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

INTRODUCTION

This collection consists of materials relating to the life and work of Thelma L. O’Brien, an employee of Cone Mills’ Print Works plant who worked to encourage unionization there. The most notable items in the collection are three copies of a script for a radio address she gave in that effort, five years of contracts between the Textile Workers Union of America and Cone Mills, and several letters that provide examples of the mill pushing back against the union. Researchers interested in Cone Mills, local unionization efforts, or the perspective of an average mill worker who supported the union may find this collection useful.

Arrangement: This collection is organized in four series and arranged within series by document type or subject. The series are: Correspondence, 1947-1952; Financial, 1941-1957; Miscellaneous, ca. 1930-1944; and Printed Material, 1943-1952.

Provenance: This collection was donated by Katherine Rowe in August 2022 and assigned the accession number 2022.17.1.

Processing: This collection was organized by Archivist Elise Allison and the finding aid was prepared by intern Amanda McBryde in January 2023.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Thelma L. O’Brien (1915-2007) was born in Danville, Virginia, to Mary Newman and Thomas Marshall O’Brien, and her family moved to Greensboro around 1927 when her father became a mill hand for Cone Mills at Proximity Print Works. She herself worked at Print Works from about 1934 until it closed in 1977, marrying fellow Cone Mills employee Joseph Keaton on December 26, 1956. Print Works was the first textile printery in the South, opening in 1913 and illustrating the diversification of the Southern textile industry during that time period. Thelma O’Brien served as part of the negotiating committee that worked with the Textile Workers Union of America to ensure better working conditions for her fellow employees. After her death in 2007, she was buried in Lemont Cemetery in Danville.

Biographical Sources: The biographical information was acquired from materials in the collection, the Guilford County Register of Deeds database, the Greensboro city directories, an article titled “Mill Employees Get Pay Boost” (The Greensboro Record, February 11, 1946), Thelma O’Brien’s obituary (News & Record, October 19, 2007), and the motion of recommendation to designate the Print Works plant as a Guilford County Historic Landmark.

SCOPE & CONTENT NOTE

The types of materials in this collection include correspondence, financial documents, radio scripts, a school assignment, and assorted printed materials. These items predominantly relate to Thelma O’Brien’s work at Proximity Print Works and efforts to organize a union at that plant. Of particular interest are three copies of a script for a radio broadcast she made to encourage her fellow employees to see the importance of unions, five years of contracts between the Textile Workers Union of America and Cone Mills, a sheet of rules for a picket line, and a strike card. Also of note are several letters from mill personnel to the local union leader addressing worker affairs and grievances. Researchers interested in Cone Mills or unionization efforts in the textile industry may find this collection useful.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

1. Correspondence.  3 folders (5 items).  1947-1952.

This series contains a letter from Sydney M. Cone Jr. to the workers at Print Works informing them of an upcoming union election and explaining why they should vote against joining a union (1:1). A letter from Print Works employee M.J. Gardner to Clarence Thore, president of the local union, discusses a worker’s complaint that his job had been performed by another worker while he was laid off (1:2). This would have violated the mill’s contract with the union, and Gardner argues that this is not the case. Also included in the series are three letters from Print Works Superintendent W.L. Thornburg to Clarence Thore regarding grievances submitted by members of the union, a position change for an employee, and the discontinuation of third shift on the finishing machines (1:3).

2. Financial.  4 folders (31 items).  1941-1957.

Included in this series are some of Thelma O’Brien’s paystubs from Print Works (2:3), her tax returns and withholding statements from 1949 (2:4), an advance payment receipt for a Hospital and Surgical Insurance Policy premium (2:2), and a subscriber’s receipt card for the Greensboro Daily News (2:1).

3. Miscellaneous.  2 folders (5 items).  ca. 1930-1944.

This series contains three copies of a script from a WBIG Radio broadcast given by Thelma O’Brien on the importance of organizing a union (3:1). Also included is an autobiographical school assignment by Red Caviness, who attended Bessemer High School, from which Thelma O’Brien graduated (3:2).

