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Collection Number: 03907

Collection Title: O.J. Coffin Papers, 1879-1991

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.


expand/collapse Expand/collapse Collection Overview

Size 10.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 5700 items)
Abstract Oscar Jackson Coffin was a journalist, professor of journalism, 1926-1956, and the first dean of the School of Journalism at the University of North Carolina, 1950-1953. The collection includes correspondence, writings, and other items of Oscar Jackson Coffin and family members. The original deposit includes correspondence with friends, colleagues, and former students concerning jobs and newspaper affairs, 1926-1956. Among the correspondents are John Harden, John D. Langston, Holt McPherson, and Roy Parker. Few items pertain to the University of North Carolina directly. Also included are clippings about Randolph County and Asheboro, N.C., especially of Coffin's column, "Shucks and Nubbins," which appeared in the Greensboro Daily News, and, after 1956, personal letters of Coffin's widow, Gertrude Wilson Coffin. The addition of 1995 includes letters, writings, photographs, and other items chiefly relating to Coffin's journalism career. Of note are letters from former students, including a few women journalists, who reported on their career progress, and letters from and photographs of Robert Ruark. Other papers include verses, articles, lectures, and newspaper clippings about and by Coffin. There is a small amount of school materials and writings of Gertrude Wilson Coffin. The addition of 2003 includes letters, writings, photographs and other items relating to Coffin's journalism career, especially while he was editor of the Raleigh Times. Also included are family letters, school materials, church materials, financial materials, and photographs relating to Gertrude; her father, J. E. Wilson (Joseph Edward Wilson), a physician, and her mother, Cordelia Mann Wilson, a school teacher, both of Haywood County, N.C.; her sister, Inez Wilson Dixon; and other members of the Mann and Wilson families.
Creator Coffin, O. J. (scar Jackson), 1887-1956.
Curatorial Unit Southern Historical Collection
Language English
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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Information For Users

Restrictions to Access
No restrictions. Open for research.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Oscar Coffin Papers #3907, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Acquisitions Information
Received from Mrs. E. Wilson Coffin in 1970 and from E. Wilson Coffin in September 1995 (Acc. 95122) and November 2003 (Acc. 99660).
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.
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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Processing Information

Processed by: Suzanne Ruffing and SHC Staff, March 1996 with subsequent additions

Encoded by: Roslyn Holdzkom, August 2004

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subject Headings

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Biographical Information

Oscar Jackson Coffin was a journalist, professor of journalism, 1926-1956, and the first dean of the School of Journalism at the University of North Carolina, 1950-1953.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Scope and Content

The collection includes correspondence, writings, and other items of journalist and professor of journalism Oscar Jackson Coffin and family members. The original deposit includes correspondence with friends, colleagues, and former students concerning jobs and newspaper affairs, 1926-1956. Among the correspondents are John Harden, John D. Langston, Holt McPherson, and Roy Parker. Few items pertain to the University of North Carolina directly. Also included are clippings about Randolph County, N.C., and Asheboro, N.C., especially of Coffin's column, "Shucks and Nubbins," which appeared in the Greensboro Daily News, and, after 1956, personal letters of Coffin's widow, Gertrude Wilson Coffin. The addition of 1995 includes letters, writings, photographs, and other items chiefly relating to Coffin's journalism career. Of note are letters from former students, including a few women journalists, who reported on their career progress, and letters from and photographs of Robert Ruark. Other papers include verses, articles, lectures, and newspaper clippings about and by Coffin. There is a small amount of school materials and writings of Gertrude Wilson Coffin. The addition of 2003 is comprised of letters, writings, photographs and other items relating to Coffin's journalism career, especially while he was editor of the Raleigh Times . Also included are family letters, school materials, church materials, financial materials, and photographs relating to Gertrude; her father, J. E. Wilson (Joseph Edward Wilson), a physician, and her mother, Cordelia Mann Wilson, a school teacher, both of Haywood County, N.C.; her sister, Inez Wilson Dixon; and other members of the Mann and Wilson families.

Materials in the original deposit have been maintained in the order as received from Oscar Jackson Coffin's file cabinets. Additions have been arranged in series as per the original deposit. Because similar material appears in all series, researchers may need to look at more than one series to find all of the items of interest to them.

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Contents list

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series Quick Links

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 1. General Correspondence and Related Material, 1916-1967.

About 2,400 items.

Arrangement: chronological and topical.

