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William Vincent Moore papers

 Collection
Identifier: Mss 0153

Collection Overview

Writings, printed materials, working files, correspondence, photographs, and audiovisual materials of William Vincent Moore. Materials document Moore's scholarly research of American political extremism, South Carolina politics, and Southern politics. Writings consist of political science conference presentation papers authored and co-authored by Moore as well as his notes documenting chapter meetings, speeches, and rallies of assorted far-right and white supremacist groups in Louisiana and South Carolina, including The John Birch Society, the National Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, and the United Klans of America. Also included are drafts, copies, and clippings of political science journal articles, book reviews, and encyclopedia entries. Printed materials amassed by Moore make up a significant portion of the collection and consist of newspapers, newsletters, magazines, booklets, pamphlets, direct mailings, leaflets, and other printed ephemera issued by a range of organizations, movements, and ideologies from across the political spectrum including the Ku Klux Klan, the christian identity movement, neo-Nazism, the civil rights movement, the new left, and the Socialist Worker Party. A large quantity of Moore's working files are also present and are comprised of photocopied magazine, journal, and newspaper articles, hardcopies of Internet sites, handwritten notes, and clippings collected by Moore in his research. The arrangement scheme for Moore's working files was imposed during processing in the absence of any original order and materials are loosely grouped by subject and arranged alphabetically. Original folder titles have been retained when possible. The collection also includes correspondence consisting of replies from assorted white supremacists and far-right groups to Moore's requests for information on chapter formation, literature, and membership. Photographs consist of a small number of images taken by Moore of Ku Klux Klan rallies held in Swansea, South Carolina, and Boaz, Kentucky, and a signed portrait of former Imperial Wizard of the Invisible Empire Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Bill Wilkinson. Audiovisual materials include audiocassette recordings of interviews with Ku Klux Klan members Horace King, Grand Dragon of the Christian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan of South Carolina, and Robert Shelton, Grand Dragon of the United Klans of America, Ku Klux Klan rallies recorded by Moore held in Goose Creek, South Carolina, Moncks Corner, South Carolina, and Chesnee, South Carolina, and assorted interviews, radio programs, and lectures relating to the far-right. Audiodisc recordings primarily consist of Melvin Munn's Life Line radio broadcast from 1970 to 1973, with a gap in recordings from March 9, 1971 to March 16, 1972, as well as copies of Mr. Shelton Speaks in Boston, Nazi Rockwell! A Portrait in Sound, and several segregationist 45-rpm singles from George Lincoln Rockwell's Hatenanny Records label and Joseph Denton "Jay" Miller's Reb-Rebel and Reb-Time record labels. Also included are Anti-Defamation League (ADL) microfilms relating to George Lincoln Rockwell, Gerald L. K. Smith, The John Birch Society, and The National Renaissance Party, reel to reel tapes, including missionary programs from the Church of Jesus Christ Christian church, and "Minutemen Raiders" and "The Voice of Hate" from the National Information Center, and videocassette recordings of David Dukes 1992 presidential campaign rallies held in Charleston, South Carolina, with related television appearances.

Dates

  • 1895-2009
  • Majority of material found within 1940-2009

Creator

Language of Material

Materials in English

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Copyright Notice

The nature of the College of Charleston's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. Special Collections claims only physical ownership of most archival materials.

The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.

Biographical Note

William Vincent Moore (1944-2009) was a Professor of Political Science at the College of Charleston from 1972 to 2009 and a scholar of American political extremism, South Carolina politics, and Southern politics. He earned his BA and master's degree from Southern Illinois University and his Ph.D. from Tulane University. He was the author of Political Extremism in the United States, co-author of South Carolina Politics and Government, and numerous articles, encyclopedia entries, and publications on Southern and American extremist politics, civil rights, electoral politics, campaign spending, and intergovernmental relations. He joined the faculty of the College of Charleston in 1972 as an Assistant Professor of Political Science and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1975, to Professor in 1983, and elevated to Distinguished Professor in 1999. In 1997, Dr. Moore was designated as the SC Governor's Professor of the Year and was the first recipient of the Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Award in 2001. Following his death in 2009 the College of Charleston's Teacher-Scholar award was renamed the William V. Moore Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Award.

Extent

52.0 linear feet (52 cartons, 139 audiodiscs, 34 audiocassettes, 8 microfilms, 5 reel to reel tapes, 2 videocassettes, 1 oversize folder)

Abstract

Writings, printed materials, working files, correspondence, photographs, and audiovisual materials of William Vincent Moore, Professor of Political Science at the College of Charleston from 1972 to 2009. Materials document Moore's scholarly research of American political extremism, South Carolina politics, and Southern politics. Printed materials amassed by Moore make up a significant portion of the collection and consist of newspapers, newsletters, magazines, booklets, pamphlets, direct mailings, leaflets, and other printed ephemera issued by a range of organizations, movements, and ideologies from across the political spectrum. Also included are political science conference presentation papers authored and co-authored by Moore, his notes documenting chapter meetings, speeches, and rallies of assorted far-right and white supremacy groups in Louisiana and South Carolina, correspondence from assorted white supremacists and far-right groups, and audiovisual materials consisting of interviews, radio programs, lectures, videos, and music relating to white supremacy, the Ku Klux Klan and, the far-right.

Collection Arrangement

  1. Writings, 1966-2007, undated
  2. Printed material, 1895-2009, undated
  3. Working files, 1923-2009, undated
  4. Correspondence, 1967-2002, undated
  5. Photographs, 1973, 1975, 1980s, undated
  6. Audiovisual material, 1941-1992, undated

Acquisitions Information

Materials donated in 2010 by Mark S. Moore.

Processing Information

Processed by Joshua Minor, August 2013.

Source

Title
Inventory of the William Vincent Moore Papers, 1895-2009
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by: Joshua Minor; machine-readable finding aid created by: Joshua Minor
Date
2014
Description rules
Dacs
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Special Collections
College of Charleston Libraries
66 George Street
Charleston South Carolina 29424
(843) 953-8016
(843) 953-6319 (Fax)