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.
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 |
Processed by: Laura Hart and Amy Morgan, August 2017
Updated by: Dawne Howard Lucas, May 2021
Back to TopThe 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.
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. |
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 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.
Back to TopThis 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, 1969Topics 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, 1970Topics 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, 1971Topics 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, 1972Topic 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, 1973Topics 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, 1974Topics 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, 1975Topics 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, 1969-1973Topics 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, undatedThe "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, undatedTemplates for certificates. |
Folder 101 |
Mayor's office files, undatedEditorials 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, 1969Printed campaign materials. |
Folder 104 |
Mayoral campaigns, 1969Proposed platform. |
Folder 105-106 |
Mayoral campaigns, 1969Congratulatory letters, cards, and telegrams. |
Audiocassette C-05609/3 |
Speeches and radio advertisements, 1969-1976Side 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, 1971Includes 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 19715 images
|
Image Folder PF-5609/2 |
Howard Lee mayoral campaign, 1969 and 19711 image
|
Image Folder PF-5609/3 |
Howard Lee being sworn in as mayor, 19692 images
|
Image Folder PF-5609/4 |
Howard Lee mayoral portrait, 1970s2 images
|
Image Folder PF-5609/5 |
Howard Lee as politician, 1970s [?]3 images
|
Image Folder PF-5609/6 |
Howard Lee talking to constituents, circa 1970s8 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, 1972Includes campaign finance materials, opposition research, printed items, correspondence, mailing lists, and campaign speeches. |
Oversize Paper Folder OPF-5609/1 |
Congressional campaign, 1972Printed campaign posters and calendars |
Folder 130-135 |
Lieutenant governor campaign, 1976Includes 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, 1979-1981Scattered 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, 19777 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, 1970s3 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, 19921 image
|
Image Folder PF-5609/12 |
Howard Lee campaigning for North Carolina Senate, 1990s2 images
|
Folder 137 |
North Carolina State Senate campaign, 1996Printed items and speech. |
Folder 138 |
North Carolina State Senate election, 2000Certificate. |
Folder 139 |
North Carolina State Board of Education, 2007-2010
|
Image Folder PF-5609/13 |
Howard Lee and other politicians, 2000s - 2010s5 images
|
Image Folder PF-5609/14 |
Edmund Muskie, 1970s1 image
|
Image Folder PF-5609/15 |
Dean Smith, 1990s1 image
|
Folder 140-145 |
Clippings, 1969-2009 and undated
|
Oversize Paper Folder OPF-5609/2 |
Clippings, 1969-1980 and undated
|
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," 1975North Carolina Office of Minority Business Enterprise. |
Folder 164 |
"The Challenge to Lead," 1972Commencement speech. |
Folder 165 |
"A Challenge to Youth -- Quest for Relevance," undatedCommencement speech. Alternate title: "Which Way My Friends." |
Folder 166 |
"Our Challenge: Dreams to Fulfill," undatedMartin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. |
Folder 167 |
"Meeting the Challenge of Change: If You Want to Be Successful, Do What Successful People Do," 1995Education. |
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," undatedDesegregation 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," undatedFather'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," undatedJuvenile 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," 1971Commencement 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," 1971Commencement speech. |
Folder 211 |
"Our Dream Deferred: Equality , Liberty and Justice," undatedMemorial service for Whitney Moore Young, Jr. |
Folder 212 |
"We Can Do Better--Together," 1972Congressional campaign rally speech. |
Folder 213 |
"It's Coalition Time Again," undatedAddress 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)," 1975Speech 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," undatedConference on Mental Health Counseling and Aging. |
Folder 235 |
"Politicking for Older Americans," undatedConference on Alternative to Institutional Care for Older Americans. |
Folder 236 |
"Labor and a Populist Political Coalition," undated
|
Folder 237 |
"The Challenged Generation," 1990Commencement 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 1983Eulogy for Lou Tempie Barnes Lee. |
Folder 242 |
"Political Realities of the Nineties," undatedSpeech delivered to the Boston University School of Social Work Alumni College. |
Folder 243 |
"Politics and People Power," undated
|
Folder 244 |
"People Power Through Politics," undatedSpeech delivered to the Barbers Protective Association in Danville, Va. |
Folder 245 |
"The Church: The Churchman and Political Change," undatedSpeech delivered to the Pembroke Kiwanis Club. |
Folder 246 |
"Need: Politics for People," 20 July 1975Speech 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," 1974Commencement 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 1969Speech 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," undatedSpeech 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 1973Speech delivered at Southern Welfare Conference in Atlanta, Ga. |
Folder 287 |
"Inspired by Dreams; Sustained by Faith," undatedDelivered 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," undatedSpeech 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," undatedSpeech 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," undatedKeynote 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 1979North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/41 |
Wake County (N.C.) Young Democrats Club, 15 August 1979Raleigh, N.C. |
Folder 301 |
"We Must Learn From History," 12 April 1985Keynote 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, 1972Delivered at the Democratic National Convention. |
Folder 305 |
Introduction of Mayor Maynard Jackson, undatedDelivered at Durham County Democratic Rally. |
Folder 306 |
Testimony, 1971Testimony 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, 1975Program 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," 1975Commencement speech. |
Folder 314-315 |
"Let's Learn from History," undated
|
Folder 316-317 |
"Let's Learn from History," 1975Commencement speech. |
Folder 318 |
"Learning from History," circa 1996
|
Folder 319 |
"Which Way from Here," undatedHigh school commencement speech. |
Folder 320 |
"Which Way from Here," undatedHigh school commencement speech. |
Folder 321-334 |
Untitled commencement addresses, 1972-1983 and undated
|
Folder 335-336 |
Untitled speech, 3 November 1972Speech 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 1980North Carolina Central University, Durham, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/47 |