4. Printed Material.  6 folders (13 items).  1943-1952.

The printed material pertains primarily to Proximity Print Works and the Textile Workers Union of America (T.W.U.A.). Items relating to Thelma O’Brien’s involvement with the union include instructions from the National Labor Relations Board for helping with union elections (4:4), contracts between Print Works and the T.W.U.A. for 1944-1948 (4:2-3), a sheet of rules for a picket line, a strike card, and a booklet of T.W.U.A. songs (4:5). The contracts detail the agreed upon working conditions for employees as well as the policies for dealing with a violation of those conditions. Also of interest in this series are an employee handbook and an insurance booklet for Cone Mills employees, a leave of absence request completed by Thelma O’Brien for a month off under doctor’s orders (4:1), and her war ration book from 1943 (4:6).

FOLDER LISTING

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

INTRODUCTION

The Gertrude Beal Papers consist primarily of printed materials and vinyl recordings from Gertrude’s youth in the 1960s and 1970s. A lifelong Greensboro resident, she was raised a Quaker and worked at Guilford College for most of her career. This collection provides a glimpse of her early years through her course of study at local public schools and activities as part of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls (Rainbow Girls), a Masonic organization, as well as through reading material, musical recordings, and event programs. Also included are items relating to the U.S., Guilford County, and Battle of Guilford Courthouse bicentennials.

Arrangement: This collection is organized into three series and arranged within series by document type or subject. The series are: Photograph, 1972; Printed Material, 1956-1998; and Vinyl Recordings, 1950s-1971.

Provenance: This collection was donated by Gertrude Beal in September 2021 and assigned the accession number 2021.10.1.

Processing: This collection was organized and the finding aid was completed by volunteer Ann Koppen in June 2023.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Margaret Gertrude Beal grew up in Greensboro, the daughter of Margaret Alice Sampson (1919-2006) and Franklin Dauphinee Beal (1920-1987), who worked as an executive chef at area country clubs. Born in the Guilford College area, her mother was a lifelong member of New Garden Friends Meeting and a volunteer docent at the Friends Historical Collection at Guilford College. Both her parents were active in the Order of the Eastern Star, a Masonic-affiliated organization, and at age 18 Gertrude became “Worthy Advisor,” the highest leadership position in the Rainbow Girls, a junior version of the Order of the Eastern Star. Gertrude attended Lindley Elementary School, Kiser Junior High School, and both Grimsley and Smith senior high schools during the early years of desegregation. Bussed to Smith her sophomore year, she elected to remain there and graduated in 1973. She then attended St. Andrews Presbyterian College (later St. Andrews University) in Laurinburg, North Carolina, graduating in 1977 with honors, and earned an M.A. in history from UNC Greensboro. In 1977, Gertrude was a summer intern at the Greensboro Historical Museum. She was Assistant to the Curator of Education from 1978 to 1980 before moving full-time to Guilford College, where she worked until her retirement in 2017, holding several positions in the Hege Library and the Advancement and Admission offices.

Biographical Sources: The biographical information was acquired from a biographical sketch drafted by the Curator of Collections and then edited and expanded by the donor. Additional details about her parents were obtained from Ancestry.com and her mother’s obituary (News & Record, September 26, 2006).

SCOPE & CONTENT NOTE

This collection consists primarily of vinyl recordings and printed materials ranging from calendars and menus to pamphlets and books. One formal photograph of Gertrude Beal is also included. The bulk of the collection reflects her early life in Greensboro during the 1960s and 1970s, either through the music, reading material, and sporting events she enjoyed or through mementos of historic events, such as the U.S. Bicentennial. A detailed and comprehensive fourth grade unit plan on the history of Guilford County in honor of its bicentennial may be of interest to educators and historians. Items most specific to the time period and Gertrude’s experience are her high school curricular booklets and materials from the Rainbow Girls, a Masonic organization for youth. Also of note are a Greensboro Community Theatre 50th anniversary program and a Habitat for Humanity newsletter from the 1990s.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

1. Photograph.  1 folder (1 item).  1972.

This formal portrait of Gertrude Beal as a senior in high school was used in a newspaper article about her election to lead officer of the Rainbow Girls (2:12), and another copy of the photograph can be found in that folder.

