Aleph Number:
Selected photographs from this collection are available in an online exhibit:
Files in the Office of the President Subseries are restricted for 25 years from the last year of each presidency. Permission to access these records must be granted by NC Mutual in writing prior to use. Otherwise, contents are open to research. Personnel files found in this series have been separated and are closed for 75 years from the date of creation of the latest material, currently 2074.
Patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection. Collection has been screened and medical records removed. However, there may be remaining third-party records or information which are subject to privacy laws. Users are responsible for obtaining permission to release or publish personal information.
Original audiovisual materials are closed to patron use. Some use copies are available in the collection. Otherwise, Technical Services staff need to produce use copies before contents can be accessed.
All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 48-hour delay in obtaining these materials.
Please contact staff in the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, or in the University Archives, Records and History Center, North Carolina Central University, before coming to use this collection.
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University or North Carolina Central University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
[Identification of item], North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company Archives, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, and University Archives, Records and History Center, North Carolina Central University.
The North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company Archives were received by the Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library and by the North Carolina Central University University Archives, Records and History Center as a gift in 2009.
Processing by L. Colby Bogie, Jessica Carew, Paula Jeannet Mangiafico, Carrie Mills, Elizabeth Shesko, Jennifer Snow, Andre D. Vann, May 2011
Encoded by L. Colby Bogie, Jessica Carew, Paula Jeannet Mangiafico, Jennifer Snow, Elizabeth Shesko, April 2011
Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory:
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
Accession 2009-0231 is represented in this finding aid.
The records in the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company Archives document the history of the oldest currently active African American insurance company in the United States. The material dates from 1850 to 2008, with the majority of the items dating from 1898-2008, and covers nearly all aspects concerning the operation, management, and milestones of NC Mutual (NCM). Documents include but are not limited to corporate office files, including the offices of five company presidents; annual statements, reports, surveys, and memos; legal and financial files; original life insurance policies and other documents; advertising, internal and external publications, pamphlets, posters, and other print material; training material; many historic photographs; public relations and outreach material; memorabilia; and audiovisual recordings. The majority of the collection concerns the company's home office in Durham, N.C., although there is a significant amount of material that also relates to NCM district offices located throughout the United States, particularly in Southern states, as well as records that refer to other related organizations such as insurance companies and financial institutions.
Broadly speaking, the company records contribute to documentation on the history of African American businesses in the United States, particularly in the South, and on the socioeconomic status of African Americans in the South in the 20th century. Information on public health issues affecting 20th-century African Americans and public health programming created by NC Mutual as well as other agencies is also present. In addition, through company records and many ephemeral publications such as obituaries, the collection also documents in detail the work status and personal lives of the company's many employees, predominantly African American women and men.
The collection is rich in print material, including many issues of three company publications--
Several thousand photographs preserved in the collection date from the earliest years of the company and offer important visual documentation on NCM's history, its employees and their families, and on the history of Durham as well. The collection also contains photographs of founders Merrick and Moore and their families, NC Mutual office buildings throughout its history, and many large photographic portraits of senior administration from the earliest years to the most current. Other photos capture employees either in company photographs or at banquets and conventions, throughout the company's history. From these photographs and other images not represented in the collection, North Carolina Mutual created an exhibit space named "Heritage Hall" in its home office devoted to the commemoration and preservation of the company's history; the exhibit images and texts, framed or mounted on board, are also preserved in the NC Mutual Archives.
Selected photographs from this collection are available in an online exhibit:
Acquired and curated jointly by the North Carolina Central University's University Archives, Records, and History Center, and the John Hope Franklin Research Center for African and African American History and Culture at Duke University.
The collection is arranged in the following series, described more fully in this inventory: Corporate History Files (2 boxes), Company Offices (83 boxes), Digital Media (3 boxes), Exhibit Material (25 boxes), Memorabilia and Artifacts (14 boxes), Other Organizations (9 boxes), Photographic Material (23 boxes), Printed Material (51 boxes), Recordings (24 boxes), Social Groups and Events (1 box), and Scrapbooks (6 boxes). There is a large Oversize Material section (over 50 flat boxes and larger oversize folders) containing material from almost all series. The Company Offices Series comprises records from selected offices: Actuary, Agency, Auditing, Controller, Corporate Planning, Executive Committee, Facilities, Medical Department, Office of the President - the largest subseries, Public Relations, and Personnel Files (closed). These subseries are described further in this collection guide.