Savings and Loan Association Conference, 19 February 1980Raleigh, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/48 |
Speech, "The Black Experience in Politics," 14 March 1980University 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 1981North 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
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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
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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 1972Speech delivered at Day Care & Child Development Council of America, Inc. |
Folder 347 |
Untitled speech delivered at Forum on the South Tomorrow, 12 January 1972Speech 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 1976Tarboro, Edgecombe County, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/11 |
Tribute to Howard Lee, 1976Royal Villa Hotel, Raleigh, N.C. "Also speech by Big Daddy Howard Lee." |
Audiocassette C-05609/12 |
North Carolina Human Relations Council, 10 February 1978Raleigh, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/13 |
9th Annual Urban Affairs Institute, 12 April 1978Greensboro, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/14 |
Speech, 5 May 1978Washington, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/15 |
North Carolina Chapter, American Institute of Planners, 25 May 1978Wrightsville Beach, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/16 |
Association of County Commissioners, 5 July 1978Sheraton Crabtree Hotel in Raleigh, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/17 |
Rotary Club speech, 25 July 1978Winston Salem, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/18 |
Governor's School West, open house speech, 3 August 1978Salem College, Winston Salem, N.C |
Audiocassette C-05609/19 |
Speeches, 1978Side 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 1978Charlotte, 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 1978Archdale Building in Raleigh, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/24 |
Citizens Awareness Week, 2 December 1978Princeville, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/25 |
Speech, Human Relations Council luncheon, 6 December 1978Fayetteville, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/26 |
Speech, Congressman Vonno Lamar Gudger Jr., 1978Asheville, 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 1978Radisson Plaza Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/28 |
Annual meeting of Military-Civilian Communities Council, 26 January 1979Jacksonville, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/29 |
Governor's Conference on Inflation, 1 February 1979Raleigh Civic Center in Raleigh, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/30 |
Remarks, North Carolina Employment and Training Council, 9 February 1979Archdale Building in Raleigh, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/31 |
Fairmont Chamber of Commerce, 13 February 1979Fairmont, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/32 |
Joint Center for Political Studies Conference for Local Elected Officials, 16 February 1979Columbia, S.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/33 |
Black History Month speech, 17 February 1979Pope Air Base, Fayetteville, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/34 |
Groundbreaking ceremony Waste Water Treatment Plant, 6 March 1979Roper, 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 1979Buies 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 1979McKimmons Center in Raleigh, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/38 |
Alabama Conference of Social Workers, 11 April 1979Birmingham, Ala. |
Audiocassette C-05609/39 |
Black Assembly Meeting, 1 June 1979Greenville, 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 1979Durham, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/44 |
Chowan Action Plan Public Meeting, 23 October 1979Edenton, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/45 |
Speech and television program, 1979Side 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, undatedLander 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, undatedRaleigh, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/54 |
Induction Speech, Marine Fisheries Commission, undatedMorehead City, N.C. |
Audiocassette C-05609/55 |
Speeches, undatedSide 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, undatedWinston Salem, N.C |
Audiocassette C-05609/59 |
Speech, undatedJohnson 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 1966-1978Includes reports, articles, anecdotes, biblical passages, and speeches by others including 1972 presidential nominating speeches for Terry Sanford. |
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, 1962Letters and applications for employment as a social worker. |
Folder 381 |
Juvenile - Domestic Relations Court, Savannah, Ga., 1962Letters 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, 1962-1975Scattered letters from United States Army, Fort Valley State College, Duke University Medical Center, and others. |
Folder 383 |
Lithonia, Ga., 1952 and undatedBruce Street High School year book and a tourist brochure. |
Folder 384 |
Graduate school in social work, 1962Correspondence. |
Folder 385 |
Song writing, 1962-1963Chiefly 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, 1965-1966Side 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, 1962Correspondence. |
Folder 387 |
Poetry by Howard Lee, undated
|
Folder 388 |
"Phototherapy: A New Approach to Counseling Culturally and Economically Deprived Youth" by Howard Lee, undatedPublished 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, 1969-1970Correspondence 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, 2008Correspondence 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 undatedIncludes the speech given when Lee was given the William Richardson Davie Award. |
Folder 400 |
"Lee Photo Wish List," undatedPossibly 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, 1949-19536 images
|
Image Folder PF-5609/19 |
Howard Lee college graduation, 19591 image
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Image Folder PF-5609/20 |
Howard Lee in the United States Army, 1959-19617 images
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Image Folder PF-5609/21 |
Howard Lee, 1960s2 images
|
Image Folder PF-5609/22 |
Portraits of Howard Lee throughout his lifetime8 images
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Image Folder PF-5609/23 |
Howard Lee and Lillian Lee5 images
|
Image Folder PF-5609/24 |
Lillian Lee and others3 images
|
Image Folder PF-5609/25 |
Lillian Lee and others5 images
|
Image Folder PF-5609/26 |
Howard Lee's parents and others6 images
|
Image Folder PF-5609/27 |
Howard Lee's parents and others8 images
|
Image Folder PF-5609/28 |
Howard Lee and father during tabulation3 images
|
Image Folder PF-5609/29 |
Howard Lee and grandfather2 images
|
Image Folder PF-5609/30 |
Howard Lee's family, group photographs3 images
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Image Folder PF-5609/31 |
Debbie and Toots, 19601 image
|
Image Folder PF-5609/32 |
Unidentified baby1 image
|
Image Folder PF-5609/33 |
Unidentified trip, 1980s [?]5 images
|
Oversize Box OB-5609/1 |
Framed items2 items Includes a recognition from the Triangle Transit Authority, October 1991, and a framed photo of Howard Lee speaking on television. |