill mayoral office, North Carolina statewide offices, and a United States congressional seat; his role and more generally the limited role of African Americans in the North Carolina Democratic Party; and his extensive career as a public speaker on topics of social welfare and reform, African American political and civic leadership, economic conditions and poverty, social work, institutional racism and race relations, public schools and education, and civil rights and social justice. Scattered materials reflect his early social work career as a probation officer for a juvenile court in Savannah, Ga. The collection also contains a few family photographs and a small amount of material related to Lee's songwriting including audio recordings. Acquired as part of the Southern Historical Collection.
Creator	Lee, Howard, 1934-
Curatorial Unit	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
Language	English

Expand/collapse Information For Users

Restrictions to Access: No restrictions. Open for research.

Restrictions to Use: No usage restrictions.

Copyright Notice: Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred Citation: [Identification of item], in the Howard Lee Papers #5609, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Acquisitions Information: Received from Howard Lee in October 2014 (Acc. 102120).

Sensitive Materials Statement: Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

Expand/collapse Processing Information

Processed by: Laura Hart and Amy Morgan, August 2017

Updated by: Dawne Howard Lucas, May 2021

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

Billy E. Barnes Collection (P-0034) in the North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives
Durham Herald Co. Newspaper Photograph Collection (P-0105) in the North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives
Interview A-0132; Interview A-0385; Interview E-0086; Interview U-0298; and Interview U-1023 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (04007)

Expand/collapse Biographical Information

1934	Born 28 July 1934 in Lithonia, Ga. His parents Howard Lee and Lou Temple were sharecroppers.
1953	Graduated from high school and enrolled in Clark College in Atlanta, Ga.
1959	Graduated from Fort Valley State College where he had transferred in 1956. In the summer, he completed basic training in the United States Army.
1959-1961	Stationed in Fort Hood, Tex., and later Camp Casey in South Korea.
1961	Received an honorable discharge from the Army.
1962	Married Lillian Wesley. Lee worked as a juvenile probation officer in Savannah, Ga.
1966	Received a master’s degree (MSW) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work and joined the staff of Duke University and the faculty of North Carolina Central University.
1969	Elected as the first African American mayor of the predominantly white town of Chapel Hill, N.C.
1971	Reelected as mayor.
1972	Ran for the United States Congress in North Carolina’s Second Congressional District and lost the election.
1973	Reelected as mayor.
1975	Did not seek reelection as mayor.
1976	Sought the Democratic Party nomination for lieutenant governor of North Carolina but lost in the primary.
1977-1981	Served as Secretary of North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, an appointment made by Governor James Hunt.
1990	Elected to the North Carolina State Senate in which he served from 1990 to 1994 and then again from 1996 to 2002.
2003	Elected to be chairman of the North Carolina State Board of Education.
2005	Appointed to the North Carolina Utilities Commission by Governor Mike Easley.
2008	Published his memoir The Courage to Lead: One Man's Journey in Public Service.
2009	Appointed to the North Carolina Education Cabinet by Governor Beverly Perdue.

Expand/collapse Scope and Content

The collection is primarily composed of Howard Lee's political correspondence from the late 1960s and 1970s, speeches both written and recorded, newspaper clippings, and photographs. The majority of the materials document Lees's tenure as mayor of Chapel Hill, N.C., political campaigns, and speaking engagements. The collection as a whole reflects his social, economic, and political concerns and his ethos of social justice.

The collection is arranged into three series:

Series 1. Politics and Public Office
Series 2. Speaking Engagements
Series 3. Social Work, Family, Writing, and Awards

Series one contains office files, chiefly correspondence, from Lee's tenure as the mayor of Chapel Hill, N.C., from 1969 to 1975. These files reflect the concerns of Lee's constituents; town and gown relations with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Lee's role in the North Carolina Democratic Party and the limited roles for African Americans in the state's Democratic Party; and municipal and social welfare problems of that era and the corresponding reform and improvement efforts. Notable correspondents include President Gerald Ford, civil rights leader Coretta Scott King, and African American civic leader and North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Co. executive in Durham, N.C., A.J.H. Clement, III. Political campaign materials document Lee's runs for mayor of Chapel Hill in 1969, 1971, and 1973, the congressional seat for North Carolina's second district in 1972, North Carolina's lieutenant governor in 1976, and the North Carolina state senate in the 1990s and early 2000s. Materials include campaign speeches, campaign platforms, clippings, audio recordings of news conferences and radio advertisements, photographs of Lee with other political figures and on the campaign trail, campaign finance reports, and campaign literature and ephemera such as brochures, bumper stickers, pin back buttons, and posters. Also contained in the series are photographs of UNC Chapel Hill basketball coach and civil rights proponent Dean Smith and Secretary of State, Edmund Muskie, and a small number of items pertaining to Lee's tenure with the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development and the North Carolina State Board of Education.

Series two contains handwritten and typescript drafts of speeches and addresses, especially for commencement ceremonies, composed by Lee and audio recordings and photographs of Lee delivering speeches. Also included are printed items and other materials such as stories, poems, and biblical verses he used in writing speeches, programs from events where he spoke, and correspondence concerning his speaking engagements. Recurring themes in the speeches are black leadership, black elected officials, black power, social work, public service, politics, social revolution, poverty, inequality, coalition building, and racism and race relations between blacks and whites both historically and contemporaneously. Other topics addressed in speeches include Lee's own stories from his past, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy, affirmative action, education and public schools, desegregation, African American businesses, municipal governance, health care, welfare and welfare reform, tokenism, the death penalty, black churches, community organizing, and the Vietnam War.

Series three contains contains scattered correspondence pertaining to Lee's employment as a juvenile probation officer and social worker, his songwriting and fiction writing, his professional writing as a social worker, and the publication of his memoir titled The Courage to Lead: One Man's Journey in Public Service. Other materials are audio recordings of Lee's songs, sheet music for a song by Lee, stories, poetry, and articles written by Lee, newspaper clippings, his high school year book, family photographs, and certificates for awards Lee was given.