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.
Arranged in the following subseries named after North Carolina Mutual departments and offices: Actuary, Agency in Force, Auditing, Controller, Corporate Planning, Executive Committee, Facilities, Medical Department, Office of the President, Public Relations, and Personnel Files (closed). There is also an oversize section at the end of each subseries or smaller subgrouping. The Office of the President Series holds the records from the following presidents: William J. Kennedy, Jr., Asa T. Spaulding, Sr., Joseph W. Goodloe, William J. Kennedy, III, and Bert Collins. Company office functions and spaces are also represented in other formats in the Exhibits, Photographic Material, Memorabilia and Artifacts, and Recordings Series.
[The material in the Office of the President is restricted for 25 years from the date of the end of the presidency in question, unless written permission is granted by North Carolina Mutual. The Personnel Files subgrouping is closed to public access for 75 years from date of creation of the most recent record, or 2074.]
The records relate to the Actuary Office's responsibilities of risk assessment in life insurance, investments, pensions, and other company activities and policies. Organized into two categories: Reports for the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, and Actuary Files. Actuary files include memos and consultants' studies and plans. The bulk of the material was created in the 1980s.
The center of company operations, the Agency in Force Office handles all company sales of policies, and is staffed by agents in the field, their supervisors, district managers, and home office representatives. By 1948, the company already had over 1,000 agents in force throughout the South. The material of this subseries includes Executive Committee directives and decisions, agency-related files and ledger books, and the G.W. Cox papers. The Agency files contain salary information, several issues of
[Materials in Box 3 and 4 are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
[Materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
[Materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be further processed before being handled.]
[Materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be further processed before being handled.]
[Materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be further processed before being handled.]
Memos to agents in field, #1-252, were filed in binder with Asa T. Spaulding's initials. Appears to be complete run. To better preserve contents, the memos were disbound and foldered. Arranged in reverse chronological order.
[Removed to Personnel Subseries.]
Mailed to NC Mutual's offices in 1969 by an executive in Baltimore, this life insurance policy was sold by an insurance organization in Raleigh by the same name, which organized in the 1840s and disbanded in the 1860s. A blank life insurance policy on a slave printed by this same company also exists in the Charles Hunter Papers in the Rubenstein Library at Duke.
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
Includes files relating to audits of NCM and its district offices, as well as material from the NCM Audit Committee. Audits were conducted by outside firms such as Deloitte, Haskins, and Sells and Ernst and Ernst.
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
The Office of the Controller is in charge of coordinating, planning, and reporting on financial activities, including bookkeeping, accounting, and financial reporting. The material in this subseries consists of the
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
Contains detailed materials on the research, planning, execution, and progress of the construction of the new Mutual Plaza home office, including blueprints for the home office and the Chatham annex. Also includes plans for organizational and management restructuring, business plans by company department, reports, manuals for the functions and duties of home office organization, reviews of data processing, and correspondence with management consulting firms and other companies. Additionally contains alphabetized files regarding general correspondence, solicitation, and donation requests. Includes information regarding Murray Marvin (one of the directors of Corporate Planning) during his time at both Jackson Mutual and NC Mutual. Note: The structure of the Corporate Planning department changed several times over the course of NC Mutual's history. Corporate Planning and Public Relations merged under Murray Marvin in 1967 and was reorganized into Planning and Communications around 1976.
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
Mainly pertains to business conducted by the Executive Committee, a standing committee of the Board of Directors, which is made up of a minimum of five Directors, at least one of which is required to be an outside Director. Material from the Salary Committee, another standing committee of the Board, is also included in this subseries. The Salary Committee consists of five of the Directors, one of whom must be the President of the company.
[Subseries is restricted for 25 years from date of last created folder, or 2028; until that date, written permission must be given by donor before contents can be accessed.]
[Fragile. Handle with care.]