2. Printed Material.  13 folders (39 items).  1956-1998.

This series consists of a variety of materials, including books, calendars, menus, magazines, and directories, that are primarily but not exclusively related to Greensboro in the 1960s and 1970s. Several items focus on the cluster of bicentennials, from Guilford County’s in 1970 (2:2) to the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 (2:3) and the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in 1981 (2:1). Materials relating to the U.S. Bicentennial include an abridged history of women in North Carolina and a companion book to WFMY-TV’s series of 60-second programs commemorating the role of North Carolina in the development of the United States. A program for a play about the Battle of Guilford Courthouse and a history of the battle comprise that bicentennial’s souvenirs, while a fourth-grade lesson plan on the history of Guilford County represents that bicentennial. The magazines American Girl and Pastimes, “onboard amusement” provided by Eastern Airlines, and a few children’s books – two Barbie books, My First Book to Read, and a book on telling time – represent period children’s and young adult reading material. More specific to Gertrude Beal’s experience are materials from her high school years (2:7), such as a planning handbook for her course of study and a full curriculum guide, and a directory and program from the Rainbow Girls, a Masonic organization for youth (2:12). The directory also provides a history of the organization and its purpose. Also of note are several menus from the Starmount Forest Country Club, where Gertrude’s father was chef, as well as programs and other items from local theatre and sporting events, such as the daily pairing and starting times for the Greater Greensboro Open golf tournament in 1969. A 50th anniversary program for the Community Theatre of Greensboro provides a history of that organization and is autographed by actor Stephen Hale.

3. Vinyl Recordings.  3 folders (12 items).  1950s-1971.

The children’s records (3:1) feature stories, such as Davy Crockett, Wizard of Oz, Popeye, and Sleeping Beauty, and a few musical recordings, including a collection of party songs. Also included are one Andy Griffith 78 (3:2) and four LPs of Kiser Junior High School and Grimsley Senior High School band concerts (3:3).

FOLDER LISTING

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

INTRODUCTION

The R.V. Gannon Papers consist primarily of materials pertaining to the Junior Order United American Mechanics and also include a minute book for the Farmers’ Educational and Cooperative Union. Robert Vance (R.V.) Gannon was a Guilford County farmer and an officer in both organizations. The Farmers’ Educational and Cooperative Order advocated for farmers’ rights, while the Junior Order United American Mechanics promoted separation of church and state, Christian virtue, and anti-immigration sentiment. Researchers interested in American patriotic and fraternal organizations or the local history of McLeansville or Lexington, North Carolina, may find this collection useful.

Arrangement: This collection is organized into two series and arranged within series by document type. The series are: Farmers’ Educational and Cooperative Union, 1910-1912; and Junior Order United American Mechanics, 1917-1951.

Provenance: This collection was donated by Cheryl G. Lowe in April 2021 and assigned the accession number 2021.4.1. The donor is a granddaughter of Robert Vance Gannon.

Processing: This collection was organized and the finding aid was prepared by intern Rebecca Doss in June 2021.

BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE

Robert Vance Gannon (1876-1971) was born in McLeansville and lived there his entire life. A farmer and deacon at Alamance Presbyterian Church, he served as secretary of the McLeansville chapter of the Farmers’ Educational and Cooperative Union in 1913. He later joined the South Buffalo Council of the Junior Order United American Mechanics, holding offices that included secretary, Outside Sentinel, councilor, and representative to the State Council. He married Millie Avis Starr in 1908, and the couple had at least seven children.

The Farmers’ Educational and Cooperative Union was founded in 1902 in Texas and advocated for farmers’ rights to fair market access, direct election of senators, and women’s suffrage. It later became known as the National Farmers’ Union. Initially named the Union of Workers, the Order United American Mechanics was established during the anti-immigration riots of 1844-45 as an anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant patriotic organization. The Junior Order United American Mechanics was founded in 1853, and its membership quickly eclipsed its parent organization, declining only when the Great Depression made dues unaffordable. In 1925, the Junior Order established a children’s home in Lexington, known locally as the “Junior Home.” Originally intended for the orphaned children of members, the home now serves the Lexington area as a whole under the name American Children’s Home. It is interesting to note that the Junior Order had councils throughout the eastern United States in both urban and rural regions, and Guilford County had approximately 19 councils in 1951.

Biographical/Historical Sources: The biographical information about R.V. Gannon was obtained from materials in the collection, Ancestry.com, and his obituary (Greensboro Daily News, June 3, 1971). The historical information about the Farmers’ Educational and Cooperative Union and the American Children’s Home was drawn from the organizations’ official websites (https://nfu.org/about/; https://www.ach-nc.org/), while the history of the Junior Order United American Mechanics was found in the online Phoenixmasonry Masonic Museum and Library.