Contents list

Expand/collapse Series Quick Links

1. Politics and Public Office, 1969-2010.
2. Speaking Engagements, 1959-1999.
3. Social Work, Family, Writing, and Awards, 1949-2008.

Expand/collapse Series 1. Politics and Public Office, 1969-2010.

This series contains office files, chiefly correspondence, from Lee's tenure as the mayor of Chapel Hill, N.C., from 1969 to 1975. These files reflect the concerns of Lee's constituents; town and gown relations with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Lee's role in the North Carolina Democratic Party and the limited roles for African Americans in the state's Democratic Party; and municipal and social welfare problems of that era and the corresponding reform and improvement efforts. Notable correspondents include President Gerald Ford, civil rights leader Coretta Scott King, and African American civic leader and North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Co. executive in Durham, N.C., A.J.H. Clement, III.

Political campaign materials document Lee's runs for mayor of Chapel Hill in 1969, 1971, and 1973, the congressional seat for North Carolina's second district in 1972, North Carolina's lieutenant governor in 1976, and the North Carolina state senate in the 1990s and early 2000s. Materials include campaign speeches, campaign platforms, clippings, audio recordings of news conferences and radio advertisements, photographs of Lee with other political figures and on the campaign trail, campaign finance reports, and campaign literature and ephemera such as brochures, bumper stickers, pin back buttons, and posters.

Also contained in the series are photographs of UNC Chapel Hill basketball coach and civil rights proponent Dean Smith and Secretary of State, Edmund Muskie, and a small number of items pertaining to Lee's tenure with the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development and the North Carolina State Board of Education.

