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This collection has access restrictions. For details, please see the restrictions.
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.
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Collection Overview
| Size | About 1300 items (5.0 linear feet) |
| Abstract | The collection documents the education and career of James Alexander Boyer (1909-1998), an African American educator, professor of English, dean of the College, and College president at St. Augustine's College of Raleigh, N.C., and his father, Charles Henry Boyer (1869-1942), who also was an African American educator and dean at St. Augustine's College. It contains scattered records and publications of St. Augustine's College, including histories and speeches, and materials relating to the work of James Alexander Boyer and the Educational Leadership and Human Relations Center to ameliorate the problems of desegregation of public education in North Carolina during the late 1960s. Other materials document James Alexander Boyer's intellectual interests; his service on the "slaveship" S.S. Naushon steamship and as a literacy remediation instructor in the U.S. Navy during World War II; and Boyer family history, including their friendship with Bessie and Sadie Delany. Audio tapes include discussions about prominent African American political figures and a 1997 conversation involving Boyer and others about the history of college athletics at St. Augustine's. |
| Creator | Boyer, James Alexander, 1909-1998. |
| Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
| Language | English. |
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Information For Users
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Processing Information
Processed by: Matthew Turi, September 2002
Encoded by: Matthew Turi, September 2002
Updated by: Nancy Kaiser, March 2019; Anne Wells, August 2019; Patrick Cullom, July 2022; Jodi Berkowitz, November 2022
Since August 2017, we have added ethnic and racial identities for individuals and families represented in collections. To determine identity, we rely on self-identification; other information supplied to the repository by collection creators or sources; public records, press accounts, and secondary sources; and contextual information in the collection materials. Omissions of ethnic and racial identities in finding aids created or updated after August 2017 are an indication of insufficient information to make an educated guess or an individual's preference for identity information to be excluded from description. When we have misidentified, please let us know at wilsonlibrary@unc.edu.
In November 2022 the decision was made to integrate all accessions (Acc. 99189, 99260, 99305, 101596, 103359).
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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.
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Biographical Information
James Alexander Boyer's life was inextricably bound to St. Augustine's College of Raleigh, N.C. On 15 June 1909, he was born on its campus, where his father, Charles H. Boyer, taught and later served as the institution's first African American dean.
James Alexander Boyer received his elementary and secondary education at St. Augustine's. After completing the two years of post-secondary instruction that were then offered by the College, Boyer went on to finish his bachelor's degree at Morehouse College in 1931. In 1934, he earned a master's degree from Atlanta University and returned to St. Augustine's as chair of its English department. In 1940, he began work in a doctoral program at the University of Michigan, but his studies were interrupted by service in the United States Navy, 1942-1946. After his discharge, Boyer returned briefly to St. Augustine's and then resumed his doctoral work at Michigan.
After receiving his Ph.D., Boyer became dean of the College at St. Augustine's. After serving in this capacity from 1949 to 1955, he assumed the presidency of the College and served in this capacity until 1967. Upon his retirement, he continued to teach and play an active role within the St. Augustine's community until his death on 28 Feburary 1998.
Charles Henry Boyer (1869-1942), the father of James Alexander Boyer, graduated from Yale University in 1896. He joined the faculty at St. Augustine's College the same year to teach mathematics, Greek, and athletics. He retired in 1936 as dean of St. Augustine's College.