SCOPE & CONTENT NOTE

The types of materials in this collection include minute books, other record books, correspondence, a receipt, and printed materials. The collection focuses on the Junior Order United American Mechanics and also includes a minute book from the Farmers’ Educational and Cooperative Union. R.V. Gannon, who served in several positions in the South Buffalo Council of the Junior Order and as secretary of the McLeansville chapter of the Farmers’ Educational and Cooperative Union, collected these materials. Researchers interested in American fraternal orders may find this collection useful for its details about the membership requirements, goals, and proceedings of both organizations. For researchers studying the history of Lexington, North Carolina, the State Council bulletin and proceedings provide information about the founding of the Junior Children’s Home there.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

1. Farmers’ Educational and Cooperative Union.  1 folder (1 item).  1910-1912.

This series contains the secretary’s minute book of the McLeansville chapter of the Farmers’ Educational and Cooperative Union of America. Notably, many of the members overlap with the Junior Order United American Mechanics. The minutes primarily detail initiations, committee elections, and the purchase of supplies.

2. Junior Order United American Mechanics.  10 folders (11 items).  1917-1951.

This series consists of records relating to the Junior Order United American Mechanics, including a minute book for the South Buffalo Council (2:5) and the proceedings of the State Councils of 1946 and 1951 (2:7-8). Other State Council information can be found in a 1940 bulletin announcing a special session to discuss the Junior Children’s Home in Lexington (2:1) and correspondence from the state secretary regarding membership and death claims (2:3). The series also contains membership information in the form of: a pledge book recording members’ commitment to faith, anti-immigration, and American patriotism, among other things (2:6); a funeral benefit record book detailing instructions for enrollment and death claims (2:4); receipts and reports from officers (2:9-10); and a certificate granting a withdrawal card to member J.H. Abernathy of the Unity Council in Thomasville, North Carolina (2:2).

FOLDER LISTING

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

INTRODUCTION

The W. Raymond Taylor Family Papers consist primarily of documents relating to the Perennial Gardeners, as well as printed materials from local businesses and civic organizations. W. Raymond Taylor established the Drama and Speech Department at the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina, where he taught English and drama from 1921-1961 and established the theater program. He and his wife Bertie founded the Stage Decoration and Supplies Co. in their living room in 1923. Most materials in this collection were apparently created or acquired by Bertie, who was active in several women’s clubs, and their daughter Eloise, who attended Curry High School and worked at Security National Bank. Researchers interested in garden clubs or the high expectations of women’s clubs will find some illustrative membership documents in this collection. Also of note is Eloise’s high school civics project, which provides a snapshot of selected Greensboro institutions in the 1930s.

Arrangement: This collection is organized into three series and arranged within series by document type or subject. The series are: Perennial Gardeners, 1931-1952; Printed Material, 1931-1950s; and Taylor, Eloise, 1934-1940s.

Provenance: This collection was donated by Eloise Taylor Jackson’s daughter, Catherine J. Morris, in November 2018 and assigned the accession number 2018.53.1.

Processing: This collection was organized by Archivist Elise Allison, and the finding aid was completed by volunteer Ann Koppen in December 2021.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

William Raymond Taylor (1895-1976) is best known as the founder of the Drama and Speech Department at the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina (later the School of Theatre in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at UNC Greensboro), where he taught English and drama from 1921-1961. The Taylor Theater was named in his honor in 1967. Taylor earned his BA from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1915 and his MA from Harvard in 1916. He first taught English, French, and speech at Alabama Polytechnic Institute (later Auburn University) from 1916-1921 and founded its Drama Department. At the Woman’s College, he established the first official drama group, the “Play-Likers,” and directed over 200 plays. After his retirement in 1961, he focused on the company that he and his wife had started in their living room in 1923, the Stage Decoration and Supplies Co., which offered design services and equipment to performance venues throughout the U.S., as well as in Canada and South America. An award-winning rosarian, he cultivated over 250 varieties of roses.