The bulk of the correspondence consists of letters to and from former students seeking help in finding jobs and editors asking Oscar Jackson Coffin to recommend people to fill job openings. Most of the correspondence concerns journalism in North Carolina, but little appears to concern University events, current politics, or daily life in Chapel Hill, N.C. The rest of the correspondence is from friends, mainly in relation to his column "Shucks and Nubbins" in the Greensboro Daily News and correspondents including John Harden, John D. Langston, Holt McPherson, and Roy Parker. Correspondence, 1956-1967, is chiefly to and from Coffin's wife Gertrude Wilson Coffin. Included are many letters of condolence, 1956-1957, on Oscar Jackson Coffin's death.

Other papers include verses, articles, and lectures. There are also three volumes: a Randolph County, N.C., scrapbook of Hal M. Worth with clippings of "Shucks and Nubbins" and items about Randolph County and Asheboro, N.C.; Oscar Jackson Coffin's scrapbook with clippings of writings by Coffin including "Shucks and Nubbins" and the "State House Anthology" series (1917); and a portfolio of newspaper clippings with feature articles about and tributes to Oscar Jackson Coffin.

Folder 1

1916; 1923; 1926-1927

Folder 2

1929

Folder 3

1930-1932

Folder 4

1934-1939

Folder 5

1940-1941

Folder 6

1942-1943

Folder 7

1944

Folder 8-9

Folder 8

Folder 9

1945

Folder 10-12

Folder 10

Folder 11

Folder 12

1946

Folder 13-16

Folder 13

Folder 14

Folder 15

Folder 16

1947

Folder 17-19

Folder 17

Folder 18

Folder 19

1948

Folder 20-22

Folder 20

Folder 21

Folder 22

1949

Folder 23-26

Folder 23

Folder 24

Folder 25

Folder 26

1950

Folder 27-31

Folder 27

Folder 28

Folder 29

Folder 30

Folder 31

1951

Folder 32-34

Folder 32

Folder 33

Folder 34

1952

Folder 35-38

Folder 35

Folder 36

Folder 37

Folder 38

1953

Folder 39-41

Folder 39

Folder 40

Folder 41

1954

Folder 42-43

Folder 42

Folder 43

1955

Folder 44-46

Folder 44

Folder 45

Folder 46

1956

Folder 47

1957

Folder 48

1958-1959

Folder 49

1960-1967

Folder 50-53

Folder 50

Folder 51

Folder 52

Folder 53

Undated

Folder 54-55

Folder 54

Folder 55

Miscellaneous

Folder 56-59

Folder 56

Folder 57

Folder 58

Folder 59

Verses

Folder 60

Enclosures from Randolph County, N.C., scrapbook

Folder 61

Enclosures from Oscar Jackson Coffin's scrapbook

Folder 62

Volume 1: Scrapbook: Randolph County, N.C., 1934, 50 pp.

Folder 63

Volume 2: Scrapbook: Oscar Jackson Coffin, 200 pp.

Folder 64

Volume 3: Portfolio: Clippings about Oscar Jackson Coffin

Folder 65-73

Folder 65

Folder 66

Folder 67

Folder 68

Folder 69

Folder 70

Folder 71

Folder 72

Folder 73

Clippings: Oscar Jackson Coffin, 1930s-1950s

Folder 74-78

Folder 74

Folder 75

Folder 76

Folder 77

Folder 78

Clippings: Oscar Jackson Coffin newspaper tributes and obituaries, 1956-1957

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 2. Alumni, 1943-1953.

About 400 items.

Arrangement: alphabetical.

Incoming and carbons of outgoing correspondence by and about students in the School of Journalism at the University of North Carolina. These materials were maintained separately by Oscar Jackson Coffin and are filed alphabetically by the name of the student. Note that folder A is missing.

Folder 79

B

Folder 80

C

Folder 81

D

Folder 82

F

Folder 83

G

Folder 84

H

Folder 85

I

Folder 86

J

Folder 87

K

Folder 88

L

Folder 89

Mc

Folder 90

M

Folder 91

N

Folder 92

O

Folder 93

P

Folder 94

Q

Folder 95

R

Folder 96

S

Folder 97

T

Folder 98

V

Folder 99

W

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 3. Other Correspondence, 1929-1953.

About 600 items.

Arrangement: topical.

Incoming and carbons of outgoing correspondence between Oscar Jackson Coffin and journalists, press and professional organizations, former students, University colleagues, and other professional associates. These materials were maintained separately by Coffin and mostly concern his students. Some letters are filed by correspondent, others by newspaper, location, or organization. Unless noted, newspapers and locations are in North Carolina.