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Scope and Content
The collection includes papers that reflect the career of James Alexander Boyer, an African American educator, who was professor of English, dean of the College, and president at St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, N.C. Documented are Boyer's intellectual interests and honors received, his education, his service in the United States Navy during World War II, Boyer family history, and scattered St. Augustine's College records and publications. With the exception of speaking notes and a few lesson planners, there are no documents relating to Boyer's official duties and responsibilities at St. Augustine's. Also included are materials relating to the work of James Alexander Boyer and the Educational Leadership and Human Relations Center to ameliorate the problems of desegregation of public education in North Carolina during the late 1960s. Other materials document James Alexander Boyer's service on the "slaveship" S.S. Naushon steamship and as a literacy remediation instructor in the U.S. Navy during World War II; his dissertation on Thomas Henry Huxley; and the Boyer family friendship with Bessie and Sadie Delany. Audio recordings in the collection include discussions about prominent African American political figures and a 1997 conversation involving Boyer and others about the history of college athletics at St. Augustine's. Photographs depict James A. Boyer at different points in his life, including his childhood, years at St. Augustine's, service in the U.S. Navy, and the Boyer family from the early 1900s-1960s.
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Series Quick Links
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Series 1. Papers, 1893-2000.
Acquisitions Information: Accessions 99189, 99260, 99305, 101596, 103359
Arrangement: Alphabetical by subject.
The collection includes papers that reflect the career of James Alexander Boyer, an African American educator, who was professor of English, dean of the College, and president at St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, N.C. Documented are Boyer's intellectual interests and honors received, his education, his service in the United States Navy during World War II, Boyer family history, and scattered St. Augustine's College records and publications. With the exception of speaking notes and a few lesson planners, there are no documents relating to Boyer's official duties and responsibilities at St. Augustine's. Also included are materials relating to the work of James Alexander Boyer and the Educational Leadership and Human Relations Center to ameliorate the problems of desegregation of public education in North Carolina during the late 1960s. Other materials document James Alexander Boyer's service on the "slaveship" S.S. Naushon steamship and as a literacy remediation instructor in the U.S. Navy during World War II; his dissertation on Thomas Henry Huxley; and the Boyer family friendship with Bessie and Sadie Delany. Also included are five audio recordings on 1/4" open reel audio and audiocassette.
Folder 1-6
Folder 1Folder 2Folder 3Folder 4Folder 5Folder 6 |
Biographical information, 1930s-1980sBiographical information for James Alexander Boyer and Charles H. Boyer (12 November 1869-11 March 1942) consists of oral history, will, curriculum vitae and timelines, vital records, school records from Morehouse, the University of Michigan, and Yale, copies of photographs of home in Raleigh, pension and retirement records, honors, and diplomas. |
| Folder 7 |
Biographical information: Awards and diplomasIncludes items received by James Alexander Boyer and Charles H. Boyer. |
| Folder 8 |
Biographical information: Honorary degree from St. Augustine's College for James Alexander Boyer, 13 May 1984 |
| Folder 9 |
Boyer family materials, 1935-1970, 1998Includes a letter, 1935, from Charles H. Boyer to Mrs. Annie (or Anna) E. F. Washington, a copy of the Yale Obituary Record for Charles H. Boyer, a Boyer family tree, and a letter and telegram received by Emma Boyer following the death of James A. Boyer, 1998. |
| Folder 10 |
Charles H. Boyer notebook, 1908-1909Entries include a list of books read and quotations with reflections. |
| Folder 11 |
Book of Common Prayer of Dr. James A. Boyer |
Folder 12-14
Folder 12Folder 13Folder 14 |
Clippings, 1949-1993Primarily cover topics of St. Augustine's College and the Boyer family, and are largely from The Carolinian and other local Raleigh papers. |