Bertie Yancey Taylor (1895-1988) was born in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, and became the first female Railway Express agent in the United States, according to her obituary. She and W. Raymond Taylor were married in 1919 and had three children: Elizabeth, Eloise, and William Raymond Jr. A member of the Perennial Gardeners for over twenty years, Bertie served as the club’s treasurer in 1949-50. She was also a member of the Rose Society and the Daughters of the American Revolution, and a charter member of the UNC Greensboro faculty wives. At First Baptist Church in Greensboro, she was active in the Sunday School and the Woman’s Missionary Union. In addition to sharing her husband’s love of gardening, she was his partner in their stage supply company.

Eloise Taylor Jackson (1921-2010) graduated from Curry High School on the campus of the Woman’s College in 1938 and from Woman’s College in 1942. That year, she married fellow Curry graduate William E. “B.J.” Jackson, who was a radio announcer and sports broadcaster for radio stations in Greensboro and Wilson, and then for WPTF in Raleigh. After college, Eloise worked as a bookkeeper and teller at Security National Bank in Greensboro, and she was later the librarian at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh for over 25 years. A member of Hayes Barton Baptist Church in Raleigh, she also served on the North Carolina Governor’s Council on Aging. She and her husband had three daughters: Catherine, Elaine, and Jean.

Biographical Sources: The biographical information about W. Raymond Taylor was acquired from the article about him in the online Encyclopedia of UNCG History and an article entitled “Building Legacies at UNCG: Taylor Theatre.” Additional details were obtained from Ancestry.com, the Greensboro city directories, and the obituaries of Bertie Yancey Taylor (Greensboro News & Record, April 15, 1988) and Eloise Taylor Jackson (The News & Observer, December 10, 2010, https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/newsobserver/name/eloise-jackson-obituary?id=11379767).

SCOPE & CONTENT NOTE

The types of materials in this collection include club yearbooks, correspondence, and minutes; a school assignment; and printed materials such as brochures, a catalog, flyers, and programs. Most of the items belonged to W. Raymond Taylor’s wife Bertie or daughter Eloise.

More than half of this collection relates to the Perennial Gardeners, of which Bertie Taylor was a long-time member. The women’s club materials, also including a Junior Woman’s Club yearbook, provide a glimpse of the expectations of members and their sense of mission and decorum. Also included in the collection are printed materials from local department stores and a Town of Hamilton Lakes swimming permit. Eloise’s high school civics project contains a wealth of information on schools and also includes sections on churches, public safety, and public health, offering a window into the educational, civic, and health priorities of the time.

Only a few items in this collection relate to W. Raymond Taylor: a flyer and Christmas card from his stage supply company; a flyer for one of his Play-Likers performances, “The Streets of New York” (1931); and four programs from a series of performances in Aycock Theatre, the theater at Woman’s College that he helped design.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

1. Perennial Gardeners.  10 folders (26 items).  1931-1952.

Basic documents from Bertie Taylor’s garden club, the Perennial Gardeners, comprise this series. The club’s mission was “to study gardening fundamentals and to be interested actively in community problems relating to local improvement.” The documents include membership rosters (1:6), by-laws (1:3), annual reports (1:2), minutes (1:7), club calendars (1:10), correspondence (1:4), and a self-graded club rating sheet (1:9). Newspaper clippings describe the club’s activities, leadership, and lectures (1:8). The first of two narrative histories includes interesting material about the effect of the war years and interactions with Negro gardening clubs in efforts to beautify downtown Greensboro (1:5).

2. Printed Material.  8 folders (17 items).  1931-1950s.

The brochures, handbooks, programs, catalogs, and flyers in this series range from shopping to recreation and entertainment. Highlights include a Town of Hamilton Lakes swimming permit (2:7), a book of Christmas songs from Belk’s Department Store (2:1), a fashion show program from Ellis Stone (2:2), and a Meyer’s Department Store catalog showing the kitchen tools and cookware, furniture, and small appliances available at the time (2:5).

The Junior Woman’s Club yearbook (2:4) provides an interesting snapshot of a women’s club that was “for the purpose of promoting social, economic, intellectual, and spiritual growth among the younger women of Greensboro.” It includes a handwritten tally of participation points, of which a minimum number were required of new members. The yearbook likely belonged to Eloise, but neither Bertie nor Eloise is listed in the membership.

The only materials relating to W. Raymond Taylor in this collection are a brochure promoting his stage production company, which details the range of supplies it provided, a blank Christmas card from the company (2:6), and a flyer for “The Streets of New York,” a Play-Likers production that Taylor directed (2:8). Four programs and one flyer relate to a Junior League Concert series in Aycock Theatre at Woman’s College (2:8). The programs contain advertisements that illustrate some of the goods and services available in Greensboro at the time.

