Preliminary Inventory of the Don Roy Papers, 1921 - 1980

The collection includes correspondence, clippings, articles, reviews, manuscripts, research and field notes, reprints, newsletters, photographs, teaching materials, pamphlets, and other written materials. The major subjects of the collection are Roy's study of industrial sociology; workplace interactions; and specific collective bargaining and union campaigns of the Textile Workers Union of America, the Teamsters Union, and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.

While at Duke, Roy studied the attempts made by the Textile Workers Union of America to have union contracts accepted in some of the mills of Virginia and North Carolina. Between 1956-1959 and 1973-1979, Roy made detailed observations on the campaigns at the Hanes Knitting Company in Winston-Salem, N.C., 1956-1957; Elkin, N.C., 1956-1957; Chatham, Va., 1956; Burlington, N.C., 1957; Roanoke, Va., 1956 and 1965; Radford, Va., 1957; Vinton, Va., 1957; Dublin, Va., 1957; Altavista, Va., 1957; Henderson, N.C., 1958-1959; Roanoke Rapids, N.C., 1964-1979; Wallace, N.C., 1974 and 1977; Laurinburg, N.C., 1977-1979. The bulk of the information about these campaigns can be found in Boxes 1-5 and Boxes 14-19. Manuscripts on the Sheffield and Tyndall campaigns can be found in Box 1.

In addition, Roy followed the disputes involving the Teamsters Union in Atlanta, Ga., 1966, and the attempt by Local 77 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees to establish a union at Duke Hospital in the 1960s and 1970s. Throughout his life, Roy took detailed field notes, collected materials, and retained correspondence about his industrial studies. These materials are scattered throughout the collection.

In 1965-1966, Roy spent a year on sabbatical at Cornell University. During that year, Roy wrote case studies on the Tyndall Garment Co., the Sheffield and Laurel Campaigns, the Burlington Campaign, the Corinth Study, and the Labor Organizing Campaign. Roy's field notes and observations are included in the collection.

Roy used pseudonyms, to protect confidentiality, for the names of the people and places he studied. Box 14 contains a list of the pseudonyms Roy used in his case studies. The following list gives the actual name followed by the pseudonym used by Roy in some of his studies and in his folder titles.

Box 6 contains files for a book begun by Roy about his interest and involvement in union organizing. The book was not completed. The collection file contains Mrs. Roy's outline of the book's organization.

The collection file includes a paper by Huw Beynon with notes and comments about Roy's papers. Beynon's manuscript offers a proposed classification for the collection and outlines themes of Roy's work. The collection file also includes a biographical sketch by Dr. Joy K. Roy, Roy's second wife.

• AFSCME.
• Collective bargaining.
• Duke University. Medical Center--Employees--History.
• Duke University. Dept. of Sociology.
• Duke University. Dept. of Sociology--Faculty.
• Duke University--Faculty.
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen, and Helpers of America.
• Labor unions.
• Labor unions--Organizing.
• Labor unions--United States.
• Roy, Donald F.
• Social conflict.
• Sociology--Study and teaching (Higher)--United States.
• Textile Workers Union of America--History.
• Textile industry--North Carolina.
• Textile industry--Virginia.
• Textile workers--Labor unions.
• Textile workers--Labor unions--North Carolina.
• Textile workers--North Carolina.
• Textile workers--Southern States--History--20th century.
• Clippings.
• Newsletters.
• Photographs.

[Identification of item], Don Roy Papers, Duke University Archives, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

The Don Roy Papers were received by the University Archives as a transfer in 1982 (A82-44) and in 1983 (A83-106).

Processed by Linda Daniel

Completed May 2004

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

Brittle newspaper clippings will need to be processed before use. Please consult University Archives staff.

De-accessioned: one copy of Lookmagazine, Nov. 16, 1965; copies of the News Reporter, published in Whiteville, N.C. (June 1, 1967; June 5, 1967; June 8, 1967; June 12, 1967; June 15, 1967; June 19, 1967; June 22, 1967; and June 26, 1967); four graded student examination books.

Encoded by Linda Daniel, May 2004

This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.