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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 | 3.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 2000 items) |
| Abstract | The McLean family papers document Willard James McLean of Selma, N.C., and his family members, including his second wife, Anna Allen McLean, his third wife, Fannetta Morrow Scruggs McLean Warner, and his stepdaughter, Karen Scruggs. The collection documents a family of African American educators who taught in segregated schools and pursued continuing higher education opportunities, and contains correspondence, financial material, and professional papers of Willard James McLean, as well as papers related to Willard's involvement in the Presbyterian church and printed material. Correspondence, 1940-1971, comprises the bulk of the collection: through 1951 correspondence is primarily of Willard and Anna, of Willard through 1961, and progresses to letters primarily from Karen Scruggs while she is away at various schools, 1962-1970. The collection also contains family photographs and short audio messages and songs recorded by the principal and students from Annie W. Holland School, an African American school in Rocky Mount, N.C. |
| Creator | McLean Family |
| 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: Jodi Berkowitz and Patrick Cullom, July 2016
Encoded by: Jodi Berkowitz and Patrick Cullom, July 2016
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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
Willard James McLean (1889-1970) was born in Manchester, N.C. (later known as Spring Lake), to James Alfred McLean and Margaret McLean. He was a teacher and administrator, serving as the principal of Nash County Training School, 1943-1957, and the first prinicpal of Richard B. Harrison High School in Selma, N.C., 1927-1943, where he resided. Willard received a B.A. in math and Greek with highest honors from Lincoln University in 1911, and an M.S. in Education from the University of Pennsylvania in 1943.
Willard was married three times: first to Margaret Mae Truman, then to Anna Allen McLean, and finally to Fannetta Morrow Scruggs McLean Warner (1921-1999), following Anna's death. Anna was an educator and pursued an advanced degree in education at Teachers College, Columbia University, 1946-1949. Fannetta was also an educator; she and Willard met when he hired her as a music teacher. Fannetta and Willard had a daughter, Willajeanne, and twins who died in infancy, Georg and Gloria. Fannetta had a daughter, Karen Scruggs (1947-2003), from her previous marriage. Karen was one of the first African American students to attend and graduate from Macalester College and Washington University School of Medicine. In addition to practicing medicine, Karen was an accomplished soprano who studied singing and performed regularly.
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Scope and Content
The McLean family papers document Willard James McLean of Selma, N.C., and his family members, including his second wife, Anna Allen McLean, his third wife, Fannetta Morrow Scruggs McLean Warner, and his stepdaughter, Karen Scruggs. The collection documents a family of African American educators who taught in segregated schools and pursued continuing higher education opportunities, and contains correspondence, financial material, and professional papers of Willard James McLean, as well as papers related to Willard's involvement in the Presbyterian church and printed material. Correspondence, 1940-1971, comprises the bulk of the collection: through 1951 correspondence is primarily of Willard and Anna, of Willard through 1961, and progresses to letters primarily from Karen Scruggs while she is away at various schools, 1962-1970.
Correspondence, 1940-1950, contains pockets of letters between Willard and Anna, who were separated physically at times, especially over summers, while each pursued advanced degrees, Willard in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania and Anna at Teachers College, Columbia University. Letters are fairly routine and discuss family members, their classes, and matters relating to their home in Selma, N.C. Anna frequently comments on the presence of other African Americans in her classes and in New York in general. In addition to spending time in Philadelphia, Willard also spent a lot of time in Nashville, N.C., where he was the principal at Nash County Training School. Similarly, Anna visited Lumberton, N.C., where she appeared to care for a relative. Other correspondents include Anna's sister, Lettie, of Washington, D.C., George McLean, of Philadelphia, and E. J. Gregg of Fayetteville, N.C. Correspondence, 1951-1953, is quite sparse, and Anna's death occurs during this time. In 1954 Willard begins corresponding with Fannetta Scruggs, who will become his third wife; she resides in Queens, New York, at the time. Correspondence, 1955-1957, is sparse as well.
Beginning in 1959, the correspondence becomes primarily letters from Karen Scruggs, daughter of Fannetta Scruggs McLean, to her mother, stepfather, and sister, Willajeanne, while she is away at various schools. The majority of letters from Karen are written to her family while she attended Macalester College, 1965-1968. Lengthy letters include details about classes and exams, activities, and friends. Karen was one of the first African American students to attend Macalester but her experiences with regard to race are not typically reflected in her letters.