3. Taylor, Eloise.  2 folders (6 items).  1934-1940s. 

This series contains daughter Eloise’s high school civics project (3:1), as well as an employee time card and deposit books, slips, and envelopes from Security National Bank, where she worked (3:2). The project was for her civics class at Curry High School and covers schools, churches, the police and fire departments, and public health. In addition to breakdowns and descriptions of these sectors and individual institutions, the project delineates segregation in schools and churches. It also includes newspaper clippings with additional detail about things such as a mass resignation of teachers, a lack of clothing that prevented many black children from attending school, a serious forest fire, and a concern for sanitation and contagious diseases.

FOLDER LISTING

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

INTRODUCTION

This collection consists primarily of photographs and printed materials relating to the Hayes-Taylor Memorial YMCA, the first non-white YMCA in Greensboro. Upon opening in 1939, Hayes-Taylor quickly became a center for the community, most notably hosting civil rights rallies in the 1960s. Of particular interest are a history written to mark its 50th anniversary, a book of floor plans and budgets for the 1985-1995 building renovations and additions, photographs of the building, and assorted materials from the regular activities of the YMCA. Researchers interested in local African American history or recreational activities may find this collection useful.

Arrangement: This collection is organized in three series and arranged within series by subject. The series are: Audiovisual, 1999-2000; Photographs, ca. 1939-1990s; and Printed Material, 1941-2018.

Provenance: This collection was donated by Thomas J. Scott Sr. in September 2020 and assigned the accession number 2020.21.1.

Processing: This collection was organized and the finding aid was prepared by intern Amanda McBryde in February 2023.

HISTORICAL NOTE

The Jesse Moorland YMCA was founded in 1932 by a group of local African Americans as the first non-white YMCA in Greensboro. They approached Ceasar Cone in 1939 to help fund a building, and he agreed with the stipulation that it be renamed for two of his family’s employees, Sally Hayes and Andrew Taylor. The Hayes-Taylor Memorial YMCA opened on December 31, 1939, on the corner of East Market and Dudley streets, and it quickly became a community center, hosting civil rights rallies in the 1960s and providing a meeting place for participants in the lunch counter sit-ins. Hayes-Taylor remained independent until 1972, when it became one of the charter branches of the Metropolitan Greensboro YMCA.

By 1985 the building needed an upgrade. A fundraising campaign started, and in 1986 the facility closed for construction. After several delays, the funds to complete the project were raised, and Hayes-Taylor had a soft reopening for summer camps and some member activities when the building was about 80% complete in 1992. Three years later, the work was fully complete and a dedication ceremony was held. Throughout this time, the director was Thomas “Tom” J. Scott Sr., who served from 1971 until his retirement in 2000. In 2013 a campaign was launched to raise funds for an entirely new facility, which opened in 2015 on East Florida Street in Barber Park. The old building was demolished in 2018.

Historical Sources: The historical information was acquired from materials in the collection and “New state-of-the-art YMCA opens Monday” (News & Record, January 4, 2015).

SCOPE & CONTENT NOTE

This collection contains audiovisual recordings, photographs, and assorted printed materials pertaining to the Hayes-Taylor Memorial YMCA. Of particular note are a history written to mark its 50th anniversary, a book of floor plans and budgets for the 1985-1995 building renovations and additions, and photographs of the building before and after renovations. Also included are many items that document the regular activities of the YMCA, such as programs for events and awards banquets, a recording of one awards banquet, and photographs of community events. Researchers interested in local African American history or recreational activities may find this collection useful.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

1. Audiovisual.  2 folders (2 items).  1999-2000.

This series consists of two VHS cassettes containing recordings of the Hayes-Taylor YMCA’s awards and recognition banquet in 1999, the year of its 60th anniversary, and Thomas J. Scott Sr.’s retirement on March 18, 2000.