Folder 15-16
Folder 15Folder 16 |
Bessie and Sadie Delany family papersThe Delany sisters, Annie Elizabeth ("Dr. Bessie") Delany (3 September 1891-September 1995) and Sarah Louise ("Sadie") Delany (19 September 1889-25 January 1999), were the daughters of Rev. Henry Beard Delany and Nanny Logan Delany. Rev. Delany was vice-principal of St. Augustine's School (later College) in Raleigh, N.C. and the first elected bishop of color of the Episcopal Church, and Mrs. Delany was a teacher and administrator. Dr. Bessie Delany was a 1911 graduate of St. Augustine's School and in 1923 earned a doctor of dental surgery degree from Columbia University, becoming the second Black woman dentist licented to practice dentistry in New York, which she did until her retirement in 1950. Sadie was a graduate of St. Augustine's School and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Pratt Institute in New York and a Master's degree from Teacher's College, Columbia University. Papers include correspondence between Bessie and Sadie Delany and James and Emma Boyer, copies of photographs of the Delany family, funeral programs for Bessie and Sadie Delany, and clippings. |
| Audiocassette C-5088/2 |
Bessie and Sadie Delany family: Having Our SayAudiocassette |
Folder 17-21
Folder 17Folder 18Folder 19Folder 20Folder 21 |
Diaries, 1942-1946Entries describe work as an instructor in literacy remediation at Great Lakes, Ill., and other service assignments in the U.S. Navy. |
Folder 22-25
Folder 22Folder 23Folder 24Folder 25 |
Dissertation of James A. Boyer on Thomas Henry Huxley, 1949 |
Folder 26-29
Folder 26Folder 27Folder 28Folder 29 |
Educational Leadership and Human Relations Center monthly reports, 1968-1970The Educational Leadership and Human Relations Center was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and hosted on the campus of St. Augustine's College. The Center sought to help "the educational and community leaders of North Carolina attain the insights and skills necessary to cope with administrative, instructional and community problems rising out of school desegregation" (The Center / A Purpose booklet) |
| Folder 30 |
Educational Leadership and Human Relations Center notebook, 1968 |
| Folder 31 |
Educational Leadership and Human Relations Center notebook, 1969 |
| Folder 32 |
Educational Leadership and Human Relations Center notes, 1966-1967 and undatedNotes taken at conferences and other meetings, possibly Advisory Council meetings, on loose papers and in notebooks. |
| Folder 33 |
Educational Leadership and Human Relations Center papers, 1965-1970Materials include:
|
Folder 34-37
Folder 34Folder 35Folder 36Folder 37 |
Educational Leadership and Human Relations Center printed material, 1959-1970Titles include:
|
| Folder 38 |
Educational Leadership and Human Relations Center proposalsTitles include:
Other materials include a proposal for an operating grant for St. Augustine's College for a project to address the need for "raising the level of professional competence of school personnel in eastern North Carolina schools that either have recently desegregated or else are in the process of desegregating." |
| Folder 39 |
Educational Leadership and Human Relations Center reports, Guide, and other supporting materialTitles include:
Other supporting materials include an overview of and a budget for the Educational Leadership and Human Relations Center for Civil Rights; reading lists on group guidance and group counseling; African American lived experience, racism, and socioeconomic conditions. |
Folder 40-41
Folder 40Folder 41 |
Educational Leadership and Human Relations Center workshops and conferences, 1966-1972Titles include:
|
| Folder 42 |
Educational Leadership and Human Relations Center workbooks, 1969 and undatedTitles include:
|
| Folder 43 |
Freemason material, 1949Includes the initiation form of James A. Boyer and a membership list. |
| Folder 44 |
Lesson plans, 1936-1940 |
| Folder 45 |
Lesson plans, 1946-1948 |
| Folder 46 |
Miscellaneous materials, 1943-1964Includes printed articles and typed essays ("The Negro in Art"). |
| Folder 47 |
Naushon Steamship, 1930s, 1984James A. Boyer worked on the Naushon steamship, a vessel of the New Bedford, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket Line, to support himself during college and graduate school. Items include numerous certificates from the U.S. Department of Commerce, receipts and cards documenting his membership in the Seafarers' International Union of North America, a copy of the contract between the Union and the Steamship company, and clippings. |