Folder 100

Applications for teaching positions

Folder 101

AASDJ, AATJ, AEJ, ASJSA

Folder 102

Asheville: Asheville Citizen-Times

Folder 103

B general

Folder 104

C general

Folder 105

Charlotte: Charlotte News

Folder 106

Charlotte: Charlotte Observer

Folder 107

D general

Folder 108

Durham: Herald Sun

Folder 109

Dunn: Daily Record

Folder 110

E general

Folder 111

Edenton: Edenton Daily News

Folder 112

Editor and Publisher

Folder 113

Elizabethtown: Bladen Journal

Folder 114

Elkin: Elkin Tribune

Folder 115

Elizabeth City: Daily Advance

Folder 116

F general

Folder 117

Florida State University

Folder 118

G general

Folder 119

Gastonia: Gastonia Gazette

Folder 120

Goldsboro: News Argus

Folder 121

Greensboro: Greensboro News-Record

Folder 122

Greenville: Daily Reflector

Folder 123

H general

Folder 124

Hartsville, S.C.: Messenger

Folder 125

Hickory: Daily Record

Folder 126

I general

Folder 127a

J general

Folder 127b

Jacksonville: News and Views

Folder 128

Journalism Quarterly

Folder 129

K general

Folder 130

Kinston: Kinston Daily Free Press

Folder 131

L general

Folder 132

Laurinburg: Laurinburg Exchange

Folder 133

Lillington: Harnett County News

Folder 134

Mc general

Folder 135

M general

Folder 136

N general

Folder 137

New Bern: Sun-Journal

Folder 138

North Carolina Press Association (and eastern North Carolina)

Folder 139

Norfolk, Va.: Ledger-Dispatch; Virginian Pilot

Folder 140

O general

Folder 141

P general

Folder 142

R general

Folder 143a

Raleigh: Raleigh Times

Folder 143b

Raleigh: News and Observer

Folder 144

S general

Folder 145

Scotland Neck: Scotland Neck Commonwealth

Folder 146

Sanford: Sanford Herald

Folder 147

Shelby: Shelby Daily Star

Folder 148

South Atlantic Council of Industrial Editors

Folder 149

T general

Folder 150

U general

Folder 151

United Press

Folder 152

V general

Folder 153

W general

Folder 154

Wallace: Wallace Enterprise

Folder 155

West Jefferson: Skyland Post

Folder 156

Winston-Salem: Journal-Sentinel

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 4. Pictures, undated.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Additions After 1970.

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Addition of September 1995 (Acc. 95122), 1900-1966.

About 840 items.

Arrangement: arranged in series as per original deposit.

Letters, writings, photographs, and other items chiefly relating to Oscar Jackson Coffin's journalism career. Of note are letters from former students, including a few women, who reported on their career progress, and letters from and photographs of Robert Ruark. Other papers include verses, articles, lectures, and newspaper clippings about and by Oscar Jackson Coffin. There is a small amount of school materials and writings of Gertrude Wilson (Coffin).

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 1. General Correspondence, 1905-1966 and undated.

About 800 items.

Arrangement: chronologial and topical.

Chiefly letters received from former students and newspaper colleagues concerning journalism in North Carolina. Of note are letters from former students, including a few women, who reported on their career progress. Most female correspondents are filed in the "Lois Byrd, etc." folder. There are also several letters from Robert Ruark and a separate file for letters of condolence sent on Coffin's death. Other papers include verses, articles, lectures, and newspaper clippings about and by Oscar Jackson Coffin. Note that original file folder titles have, for the most part, been retained.

