Joseph S. Himes papers, 1928-1991 | Amistad Research Center

By Shannon Burrell

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Collection Overview

Title: Joseph S. Himes papers, 1928-1991

Predominant Dates:1946-1985

Creator: Himes, Joseph S. (1908-1991)

Extent: 12.0 Linear Feet

Arrangement: The papers are arranged in six series: personal correspondence, professional correspondence, organizational files, articles and essays, memorabilia and news clippings, and oversize materials. The bulk of the collection is arranged chronologically and topically by subject, personal, and organizational names.

Date Acquired: 05/15/1991

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Joseph S. Himes papers encompass 12 linear feet of material covering Himes personal and professional career as a professor of Sociology at several Universities including the University of North Carolina Greensboro and North Carolina Central University. The collection covers the areas of blindness, teenaged pregnancy, racial conflict, social change and social movements of the civil rights era. The papers are arranged into six groups of materials with the bulk of them being professional in nature with some personal correspondence.

Among the largest group of materials are professsional correspondence, which span the years (1946-1991). The topics include Himes' career as a Professor of Sociology at the University at North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina Central University, his tenure as a Fulbright Professor at Helsinki University in Finland from (1961-1962) and Madras University in India from (1966-1967); his memberships in several organizations including the American Sociological Association, the Southern Sociological Society, the International Sociological Association, North Carolina Family Council, and the North Carolina Sociological Association where he served as the Association's first president. His main correspondents include Dr. Mozell C. Hill, Dr. Charles H. Thompson, Dr. James Shepard, Dr. J.H. Taylor, and Dr. Alfonso Elder with topics consisting of recommendations, meetings, conferences, committees and career opportunities.

Included among the Himes papers are invitations, clippings, curriculum vitae, and personal correspondence consisting of letters to and from Estelle Himes, Chester Himes and Edward Himes (1928-1991) and topics include current events, and vacations. The papers also include photographs taken of Himes at several functions, of interest is a photograph of the Himes brothers as adults.

Memorabilia within the collection includes magazines, brochures, passports, programs, a speech to the President of the Republic of Guinea by Ada T. Spaulding, reports and a Subpeona for the Middle District of North Carolina in the case of Warren H. Wheeler, et als., C.C. Spaulding, III, et als. vs. Durham City Board of Education., et als., which called for further racial desegregation of the public schools in the City of Durham, North Carolina. Lastly, there is a scrapbook containing newspaper articles and programs pertaining to Himes achievements from years (1927 -1955). The papers are arranged chronologically within each catergory.

Biographical Note

One of the leading figures in Sociology during segregation, Himes achieved recongition as a respected sociologist, researcher and author. Himes initiated several studies covering teenaged pregnancy, social change, racial conflict and blindness. Himes was the brother of noted author Chester Himes.

Joseph S. Himes Jr. was born on April 4, 1908, in Jefferson City, Missouri, he was the second of three boys born to Dr. Joseph Himes Sr. and Estelle Bomar Himes. Himes' father was a college professor at several universities including Lincoln University, Alcorn College and Branch Normal College and taught black history, blacksmithing, and wheelwrighting. Himes' mother also was a teacher, as well as a member of the faculty of Georgia State College and Scotia Seminary, where she taught English composition and music.

Himes' parents seperated during his childhood and Estelle Himes accepted a job offer to teach school in South Carolina, taking her sons Joseph, Jr. and Chester with her; however less than a month later Estelle relocated again, to Augusta, Georgia, where she accepted a teaching position at Haines Normal and Industrial School. At the end of the school year the family reunited. Himes's father took a position at the Branch Normal School in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, while his mother taught in the local school system.

In 1923, an accident during a chemistry demonstration left Himes blind. Himes and his brother, Chester were scheduled to partake in the demonstration together; however, Chester was forbidden to take part so Himes performed the experiment alone. During the experiment gunpowder exploded in Himes' face causing him to go blind. Due to his injury, the family settled in Saint Louis, Missouri, where he could receive adequate medical treatment at Barnes Hospital. Two years later the family moved once again, this time to Cleveland, Ohio where eventually, Joseph and Estelle, would divorce. The Himes family often relocated to seek treatment for Joseph's blindness.

In 1925, Himes enrolled at East High School in Cleveland, Ohio and graduated with honors, he received a scholarship offer to attend Oberlin College where he received his Bachelor and Master is of Arts degrees in Sociology and Economics in 1931 and 1932.

After teaching a year at Samuel Huston College in Austin, Texas, Himes returned to Ohio State and finished his PH. D. in Sociology and Economics in 1936. While attending Ohio State University, Himes served as a editorial writer for the Ohio State News and also served as a research director of the Urban League. As research director, Himes conducted several studies including a survey of black unemployment in Columbus, which became his first published work. Himes also did post doctoral work at the University of California from 1954-1955.