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
Contains material concerning the home office at Mutual Plaza. It includes photos of the construction and dedication of Mutual Plaza, as well as blueprints, manuals, guides, and reservation forms. It also includes a Department of Housing and Urban Development (DHUD) award for building design. Arranged in original order as received.
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
Materials include a history of the department, which was established by Dr. A.T. Moore in 1916 and disbanded after 2002, as well as print material produced for health campaigns, and biographical information on directors Dr. Charles D. Watts and Dr. John T. Daniel. Arranged in alphabetical order by folder title. Other archival records and memorabilia on medical topics and health campaigns can be found in the Printed Material, Publicity, and Memorabilia Series.
This subseries consists of material from the offices and files of five of NCM's nine presidents: William J. Kennedy, Jr., Asa T. Spaulding, Sr., Joseph W. Goodloe, William J. Kennedy, III, and Bert Collins. The contents relate mainly to the periods during which these presidents held the office, though in some cases there is material from previous positions they held within NCM and apart from the company. Much of the material includes files relating to the execution of company business, correspondence, and personnel matters. The majority of the material in the subseries originates from the offices of Kennedy, III and Collins.
[Files in the Office of the President Subseries are restricted for 25 years from the last year of each presidency. Permission to access these records must be granted by NC Mutual in writing prior to use. Otherwise, contents are open to research. Personnel files found in this series have been separated and are closed for 75 years from the date of creation of material, or 2074.]
Served as President of NC Mutual from 1952-1958. Much of the contents of this subseries comprises the materials that Kennedy, Jr. used to document the history of North Carolina Mutual, as well as the wide variety of historical sketches he produced. Other material in this subseries relates to general company business from his tenure at NCM both as the Corporate Secretary and as President, including a letter of support for Pauli Murray's admission to the New York State Bar Association in 1948. Additionally, there is material relating to his tenure as the President of the Bankers Fire and Casualty Insurance Company.
[Some of the material found in box 33 is fragile and should be handled with care. Contact reference archivist before using, as material may need photocopying before use.]
[Photo removed to Photographs series.]
[Some of the material found in box 33 is fragile and should be handled with care. Contact reference archivist before using, as material may need photocopying before use.]
Spaulding served as President of NCM from 1959-1967. Mainly includes speeches and press releases, as well as some material relating to company business. Much more information can be found in the Asa T. and Elna Spaulding Papers held in the Duke University Special Collections Library.
Goodloe served as President from 1968-1972. Contains some material from his time as Corporate Secretary. There are very few materials present within the collection from Goodloe's tenure at NCM.
Kennedy, III, son of William Kennedy Jr., served as President of NC Mutual from 1972-1990. Material relates to general company business, external and internal correspondence, mergers with and reinsurance of other insurance companies, and information pertaining to other organizations with which NC Mutual was affiliated (the contents are categorized as: company business/personnel, correspondence, other insurance companies, and other organizations).
[Some personnel records were removed to Personnel Subseries and are closed for 75 years from date of creation of most recent record or 2074.]
Contains material relating to both financial and non-financial aspects of the company business, including but not limited to matters relating to personnel. Material is organized alphabetically by the size of the material. There is also one personal letter from his parents, 1958.
[The contents of this folder are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as material should be photocopied before handling.]
Materials include chronologically-ordered internal and external correspondence with the Office of the President under William J. Kennedy, III. Also includes various NCM memoranda.
Contains material relating to annual/financial statements, contracts, and correspondence with other insurance companies that were associated with NC Mutual in terms of mergers and reinsurance.
Includes material relating to business meetings, memoranda, and other miscellaneous information concerning organizations outside of North Carolina Mutual with which William J. Kennedy, III and NCM were affiliated. Material is organized alphabetically.
Collins served as the President of NC Mutual from 1990-2003. Prior to his role as president, Collins served as an Executive Vice President for the company. Includes documents dating from when he first joined the company in the 1970s through until near the end of his tenure as president, with the majority of the material dating from 1985-1994. The contents are organized into four categories: budget/finance, company business/personnel, correspondence, and other organizations. Some personnel records were removed to Personnel Subseries.
