Lucille Roper Edwards papers

Collection

Identifier: AMN 1143

Staff Only

Collection Overview

The papers are divided into two series:

Series 1: Biographical Papers Contains brief and various documents created and collected by Roper Edwards relating to her life and family. Included is Roper Edwards' master's thesis: "A Proposed Plan for Teaching Science in the Primary Grades of Buist Public School, Charleston, South Carolina," (1947), and a self-published poetry booklet dedicated to her family entitled, Karen and Carlos' Mother's Book for Children from Six to Sixty, (1961).

Series 2: Professional Affiliation-Elementary Education Each folder contains long-term and daily lesson plans; methods, objectives and projects for the second grade taught by Roper Edwards at Poinciana Park Elementary School, in Dade County, Miami, Florida. Subjects taught include Language Arts, Spelling and Writing, Reading, Mathematics, Science, Health and Social Studies, from 1965-1989. Of note is a copyrighted technique by Roper Edwards for students to remember and effectively convey what they learned daily to their parents entitled, "An Evaluation of the Day's Activities," (1986).

Dates

Creation: 1942-1994, undated
Creation: Majority of material found within 1961-1985

Creator

Edwards, Lucille Roper, 1924-2016 (Person)

Access Restrictions

No restrictions

Copyright Notice

The nature of the Avery Research Center's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Avery Research Center 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

Lucille Roper Edwards, the eighth child of Sarah Cooper and Richard Roper, Sr., was born in Cordesville, South Carolina in 1924. She attended the Berkeley Training School (Moncks Corner, South Carolina) in 1938, Avery Normal Institute (1940-1942), South Carolina State College (1942-1944), majoring in elementary education. She briefly taught at Buist Public School in downtown Charleston. Roper obtained her master's degree in education at Atlanta University.

As South Carolina teachers' salaries were among the lowest in the nation, a principal suggested she apply to an elementary school in Dade County, Florida. Roper garnered a position as second grade teacher at Poinciana Park Elementary School. While there, she met Charles Edwards, a high school physical education teacher and coach. The couple married in 1963. Seeking an academic challenge, Roper Edwards accepted a position as dean of women at Florida Memorial College in St. Augustine in the mid-1950s. Finding she preferred instructing younger students, she returned to Poinciana Park School after one year and would remain there for a total of forty-seven years. Retiring from elementary instruction 1990, Roper Edwards designed and taught an adult education course entitled Bright Horizons out of the same school. She returned to her home town of Moncks Corner to fully retire in 1991.

Sources:

"Lucile Roper Edwards: Lessons of a Lifetime." The Berkeley Independent. 15 February 1995, page 1B-2B.

Extent

2.0 linear feet (2 archival boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Lucille Roper Edwards (1924-) worked as an African-American elementary schoolteacher teaching second graders in the Miami, Florida area for forty-seven years. Originally from Cordesville, South Carolina, Roper Edwards attended the Berkeley Training School (Moncks Corner, 1938), and the Avery Normal Institute (1940-1942).

The majority of the collection holds Roper Edwards' lesson plans written when she was a second grade teacher at Poinciana Park Elementary School, Dade County, Miami, Florida. Documents included long range and daily plans; methods, objectives, and projects from the years 1965-1989. A smaller section contains brief and various documents and manuscripts created and collected by Roper Edwards relating to her life and family. Also included is her Master of Education Thesis, " A Proposed Plan for Teaching Science in the Primary Grades of Buist Public School, Charleston, South Carolina," (1947).