Folder 48-51
Folder 48Folder 49Folder 50Folder 51 |
Speeches, 1958-1965 and undatedTranscripts and notes of speeches given by James A. Boyer in his capacity as president of St. Augustine's College. Most of these speeches are prepared on index cards on topics including Boyer's notions of the proper behavior and educational goals of college freshmen, the virtues of acquiring an education at St. Augustine's College, and the then current state of African American education; five notebooks that Boyer used as lesson planners for Freshman English 1A and Advanced Composition that he taught 1938-1940 and 1946-1948; and a variety of printed materials related to events at or about St. Augustine's that Boyer attended. These occasions ranged from church services at the campus chapel and graduation cermonies to building dedications and the awarding of honorary degrees. |
| Folder 52 |
"A History of St. Augustine's College, 1867-1937"Photocopy of a book written by Cecil D. Halliburton and published by St. Augustine's College in 1937. It is followed by a transcript continuation of St. Augustine's College's history through 1958. |
| Folder 53 |
History of Athletics at St. Augustine's College interview questions, 1997 |
| Audiocassette C-5088/1 |
Dr. James A. Boyer, history of athletics at St. Augustine's, 25 July 1997Audiocassette Tape contains a conversation among James Alexander Boyer, Coach H. Heartley, L. Simmons Henry, and Emma Perry Boyer about the history of college athletics at St. Augustine's, recorded 25 July 1997. |
Folder 54-55
Folder 54Folder 55 |
St. Augustine's College publications, 1947-2000Includes yearbooks, commencements, histories of the college. |
Folder 56-67
Folder 56Folder 57Folder 58Folder 59Folder 60Folder 61Folder 62Folder 63Folder 64Folder 65Folder 66Folder 67 |
St. Augustine's College records, 1950s-1992Includes speeches, contracts, clippings, notes on 125th anniversary planning, 1956 inauguration, speech at 1966 retirement from presidency, plots owned at Oakwood Cemetery. |
| Folder 68 |
The Teacher and Integration by Gertrude NoarContains marginal notes by James A. Boyer. |
Folder 69-72
Folder 69Folder 70Folder 71Folder 72 |
U.S. Navy service records, 1942-1946Includes discharge papers, clippings about literacy remediation school, correspondence. |
| Folder 73 |
Yale Pot-Pourri, 1893 |
| Audiotape T-5088/1 |
President Johnson's State of the Union Message continued, 1967; arguments against Washington School track system, a message from Governor Maddox of Georgia and comments from Congressman Powell1/4" Open Reel Audio Recording contains the second half of Johnson's 1967 State of the Union address and comments about the speech from news reports and public interviews, and continues with a discussion opposed to the Washington school track system, a message from Grover Maddox of Georgia, and further discussion about Congressman Powell and African Americans in general. |
| Audiotape T-5088/2 |
Comments for and against Adam Clayton Powell, Mr. Edwards Brooks goes to Washington, and President Johnson's State of the Union, 1967; Comments by Dr. Francis O. Wilcox and guest of John Hopkins University, Dr. James M. Nabrit, from Howard University1/4" Open Reel Audio Recording contains a discussion "for and against" Congressman Adam Clayton Powell and Senator Edward Brooks, President Lyndon Johnson's 1967 State of the Union Address, and a discussion between Francis O. Wilcox of Johns Hopkins University and James M. Nabrit of Howard University. |
| Audiotape T-5088/3 |
Jamie Brag Top Washington D.C. talk program, 1966-19671/4" Open Reel Audio Recording contains a 1966-1967 talk show hosted by Jamie Brag Top of Washington, D.C. |
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Series 2. Photographs, circa 1900s-1970s (Addition of May 2012 and February 2019).
Acquisitions Information: Accessions 101596 and 103559
Photographs depict James A. Boyer at different points of his life, including 4th-5th grade class portrait at Crosby-Garfield school in Raleigh, ca. 1919; St. Augustine's athletics, his service on the "slaveship" S.S. Naushon and in the U.S. Navy, as well as some family photographs. Also included are images of James A. Boyer's father, Charles H. Boyer, depicting him on campus as a faculty member and as Dean, as well as some family photographs.