2. Photographs.  6 folders (76 items).  ca. 1939-1990s.

Most of the photographs feature events held at the Hayes-Taylor YMCA, including awards banquets (2:1), the first soap box derby in 1972, a day camp and swimming special, and a preschool graduation (2:3), as well as day-to-day use of the YMCA, such as people working out and children playing in a gymnasium (2:5). Of potential historical interest are photographs of the original YMCA building from the 1930s and from the dedication of the renovated building in 1995 (2:2). Also noteworthy is a set of negatives that were in an envelope marked “Landing of Corner Stone” and dated 1939 (2:4). Two of these do not match this description and may be from another event. Portraits of George Bridges, Dr. William M. Hampton, Dr. George C. Simkins Sr., and an unidentified woman are also included (2:6).

3. Printed Material.  18 folders (152 items).  1941-2018.

This series contains programs, newspaper clippings, meeting minutes, and more ranging from the earliest days of the Hayes-Taylor YMCA in the 1940s to the announcement that the original building would be torn down in 2018, with a focus on the 1985-1995 renovations. Items relating to these renovations, which formed a significant chapter in Hayes-Taylor history, include a book of floor plans and budgets (3:6), documents from fundraising efforts and Building and Executive Committee meetings (3:4-5; 3:8), and an invitation to and two copies of the program from the dedication ceremony and open house in 1995 (3:7).

Of particular interest among the materials not relating to the renovations are a history of the Hayes-Taylor written to mark its 50th anniversary (3:10) and selected programs from the annual awards and recognition banquets between 1995 and 2016 (3:1-2). Documents generated by the everyday activities of the YMCA include the program for the 1994 May Day performance, the 1995 spring/summer schedule of activities, and promotional materials for the Greensboro YMCAs (3:8; 3:11). Pertaining to the administration of Hayes-Taylor are the 1998-1999 Board of Management Manual, as well as a booklet containing information on the 1991 Board of Management and its committee members and goals (3:3).

Newspaper clippings make up the majority of this series. Articles from The Future Outlook document the early days of the YMCA, from the opening in 1939 to early membership drives and community events (3:14). The Greensboro Daily News articles promote Hayes-Taylor and the activities offered there, while most of the Carolina Peacemaker and News & Record articles document the hurdles faced by the renovations (3:13; 3:15-16). Items relating specifically to Thomas J. Scott Sr. include an article announcing his appointment as director and the program from his retirement celebration (3:18). Also of note is a booklet documenting the history of the Greensboro Men’s Club, which was published on its 75th anniversary in 2004 while Scott served as the president (3:9).

FOLDER LISTING

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

INTRODUCTION

The Gordon Gray Papers consist primarily of correspondence conducted between Gordon Gray and genealogist Jo White Linn while the latter was doing research for a book about the Gray family. Entitled The Gray Family and Allied Lines: Bowman, Lindsay, Millis, Dick, Peebles, Wiley, Shannon, Lamar, McGee, the book was coauthored by Gordon Gray and published in 1976. The correspondence contains details about Gordon Gray’s ancestors and their relation to the city of Greensboro as well as prominent families from the area. Also included are copies of historical documents that provide limited context for the correspondence. Researchers interested in the Gray family’s connection to early Greensboro may find this collection helpful. A researcher studying the Dick and Lindsay families could find this collection somewhat useful, but it contains little specific information about these families.

Arrangement: This collection is organized into two series and arranged within series by date or document type. The series are: Correspondence, 1971-1980, undated; and Miscellaneous, 1779-1975.

Provenance: This collection was donated by Gordon Gray’s son, Bernard Gray, in March 2020 and assigned the accession number 2020.4.1.

Processing: This collection was organized and the finding aid was completed by volunteer Holly Barefoot in October 2021.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Gordon Gray (1909-1982) was the second son of Bowman Gray Sr. (1874-1935), who later served as chairman of the board of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. After being educated in the Winston-Salem Schools and at Woodberry Forest School, Gordon Gray graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill as valedictorian in 1930, obtained a law degree from Yale University in 1933, and practiced law until 1937. He owned the Winston-Salem Journal, the Twin City Sentinel and WSJS radio station, and he represented Forsyth County as a state senator in 1939, 1941, and 1947.

Gray served in the U.S. Army during World War II. In 1947, he was appointed assistant secretary of the army, then undersecretary, and finally secretary in 1949. The next year, he resigned that position to become president of the University of North Carolina system. During his tenure, the Atlantic Coast Conference was created, the four-year medical, dental, and nursing schools opened at UNC-Chapel Hill, and the university acquired licenses to operate an FM radio station and a statewide educational television network. In addition, the first black students were admitted. Gray resigned as president of the university system in 1955 to become assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs under President Dwight Eisenhower. In 1961, he was appointed to the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, on which he served until it was dissolved in 1977.