Folder 1	Mayor's office files, 1969 Topics include town and gown relations with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; membership in the Southern Regional Council; and drug use in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Folder 2-6	Mayor's office files, 1970 Topics include UNC student protests against Vietnam War; staffing in the mayor's office; proposal for an Orange County Council of Governments; extension of the 1965 Voting Rights Act; public transportation and parking in Chapel Hill; proposal for a Town-Gown Commission with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; proposed teen center in Chapel Hill; the 1970 U.S. Census; constituents' concerns; Lee's Equal Opportunity Award from the National Urban League; pollution in Morgan Creek and other parts of Chapel Hill; and the North Carolina Democratic Party. Contains a mayoral proclamation announcing Martin Luther King, Jr., Day on 15 January 1970.
Folder 7-11	Mayor's office files, 1971 Topics include the United Voter Movement; federal funding; housing and neighborhood development; the American Legion's efforts on behalf of American POWs in Southeast Asia; the Cooperative School for Pregnant School Girls in Durham, N.C.; North Carolina Democratic Party; hitchhiking in Chapel Hill; domestic violence and the Chapel Hill Police Department; the Orange County Board of Elections; pollution in Morgan Creek and other parts of Chapel Hill; and sidewalk vending in Chapel Hill.
Folder 12-24	Mayor's office files, 1972 Topic include sidewalk vending in Chapel Hill; town and gown relations with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; solid waste recycling program and pollution; the Human Relations Committee; need for a community hospital in Chapel Hill; North Carolina's Second Congressional District and the congressional election; housing in Chapel Hill for limited income families; the North Carolina Health Manpower Program; cable television in Chapel Hill; zoning ordinances, noise ordinances, parking regulations, and traffic in Chapel Hill; the Drug Action Committee and drug abuse; Chapel Hill Housing Authority; Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women; parks and recreation; North Carolina Miss Black America Pageant; National Urban League; National Conference on Social Welfare; emergency preparedness; Democratic National Convention; Chapel Hill Historic District; WRAL televised editorials; Black Political Caucus; Rogers Road community and the adjacent landfill; Hargrove "Skipper" Bowles gubernatorial campaign; penal reform; working conditions in the Chapel Hill Police Department; election of Jesse Helms to the United States Senate; North Carolina Voter Education Project; Community Youth Rehabilitation Program; and Lee's support for dredging Calico Creek in Carteret County, N.C.
Folder 25-39	Mayor's office files, 1973 Topics include business franchises such as Holiday Inn and Coors beer; Southern Black Mayors Conference; business and investments in Haiti; planning process for the University Mall; the Calico Creek Harbor Project; North Carolina Committee for Children and Youth; North Carolina Democratic Party; constituents' concerns including dog leash and noise ordinances and traffic patterns; equal opportunities for African Americans in the North Carolina Democratic Party; the Equal Rights Amendment; National Conference on Social Welfare; Central Business District Committee; Work Incentive Program (WIN) in Orange County, N.C.; Chapel Hill roads; Manpower Resource Mobilization Project; establishment of a Department of Human Services; energy conservation; University Mall; pollution and drinking water; minority recruitment by Duke University's medical school; and land use and development. Of interest is a letter dated 19 March 1973 and written to Lee from A.J.H. Clement, III., of the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company. In the letter, Clement explains his objections to the North Carolina Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner and the limited participation of blacks in the Party. "I fail to see how any self-respecting Black person or Caucasian for that matter - who is dedicated to the cause of Justice and Fairness for all people - can come to Raleigh this Saturday and worship at the facsimile of a shrine of Slavemasters and/or Hypocrites."
Folder 40-62	Mayor's office files, 1974 Topics include transportation, traffic, and the bus system in Chapel Hill; parks and recreation; North Carolina Democratic Party; gasoline shortages and the energy crisis; National Association of Social Workers; Department of Human Services; Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Social Change symposium on "After Watergate - The New Political Agenda"; Southern Railway Terminal Building in Carrboro, N.C.; Drug Action Committee and drug abuse; establishment of a volunteer center for Orange County, N.C.; solid waste recycling; Southern Conference of Black Mayors; sidewalk or street vending; Chapel Hill Housing Authority; mental health of minority groups; building codes and federal regulations as related to "handicapped" persons with disabilities; Conference on Hunger; pine beetle infestation; waste water treatment; the Hatch Act; Carol Woods project; New Housing & Community Development Act of 1974; possible presidential candidacy of Terry Sanford; Minority Business Association of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, N.C.; Chapel Hill Training and Outreach Project's proposal to examine child abuse and neglect; and UNC Airport (now Horace Williams Airport). Of note is a 19 September 1974 letter from President Gerald Ford concerning a Conference on Inflation.
Folder 63-95	Mayor's office files, 1975 Topics include Sister Cities International; bus system in Chapel Hill and mass transit; Committee on Aging; HUD Housing Assistance Program; constituents' concerns including trash collection, parking, and traffic; Committee for the Study of a Fair Campaign Practice Code; Lee's potential candidacy for lieutenant governor of North Carolina; recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr.; regional planning; presidential candidacy of Terry Sanford; Chapel Hill's landfill; Community Blood Assurance Plan for Chapel Hill and Carrboro; water supply and waste water treatment; Joan Little; damage to plots in the old Chapel Hill Cemetery; Research Triangle Business Resource Center; Special Task Force on Community Health in Orange County; study on Rural Health Care; housing for elderly; television program "On Campus" hosted by Lee; National Association of Social Workers; the American Association of University Women's "Roster of Highly Qualified Women in the Triangle Area of North Carolina"; solid waste recycling; North Carolina Democratic Party; Legal Aid Society; North Carolina Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Association's Economic Development Plan; Human Relations Commission; day care; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); University of North Carolina's operation and maintenance of an electric distribution center (power plant); and Lee's campaign for lieutenant governor of North Carolina. A number of constituent letters in the month of August 1975 are from Chapel Hill High School students. Of interest is a lengthy letter dated 1 June 1975 from a blind resident of Chapel Hill, who describes his safety concerns and the lack of enforcement of crosswalk laws.
Folder 96	Mayor's office files, 1969-1973 Topics include black businessmen, the Black Caucus, and black members of the North Carolina State Democratic Party.
Folder 97	Mayor's office files, undated "A Statement from Mayor Howard N. Lee at the Formal Opening of the Ridgefield Town Houses."
Folder 98	Mayor's office files, undated The "Day Care Section" of the Chapel Hill Town Charter.
Folder 99	Mayor's office files, undated "Mayor's Message on Revenue Sharing."
Folder 100	Mayor's office files, undated Templates for certificates.
Folder 101	Mayor's office files, undated Editorials possibly delivered on WRAL.
Folder 102	Mayoral campaigns, 1969 "Preserving the best and Improving the Rest, A Statement by Howard N. Lee, Candidate for Mayor."
Folder 103	Mayoral campaigns, 1969 Printed campaign materials.
Folder 104	Mayoral campaigns, 1969 Proposed platform.
Folder 105-106	Mayoral campaigns, 1969 Congratulatory letters, cards, and telegrams.
Audiocassette C-05609/3	Speeches and radio advertisements, 1969-1976 Side A: "1970 speech, Chapel Hill High School Commencement, radio advertisements 1976 lieutenant governor campaign, 1969 radio advertisements for mayor campaign, 1969 news clips for mayor campaign." Side B: "speech (campaign) C. M. Jaycee 3 April 1969, swearing in ceremony for Howard N. Lee and his swearing in speech, 12 May 1969, 7:30 p.m., Chapel Hill Town Hall."
Folder 107	Mayor's installation speech, 1969
Folder 108-109	Mayoral campaigns, 1971 Includes a printed letter from Lee and typed statements about his record in office.
Folder 110-111	Acceptance speech for third mayoral term, 1973
Image Folder PF-5609/1	Howard Lee mayoral campaign, 1969 and 1971 5 images
Image Folder PF-5609/2	Howard Lee mayoral campaign, 1969 and 1971 1 image
Image Folder PF-5609/3	Howard Lee being sworn in as mayor, 1969 2 images
Image Folder PF-5609/4	Howard Lee mayoral portrait, 1970s 2 images
Image Folder PF-5609/5	Howard Lee as politician, 1970s [?] 3 images
Image Folder PF-5609/6	Howard Lee talking to constituents, circa 1970s 8 images
Folder 112-113	Statement on election intentions, 1975 "I have asked you here so that I might announce my decision regarding another term as mayor."
Folder 114-129	Congressional campaign, 1972 Includes campaign finance materials, opposition research, printed items, correspondence, mailing lists, and campaign speeches.
Oversize Paper Folder OPF-5609/1	Congressional campaign, 1972 Printed campaign posters and calendars
Folder 130-135	Lieutenant governor campaign, 1976 Includes campaign speeches, press releases, Lee's educational platform, newspaper clippings, and a biographical sketch.
Audiocassette C-05609/8	Lee family interviews on election night, lieutenant governor campaign, 17 August 1976
Audiocassette C-05609/9	News conference, lieutenant governor campaign, 1976 "Criminal justice."
Audiocassette C-05609/10	News conference, lieutenant governor campaign, 1976 "Industrial recruiting."
Folder 136	North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, 1979-1981 Scattered documents include a memorandum from North Carolina Governor James Hunt about the Disciples of Education Program.
Image Folder PF-5609/7	Howard Lee being sworn in, 1977 7 images Secretary of North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development.
Audiocassette C-05609/52	Speech by Howard Lee after losing North Carolina Senate race, 2002
Image Folder PF-5609/8	Howard Lee being sworn into government office, 1970s - 1980s [?] 1 image
Image Folder PF-5609/9	Howard Lee and other politicians, 1970s 3 images
Image Folder PF-5609/10	Howard Lee as politician, 1980s [?] 2 images
Image Folder PF-5609/11	Howard Lee with Terry Sanford and Jim Hunt, 1992 1 image
Image Folder PF-5609/12	Howard Lee campaigning for North Carolina Senate, 1990s 2 images
Folder 137	North Carolina State Senate campaign, 1996 Printed items and speech.
Folder 138	North Carolina State Senate election, 2000 Certificate.
Folder 139	North Carolina State Board of Education, 2007-2010
Image Folder PF-5609/13	Howard Lee and other politicians, 2000s - 2010s 5 images
Image Folder PF-5609/14	Edmund Muskie, 1970s 1 image
Image Folder PF-5609/15	Dean Smith, 1990s 1 image
Folder 140-145	Clippings, 1969-2009 and undated
Oversize Paper Folder OPF-5609/2	Clippings, 1969-1980 and undated