Himes met Estelle Jones at Ohio State University and the couple was married on December 22, 1941. Estelle Jones Himes taught foreign languages at the University of North Carolina Central and Himes became a professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina Central University in Durham in 1946. He served North Carolina Cental until 1969 and then accepted a position as a Excellence Fund Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In 1977, he became a Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He also served as Fulbright professor at Helsinki University in Finland and the University of Madras in India.

Himes wrote numerous articles and books including Racial Conflict in American Society, Racial and Ethnic Relations, The Study of Sociology, Conflict and Conflict Mangement, Racial Conflict in America and Social Planning in America. Dr. Joseph Himes died in 1992.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions: The Joseph S. Himes papers is open and available for research use.

Acquisition Source: Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Himes

Acquisition Method: Gift

Related Materials: The Chester Himes papers and addendum, as well as, the papers of sociologists James Blackwell, Hylan Lewis, and Preston and Bonita Valien.

Preferred Citation: Joseph Himes papers, Amistad Research Center at Tulane University, New Orleans, LA.

Processing Information: The processing of this collection was completed in March 2010.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Item:

[Item 1: Siver Cup the Irwin V. Perry Award, 1970 September 25],
[Series 1: Curricula Vitae and Personal Correspondence, 1928 -1991],
[Series 2: Professional Correspondence, 1946-1991],
[Series 3: Organizational Files, 1944-1992],
[Series 4: Articles and Essays, 1935-1985],
[Series 5: Collected Memorabilia and News Clippings, 1947 -1987],
[Series 6: Oversize Materials, 1935-1990],
[All]

Series 2: Professional Correspondence, 1946-1991

Dr. Himes served as a Professor of Sociology at several universities including the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of North Carolina Central. The bulk of Dr. Himes' professional correspondence comes from his tenure at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Main correspondents include Dr. Mozell C. Hill, Dr. Charles H. Thompson, Dr. James Shepard, Dr. J.H. Taylor and Dr. Alfonso Elder and the main topics include, meetings recommendations, committees and career opportunities. Also, included is correspondence in the form of reviews and congratulatory letters regarding the publication of this book The South Moves Into Its Future (1991). The series is arranged in chronological order, then alphabetical order by correspondent or subject.

Box 3

Folder 7: Correspondence, 1946 July - 1949 June
Folder 8: Correspondence, 1949 July - December
Folder 9: Correspondence, 1950-1951
Folder 10: Correspondence, 1952 January - October
Folder 11: Correspondence, 1952 November - December
Folder 12: Correspondence, 1953 January - March
Folder 13: Correspondence, 1953 April - June
Folder 14: Correspondence, 1953 July - October
Folder 15: Correspondence, 1953 November - December
Folder 16: Correspondence, 1954 January - March
Folder 17: Correspondence, 1954 April - August

Box 4

Folder 1: Correspondence, 1957-1960
Folder 2: Correspondence, 1961 - 1962 August
Folder 3: Correspondence, 1962 September - December
Folder 4: Correspondence, 1963 January - February
Folder 5: Correspondence, 1963 March - June
Folder 6: Correspondence, 1963 July - September
Folder 7: Correspondence, 1963 October - December
Folder 8: Correspondence, 1964 January - March
Folder 9: Correspondence, 1964 April - May
Folder 10: Correspondence, 1964 June - September
Folder 11: Correspondence, 1964 October - December
Folder 12: Correspondence, 1965 January - April
Folder 13: Correspondence, 1965 May - July
Folder 14: Correspondence, 1965 August - December

Box 5

Folder 1: Correspondence, 1966 January - March
Folder 2: Correspondence, 1966 April - December
Folder 3: Correspondence, 1967 January - May
Folder 4: Correspondence, 1967 June - July
Folder 5: Correspondence, 1967 August - September
Folder 6: Correspondence, 1967 October
Folder 7: Correspondence, 1967 November - December
Folder 8: Correspondence, 1968 January
Folder 9: Correspondence, 1968 February - March
Folder 10: Correspondence, 1968 April - May
Folder 11: Correspondence, 1968 June - November
Folder 12: Correspondence, 1969

Box 6

Folder 1: Correspondence, 1970
Folder 2: Correspondence, 1971
Folder 3: Correspondence, 1972 January - May
Folder 4: Correspondence, 1972 June - August
Folder 5: Correspondence, 1972 September - December
Folder 6: Correspondence, 1973 January - June
Folder 7: Correspondence, 1973 July - December
Folder 8: Correspondence, 1974 January - April
Folder 9: Correspondence, 1974 May - August
Folder 10: Correspondence, 1974 September - December
Folder 11: Correspondence, 1975 January - March
Folder 12: Correspondence, 1975 April - August
Folder 13: Correspondence, 1975 September - December
Folder 14: Correspondence, 1976 January - August
Folder 15: Correspondence, 1976 September - 1977 March

