Hoffman Family papers

Joeseph "Irvine" Hoffman, Jr. was born on November 1, 1898 in Charleston, SC. His parents were Daisy Madeleine Horsey and Joesph Hoffman, Sr. Irvine was the oldest of four children, followed by Madeleine, Dorothy, and Mildred. Irvine's grandfather was a white man who immigrated from Germany, contributing to Irvine's light complexion. His grandfather owned and opperated a grocery store in downtown Charleston. Irvine's mother, Daisy, was a devout Catholic and raised her children to be so as members of St. Peter's Catholic Church (later renamed St. Patrick's Church). Daisy was an Avery Normal School graduate, class of 1894 and held a teaching position at St. Peter's Catholic School. Irvine's father, Joe, operated and managed the family grocery store. Irvine's early education took place at St. Peter's Catholic, Burke Industrial School, as well as graduating from the Avery Normal Insitute in 1918. At Avery, he held the position of class president. While attending school as a teenager, he worked at his father's shop as a delivery person and cashier. He also was a paperboy for the Charleston News and Courier. Irvine continued his education at Howard University and later attended medical school at Meharry Medical in Nashville, TN, eventually completing his residency at Freedman's hospital in Washington DC. Like most Avery Normal Graduates, Irvine returned to Charleston and opened a medical practice on Cannon St. in-which he would maintain for over fifty years. Additonally, he held a small office on John's Island and was the school physician at Simonton and Burke High Schools. In 1980, members of the Avery Institute of Afro-American History and Culture conducted an oral hisotry with Dr. Hoffman. Irvine was extremely busy in his adult life, professionally and socially. He was a member of the Knights of Peter Claver at St. Patrick's Church and a charter member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in Charleston. Later on, he became a co-founder of the Athenians Men's Club and member of the Owls Whist Club. Irvine died in August of 1988 at the age of 89. He grave is located at Friendly Union Cemetery in Charleston.

Ellen Cecilia Wiley was born on January 25, 1908 in Alcorn, MS to Margaret Hazlett Wiley and William R. Wiiley. Her father was the Dean of Men and Bursar at Alcorn College. Ellen was a very talented pianist and attended Fisk University as a music major. Her roomate at Fisk was Helen Cox of Charleston, SC. Helen, also a graduate of Avery Normal Institute and daughter of Avery's principal, Benjamin Cox, introduced Ellen to Irvine Hoffman, Jr. Ellen graduated from Fisk and would teach middle school in Asheville, NC. With the aid of Benjamin Cox, Ellen recieved a music teaching postiion at Avery Normal Institute. Once living in Charleston, Ellen and Irvine's relationship blossomed from friendship to romantic partners, and in 1937, they would get married. Ellen and Irvine's first home was on 118 President St. across from Irvine's childhood home. They lived there until 1955. Herbert A. DeCosta Contractors would build them a new home on Wappoo Rd. on one of Irvine's family properties. Ellen was also an active social club member. She was chartered with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the Phillis Wheatley Literary and Social Club, the Entre Nous Bridge Club, and the Charleston Chapter of the Links, Inc. Ellen and Irvine had two children, Joeseph Irvine "JI" Hoffman, III and Norma Elaine Hoffman. Ellen died in March of 1993 in Detroit, MI. Her gravesite is located with Irvine at Friendly Union Cemetery in Charleston.

Born in September of 1940, Norma Hoffman also attended Immaculate Conception School and stayed until the end of high school where she would graduate in 1957. She attended Fisk University and Oberlin College. During her freshman year at Fisk, she met her future husband, Leonard E. Davis, who coincidentally was a grandchild of the former Avery Normal Institute principal, Benjamin Cox and the nephew of Ellen Wiley Hoffman's college friend and roomate, Helen Cox. Leonard and Norma married in Charleston in 1962, further uniting the Hoffman, Davis, and Cox families. After graduating from Oberlin College, Norma moved to Washington D.C. to enroll at Georgetown's school of Languages and Linguistics post-graduate program. In D.C., Norma and Leonard began their marraige where Leonard worked as a Navy dentist. Within a short time they would have their first child, Leslie Ellen Davis, in November of 1963. In July of 1964, the family would move to Detroit, MI, where Leonard would join his uncle, Wendell Cox's dental practice. In Detroit, they would have two more children: Stephen Hoffman Davis (March, 1966) and Alan Joel Davis (April, 1972). Upon reaching retirement age, Norma and Leonard returned to Charleston in 2002 and moved into Norma's childhood home on the Wappoo Rd. property.