The Unsung Heart of Black America

irvinfamily Preliminary Inventory of the Irvin Family Papers, [ca. 1890s]-2003 Processed by: Stacey Clarke; machine-readable finding aid created by: Stacey Clarke, Elizabeth Arnold

This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.

Aleph Number: 003268174

Machine-readable finding aid derived from automated markup system. Date of source: October 15, 2003 Processed by Stacey Clarke October 15, 2003; Finding Aid encoded by Stacey Clarke, Elizabeth Arnold, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, October 22, 2003 Description is in English. 12-31-2005 PUBLIC "-//David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library//TEXT (US::NDD::::Irvin Family Papers)//EN" "irvinfamily.xml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Also, the top level of the finding aid (above the dsc) changed to conform to current Rubenstein Library and NC EAD standards as laid out in the Inventory Style Guide and in the NCEAD Best Practice Guidelines. Within the dsc, dates for series were normalized. These changes were made by Michelle Belden. Also, container TYPE and LABEL attribute values were standardized according to the Rubenstein Library EAD 2002 manual and the NCEAD eadlocal.ent by Ruth E. Bryan.The tag list inside index was changed to indexentry by Ruth E. Bryan. Preliminary Inventory of the Irvin Family Papers, [ca. 1890s]-2003 John Hope Franklin Collection of African and African-American Documentation David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library Duke University Durham, North Carolina 27708-0185 USA

Descriptive Summary Irvin Family Papers, [ca. 1890s]-2003 Irvin family 9.9 Linear Feet 5150 Items David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog. English. Administrative Information Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

However, patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.

Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Irvin Family Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Provenance

The Irvin Family Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library as a gift in 2003.

Processing Information

Processed by Stacey Clarke

Completed October 15, 2003

Encoded by Stacey Clarke, Elizabeth Arnold

This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.

This collection is unprocessed: materials may not have been ordered and described beyond their original condition.

Biographical Note

Dona Irvin (b. 1917) is the author of The Unsung Heart of Black America, I Hope I Look That Good When I'm That Old, and other works. Frank Irvin was a chemist and worked for many years for the Chemistry Department of the University of California at Berkeley. The Irvins are the parents of historian Nell Irvin Painter, whose papers are also in the Rubenstein Library.

Collection Overview

Collection consists largely of correspondence between Nell Irvin Painter and her parents (1969-2003), documenting various stages of their lives, travels, and Painter's scholarly career. Also includes writings by or about Nell Painter, including reviews of her work; materials, including photographs and tintypes ([ca. 1890s-1910s]) of African Americans in Victoria, Texas, kept by Frank and Dona Irvin relating to their early life near Houston, and documenting aspects of African American history in that area; copies and reviews of Dona Irvin's writings; documents related to Frank and Dona's education and careers; assorted family photographs; and other items. Acquired as part of the John Hope Franklin Collection of African and African American Documentation.

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.

Irvin family. Irvin, Dona L., 1917-. Irvin, Frank. Painter, Nell Irvin. African Americans--History--19th century. African Americans--Professional education. African Americans--Employment. African Americans--Correspondence. African American families. African American families--History--20th century. College teachers--Correspondence. Scholars--Correspondence. Victoria (Tex.)--History. African Americans--Texas--History. African Americans--Photographs. Black-and-white photographs. Color photographs. Tintypes. John Hope Franklin Collection of African and African American Documentation. Contents of Collection Accession 2003-0185 Irvin Family 1 Contents of Box 1:

[Technical Services staff may need to reformat newsprint and brittle paper before use.]

Awards

Frank's Plaques and Certificates.

Correspondence, [1983-2001] 2 Contents of Box 2:

[Attention: Contains pictorial material.]

Family Photographs Legal Papers

Real Estate and Title Documents, [1960-1988]

3 Contents of Box 3:

[Technical Services needs to process material in envelopes before use.]

Correspondence, [1977-1989]

Includes letters to Dona from Frank.