Descriptions in quotation marks were transcribed from original captions or notes found with materials.
| Image Folder PF-5088/1 |
"4-5th grade class at Crosby-Garfield Elementary School, Raleigh, N.C.," circa 1920sBlack-and-white photographic prints and photographic negative (copy) 3 images; printed materials Notes indicate image includes Dr. James Boyer, who was in the 5th grade. |
| Image Folder PF-5088/2 |
"St. Augustine's 1926 Champions," St. Augustine's University, Raleigh, N.C.: Football (player), circa 1926-1927Color digital print (office paper) |
| Image Folder PF-5088/3 |
"The team that defeated Shaw University, 1935 Football Team," St. Augustine's University, Raleigh, N.C.: Football (coach), circa 1920s-1930sBlack-and-white photographic prints |
| Image Folder PF-5088/4 |
"S.S. Naushon," circa 1930sBlack-and-white photographic prints5 images James A. Boyer worked on the crew of this ship. Images depict both the ship itself and Boyer. Verso 1: "Slave ship 'Naushon' my 'ticket' through college and grad. school" Verso 2:"Slaveship New Bedford, Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket." |
| Image Folder PF-5088/5 |
"Chas H. Boyer (Papa) and Jas. A. Boyer at 1935 commencement of St. A.," St. Augustine's University, Raleigh, N.C., 1935Black-and-white photographic prints |
| Image Folder PF-5088/6 |
"Navy photos," circa 1942-1945Black-and-white photographic prints3 images |
| Image Folder PF-5088/7 |
"New Bedford and Navy," circa 1942-1945Black-and-white photographic prints6 images |
| Image Folder PF-5088/8 |
"Company 502 1942, E.J. O'Brien, C.S.P. Co. Com'd, July 16 1942, U.S. Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, Ill.," circa 1942-1945Black-and-white photographic printBoyer with his Naval training class. |
Image Folder PF-5088/9-12
PF-5088/9PF-5088/10PF-5088/11PF-5088/12 |
Photographic negativesBlack-and-white photographic negatives8 images Photographic negatives for some prints in PF-5088/3-5. |
| Image Folder PF-5088/13 |
James A. Boyer, circa 1930s-1940sBlack-and-white photographic negatives8 images Accession 103559 (Addition of February 2019). |
Image Folder PF-5088/14-18
PF-5088/14PF-5088/15PF-5088/16PF-5088/17PF-5088/18 |
James A. Boyer family snapshots and family portraits, circa 1930s-1940sBlack-and-white photographic prints8 images |
| Image Folder PF-5088/19 |
James A. Boyer family snapshots and family portraits, circa 1950s-1960sBlack-and-white photographic prints |
| Image Folder PF-5088/20 |
Charles H. Boyer at St. Augustine's University, Raleigh, N.C., circa 1909-1970sBlack-and-white photographic printsIncludes 3 images from original deposits (Acc. 99189 and 99305): 2 portraits of Boyer's father Charles Boyer with graduating class and one image of the Boyer family at the dedication of the Charles Henry Boyer Classroom Building on the campus of St. Augustine's College, Raleigh, N.C., 1970. |
Image Folder PF-5088/21-22
PF-5088/21PF-5088/22 |
Charles H. Boyer family portrait and snapshots, circa 1926Black-and-white photographic prints |
| Oversize Image Folder OP-PF-5088/1 |
Graduates of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn., 1924Black-and-white photographic printOriginal deposits (Acc. 99189 and 99305) |
| Image Folder PF-5088/23 |
Portraits of Charles Boyer Jr., circa 1930sBlack-and-white photographic prints and Printed material |
| Image Folder PF-5088/24 |
St. Augustine's University, Raleigh, N.C.: Chapel, circa 1900s-1920sBlack-and-white photographic printsAccession 103559 (Addition of February 2019). |
| Image Folder PF-5088/25 |
Boyer family: Halftone engravingsEngraving3 images Includes an image of the Boyer Family, circa 1920s and two portraits of James A. Boyer, circa 1960s |
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