Expand/collapse Series 2. Speaking Engagements, 1959-1999.

This series contains handwritten and typescript drafts of speeches and addresses, especially for commencement ceremonies, composed by Lee and audio recordings and photographs of Lee delivering speeches. Also included are printed items and other materials such as stories, poems, and biblical verses he used in writing speeches, programs from events where he spoke, and correspondence concerning his speaking engagements. Recurring themes in the speeches are black leadership, black elected officials, black power, social work, public service, politics, social revolution, poverty, inequality, coalition building, and racism and race relations between blacks and whites both historically and contemporaneously. Other topics addressed in speeches include Lee's own stories from his past, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy, affirmative action, education and public schools, desegregation, African American businesses, municipal governance, health care, welfare and welfare reform, tokenism, the death penalty, black churches, community organizing, and the Vietnam War.

Folder 146-155	Correspondence, 1969-1975
Folder 156-161	Event programs, 1969-1975 and 1996
Folder 162-163	"The 21st Century Challenge," 1975 North Carolina Office of Minority Business Enterprise.
Folder 164	"The Challenge to Lead," 1972 Commencement speech.
Folder 165	"A Challenge to Youth -- Quest for Relevance," undated Commencement speech. Alternate title: "Which Way My Friends."
Folder 166	"Our Challenge: Dreams to Fulfill," undated Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday.
Folder 167	"Meeting the Challenge of Change: If You Want to Be Successful, Do What Successful People Do," 1995 Education.
Folder 168	"Challenges Facing Positive Thinkers in the Year 2000," circa 1999
Folder 169	"Tomorrow's Agenda -- Today's Agenda," undated
Folder 170	"Which Way My Friends," undated
Folder 171	"Know Thyself," undated
Folder 172	"Education and Economics: The Keys to Equality," 1970s "Predominately major white institutions will have to change their images among blacks and make greater efforts to attract black students (not just athletes and super blacks), and to make extra efforts to assist these students who come in with deficiencies to succeed."
Folder 173	"Perspective from the Community on Education," undated
Folder 174	"The Role of Education in an Ever Changing World," undated
Folder 175	"Our Sick Society," undated Desegregation and separatism.
Folder 176	"Is Desegregation in the Public Schools Achieving the Intent of the Law?," 1967
Folder 177	"Fathers and Their Quest to Understand," undated Father's Day.
Folder 178	"Fathers in a Society of Rapid Change," 1969
Folder 179	"Health Care: A Priority for a Social Revolution," undated
Folder 180	"Health Care at a Cross Roads," undated
Folder 181	"Criminal Justice," undated
Folder 182	"Learning Opportunities for All," undated Juvenile courts.
Folder 183	"Vietnam War Moratorium," 1969
Folder 184	"The Poor, The Black and the American Revolution," 1970 "I am southern and black, and I know how desperately we need more black leaders all over this land but especially in the South."
Folder 185	"The 70's + Black Elected Officials," undated
Folder 186	"The Black Struggle and the Social Revolution," 1970 "Before us is the dawning of a new day that will demand rapid change on many fronts and will not tolerate gradualism."
Folder 187	"Black Power Revisited," undated
Folder 188	"Black Power, Politics and Church," undated
Folder 189	"Black Power and the Black Church," "Ever since [Stokely] Carmichael shouted 'Black Power' in a Mississippi school yard, America has been shaking at its very roots fearing some sort of black takeover."
Folder 190	"Black Church: Black Power and Politics," 1970
Folder 191	"Black Power and Black America," undated
Folder 192	"Real Black Agenda," undated
Folder 193	"The Black Struggle + the Southern Revolution," undated
Folder 194-195	"The Black Struggle and the American Revolution," "We must speak out against violence, but we must speak out just as forcefully against those conditions that breed violence. We must speak out against separatism, but we must also speak out against a racist system that does not provide equal opportunity for all its citizens, particularly black."
Folder 196	"Black Sensitivity and Civil Rights," 1970
Folder 197-198	"Black Power: The Key to Black Survival," undated
Folder 199	"Which Way Black Leaders," 1971 Commencement speech.
Folder 200	"A Challenge for '72--Black Unity & Coalition Politics," circa 1971
Folder 201-203	"Black Pearls in American History," undated "It has been my love for the South that has kept me here. It has been my faith that kept me probing the sins of this South; living with its failures; enduring its [ugliness] and trying very hard to understand its stresses."
Folder 204	"The Black Elected Official," undated
Folder 205	"The Black Elected Official and the Changing American Scene," 1973
Folder 206	"The Responsibilities of the Black Administrator,"
Folder 207	"The Black Elected Official and Southern Politics, " undated "Black power then ultimately means that blacks will pool their strength with folks both black and white of decency and put blacks into position so that they can produce the goods and services that blacks need."
Folder 208	"I Dare You," undated
Folder 209	"To Strive Toward Excellence: The Real Black Agenda," undated
Folder 210	"Liberty and Justice for All: A Dream Deferred," 1971 Commencement speech.
Folder 211	"Our Dream Deferred: Equality , Liberty and Justice," undated Memorial service for Whitney Moore Young, Jr.
Folder 212	"We Can Do Better--Together," 1972 Congressional campaign rally speech.
Folder 213	"It's Coalition Time Again," undated Address to fraternity Phi Beta Sigma.
Folder 214	"A Time for Coalitions," undated
Folder 215	"A Time for New Coalitions," undated
Folder 216	"Getting Together," 1973 "One slum house stands - All suffer. Have inadequate social services or oppressive welfare system - all suffer."
Folder 217	"People United -- A Dream to Fulfill," circa 1972 "I think of the many obstacles which block my way simply because I am Black. I think about not being able to seriously seek to become President or Vice President of the United States or U.S. Senator from N.C."
Folder 218	"The Power of the People," undated
Folder 219	"The Power of the Leader + the People," undated
Folder 220	"The Power of the Leader," undated