Contains material relating to financial aspects of NCM company business. Examples include company audits, budgets, financial reports, bills for service and pension account reports. Organized alphabetically by folder title.
Contains material relating to non-financial aspects of the company business, including but not limited to matters relating to personnel. Documents are organized alphabetically. Non-NCM printed material is located in the "N" section and includes material such as various business articles, the
[Confidential material has been removed to Personnel Subseries and is closed for 75 years from date of creation of most recent record or 2074.]
[Removed to Personnel Subseries.]
[Removed to Personnel Subseries.]
[All of these files have been removed to the Personnel Subseries and are closed for 75 years from date of creation of most recent record or 2074.]
Materials include chronologically-ordered internal and external correspondence with the Office of the President and the Office of the Executive Vice President under Bert Collins. Also includes North Carolina Mutual committees' meeting minutes and information, and NCM memoranda.
[Removed to Personnel Subseries.]
Includes material relating to business meetings, memoranda, retreats, and other miscellaneous information concerning organizations outside of NCM with which Bert Collins and NCM were affiliated. Connections to these organizations range from giving philanthropically to holding a seat on a Board of Executives. Material is organized alphabetically.
[Five audiocassettes removed to Recordings Series.]
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
[Removed from
[Removed from
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
[Removed from
Files on employees of NC Mutual originally located in the Office of the President Subseries, chiefly created from the 1950s through the 1990s.
[The Personnel files Subseries is CLOSED to access for 75 years from date of creation of most recent record, or 2074.]
Material in files chiefly documents activities such as advertising, publications and printing, and community relations projects undertaken by North Carolina Mutual. The Photographic Material Series also houses an extensive collections of images used by the Public Relations Department in publications such as
The bulk of the material dates from the 1980s and consists of bids, invoices, contracts, and correspondence regarding advertising in specific periodicals, radio stations, and television stations. Also included are memos, drafts, sketches, and research regarding advertising strategy, specific advertisements, and promotional events. This subseries also contains clippings, sample ads, and promotional materials, such as calendars and pamphlets, and photographic plates of group shots and advertisements. Other promotional items are housed and described in the Memorabilia and Artifacts Series.
[Some items removed to Oversize Material.]
Documents NCM's various programs and activities related to community outreach through scholarship support, mentoring programs for youth, and community health programs such as anti-smoking campaigns. Materials consist of event programs, pamphlets, clippings, speeches, photographs, certificates, and leaflets. A substantial portion of the materials are related to the Merrick-Moore Scholarship in the 1930s, including lists of colleges and students, bills, receipts, and correspondence from awardees. Also of note are materials related to the Avery Boys' Club, including a binder belonging to W.J. Kennedy, Jr. Other programs and events are related to the United Negro College Fund, NCCU, the Boy Scouts, Greater Durham Arts Fund, the 1943 launch of the S.S. Merrick, and Founders' Day celebrations.
[Some items removed to Oversize Material.]
Contains financial reports, budget statements, and advertising expenditures.
Contains correspondence, clippings, layout plans, and photographs related to the creation of NCM's Heritage Room, a large exhibit on company history.
The bulk of the material is related to specific events, such as annual meetings, the ground-breaking ceremony in 1963, and the celebration of NCM's 85th anniversary, centennial, and various Founders' Days. Materials consist of slides, photographs, clippings, correspondence, programs, print materials, memos, and other planning documents. Also included are historic NCM policies and certificates.
[Some items removed to Oversize Material. CD-Rom removed to Digital Materials. Electronic files have been migrated to a library server. To request access, please contact a reference archivist before coming to use this collection.]
Files of mixed correspondence concerning the Public Relations Department. The bulk of the files date from 1984-1986. Materials also include solicitations, brochures, and subscription forms. Topics include radio and television stations, interview requests, A.T. Spaulding, Ben Ruffin, and W.J. Kennedy, Jr.
Additional materials created by the Public Relations Department that don't fit in above categories. Topics include office contests, employee benefits, taxation, the new products committee, the lyrics to the company song, and the history of African Methodism. Materials include phone messages, personnel forms, notes, agenda, minutes, memoranda, brochures, correspondence, an architecture showcase book, a drawing of a house, and a memoir about life insurance.
