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Eartha M. M. White Papers, 1831-1974

 

Summary

Creator:
White, Eartha M. M., 1876-1974
Extent:
38.00 Linear Feet
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Eartha M. M. White Collection, Thomas G. Carpenter Library, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of more than 1,000 items, primarily twentieth century material relating to Jacksonville, Florida. Includes letters, documents, and notes relating to the personal, political, and business activities of Eartha M. M. White. Some subject files include publications, reports, programs, photographs, and memorabilia. Of particular interest are materials pertaining to: Prominent African American leaders, e.g., James Weldon Johnson, A. Phillip Randolph, and Simuel Decatur McGill; Historic Jacksonville business, charitable, and religious organizations including Afro-American Life Insurance Company, Bethel Baptist Institutional Church, Clara White Mission, Community Chest Association, and Jacksonville Negro Welfare League; Florida social and educational organizations including Florida State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs, Florida Baptist Academy / Florida Normal and Industrial Institute. The bulk of the collection are photographs depicting friends, relatives and events from her long life. Sizes of the photographs vary, ranging from 5x7 to 12x16 inches. A significant amount of her business and personal correspondence is also included. An extensive subject index is available for use with the collection. The collection also contains 156 black and white photographs of southern African American religious and labor groups, circa 1946-1949, by photographer R. Lee Thomas of Mound Bayou, Mississippi. His imprint contains the caption: Made by R. Lee Thomas, Mound Bayou, Mississippi, The Oldest Negro Town in America. Mr. Thomas was an African American photographer active in the early twentieth century in the southern United States, whose work provides photographic documentation of southern black social life during that time period. The majority of the photographs depict groups from Birmingham, Alabama, and adjacent areas.

Biographical / historical:

Social welfare and community leader, educator, humanitarian, and business entrepreneur Eartha M. M. White was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on November 8, 1876. Member of the Oriental-American Opera Company, 1895-96; toured U.S. and Europe with Company. Owned a number of small businesses from 1905-1930: a dry-goods store, employment bureau, real-estate business, small laundry. Public service activities included: operated the only orphanage for black children in Duval County; directed War Camp Community Services; headed the Negro Republican Women Voters; established the Clara White Mission for black relief activities and the Eartha M.M. White Nursing Home. Died in Jacksonville on January 18, 1974.

Note written by

Acquisition information:
The collection was acquired through donation from the estate of Eartha Mary Magdalene White, 1975.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research by appointment only. Please contact lib-special@unf.edu to schedule an appointment.

Terms of access:

Materials in the collection may be subject to copyright and are to be used for private study, scholarship, or research in accordance with the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code). Use of reproductions of copyrighted works in excess of "fair use," may result in the user's liability for copyright infringement and be subject to the civil and criminal penalties of federal law. Visit the United States Copyright Office's website at http://www.copyright.gov/ for further information

Preferred citation:

Eartha M. M. White Collection, Thomas G. Carpenter Library, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida.

Location of this collection:
Thomas G. Carpenter Library
1 UNF Drive
Jacksonville
FL
32224
USA