Graves family papers

The Graves family of Charleston, South Carolina, was an African American family consisting largely of educators and Avery Institute graduates.

James R. B. Graves, Jr. (1883-1969) served as a Pullman porter from December 1911 to November 1953. He retired on December 1, 1953 with 41 years and 11 months of service with the Pullman Company. He also served as president of the Charleston Chapter of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. He married Rose Laura Winds (1890-1978) in 1915, and the two raised five children: J. Michael, Pauline, Annette, Robert, and Eugene.

Rose L. Graves, née Winds (1890-1978), was the wife of James R.B. Graves and mother to J. Michael, Pauline, Annette, Robert, and Eugene Graves. She was related to Etta Winds Wilson, who married John T. Wilson in 1944.

J. Michael Graves (1915-1996), a Class of 1932 graduate of the Avery Institute, was an educator and musician in the Charleston area. J. Michael earned a degree in chemistry from Fisk University in 1939. In 1954, he received a master's degree in education from South Carolina State College.

Through the years, he taught at various South Carolina schools, including St. Luke Elementary School in Grover (1936-1937); J. K. Gourdine Elementary and High School in Russelville (1938-1939); Laing High School in Mount Pleasant (1939-1945); and Avery High School (1947-1954) and Burke High School (1954-1970) in Charleston. During his tenure at Burke, J. Michael Graves directed the first Palmetto State Science Fair in 1957 and produced the first National Science Fair winner (W. Delano Meriweather). He influenced science curricula in Charleston and was active in teacher groups. He retired from teaching on June 30, 1982.

J. Michael was an active part of the Charleston community, serving on the board of directors for the Charleston Symphony Orchestra (1969-1980), chartering the Optimist Club of Peninsula Charleston (1982), and sitting on the mayor's Environmental Committee (1990-1993). He was a life member of the NAACP, and sat on the Executive board of the Charleston branch of the NAACP. He was nationally recognized for his work with his fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., with the Elder W. Diggs Award for Achievement.

Pauline R. Graves (1917-2002) was an educator in Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated from Avery Normal Institute in 1936. She received a Master of Arts degree from Hampton Institute in 1951 and a Master of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1968. She also completed accounting courses at the Southern Business Institute in 1959. She retired from her teaching position at Courtenay Middle School in 1984.

Annette Graves Chambers (died 1983) graduated from Avery Normal School in 1936. She worked as an educator at Ben Tillman Elementary School.

Robert Blackburne Graves graduated from Avery Normal Institute in 1944. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Johnson C. Smith in 1949. He was also a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

Eugene G. Graves was a 1947 Avery Normal Institute graduate. He was an African-American educator in Charleston, South Carolina and worked at Bonds-Wilson High School from 1955-1985. At Bonds-Wilson, Graves served as a physical education and health teacher, football and basketball coach, and guidance counselor. Eugene coached several athletes that achieved successful sports careers, including Art Shell and Jim Jackson.

Louise Henrietta Winds Wilson (1907-1995), known as Etta, was the sister of Rose Winds Graves. Etta married John Thomas Wilson in 1944.

John T. Wilson (1910-1994) earned degrees from Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in 1936, Allen University in 1951, and South Carolina State College in 1956. He served as a master sergeant in the 360th Port Battalion in the United States Army, discharging in 1945. John T. Wilson became principal of the now-defunct Six Mile High School in North Charleston, South Carolina, which was renamed Bonds-Wilson High School to honor John T. Wilson and James R. Bonds.