Files open to research access contain company publicity regarding personnel, including, but not limited to, obituaries, biographies, a list of employee birthdays, and other announcements. Among those profiled are Asa T. Spaulding, C.C. Spaulding, Jr., William Henry Harvey, W.E. Williams, W.E. Coleman, W.D. Hill, J.L. Wheeler, W. Lionel Cook, and Fred R. Moore. Several folders related to the retirement and death of William Kennedy, Jr. contain extensive photographs alongside paper materials. Folders profiling women associated with NCM contain copies of
[Some items removed to Oversize Material. CD-Rom removed to Digital Materials. Confidential personnel files have been removed to Personnel Subseries in Office of the President Series, and are closed until 2074. Electronic files have been migrated to a library server. To request access, please contact a reference archivist before coming to use this collection.]
Contains press releases put out by the Public Relations Department and clippings, photocopies, and reprints of articles about NCM and its staff, including entire issues of several mass market magazines.
[Some items removed to Oversize Material.]
Contains copies of
Contains copies of speeches, press releases, and interviews with Presidents William J. Kennedy, Jr., J.L. Goodloe, and Asa T. Spaulding. Also includes speeches by various public figures at the home office dedication in 1966.
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
Assembled by staff of NC Mutual and a former company archivist, these files contain a sampling of the most significant historical documents illustrating the formation of the company, its founders, and its first decade of existence. Materials are varied and include charters and by-laws; early policies, publications and advertisements; significant correspondence; programs, annual statements, and Christmas greetings; items marking milestones in company history; and other unique items. There is also a folder with two charts for 1933 and 1941 ranking the current African American owned life insurance companies, including NCM. Other historical and early items can also be found throughout the collection, especially in the Agency, Memorabilia, Photographic Material, and Print Material Series, and the Office of the President Subseries; early examples of policies from 1902 into the 1930s are found in the Agency Series. Arranged in rough chronological order.
[Some items removed to Oversize Material.]
Contains diskettes of files and DVDs with photographic images and duplicated historical films, chiefly regarding NC Mutual's history. Titles taken from original media carriers.
Houses the components of many exhibits assembled and curated by North Carolina Mutual staff. Mostly consists of black and white or sepia images and captions mounted on thin board, often with velcro backing, which originally formed a large installation in "Heritage Hall" gallery, commemorating NCM's history. Other exhibits were created for specific events such as conventions. Many of these images were reproduced from vintage photographs from the early years of the company, many of which are in the Photographic Material Series. Others show officers and employees from throughout NCM's history. Includes color and black and white photographs, signs, labels, and informational panels. Also includes two framed letters of interest: one from Eleanor Roosevelt's secretary, writing in July 1934 subsequent to a visit to NCM by Roosevelt in June of that year, and the other a strongly worded letter written by President Spaulding on improving the company's performance, entitled "Open Letter to Managers," from Berlin, Germany, 1931.
Contains a wide variety of items that document recognition of achievements, advertising campaigns, and company and employee milestones throughout the history of NCM. Organized into four subseries: Artifacts, Awards and Memorabilia, Plaques, and Promotional Items. Material in the Artifacts Subseries includes event programs, informational publications, employee handbooks, and various other items such as medical supplies and sales logs. The Awards and Memorabilia Subseries houses awards and certificates for NCM employees, as well as awards received by NCM from external organizations. Includes a company award featuring a bronzed shoe belonging to C.C. Spaulding, and two copies of the Merrick-Moore Award. Also includes a 1943 Western Union telegram from then-governor of N.C. Broughton to C.C. Spaulding concerning the launching of the U.S.S. Merrick (box 90). The Plaques Subseries includes both internal and external plaques marking achievements within the company and honoring the company itself for its contributions to the community, commemorating the company's lifetime membership in the NAACP, and other milestones. Material in the Promotional Items Subseries consists of both printed material and artifacts that were created with the purpose of promoting business for NCM. Examples of items from this subseries include holiday cards, pocket calendars, fans, match books series with leaders from the civil rights movement, blank baby books, and bookmarks, among many other items.
