Joseph M. Bryan Papers

NOTE: The numbers cited in parentheses, e.g. 1:5, refer the researcher to the Series#:Folder# in which that name or topic will be found.

INTRODUCTION

This collection consists of items removed from the office of Joseph M. Bryan Sr. (1896-1995) after his death. Bryan was a key figure in the Jefferson-Pilot Corporation and a prominent local philanthropist. Included are pamphlets, books, awards, and photos of Bryan and his acquaintances.

Arrangement: This collection is arranged in four series by document type. The series are: Awards, 1970-1980; Miscellaneous, 1995; Photographs, ca. 1920-1995; and Printed Materials, 1934-1992.

Provenance: The materials in this collection were removed from Bryan’s office in the Jefferson Standard Building. They were donated by the Joseph M. Bryan Estate after his death and assigned the accession numbers 1995.142.1 and 1995.162.1-13.

Processing: This collection was organized and the finding aid was prepared by intern Kate Hayworth in June 2013.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Joseph McKinley Bryan was born in Elyria, Ohio, in 1896. His parents’ divorce separated him and his four siblings, and he eventually went to live with two aunts. He briefly attended Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts at age 18 before dropping out due to lack of funds and  entering the care of his uncle, Dr. William Bryan (1860-1932), a physician and Chief of Staff at Staten Island Hospital. Later, he joined the Army and became a sergeant during World War I, treating sick and wounded soldiers in France. At age 27, he became the youngest member of the New York Cotton Exchange and spent time in Haiti managing the holdings of a cotton broker.

Bryan married Kathleen Price after meeting her in New York in 1927, and the couple had three children: Kay, Nancy, and Joseph Jr. In 1931, the family moved to Greensboro, where Bryan took a job with Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company at the urging of Kathleen’s father, company president Julian Price. He eventually served as a director of the Jefferson-Pilot Corporation and as a member of the board until 1993. Bryan worked to establish the company’s communications arm of newspapers and radio stations, and he brought the first television station to the Carolinas.

Known for his philanthropy, Bryan gave over $10 million to Duke University Medical School for Alzheimer’s disease research after Kathleen died of the disease in 1984. He continued to go to his office in the Jefferson Standard Building every morning until the week before his death at age 99 in April 1995.

Biographical Sources: The biographical information was obtained from “Joseph M. Bryan, Sr.,” Bryan Park, http://www.bryanpark.com/josephbryan.html, accessed June 18, 2013; and Jefferson Pilot Financial, 1903-2003: A Century of Excellence, by Jeffrey L. Rodengen and Richard F. Hubbard (Fort Lauderdale, FL: Write Stuff Enterprises, Inc., 2003).

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The types of materials in this collection include photographs, a plaque, and a desk calendar, as well as printed materials such as books, a certificate, a magazine, magazine covers, pamphlets, and programs. The awards Bryan received serve as reminders of his philanthropic contributions on the local and national level (1:1). Photographs document some of his acquaintances, from former Greensboro Mayor Jim Melvin (1:1) to his uncle Dr. William Bryan (1:3). A number of pamphlets include a packet of information on SALT II, a State of the Union address made by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, and a brochure on the Jefferson Standard Building (4:4). Bryan’s book collection contains volumes signed by presidential authors John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter (4:1). Also included are framed magazine covers displayed in Bryan’s office (4:3) and an issue of Sports Illustrated featuring an image of his green jacket (4:2).

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

1. Awards. 1 folder (2 items). 1970-1980.

The awards include a Certificate of Appreciation to Mr. and Mrs. Bryan from Duke University dated May 11, 1980. In addition, a laminated plaque recognizes the “generous contribution” by Mr. and Mrs. Bryan to the Diplomatic Reception Rooms of the Department of State. The plaque is dated May 12, 1970, and signed by Secretary of State William Rogers.

2. Miscellaneous. 1 folder (1 item). 1995.

The sole item in this series is a desk calendar in a leather case. Printed on the inside are the words “R. S. Dickson & Co., Investment Securities, New York, Charlotte…,” and the first calendar page is Wednesday, April 26, 1995, the day Bryan died.

3. Photographs. 5 folders (8 items). ca. 1920-1995.

The photographs feature Bryan and his acquaintances. One shows him walking across a UNCG soccer field with former Greensboro Mayor Jim Melvin (3:2). A framed clipping from the News & Record shows him with former Senator Lauch Faircloth (3:3). Additionally, a framed portrait features Joseph Bryan’s uncle, Dr. William Bryan, M.D. (1860-1932), who helped raise him and gave him the loan that allowed him to become the youngest member of the New York Cotton Exchange (3:4). The collection also contains a photo of Hugh Shearman, Bryan’s best friend, oil partner, and shooting buddy, in hunting attire with an unidentified woman (3:5). The folder of unframed photos includes an image of Richardson Preyer and Jimmy Carter on a tennis court with a faded message on the verso, a 1993 photo of Bryan, Jim Melvin, and David Stonecipher in Bryan’s office, and two photos of Bryan’s office, presumably taken just after his death (3:1).

4. Printed Materials. 4 folders (18 items). 1934-1992.

This series consists of a variety of printed materials from Bryan’s office. Nine books are filed with the Rare Books. Of special interest are those that contain autographs by the authors, who include Sam Snead and Clement Conger as well as presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter (4:1). Also of note is a mock Time “Man of the Year” cover featuring Bryan, which was probably presented to him by Time (no date, 4:3); the Time logo is printed on glass and the image of Bryan rests behind it in a frame. A reproduced cover of the August 1992 issue of Business Life shows Bryan in his office, with the Time cover visible in the background (4:3), while a 1986 issue of Sports Illustrated includes an article about the Masters with a photo of Joseph Bryan’s green jacket, noting that he was the oldest member of Augusta National (4:2).

The pamphlets include the North Caroliniana Society imprint “William Clyde Friday and Ida Howell Friday” (1984) signed by authors Georgia Kyser and William B. Aycock, with a personal note from Friday to Bryan (4:3). Friday also signed “Frank Porter Graham and Human Rights” (1983), which he authored. Other pamphlets include “State of the Union Message…Jan. 8, 1964” from the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson and a pack of information relating to “SALT II” (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty) in a White House folder (4:4). The series also holds a floor plan pamphlet of the “Jefferson Standard Building,” where Bryan’s office was located, and a program from a St. Andrews, Scotland, presentation with remarks from golfer Bobby Jones (4:4).

FOLDER LISTING