Inventory of the James David Barber Scrapbook, 1939-1996

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Descriptive Summary

Repository

University Archives, Duke University

Creator

Barber, James David.

Title

James David Barber Scrapbook, 1939-1996

Language of Material

Material in English

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet

1 Item

Abstract

James David Barber was a Political Science professor at Duke from 1972-1995.

The scrapbook includes news clippings, correspondence, family photographs and childhood memories from the years roughly 1939-1996.

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Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Patrons must sign the Acknowledgement of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.

In off-site storage; 24 hours advance notice is required for use.

Copyright Notice

Copyright for Official University records is held by Duke University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], James David Barber Scrapbook, University Archives, Duke University.

Provenance

The James David Barber Scrapbook was received by the University Archives as a transfer in 1996.

Processing Information

Processed by Jessica Wood, October 2006

Encoded by Sherrie Bowser, November 2006

Accession A95-56 is described in this finding aid.

Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and our local Style Guide.

This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.

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Biographical Note

James David Barber was born in 1930 in Charleston, W. Va. and went on to receive his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Chicago and his Ph.D. from Yale University. After teaching at Yale for several years, he joined the faculty of Duke's Political Science Department as Chair in 1972. Barber was well known as a presidential scholar and published numerous books including The Presidential Character: Predicting Performance in the White House, The Pulse of Politics: Electing Presidents in the Media Age, Politics by Humans: Research on American Leadership and The Book of Democracy. He served as chair of Amnesty International U.S.A. during the mid-1980s. He remained a community activist in Durham after his retirement from Duke in 1995, helping to raise money for various causes. He died in 2004 at the age of 74.

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Collection Overview

Entitled "My Life," the scrapbook contains nine sections: My Main Vita, My Books, Professors Blessing Me, My Early Life, My Teaching, My Work to Help Duke University, My Coming Forth for Politics, Some Things I Have Done for Humans, and Pictures. It reflects Professor Barber's work as an educator, author and activist. A substantial portion of the scrapbook contains letters from Barber's former students at Duke. In these letters, the students evaluated Barber's courses in political science. Also included are typescripts of Barber's "What Duke Can Be" and "Duke's Constitution," letters to Barber upon his retirement from Duke and family pictures.

This scrapbook is a xerox copy made by James David Barber in 1996 (includes color scans). The original remains with his family.

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Subject Headings

These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will bring up other related research materials.

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