Contains documents from companies which NCM acquired, and companies with which NCM shared a relationship (or from which it obtained information for planning). These companies include: Wright Mutual Insurance Company, Lincoln National Life Foundation, Inc., the National Insurance Association (NIA), NCM Capital, and Mortgage Company of Durham.
[Box 104 contains fragile material and is slated for preservation photocopying. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material.]
Created to administer the Lincoln National Life Museum, the Foundation provided an avenue for charitable, tax-exempt contributions of Lincoln memorabilia to the museum. It appears that the NCM Corporate Planning department requested information from the Lincoln National Life Foundation regarding its annual report and bylaws in 1975.
Founded in 1929 by C.C. Spaulding, E.R. Merrick, and R.L. McDougald to provide greater financial independence for black businesses in Durham, N.C. Although this company stood as a separate corporate entity from NCM, many of the members of the Executive Committee were leaders at NCM, and the company was somewhat connected with NCM in practice. The material consists of the early minutes of the Executive Committee of the Mortgage Company of Durham.
[Fragile and slated for preservation photocopying. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material.]
Established in 1921 as the National Negro Insurance Association (later renamed National Insurance Association or NIA), and was created in order to promote and represent the mutual interests of insurance companies that were owned and operated by African Americans. C.C. Spaulding was elected as the first president of the association and NCM has remained one of the largest member companies of the organization to the present. NCM employees have regularly served on the Board of Directors and as officers for the NIA.
Maceo Sloan of North Carolina Mutual founded NCM Capital in 1986. NCM is a parent company of NCM Capital. Contents include Board records, reports, and general business files.
Records of the Wright Mutual Insurance Company, acquired by NC Mutual in 2000.
The thousands of photographs in this series depict North Carolina Mutual Insurance's history, its employees and their families, and the history of their communities. The images range from formal portraits and group shots to snapshots taken at banquets, conventions, meetings, on trips, and around the office. There are many 19th century photographs of NCM leaders and their families, staff, including women workers, the earliest home office buildings, office interiors, and community events. Individuals depicted in later images include NCM officers, employees, their families, and prominent figures such as Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Spiro Agnew, Jesse Jackson, ambassadors, and other politicians. Many significant original images were reproduced by NCM in various sizes and for various purposes; some of these reappear in the Exhibits Series material. The bulk of the 20th century images were produced by the Public Relations Department for
Photographic material has been arranged into subseries by medium, but there are slides, negatives, and negative reproductions also found with corresponding prints in the Prints Subseries. Comprising the bulk of the series, the Prints Subseries has been arranged into Events, Historic Images, Other Public Relations, People, and Places Subseries. However, many of the images in these subseries overlap. Related items can also be found in the Exhibit Material Series.
Large format photographs and albums are located in the Oversize Material section of the collection guide. These items include historic images of the company's early offices, portraits of senior administrators, group shots at banquets and other events, and images of the NCM home office buildings.
Contains negatives and negative reproductions stored separately from prints. Items are arranged in loose chronological order and then into broad categories by content. Negatives directly associated with prints are located in the Prints Subseries.
Mostly produced by the Public Relations department for publications such as
Arranged chronologically, these images depict banquets, conventions, trips, and meetings hosted or attended by NCM staff. Most but not all were labeled. Prominent events include annual meetings of the National Insurance Association, a 1964 speech by Robert F. Kennedy, a 1964 trip to Mexico and Central America, and the celebration of NCM's 85th anniversary in 1983. Other events include awards ceremonies, retirement celebrations, the Annual Policy Holders' Meeting, Founders' Day, enrollment drives, and charitable events, such as an AIDS Walk and blood drives. Prominent event titles are included. Individuals depicted include NCM officers, employees, their families, politicians, and figures such as Robert F. Kennedy, Spiro Agnew, Jesse Jackson, and the Nigerian ambassador. Some negatives and related paper materials are also included.
Contains early images of officers, employees, their family members, corporate meetings, the NCM office, and groups related to NCM, such as Thrift Clubs, musical groups, and sports teams. Other historic images can also be found in the People Subseries. Arranged by content in loose chronological order.