Folder 221	"Blueprint for Progress," undated "A Program of Citizen Participation in Setting and Implementing Community Goals."
Folder 222	"The New Localism," undated "Ultimately government closest to the people must make the difference."
Folder 223	"The Small City and Urban Problems (A Perspective from Chapel Hill)," 1975 Speech delivered at Public Policy Forum.
Folder 224	"The Problems of Running a City," undated
Folder 225	"Acting in the Affirmative," undated "Manpower, affirmative action, and personnel processes."
Folder 226	"Business in the Grey," undated "It has been the black economic base that has supported these businesses through buying power and yet blacks [have] usually come out on the short end of the stick with regards to employment power."
Folder 227	"The Ethic of Public Unionization," undated
Folder 228	"Personnel - The Company's Conscience," undated
Folder 229	"The Base of Power: Politics and Economics," undated
Folder 230	"A Time for A Plan -- Politics 1972," circa 1971
Folder 231	"Community Political Strategy," undated
Folder 232	"Political Trends and Urban Life Styles in North Carolina,"
Folder 233	"Politics of the Poor and Health in the American Revolution," undated
Folder 234	"Politicking for the Aged," undated Conference on Mental Health Counseling and Aging.
Folder 235	"Politicking for Older Americans," undated Conference on Alternative to Institutional Care for Older Americans.
Folder 236	"Labor and a Populist Political Coalition," undated
Folder 237	"The Challenged Generation," 1990 Commencement speech.
Folder 238	"Gracious Giving," undated
Folder 239	"Brothers One," 1959 "If our brothers are oppressed, then we are oppressed."
Folder 240	"Politics Defined," undated
Folder 241	"The Beginning of Forever," 21 May 1983 Eulogy for Lou Tempie Barnes Lee.
Folder 242	"Political Realities of the Nineties," undated Speech delivered to the Boston University School of Social Work Alumni College.
Folder 243	"Politics and People Power," undated
Folder 244	"People Power Through Politics," undated Speech delivered to the Barbers Protective Association in Danville, Va.
Folder 245	"The Church: The Churchman and Political Change," undated Speech delivered to the Pembroke Kiwanis Club.
Folder 246	"Need: Politics for People," 20 July 1975 Speech delivered to the Durham Committee on Black Affairs in Durham, N.C.
Folder 247	"Southern Politics and the American Revolution," undated
Folder 248	"Human Relations and Political Power," circa 1970
Folder 249	"Political Power to the People," undated
Folder 250-252	"Power, People and Political Responsibility," 1974 Commencement speech.
Folder 253	"A New Political Social Work," undated
Folder 254-255	"Social Workers and Politics," undated
Folder 256	"Social Work and the Political System," circa 1970
Folder 257	"Social Work and Social Welfare: Political Footballs," undated
Folder 258	"Our Social Dilemma: Youth Activism and Adult Backlash," undated
Folder 259	"The New Day for Social Work in the Midst of Cross-Fires of Coalitions," undated
Folder 260-261	"Social Work and the American Crisis, " 15 February 1969 Speech delivered at the Tennessee National Association of Social Workers State Council Workshop.
Folder 262	"An Awakening Social Work," undated
Folder 263	"Toward a New Social Work," undated
Folder 264-265	"Social Work and the Social Revolution," circa 1970
Folder 266-267	"Social Welfare and the Political and Social Revolution," March 1970
Folder 268-270	"Society - Social Work - and the Social Revolution," 1973
Folder 271-274	"Welfare and the Social Revolution Where Do We Stand," 1973
Folder 275	"A System Caught in Revolutionary Cross-Fires," 29 May 1969
Folder 276-277	"The New Mood for Rapid Change -- Revolution or Reformation," undated
Folder 278	"Human Relations and 20th century Revolution," undated
Folder 279-280	"A Time of Revolutions -- A Positive Force for Change," undated
Folder 281	"Health Care -- A Priority for a Social Revolution," undated
Folder 282	"Accountability and Community Action," undated Speech delivered to the National Federation of Student Social Workers.
Folder 283-284	"Accountability A Threat or a Challenge," undated
Folder 285	"Welfare Reform," undated
Folder 286	"Social Welfare --Society's Step-Child," 6 April 1973 Speech delivered at Southern Welfare Conference in Atlanta, Ga.
Folder 287	"Inspired by Dreams; Sustained by Faith," undated Delivered as a "worship leader" at a church service.
Folder 288	"Irritated Oysters Make Pearls," undated "Down in Americus Georgia, a man named Milliard [Fuller] became irritated by the lack of available and affordable housing for the masses…sacrificed his personal fortune to [found] Habitat for Humanity. He produced a Pearl."
Folder 289	"These Are the Times That Try Christian Souls," undated
Folder 290	"Politics: A Public Trust with Responsibility," undated Speech delivered to the North Carolina Student Legislature.
Folder 291	"A Message from the Stars," undated "First blacks must come together as a people, unify, develop pride and develop a nationalism."
Folder 292	"A Plan for Survival," undated Speech delivered at Atlanta University Annual Founder's Day Convocation.
Folder 293-294	"Which Way Johnston Scholars," undated
Folder 295-297	"Which Way Democrats," 1973
Folder 298	"Which Way Democrats--74 & 76," circa 1974
Folder 299	"Toward a New Majority -- Democratic Politics," undated
Folder 300	"The Second Reconstruction," undated Keynote address to a YDC (Youth Democratic Club) convention. "But the day of tokenism must be buried and organizations such as the YDC must go on record condemning such actions as appeasements."
Audiocassette C-05609/36	Speech to Young Democrats Club, 26 March 1979 North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/41	Wake County (N.C.) Young Democrats Club, 15 August 1979 Raleigh, N.C.
Folder 301	"We Must Learn From History," 12 April 1985 Keynote address to Orange County [N.C.] Democratic Party Convention.
Folder 302	Untitled speech, circa 1973 "The Democratic Party, for the first in this state and this nation is facing one of its biggest crisis in the existence of its history…We are a house divided against itself."
Folder 303	Untitled speech, undated "Fellow Democrats…We are now searching for a new way to define what it means to be a Democrat."
Folder 304	Seconding speech for Terry Sanford, 1972 Delivered at the Democratic National Convention.
Folder 305	Introduction of Mayor Maynard Jackson, undated Delivered at Durham County Democratic Rally.