Box 7

Folder 1: Correspondence, 1978
Folder 2: Correspondence, 1979
Folder 3: Correspondence, 1980-1981
Folder 4: Correspondence, 1982-1983
Folder 5: Correspondence, 1984
Folder 6: Correspondence, 1985
Folder 7: Correspondence, 1986-1987
Folder 8: Correspondence, 1988
Folder 9: Correspondence, 1989
Folder 10: Correspondence, 1990
Folder 11: Correspondence, 1991
Folder 12: Correspondence, undated
Folder 13: Correspondence, undated
Folder 14: Blacks in America Personal and Sociological Observations, 1982-1986, undated
Folder 15: Church Peace Mission, 1963, undated
Folder 16: Conflict and Conflict Management, 1978-1981, undated

Box 8

Folder 1: Scott Foresman and Company, 1966-1972
Folder 2: Fulbright Grant (Helsinki, Finland), 1961 April - June
Folder 3: Fulbright Grant (Helsinki, Finland), 1961 October - 1962 April, undated
Folder 4: Fulbright Grant (Madras, India), 1959 August - 1966 April
Folder 5: Fulbright Grant (Madras, India), 1966 May - August
Folder 6: Fulbright Grant (Madras, India), 1966 October - 1968 March
Folder 7: Fulbright Scholarship Advisor, 1963
Folder 8: Growth and Change: A Journal of Regional Development, 1974
Folder 9: Illinois State University, 1968-1969
Folder 10: Job opportunities, 1958-1963
Folder 11: Oakland University, 1968
Folder 12: Operation Crossroads Africa, Inc., 1964
Folder 13: Publishers, 1959 - 1963, undated
Folder 14: Racial Conflict in American Society, 1974
Folder 15: Recommendations, 1958-1959
Folder 16: Recommendations, 1963-1964
Folder 17: Recommendations, 1965-1966, undated
Folder 18: Research grants, 1959
Folder 19: Sacramento State College, 1963-1964
Folder 20: Sidney Spivak Fellowship regarding J. Walter Cobb, 1978
Folder 21: Sidney Spivak Fellowship regarding James Conyers, 1978

Box 9

Folder 1: Sidney Spivak Fellowship regarding James Davidson, 1978
Folder 2: Sidney Spivak Fellowship regarding Reynolds Farley, 1978
Folder 3: Sidney Spivak Fellowship regarding Micheal W. Giles, 1978
Folder 4: Sidney Spivak Fellowship regarding Martin Patchen, 1978
Folder 5: Sidney Spivak Fellowship regarding Morris Rosenbergsenberg, 1978
Folder 6: Sidney Spivak Fellowship regarding R.A. Schermerhorn, 1978
Folder 7: Sidney Spivak Fellowship regarding David Segal, 1978
Folder 8: Sidney Spivak Fellowship regarding Roberta G. Simmons, undated
Folder 9: Smithsonian Institution, 1959-1960
Folder 10: Social Forces, 1971-1974, undated
Folder 11: Social Planning in the United States, 1962
Folder 12: South African Institute of Race Relations, 1977
Folder 13: The South Moves Into Its Future, 1983-1984
Folder 14: The South Moves Into Its Future, 1985 January - May
Folder 15: The South Moves Into Its Future, 1985 July - December
Folder 16: The South Moves Into Its Future, 1986 January - April
Folder 17: The South Moves Into Its Future, 1986 May - November

Box 10

Folder 1: The South Moves Into Its Future, 1988 January - April
Folder 2: The South Moves Into Its Future, 1988 May - July
Folder 3: The South Moves Into Its Future, 1988 August - December
Folder 4: The South Moves Into Its Future, 1989 January - October
Folder 5: The South Moves Into Its Future, 1989 November - 1990 November
Folder 6: The South Moves Into Its Future, 1991 January - September
Folder 7: The South Moves Into Its Future, undated
Folder 8: The South Moves Into Its Future, undated
Folder 9: The South Moves Into Its Future, undated
Folder 10: The South Moves Into Its Future, undated
Folder 11: Syracuse University, 1963-1964
Folder 12: Travel allocations, 1959
Folder 13: University of British Columbia, 1964
Folder 14: University of Hawaii East - West Center Scholarship, 1965
Folder 15: University of Toledo, 1987-1988
Folder 16: White House Conference on Aging, 1979-1980, undated
Folder 17: Wright State University, 1968-1969