Arranged in loose chronological order, subseries contains intermixed images of events, people, and places produced by the Public Relations Department for exhibits and publications such as
Contains reprints of photographs and drawings from different periods in NCM history, compiled for exhibits in the 1980-2000 period.
Arranged into employees, officers, and other people subseries.
Contains portraits and group photographs of NCM employees from the home office and various district offices. In addition to headshots, employees are shown working and attending various events. Arranged by location, when possible.
Contains portraits and group photographs of NCM presidents, officers, Board of Directors, and Executive Committee. Images of officers' family members are also included. Contains formal portraits, group photographs, and snapshots taken at various events. Arranged in loose chronological order.
Contains various portraits and group photographs of employees, family members, policy holders, executives from other insurance companies, scholarship recipients, and HBCU administrators. Arranged in loose chronological order.
Primarily contains images of the North Carolina Mutual physical plant, including different office buildings, men and women staff members on the job, workspaces, equipment, mainframes, decorations for specific events, and the construction of the 1965 home office. Includes photographic images of the original office buildings from 1905 to an architect's rendering of the new home office, circa 1963. Other images of the home offices can be found in oversize photo boxes and in the exhibits series. Of particular interest are images of NCM employees' homes, which are labelled with the employee's name, rank, and city. Also included are images of Durham and snapshots from business trips to Puerto Rico and Miami.
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
[Not open to use due to fragile nature of item. Slated for conservation treatment.]
Contains slides stored separately from prints. Items are arranged in loose chronological order. Slides directly associated with prints are located in the Prints Subseries.
Arranged into the following subseries: NCM Publications, Non-NCM Publications, and Periodical Clippings. The first two subseries are further subdivided into two large format groupings: Pamphlets and Other Publications, and Serials. These files were assembled by NCM staff, and offer a rich array of material on African American history, culture, and businesses. Formats include essays, reports, pamphlets, brochures, fliers, newsletters, newspapers, journals, popular serials, internal publications, promotional literature, and obituaries. There are also oversize sections at the end of each subseries, chiefly housing newspapers and other serials; early issues of Durham newspapers can be found here, as well as issues of mainstream magazines such as
Various publications issued by North Carolina Mutual, including programs from memorial services; publications commemorating company anniversaries and the opening of new offices;
Serials printed by NCM for distribution to its employees. Consists primarily of
[Some items removed to Oversize Material.]
[Some items removed to Oversize Material.]
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents may need to be reproduced before being handled.]
Material related to North Carolina Central University, including commencement programs, course guides, an issue of the campus journal
[Other items in oversize folder.]
Various items related to organizations other than North Carolina Mutual. Includes a large collection of material related to African American history; a number of government publications (primarily concerning either the African American population or the state of the economy); files from a 1973 audit of NCM conducted by the firm Ernst and Ernst; brochures and booklets related to health education; and publications produced by the NAACP, the National Urban League, the Southern Regional Council, the National Insurance Association, the Institute of Life Insurance,
Several serials not published by NCM, including many issues of
Carries extensive handwritten annotations and lists.
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be photocopied before being handled.]
Contains groups of clippings, mostly assembled by the Public Relations Department, from mainstream national and local newspapers, university newspapers, and African American publications. Arranged alphabetically by topic.
[Clippings are minimally processed - please handle with care.]
[Some items removed to Oversize Material.]
Some items removed to Oversize Material.
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents may require photocopying before being handled.]
[Some of the materials in this box are fragile and in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents may require photocopying before being handled.]
Series houses sound and moving image recordings spanning many decades and documenting milestones in North Carolina Mutual History. Formats include audiocassettes, audio tape reels, film reels, and videocassettes.
Audiocassettes are few in number and include a set of home-study tapes on insurance practices.
Subjects of films include a history of North Carolina Mutual; the history of "Black Wall Street" in Durham; the groundbreaking and dedication ceremonies for the current headquarters building on Chapel Hill Street in Durham; and advertisements and broadcasts about NC Mutual products and services. Titles of films listed have been taken from original canister or box labels. Many of these films were copied in digital format to DVD, around 2002 (see listings of digitized moving images in Digital Material Series).