Folder 306	Testimony, 1971 Testimony before the United States Senate Committee on Public Works concerning federal involvement in state and municipal economic development.
Folder 307	Voice of America interview transcript, 1972
Folder 308-309	On Campus scripts, 1975 Program on the campus of St. Augustine's College [now University] in Raleigh, N.C.
Folder 310-311	"Let's Learn from Our History," undated
Folder 312-313	"Let's Learn from Our History," 1975 Commencement speech.
Folder 314-315	"Let's Learn from History," undated
Folder 316-317	"Let's Learn from History," 1975 Commencement speech.
Folder 318	"Learning from History," circa 1996
Folder 319	"Which Way from Here," undated High school commencement speech.
Folder 320	"Which Way from Here," undated High school commencement speech.
Folder 321-334	Untitled commencement addresses, 1972-1983 and undated
Folder 335-336	Untitled speech, 3 November 1972 Speech delivered at North Carolina Central University Founder's Day.
Folder 337	Untitled speech delivered to National Urban League, 1 August 1972 "If you live in a suburb that cuts itself off from the realities of the world and you feel because of that, that everything is alright with the world, then you are part of the problem and not the solution."
Folder 338-339	Untitled speeches on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, undated "As we gather to remember the life and legacy of Dr. King, let us use this time to measure how far we have come, take a realistic look at where we must go and reeducate ourselves to fulfilling the dream."
Audiocassette C-05609/46	Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, 15 January 1980 North Carolina Central University, Durham, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/47	Savings and Loan Association Conference, 19 February 1980 Raleigh, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/48	Speech, "The Black Experience in Politics," 14 March 1980 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/49	North Raleigh Rotary Club speech on microelectronics, 21 January 1981 North Raleigh Holiday Inn, Raleigh, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/50	"Howard Lee Appreciation Event, NRCD, Part 1," 1981
Audiocassette C-05609/51	"Howard Lee Appreciation Event, NRCD, Part 2," 1981
Folder 340-341	Untitled speeches on poverty and education, 1968 "...just look at our youth today. Some individualized themselves with beards, long hair, and LSD -- but not all of them are flower people. Most of them are in the Peace Corps, Moral Rearmament Groups, marching in peaceful demonstrations for inalienable rights promised to them by the fact of their birth." [Note that page one is missing.] "When 30 percent of the young men from deprived environments fail to pass the basic selective service exam for induction…when over 50 percent of poverty students in many high schools drop out…when there are thousands of children who are reading two to three years below grade level, we must not view this as an individual failure but as a massive failure of our public school system to meet the needs of the poor."
Folder 342	Untitled speech delivers to Chapel Hill-Carrboro Jaycees, 1969
Folder 343	Untitled statement on regional planning, circa 1970 "One of the most pressing needs of the [Research Triangle, N.C.] area as it expands is a transportation system including a network of highways that will adequately service commercial and residential needs."
Folder 344	Untitled speech about Chapel Hill, circa 1971 "A decade of growth has left downtown Chapel Hill as a hub of activity by day and a no-man's land by night. Downtown residents have moved to the suburbs; students have moved to South Campus…The former center of our economic and social life has become devoid of people who live and work in and around the central business area."
Folder 345	Untitled speech delivered to the National Association of Social Workers, 1972 "Social workers all over the country have indicated without question that they would like to see their national professional organization become more politically involved, gain more political power, get more political attention and effect the decisions that ultimately yield more suffering."
Folder 346	Untitled Speech delivered at Day Care & Child Development Council of America, Inc., 24 September 1972 Speech delivered at Day Care & Child Development Council of America, Inc.
Folder 347	Untitled speech delivered at Forum on the South Tomorrow, 12 January 1972 Speech delivered at Forum on the South Tomorrow in Tampa, Fla., sponsored by the Southern Regional Council and University of South Florida.
Folder 348	Untitled speech to fraternal organization, 27 January 1973 "59th Anniversary Conclave" in Houston, Tex.
Audiocassette C-05609/7	Banquet speech, 16 April 1976 Tarboro, Edgecombe County, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/11	Tribute to Howard Lee, 1976 Royal Villa Hotel, Raleigh, N.C. "Also speech by Big Daddy Howard Lee."
Audiocassette C-05609/12	North Carolina Human Relations Council, 10 February 1978 Raleigh, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/13	9th Annual Urban Affairs Institute, 12 April 1978 Greensboro, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/14	Speech, 5 May 1978 Washington, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/15	North Carolina Chapter, American Institute of Planners, 25 May 1978 Wrightsville Beach, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/16	Association of County Commissioners, 5 July 1978 Sheraton Crabtree Hotel in Raleigh, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/17	Rotary Club speech, 25 July 1978 Winston Salem, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/18	Governor's School West, open house speech, 3 August 1978 Salem College, Winston Salem, N.C
Audiocassette C-05609/19	Speeches, 1978 Side 1: "Masters of Public Administration Alumni Association, Chapel Hill, N.C." Side 2: "Annual Meeting, Lumber River Council of Government, Lumberton, N.C., 22 September 1978."
Audiocassette C-05609/21	North Carolina state branches of NAACP, 21 October 1978 Charlotte, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/22	Speech, Pfeiffer College, 30 October 1978 "Dr. Cameron West, President."