Happily Ever After: Couples Talk About Lasting Love

Featuring interview with Frank and Dona Irvin.

Dona's College Records

Includes records from Prairie View College, Houston College for Negroes (now Texas Southern), and UCB.

Black Women Stirring the Waters, reviews and excerpts 4 Contents of Box 4: Correspondence, [1995-1996] Books Written by Dona Irvin Black Women Stirring the Waters The Unsung Heart of Black America: A Middleclass Church at Midcentury I Hope I Look That Good When I'm That Old: An Older African-American Woman Speaks to All Women in All of America 5 Contents of Box 5:

[Technical Services staff may need to reformat newsprint.]

[Technical Services staff may need to process materials in envelopes before use.]

[Attention: contains pictorial materials.]

Newspaper Clippings, 1984-1993 Photos of Ewart and Charles E. McGruder Prairie View: A Study in Public Conscience

The narrative by George Ruble Woolfolk is the story of the only state-supported Negro college in Texas between 1878 and 1946.

Nell Irvin Painter 6-12 Contents of Box 6-12:

[Technical Services staff need to process materials in envelopes in boxes 6-12 before use.]

Correspondence, 1969-2003

Includes letters from Nell Irvin Painter to her parents.

13 Contents of Box 13:

[Technical Services staff may need to reformat newsprint and brittle paper before use.]

Commencement Programs Yale University 2003 Dartmouth College 1997 Wesleyan University 1996 Princeton University 1996 Articles and Reviews by and About Nell Irvin Painter, 1968-2001

Includes articles and publicity about Sojourner Truth, a Life, a Symbol

Writing by Nell Irvin Painter 1970

Jim Crow at Harvard, 1923

14 Contents of Box 14:

[Technical Services staff may need to reformat newsprint and brittle paper.]

[Attention: Contains pictorial material.]

[Technical Services needs to reformat for use copies of film and video materials before use.]

Videos MacNeil/Lehrer News with Nell Irvin Painter 1991 Mar. 13 C-SPAN

Nell Irvin Painter talks about her book Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol

Book Notes from Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol1996 Dec. 8 C-SPAN Organization of American Historians. The Art of Writing2002 Mar. 13 Assorted Photographs

Includes photographs from Nell and Glenn's wedding and the OBU rally at Harvard.

15 Contents of Box 15:

[Attention: Contains pictorial materials.]

[Needs conservation treatment before use.]

Nell's Home in North Carolina Assorted Photographs and Postcards

Includes Nell Irvin Painter's high school photographs, photographs from trip to Quebec City, 2001, and portraits and tintypes taken in Victoria, Texas, ca. 1890s-1900s.

16 Contents of Box 16:

[Technical Services staff may need to reformat brittle paper.]

[Attention: contains pictorial material.]

Family Photographs

Includes black-and-white photos, [1930s]-[1980s]

Correspondence, 1995-2003

Includes e-mail messages from Nell Irvin Painter to her parents.

17 Contents of Box 17:

[Technical Services staff may need to reformat newsprint and brittle paper before use.]

[Attention: Contains rusty fasteners.]

High School Diploma and Graduation Ceremony, 1959 Pelican Magazine UCB, 1959 Harvard Union Commencement Program, 1974 Correspondence, 1962

Includes Nell Irvin Painter's letters to her parents.

18 Contents of Box 18:

[Attention: contains pictorial materials.]

[Needs conservation treatment before use.]

Photographs

Includes pictures from Crossroads Africa summer in Nigeria.

Legal Papers, 1945 Documents Regarding Nell Irvin Painter's Education Education Abroad Program, Boreaux, France, 1962 B.A. from UCB, 1964 M.A. from UCLA, 1967 CA Junior College Teaching Credential, Life. 1968 Nell Irvin Painter curriculum vitae. 1984 Related Material

For more information, see the Nell Irvin Painter Papers, 1959-2002 and undated, in the Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.