[Original audiovisual recordings are closed to use. Use of these materials may require production of listening or viewing copies. Please contact a reference archivist before coming to use this collection. Slated for further preservation and identification work.]
[Original audiovisual materials are closed to use. Use of these materials may require production of listening or viewing copies. Please contact a reference archivist before coming to use this collection.]
[Removed from Office of the President, Bert Collins Subseries.]
Program on social reform? Removed from Social Groups and Events Series.
Primarily consists of radio commercials. 3", 4", and 5" reels.
Unlabeled, 8" reels.
Set of commercially produced record albums (LPs) with booklet.
Radio show featuring guests Asa Spaulding and H.J. Clement, 10.5" reel.
Series of NCM-produced films and advertising spots, including a history of NCM created in 1948. Film footage is approximate. All but FILM 17 are reels of film; FILM 17 is an archival box housing multiple films.
[Original audiovisual materials are closed to use. Use of these materials may require production of listening or viewing copies. Please contact a reference archivist before coming to use this collection.]
"Shipped to WRAL-TV...6/25/76." Memorex video tape, 2".
RCA video tape, 2".
RCA, video tape, 2".
WTTW in Chicago. Three small reels inside 11.5" can.
"Missing most of title."
Charles Crone Agency. Black and white 16mm film.
16mm film.
"Film and video tape division WTTW Chicago."
16 mm film.
Container houses 3.5" reel with one film; and one 4.75" reel with four films on it, according to labels. 16mm format.
16mm film.
"Humphrey 1966." WTTW kine negative original.
WTTW kine negative original. Also on can: "Humphrey neg 1966." 16mm, sound.
[This film is in need of preservation. Please contact a reference archivist to use this material, as contents should be treated before being handled.]
primarily consists of television commercials on 16 mm film.
Titles and dates are taken from original container labeling. Total running time (TRT) given when possible. Arranged in alphabetical order by title.
[Original audiovisual materials are closed to use. Use of these materials may require production of listening or viewing copies. Please contact a reference archivist before coming to use this collection.]
Varying in size and condition, these scrapbooks commemorate the history of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance through clippings, photographs, memos, programs, and other items. Also found in the photographic material section in the Oversize Material Series are photo albums that also commemorate company personnel, conferences and other events, and milestones.
[Scrapbooks are fragile; some are slated for further preservation treatment. Please contact a reference archivist before coming to use this material.]
Commemorating the dedication of new home office building, this scrapbook chiefly contains many pages of congratulatory messages in the form of letters and telegrams, many from notable officials, politicians, and businessmen.
History of NC Mutual from its beginnings to the 1970s. Almost completely made up of cut-outs from the company publication
Contains newspaper clippings of NCM advertisements, along with a photograph, clippings of competitor's ads, and an event program. Approximately 25" x 17".
Eighteen-page portfolio (approximately 13" x 16") belonging to calligrapher and illustrator Walter W. Micheaux. Micheaux was recognized as an expert penman and, after moving from South Carolina. in 1916, illustrated and hand-lettered the insurance policies, publicity, logos, and other material for NCM for over 20 years. Scrapbook contains many original examples of his work, as well as a 1928 clipping about him (with photo), and a small photo of him as an older man.
[Extremely fragile. Slated for conservation treatment. Please consult with a reference archivist before using.]
The majority of the contents of this scrapbook are dedicated to the launching of the S.S. Merrick in honor of John Merrick on July 11, 1943. Also includes a specially-bound edition of the Whetstone edition honoring NCM's 50th anniversary, as well as various newspaper clippings relating to individuals and other entities connected to NCM. Other items laid in to the scrapbook are copies of a letter and photo from President John F. Kennedy, a 1946
Scrapbook of newspaper clippings belonging to J.L. Wheeler, NCM Agency Director of the Southern Region.
Files relate to social clubs and events for North Carolina Mutual employees. The groups that are chronicled in these files include the NCM Glee Club and the Tuesday Morning Study Group, a self-improvement group composed chiefly of the wives of NCM administrators that met to read about and discuss political, social and cultural topics of the day. Materials on the latter make up the majority of these items.
[Audiovisual materials have been removed to the Recordings Series.]