The collection also contains family photographs and short audio messages and songs recorded by the principal and students from Annie W. Holland School, an African American school in Rocky Mount, N.C.
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Series Quick Links
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Series 1. Papers, 1911-2003.
Arrangement: Chronological.
The McLean family papers document Willard James McLean of Selma, N.C., and his family members, including his second wife, Anna Allen McLean, his third wife, Fannetta Morrow Scruggs McLean Warner, and his stepdaughter, Karen Scruggs. The collection contains correspondence, financial material, and professional papers of Willard James McLean, as well as papers related to Willard's involvement in the Presbyterian church and printed material. Correspondence, 1940-1971, comprises the bulk of the collection: through 1951 correspondence is primarily of Willard and Anna, of Willard through 1961, progresses to letters primarily from Karen Scruggs while she is away at various schools, 1962-1970, and there are a few letters to Fannetta, 1971. Papers, unless otherwise noted, are of Willard James McLean.
Correspondence, 1940-1950, contains pockets of letters between Willard and Anna, who were separated physically at times, especially over summers, while each pursued advanced degrees, Willard in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania and Anna at Teachers College, Columbia University. Letters are fairly routine and discuss family members, their classes, and matters relating to their home in Selma, N.C. Anna frequently comments on the presence of other African Americans in her classes and in New York in general. In addition to spending time in Philadelphia, Willard also spent a lot of time in Nashville, N.C., where he was the principal at Nash County Training School. Similarly, Anna visited Lumberton, N.C., where she appeared to care for a relative. Other correspondents include Anna's sister, Lettie, of Washington, D.C., George McLean, of Philadelphia, and E. J. Gregg of Fayetteville, N.C. Correspondence, 1951-1953, is quite sparse, and Anna's death occurs during this time. In 1954 Willard begins corresponding with Fannetta Scruggs, who will become his third wife; she resides in Queens, New York, at the time. Correspondence, 1955-1957, is sparse as well.
Beginning in 1959, the correspondence becomes primarily letters from Karen Scruggs, daughter of Fannetta Scruggs McLean, to her mother, stepfather, and sister, Willajeanne, while she is away at various schools. The majority of letters from Karen are written to her family while she attended Macalester College, 1965-1968. Lengthy letters include details about classes and exams, activities, and friends. Karen was one of the first African American students to attend Macalester but her experiences with regard to race are not typically reflected in her letters. A March 1967 letter discusses Adam Clayton Powell and references Cassius Clay, and Karen shares her frustration at other students asking her why Powell continued to be elected. In an October 1967 letter Karen talks about race and her feelings, her current reading (including The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. DuBois and Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson), the reaction she receives from her classmates in contrast to her professors, and her dissatisfaction with her classmates. Karen writes often about her classwork, especially in the sciences and music, the process of applying to medical school, and the stress she feels about these circumstances.
| Folder 1 |
"A Leaf Collection for the Study of Botany" by Karen Scruggs, May 1962 |
| Folder 2 |
Church, 1937-1968, 1980 |
| Folder 3 |
Church, undated |
| Folder 4 |
Correspondence, 1940-1944 |
| Folder 5 |
Correspondence, 1945 |
| Folder 6 |
Correspondence, 1946-1947 |
| Folder 7 |
Correspondence, February-June 1948 |
| Folder 8 |
Correspondence, July-September 1948 |
| Folder 9 |
Correspondence, 1949 |
| Folder 10 |
Correspondence, 1950 |
| Folder 11 |
Correspondence, 1951-1953 |
| Folder 12 |
Correspondence, 1954 |
| Folder 13 |
Correspondence, 1955-1957 |
| Folder 14 |
Correspondence, 1959-1961 |
| Folder 15 |
Correspondence, 1962 |
| Folder 16 |
Correspondence, 1965 |
| Folder 17 |
Correspondence, 1966 |
| Folder 18 |
Correspondence, January-June 1967 |
| Folder 19 |
Correspondence, July-December 1967 |
| Folder 20 |
Correspondence, 1968 |
| Folder 21 |
Correspondence, 1970-1971 and undated |
| Folder 22 |
Education and credentials, 1911-1954 |
| Folder 23 |