Audiocassette C-05609/23	Rural Initiatives ceremony, 28 November 1978 Archdale Building in Raleigh, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/24	Citizens Awareness Week, 2 December 1978 Princeville, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/25	Speech, Human Relations Council luncheon, 6 December 1978 Fayetteville, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/26	Speech, Congressman Vonno Lamar Gudger Jr., 1978 Asheville, N.C., A National Resources Conference.
Audiocassette C-05609/27	"Howard Lee 1978 Review," 1978
Folder 349	Untitled speech delivered to the National Association of Black Accountants, Charlotte Chapter, 25 September 1978 "If you choose to live in an integrated neighborhood you apologize to no one for you have earned the right to live there and you accept that right with dignity."
Audiocassette C-05609/20	National Association of Black Accountants, 25 September 1978 Radisson Plaza Hotel in Charlotte, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/28	Annual meeting of Military-Civilian Communities Council, 26 January 1979 Jacksonville, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/29	Governor's Conference on Inflation, 1 February 1979 Raleigh Civic Center in Raleigh, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/30	Remarks, North Carolina Employment and Training Council, 9 February 1979 Archdale Building in Raleigh, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/31	Fairmont Chamber of Commerce, 13 February 1979 Fairmont, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/32	Joint Center for Political Studies Conference for Local Elected Officials, 16 February 1979 Columbia, S.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/33	Black History Month speech, 17 February 1979 Pope Air Base, Fayetteville, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/34	Groundbreaking ceremony Waste Water Treatment Plant, 6 March 1979 Roper, N.C.
Folder 350	Untitled speech delivered at Campbell College Spring Symposium, 8 March 1979 "I went into the white females' bathroom, only to emerge and be met by several klansmen prominent around the town who lashed me quite lavishly…I came away from that experience with a commitment. The commitment was not to go seeking the land of promise, but to help build a land of promise in the South."
Audiocassette C-05609/35	Campbell College symposium, 13 March 1979 Buies Creek, N.C.
Folder 351	Untitled speech delivered at Southern Regional Conference of Child Welfare League of America, undated
Audiocassette C-05609/37	Employment and Training Association Annual Meeting, 4 April 1979 McKimmons Center in Raleigh, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/38	Alabama Conference of Social Workers, 11 April 1979 Birmingham, Ala.
Audiocassette C-05609/39	Black Assembly Meeting, 1 June 1979 Greenville, Pitt County, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/40	Speech, Community Relations Council, 5 June 1979
Audiocassette C-05609/42	Shiloh Baptist Church, 9 September 1979
Audiocassette C-05609/43	Durham Rotary Club, 22 October 1979 Durham, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/44	Chowan Action Plan Public Meeting, 23 October 1979 Edenton, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/45	Speech and television program, 1979 Side 1: "Speech to Arts Council delegates." Side 2: "Television show 'Report to the People,' WXII, Winston-Salem with Jane Harrington."
Folder 352	Untitled speech delivered to the Alliance of North Carolina Black Elected Officials, undated
Folder 353	Untitled speech delivered at Lander College, undated Lander College is in Greenwood, S.C. "My intent to talk in terms of creating the kind of atmosphere which will provide the opportunity and the freedom for blacks to participate in the total community as well as emphasizing to blacks their obligation and responsibility to be involved in the total community."
Folder 354	Untitled speech on race relations, undated "Honored to have been invited to share thoughts with you about black/Jewish relations: past and present."
Folder 355	Untitled speech on local government reform, undated "We are finding that government and governmental units are being scrutinized from within + from without and under constant pressure to change."
Folder 356	Untitled speech about social revolution and equal opportunity, undated "Now some of our brothers are telling us there is a black revolution. If by this we mean a radical escalation of black aspirations and demands, this is true. But there has basically been no reallocation of political and economic power."
Folder 357	Untitled speech on public office, undated "The black public servants, labor under even greater pressures. In addition to all the pressures, it is expected that you should right overnight the wrongs which have been done over many years…It is expected that you will be able to meet every need of the black community."
Folder 358	Untitled speech on "more open and responsive" government , undated "American leadership act on symptoms not cause, unable to assign priorities, reacts rather than acts…"
Folder 359	Untitled speech delivered at Winston-Salem State University, undated "Do not settle for being a token and never settle for being a quarter. If you get inside, don't forget [there] are still a few people who will need your help to get inside."
Audiocassette C-05609/4	PEP (Paths for Employee Progress) Path to the Top, undated
Audiocassette C-05609/5	PEP (Paths for Employee Progress) Path to the Top, undated
Audiocassette C-05609/6	PEP (Paths for Employee Progress) Path to the Top, undated
Audiocassette C-05609/53	Howard Lee remarks, Literacy Group, undated Raleigh, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/54	Induction Speech, Marine Fisheries Commission, undated Morehead City, N.C.
Audiocassette C-05609/55	Speeches, undated Side A: "Speech to RSVP Volunteers." Side B: "Greensboro, N.C. Leadership Conference."
Audiocassette C-05609/56	Speech, Sampson County (N.C.) Voters League, undated
Audiocassette C-05609/57	Speech, Scotland County, N.C., undated
Audiocassette C-05609/58	Speech, Urban Arts Center, undated Winston Salem, N.C
Audiocassette C-05609/59	Speech, undated Johnson City, Tenn.
Image Folder PF-5609/16	Howard Lee giving speeches, 1970s [?] 2 images
Image Folder PF-5609/17	Color transparencies (12 images) 12 images
Folder 360-365	Fragments of speeches, undated
Folder 366	Notes for speeches, undated
Folder 367-379	Materials for speeches, circa 1966-1978 Includes reports, articles, anecdotes, biblical passages, and speeches by others including 1972 presidential nominating speeches for Terry Sanford.

