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Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture records

 Collection
Identifier: AMN 1103

Scope and Contents

The institutional records of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture at the College of Charleston, established in 1985. Included are administrative and organizational records, records of archival holdings, and records reflecting the many programs and other outreach efforts enacted by Avery Research Center. The majority of materials are papers with a few published works, artifacts, and posters.

The records are arranged chronologically by earliest first date and divided into series by administration of ARC's leaders, reflecting the administrations of the seven directors/executive directors that ARC has had so far.

Each director's series is then further divided into three main sub-series: administration and operations, archival holdings, and outreach and programs.

Administration and operations are once again further divided by:financials (budgets and reports; grants; donations/fundraising; the College of Charleston Foundation, expenses, incoming, and gift shop); building (renovation, property, rental agreements, utilities and equipment), personnel (searches and general information, employee personnel files, volunteers and interns, and contact lists), correspondence (internal, College of Charleston, and external), policies, planning, and reports (policies and procedures; reports and planning; advisory board; staff meetings and retreats; statistics, surveys, and logs; and work schedules).

Archival holdings are divided into: policies and planning, inventories and collections, and reference and loan records.

Outreach and programs are divided into: publications (further subdivided by publication type), exhibits, Avery-run programs, collaborative programs, event calendars, scholarship and projects, student education, African American Museum, publicity and outreach, memberships and partnerships, and awards.

Dates

  • Creation: 1980-2019

Creator

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Access Restrictions

No restrictions apply.

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.

Historical Note

The institutional records of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture at the College of Charleston, established in 1985 and opened to the public in 1990. This community hub provided education and advocacy for the growing Charleston African American community and trained blacks for professional careers and leadership roles. Although the Institute closed its doors in 1954, it graduates preserved the legacy of their alma mater by establishing the Avery Institute of Afro-American History and Culture in 1978. The AIAAHC then spent years lobbying for and then building the foundation of what, with the collaboration of the College of Charleston, would become the Avery Research Center.

Since 1985, the Avery Research Center has collected art and archival materials that document the history, traditions, and legacies of African Americans and their influence on American society and culture, as well as their place within the American narrative. It has provided a vast range of programs and exhibits for community members, scholars, and students at the College of Charleston.

The Center has been lead by the following directors/executive directors:

1. Myrtle Glascoe, 1985-1993 2. W. Marvin Dulaney, 1994-2000 3. Robert Edison, 2000 4. Karen Chandler, 2001-2004 5. W. Marvin Dulaney, 2004-2008 6. Georgette Mayo (interim administation), 2008-2010 7. Patricia Williams Lessane, 2010-2019 8. Tamara Butler, present

Extent

54.34 linear feet (125 document boxes, 1 slim document box, 1 oversize box)

Abstract

The institutional records of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture at the College of Charleston, established in 1985. The records are arranged chronologically by administration and then into sub-series consisting of administration and operations, archival holdings, and outreach and programs. Included are administrative and organizational records, records of archival holdings, and records reflecting the many programs and other outreach efforts enacted by Avery Research Center.

Collection Arrangement

  1. Myrtle Glascoe Administration, 1980-1993
  2. W. Marvin Dulaney Administration I, 1994-2000
  3. Robert Edison Administration, 2000
  4. Karen A. Chandler Administration, 2001-2004
  5. W. Marvin Dulaney Administration II, 2004-2010
  6. Georgette Mayo Interim Administration, 2008-2010
  7. Patricia Williams Lessane Administration, 2010-2019
  8. Tamara Butler Administration, 2020-

The records are divided into series by administration of ARC's leaders, reflecting the administrations of:

1. Myrtle Glascoe, 1980-1993 2. W. Marvin Dulaney, 1994-2000 3. Robert Edison, 2000 4. Karen Chandler, 2001-2004 5. W. Marvin Dulaney, 2004-2008 6. Georgette Mayo (interim administation), 2008-2010 7. Patricia Williams Lessane, 2010-2019

1. Director 1.1. Administration and operations 1.1.1 Financials 1.1.1.1. Budgets and reports 1.1.1.2. Grants 1.1.1.3. Donations/fundraising 1.1.1.4. College of Charleston Foundation 1.1.1.5. Expenses 1.1.1.6. Incoming 1.1.1.7. Gift shop 1.1.2. Building 1.1.2.1. Renovation 1.1.2.2. Property 1.1.2.3. Rental agreements 1.1.2.4. Utilities and equipment 1.1.3. Personnel 1.1.3.1. Searches and general information 1.1.3.2. Employee personnel files 1.1.3.3. Volunteers and interns 1.1.3.4. Contact lists 1.1.4. Correspondence 1.1.4.1. Internals 1.1.4.2. College of Charleston 1.1.4.3. External 1.1.5. Policies, planning, and reports 1.1.5.1. Policies and procedures 1.1.5.2. Reports and planning 1.1.5.3. Advisory board 1.1.5.4. Staff meetings and retreats 1.1.5.5. Statistics, surveys, and logs 1.1.5.6. Work schedules 1.2. Archival holdings 1.2.1. Policies and planning 1.2.2. Inventories and collections 1.2.3. Reference and loan records 1.3. Outreach and programs 1.3.1. Publications 1.3.1.1. Books 1.3.1.2. Avery Messenger 1.3.1.3. Avery Review 1.3.1.4. Other publications 1.3.2. Exhibits 1.3.3. Avery-run programs 1.3.4. Collaborative programs 1.3.5. Event calendars 1.3.6. Scholarship and projects 1.3.7. Student education 1.3.8. African American Museum 1.3.9. Publicity and outreach 1.3.10. Memberships and partnerships 1.3.11. Awards

Processing Information

Processed by Lauren Bickel and Veer Mehta, 2024

Title
Inventory of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture records, 1980-2019
Author
Lauren Bickel and Veer Mehta
Date
2024
Description rules
Dacs
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture Repository

Contact:
125 Bull Street
Charleston South Carolina 29424 United States
843-953-7608