Original URL 4/21/1997: http://www.umsl.edu/services/library/blackstudies/rawick.htm
University of Missouri-St. Louis
Thomas Jefferson Library
Reference Department
Rawick Papers
George P. Rawick Papers
Including Missouri Slave Narratives
Register
George P, Rawick (1920-1990), Papers, 1841-1988
University Archives, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Collection Number: 11/4/1
Introduction:
Dr. Rawick donated his papers to the University Archives on October 5, 1989.
Dr. Rawick was an author, teacher and political activist. He was best known for his research on slavery which resulted in his book From Sundown to Sunup: The Making of the Black Community. The book, published in 1972, has been translated into more than 12 other languages. Dr. Rawick also compiled the slave narratives done by the WPA in the late 30s into The American Slave: A Composite Autobiography. Rawick taught History and Sociology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis for the last 11 years of a teaching career which spanned 35 years. He also taught at Washington University, Wayne State University, State University of New York, University of Chicago, and others. Dr. Rawick was involved in leftist politics from his earliest days at Oberlin College where he received his bachelor's degree.
Scope and Content:
The Rawick papers include Correspondence, Publications, the writings of Dr. Rawick and many of his contemporaries and students. The collection also contains a large part of the papers of Terrence Powderly, an official with the Knights of Labor. The Powderly papers cover a period from 1864 to 1937. Also included in the collection are the transcripts of many of the slave narratives collected by the Writers Project of the WPA in 1936 and 1937. Several of Dr. Rawick's lectures as well as an oral interview with him are on audio tapes in the collection as well as a small number of family photographs (most unidentified).
Folder List and Series Content Descriptions:
- Series 1, Boxes 1-7 Personal papers and writings. 1952-1988.
These papers are divided into personal papers, writings, and correspondence and are arranged chronologically.
- Series 2, Boxes 8-12 Writings others. 1936-1983
The writings of many of Dr. Rawick's students and contemporaries as well as material sent to Dr. Rawick inhopes of getting his feedback. This series also contains a copy of a civil war diary and the report on a murder case involving slaves in 1841 St. Louis.
- Series 3, Boxes 13-25 Publications. 1908-1987
This series is an excellent collection of socialist periodicals and labor periodicals as well as pamphlets on a wide variety of subjects, although most are slanted to the left.
- Series 4, Box 26 The Powderly Papers. 1864-1937
Copies of the correspondence of Terrence Powderly, a Grand Master Workman with the Knights of Labor. The Material in this series is copied from the collection of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D. C. Anyone citing this material should credit them and not the Western Historical Manuscript Collection. The Powderly Papers have been left in the order in which Dr. Rawick had them.
- Series 5, Boxes 27-43 Slave Narratives. 1936-1938
This series contains copies of many of the transcripts compiled by the WPA during the 1930s. They have been ordered according to states where the respondent spent most of their time as slaves and then alphabetically within each state.
-->To go directly to the Missouri Narratives.
- Series 6, Boxes 44-45 Audio Tapes
Various recorded lectures, discussions, and oral interviews.
- Series 7, Boxes 46-47 Photographs
Many personal photographs, most unidentified.
Index
- Page 1: Abortion-Hughes
- Page 2: The Illustrated News-Powderly, Terrence Vincent
- Page 3: The Proletarian-Worker's International News
- Page 4: The Worker's Republic-Zimbabwe
Materials listed here are available in Western Historical Manuscripts/University Archives on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Thomas Jefferson Library, 8001 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, Missouri, 63121, USA.
You may contact Zelli Fischetti (swmf@umslvma.umsl.edu) for more information about the collection. Comments and recommendations about the web version of these files should be directed to Anne Taylor (ataylor@jinx.umsl.edu)
Date Last Modified: June 06, 1996