Gordon Gray had a longstanding interest in historic preservation and genealogy. He served as chairman of the board of the National Trust for Historic Preservation from 1962-1973 and as a member of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation from 1967-1973. In the latter position, he often testified before congressional committees to obtain government funding for the National Park Service and historic preservation. In the 1970s, Gray hired Jo White Linn to help him research and write a book about his Gray ancestors; The Gray Family and Allied Lines: Bowman, Lindsay, Millis, Dick, Peebles, Wiley, Shannon, Lamar, McGee was published in 1976. Gray was descended from Robert Lindsay and his second wife, Ann (Nancy) McGee, in whose house the first Guilford County court was held. In addition, he was indirectly related to the family of Governor John Motley Morehead.

Biographical Sources: The biographical information was obtained from the article about Gordon Gray in the Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, Vol. 2 D-G, edited by William S. Powell (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1986), as well as from materials in the collection.

SCOPE & CONTENT NOTE

This collection consists primarily of correspondence between Gordon Gray and lineage specialist Jo White Linn about their research pertaining to the Gray family. Also included are letters between Linn and other individuals as she pursued various lines of inquiry. A few pieces of correspondence are between Gordon Gray and relatives or other individuals who were able to provide background information. Miscellaneous items such as family trees and an introduction to the diary of Elizabeth Dick Lindsay shed some light on the Gray family’s connection with the Lindsay family and would be of particular interest to those researching that family.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

1. Correspondence.  28 folders (ca. 250 items).  1971-1980, undated.

The correspondence focuses on the history and genealogy of the Gray family, with the majority being between Gordon Gray and lineage specialist Jo White Linn, whom Gray hired to assist in his research. The series is organized chronologically with the exception of content concerning Julius Alexander Gray, Robert T. Gray, and the Lindsay family. Some items pertain to the family history as it relates to Guilford County and the surrounding area.

The correspondence between Gordon Gray and Jo White Linn began in October 1973 when Gray requested that Linn verify the accuracy of information contained in a booklet about the Gray family published in 1932. The largest part of the correspondence transpired between 1974 and 1976, when the book was published. After that year, their occasional letters relate to questions generated by the book.

One folder of correspondence relates to Julius Alexander Gray, who married Emma Victoria Morehead, a daughter of Governor John Motley Morehead and niece of Jesse Lindsay (1:26). These letters are between Mary Lewis Rucker Edmunds and Guilford County historian James MacLamroc. Included amongst them are a copy of a family tree showing Governor Morehead’s children, their spouses, and their children, as well as a typescript of a letter written to Julius Alexander Gray by his sister Lizzie.

The correspondence pertaining to the Lindsay family includes a letter written by Governor John Motley Morehead (1:27) in which the governor seems to say that Andrew Lindsay was elected Col. Commandant of the 88th Regiment of N.C in October 1840. Correspondence between Gordon Gray and Fanny Patton relates to Robert T. Gray, who was Gordon Gray’s great uncle (1:28). This thread contains some interesting stories about the life and experiences of Robert T. Gray, who was an officer in the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

2. Miscellaneous.  8 folders (11 items).  1779-1975.

This series consists of miscellaneous materials that do not seem to be associated with a piece of correspondence. Included are maps, family genealogy, the introduction to the diary of Elizabeth Dick Lindsay, and a brief history of the first Guilford County court, which was held in the home of Robert Lindsay. The majority of items are copies of originals, with the one exception being a legal document dated 1779-1780.

Of particular interest is a speech delivered by Mrs. Albert Lee Thompson in 1962 at the placement of a marker commemorating the site of the first Guilford County court (2:3). The speech includes a brief history and description of the Robert Lindsay house. The marker was erected under the auspices of the Guilford Battle Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Also of interest is a copy of the introduction to Elizabeth Dick Lindsay’s diary, which was published in 1975 and covers the years 1837-1861 (2:4). It gives a description of the Lindsay homestead and a short history of the family’s ownership of the property. This series also includes a genealogy of the Lindsay family of Virginia, as well as copies of various reports and texts that trace the family lineage to Scotland (2:2).

FOLDER LISTING