George P. Rawick Papers
Including Missouri Slave Narratives
Register
George P, Rawick (1920-1990), Papers, 1841-1988
University Archives, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Collection Number: 11/4/1
Introduction:
Dr. Rawick donated his papers to the University Archives on October 5, 1989.
Dr. Rawick was an author, teacher and political activist. He was best known
for his research on slavery which resulted in his book From Sundown to Sunup:
The Making of the Black Community. The book, published in 1972, has been
translated into more than 12 other languages. Dr. Rawick also compiled the slave
narratives done by the WPA in the late 30s into The American Slave: A
Composite Autobiography. Rawick taught History and Sociology at the University
of Missouri-St. Louis for the last 11 years of a teaching career which spanned 35
years. He also taught at Washington University, Wayne State University, State
University of New York, University of Chicago, and others. Dr. Rawick was involved
in leftist politics from his earliest days at Oberlin College where he received
his bachelor's degree.
Scope and Content:
The Rawick papers include Correspondence, Publications, the writings of Dr. Rawick
and many of his contemporaries and students. The collection also contains a large
part of the papers of Terrence Powderly, an official with the Knights of Labor. The
Powderly papers cover a period from 1864 to 1937. Also included in the collection
are the transcripts of many of the slave narratives collected by the Writers Project
of the WPA in 1936 and 1937. Several of Dr. Rawick's lectures as well as an oral
interview with him are on audio tapes in the collection as well as a small number of
family photographs (most unidentified).
Folder List and Series Content Descriptions:
- Series 1, Boxes 1-7 Personal papers and writings.
1952-1988.
These papers are divided into personal papers, writings, and correspondence and are
arranged chronologically.
- Series 2, Boxes 8-12 Writings others. 1936-1983
The writings of many of Dr. Rawick's students and contemporaries as well as material
sent to Dr. Rawick inhopes of getting his feedback. This series also contains a
copy of a civil war diary and the report on a murder case involving slaves in 1841
St. Louis.
- Series 3, Boxes 13-25 Publications. 1908-1987
This series is an excellent collection of socialist periodicals and labor periodicals
as well as pamphlets on a wide variety of subjects, although most are slanted to the
left.
- Series 4, Box 26 The Powderly Papers. 1864-1937
Copies of the correspondence of Terrence Powderly, a Grand Master Workman with the
Knights of Labor. The Material in this series is copied from the collection of the
Catholic University of America in Washington, D. C. Anyone citing this material
should credit them and not the Western Historical Manuscript Collection. The
Powderly Papers have been left in the order in which Dr. Rawick had them.
- Series 5, Boxes 27-43 Slave Narratives. 1936-1938
This series contains copies of many of the transcripts compiled by the WPA during
the 1930s. They have been ordered according to states where the respondent spent
most of their time as slaves and then alphabetically within each state.
-->To go directly to the Missouri Narratives.
- Series 6, Boxes 44-45 Audio Tapes
Various recorded lectures, discussions, and oral interviews.
- Series 7, Boxes 46-47 Photographs
Many personal photographs, most unidentified.
Index
- Page 1: Abortion-Hughes
- Page 2: The Illustrated News-Powderly,
Terrence Vincent
- Page 3: The Proletarian-Worker's International
News
- Page 4: The Worker's Republic-Zimbabwe
Materials listed here are available in Western Historical Manuscripts/University
Archives on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Thomas Jefferson
Library, 8001 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, Missouri, 63121, USA.
You may contact Zelli Fischetti
for more information about the collection. Comments and recommendations about
the web version of these files should be directed to Anne Taylor.