Fannetta Scruggs McLean, 1953-1955, 1983Includes materials relating to Fannetta's work in music, as well as her first and second marriages. |
| Folder 24 |
Fannetta Scruggs McLean, 1954-1974Education and teaching-related items, including correspondence, certificates, and transcripts. |
| Folder 25 |
Financial: Banking, 1940-1954 |
| Folder 26 |
Financial: Canceled checks, 1942-1944 |
| Folder 27 |
Financial: Canceled checks, 1945-1946 |
| Folder 28 |
Financial: Canceled checks, 1947-1949 |
| Folder 29 |
Financial: Canceled checks, 1950-1952, 1954 |
| Folder 30 |
Financial: Insurance, 1940-1949 |
| Folder 31 |
Financial: Real estate, 1939-1954 |
| Folder 32 |
Financial: Receipts, 1944-1970 |
| Folder 33 |
Financial: Retirement, 1970 |
| Folder 34 |
Financial: Taxes, 1927-1952 |
| Folder 35 |
Johnston County schools, 1972-1973Includes a newsletter mentioning that Willajeanne McLean of Smithfield-Selma High School was a National Merit Scholarship finalist, among other honors. |
Folder 36-37
Folder 36Folder 37 |
Nash County Training School, 1943-1955Correspondence from Office of County Superintendent of Schools of Nash County, from the North Carolina Department of Instruction, from and regarding potential teaching candidates, and from colleagues. |
| Folder 38 |
Nash County Training School: Events and printed material, 1947-1957School event programs and newspapers. |
| Folder 39 |
Nash County Training School: Financial, [1940s-1950s]Primarily voucher stubs for travel; also salary and food. |
| Folder 40 |
North Carolina Teachers' Association, 1944-1952Willard McLean was president of this organization in 1950. Papers include programs, drafts of its constitution, and its constitution. |
Folder 41-42
Folder 41Folder 42 |
Printed material, 1917-2003Programs from various funeral services, commencement exercises, and performances of various McLean family members and friends. Also includes a wedding invitation from Willard McLean's first marriage, to Margaret Mae Truman, who is otherwise not represented in the collection; blank postcards with images of schools and churches in Selma, N.C., the Hampton Institute, and a church and a school in Oxford, N.C.; and war ration books and membership cards. |
| Folder 43 |
Speaking notes, undated |
| Folder 44 |
"Willard James McLean: A Biographical Sketch" by Willajeanne Fannetta McLean, January 1970 |
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Series 2. Photographs, 1890s-1963.
The McLean family photographs depict Willard James McLean and family, as well as unidentified schools, teachers, and students who Willard James McLean worked with throughout his career in education. Included are black-and-white photographic prints, photographic postcards, tintypes, and a few photographic negatives that were found with manuscript materials and a photograph album containing images from the middle to late 1920s.
Titles in quotation marks are original and were found on verso of images. Images were grouped together during processing based on notes on verso or subjects depicted in materials.
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Series 3. Annie W. Holland School Audio Recordings, circa 1940s.
Audiodiscs are closed. Digital versions of their contents are available.
Short audio messages and songs recorded by Boyd Lee Ancrum (1904-1982), principal, and students from Annie W. Holland School, an African American school in Rocky Mount, N.C. In one of the messages, Ancrum says that the audio recorder was given to the school as a gift by a previous graduating class. Some of the messages from the students mention their goal of moving up from the Holland School to Booker T. Washington High School.
Note that the two discs are deteriorating, so the audio recordings may be difficult to hear. Due to their condition, the original discs are closed to use. Researchers must use the digitized versions. Each digitized audio disc is accompanied by a text transcription, created by Southern Historical Collection staff in 2016.
| Audiodisc D-5599/1 |
Messages recorded by Boyd Lee Ancrum, principal, and students from the Annie W. Holland School, Rocky Mount, N.C. |
| Digital Folder DF-5599/1 |
Messages recorded by Boyd Lee Ancrum, principal, and students from the Annie W. Holland School, Rocky Mount, N.C.Contains digitized recordings and transcriptions of D-5599/1. |
| Audiodisc D-5599/2 |
Messages and songs recorded by students from Annie W. Holland School, Rocky Mount, N.C. |
| Digital Folder DF-5599/2 |
Messages and songs recorded by students from Annie W. Holland School, Rocky Mount, N.C.Contains digitized recordings and transcriptions of D-5599/2. |
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Items Separated