Expand/collapse Series 3. Social Work, Family, Writing, and Awards, 1949-2008.

This series contains scattered correspondence pertaining to Lee's employment as a juvenile probation officer and social worker, his songwriting and fiction writing, his professional writing as a social worker, and the publication of his memoir titled The Courage to Lead: One Man's Journey in Public Service. Other materials are audio recordings of Lee's songs, sheet music for a song by Lee, stories, poetry, and articles written by Lee, newspaper clippings, his high school year book, family photographs, and certificates for awards Lee was given.

Folder 380	Employment, 1962 Letters and applications for employment as a social worker.
Folder 381	Juvenile - Domestic Relations Court, Savannah, Ga., 1962 Letters and proposals written by Howard Lee when he was serving as a probation officer for juveniles. Also included is an outline with the title "The Negro and Juvenile Delinquency in the South."
Folder 382	Personal correspondence, 1962-1975 Scattered letters from United States Army, Fort Valley State College, Duke University Medical Center, and others.
Folder 383	Lithonia, Ga., 1952 and undated Bruce Street High School year book and a tourist brochure.
Folder 384	Graduate school in social work, 1962 Correspondence.
Folder 385	Song writing, 1962-1963 Chiefly correspondence with publishers. Also includes sheet music and lyrics for an original song by Lee titled "Give Me Another Chance."
Audiocassette C-05609/1	Songs by Howard Lee with Len Mack Trio in Korea, 1960 "Also, original songs by Howard Lee."
Audiocassette C-05609/2	Songs, 1965-1966 Side A: "Songs by Lee Family: Louise, Minnard, Frankie, Annie Lois, Larry B, solo by Howard Lee." Side B: "A Trio: The Singing Social Workers Howard Lee, Robert Houser and Jim Shimkis, 1965-1966, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill."
Folder 386	Book publishers, 1962 Correspondence.
Folder 387	Poetry by Howard Lee, undated
Folder 388	"Phototherapy: A New Approach to Counseling Culturally and Economically Deprived Youth" by Howard Lee, undated Published journal article.
Folder 389	"Political Activism for Social Work" by Howard Lee, undated
Folder 390	"The Black Elected Official and Southern Politics" by Howard Lee undated
Folder 391	The Black Politician, 1969-1970 Correspondence with Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc.
Folder 392	"Biographical Sketch of George H. White" [by Howard Lee?], undated
Folder 393-394	The Courage to Lead: One Man's Journey in Public Service by Howard Lee, 2008 Correspondence and clippings about Lee's memoir.
Folder 395	"Coach" by Howard Lee, undated
Folder 396	"The Real North Carolina: My Home" [by Howard Lee?], undated
Folder 397	"Teacher Expectations for the Culturally Deprived Child" by Howard Lee, undated
Folder 398-399	Certificates and citations, 1969-1997 and undated Includes the speech given when Lee was given the William Richardson Davie Award.
Folder 400	"Lee Photo Wish List," undated Possibly a list of images requested for Lee's memoir.
Folder 401	Clippings, 1953 and 1962
Audiocassette C-05609/60	"Howard Lee thoughts," undated
Audiocassette C-05609/61	"Karin, Howard N, Lillian, Big Daddy, Mother, Aunt Rita," undated
Image Folder PF-5609/18	Howard Lee in high school, 1949-1953 6 images
Image Folder PF-5609/19	Howard Lee college graduation, 1959 1 image
Image Folder PF-5609/20	Howard Lee in the United States Army, 1959-1961 7 images
Image Folder PF-5609/21	Howard Lee, 1960s 2 images
Image Folder PF-5609/22	Portraits of Howard Lee throughout his lifetime 8 images
Image Folder PF-5609/23	Howard Lee and Lillian Lee 5 images
Image Folder PF-5609/24	Lillian Lee and others 3 images
Image Folder PF-5609/25	Lillian Lee and others 5 images
Image Folder PF-5609/26	Howard Lee's parents and others 6 images
Image Folder PF-5609/27	Howard Lee's parents and others 8 images
Image Folder PF-5609/28	Howard Lee and father during tabulation 3 images
Image Folder PF-5609/29	Howard Lee and grandfather 2 images
Image Folder PF-5609/30	Howard Lee's family, group photographs 3 images
Image Folder PF-5609/31	Debbie and Toots, 1960 1 image
Image Folder PF-5609/32	Unidentified baby 1 image
Image Folder PF-5609/33	Unidentified trip, 1980s [?] 5 images
Oversize Box OB-5609/1	Framed items 2 items Includes a recognition from the Triangle Transit Authority, October 1991, and a framed photo of Howard Lee speaking on television.

Expand/collapse Items Separated

PF-5609/1 through PF-5609/33
C-05609/1 through C-05609/61
OPF-5609/1 through OPF-5609/2

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Collection Number: 05609 Collection Title: Howard Lee Papers, circa 1949-2010