Folder 157-158

Folder 157

Folder 158

1905-1919

Folder 159-165

Folder 159

Folder 160

Folder 161

Folder 162

Folder 163

Folder 164

Folder 165

1920-1929

Folder 166-172

Folder 166

Folder 167

Folder 168

Folder 169

Folder 170

Folder 171

Folder 172

1930-1939

Folder 173-175

Folder 173

Folder 174

Folder 175

1940-1949

Folder 176-177

Folder 176

Folder 177

1950-1959

Folder 178

1956: Letters of condolence

Folder 179

1966

Folder 180-182

Folder 180

Folder 181

Folder 182

Undated

Folder 183

Joe Bobitt and Bob Mason, 1929-1943

Folder 184

Lois Byrd, etc., 1928-1948, 1982

Folder 185

E. C. Daniel and Burke Davis, 1933-1951

Folder 186

Dowds of the Charlotte News, 1933 and undated

Folder 187

Carl Durham and congressional concerns, 1938-1939, 1949

Folder 188

James T. McAden and Karl Sprinkle, 1935-1956

Folder 189

Holt McPherson and Capus Waynick, 1926-1956

Folder 190

John Mebane and Joe Bobbitt, 1930-1953

Folder 191

Jack Riley, 1933-1949

Folder 192

Robert Ruark, 1938-1965 and undated

Folder 193

Jake Strother, 1936-1942

Folder 194

Carl Thompson, Clay Thompson, Kay Thompson, 1933-1941

Folder 195

Sonny Tilghman and George Bradham, 1931-1936

Folder 196

Roy Wilder, 1935-1947

Folder 197-201

Folder 197

Folder 198

Folder 199

Folder 200

Folder 201

Miscellaneous

Folder 202

Verses

Folder 203-205

Folder 203

Folder 204

Folder 205

Clippings: About and by Oscar Jackson Coffin

Folder 206

Datebook, 1955?

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 4. Pictures, ca. 1900-1960.

About 20 items.

Black-and-white photographs of Oscar Jackson Coffin, Gertrude Wilson Coffin, Robert Ruark, and others.

Image Folder PF-3907/2

Gertrude Wilson Coffin, ca. 1906

Image Folder PF-3907/3

Oscar Jackson Coffin, ca. 1919

Image Folder PF-3907/4

Identified people, ca. 1910-1950

Image Folder PF-3907/5

Unidentified people, ca. 1900

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 5. Other Family Papers, 1902-1906.

About 20 items.

Miscellaneous school materials of Gertrude Wilson and several issues of The Guilford Collegian that feature her writings.

Folder 207-209

Folder 207

Folder 208

Folder 209

Gertrude Wilson: Bible study, ca. 1902

Folder 210

Gertrude Wilson: School materials

Folder 211

Gertrude Wilson: The Guilford Collegian, 1904-1906

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Addition of November 2003 (Acc. 99660), 1879-1991.

About 800 items.

Arrangement: arranged in series as per original deposit.

Letters, photographs, writings, and other items relating to Oscar Jackson Coffin's journalism career, especially while he was editor of the Raleigh Times . Also included are family letters, school materials, church materials, financial materials, and photographs relating to Coffin's wife, Gertrude Wilson Coffin; her father, J. E. Wilson (Joseph Edward Wilson), a physician, and her mother, Cordelia Mann Wilson, a school teacher, both of Haywood County, N.C.; her sister, Inez Wilson Dixon; and other members of the Mann and Wilson families.

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 1. General Correspondence, 1908-1970 and undated.

About 300 items.

Arrangement: chronologial and topical.

Chiefly letters to Oscar Jackson Coffin regarding editorials published while he was the editor of the Raleigh Times. Other letters are from friends and former students serving in the military during World War II. Also included are letters to his wife, Gertrude Wilson Coffin, from her sister Inez Wilson Dixon; from Jake Strother, a longtime friend from the newspaper business; and from other family and friends. Other materials include newspaper clippings; a scrapbook; lectures and other writings of Coffin; materials relating to Gertrude's death; and miscellaneous membership cards, certificates, and biographical material.

Folder 212

1908-1916

Folder 213

1918

Folder 214

1919-1920

Folder 215

1921

Folder 216

1922

Folder 217

1923

Folder 218

1924

Folder 219

1925

Folder 220

1926

Folder 221

1927-1934

Folder 222

1935-1939

Folder 223

1941-1942

Folder 224

1943-1944

Folder 225

1945

Folder 226

1946-1947

Folder 227

1948-1952

Folder 228

1953

Folder 229

1954-1965

Folder 230

1966-1967

Folder 231

Undated

Folder 232-234

Folder 232

Folder 233

Folder 234

Inez Dixon, 1950-1953 and undated

Folder 235-238

Folder 235

Folder 236

Folder 237

Folder 238

Jake Strother, 1955-1967 and undated

Folder 239

Clippings

Folder 240

Gertrude Wilson Coffin: Death

Folder 241

Lectures

Folder 242

Other writings

Folder 243

Scrapbook: Letters, chiefly tributes to Oscar Jackson Coffin (disassembled; see P-3907/6 for photographs)

Folder 244

Miscellaneous

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 4. Pictures, ca. 1890-1950.

About 100 items.

Black-and-white photographs of Oscar Jackson Coffin, Gertrude Wilson Coffin, other members of the Mann and Wilson families, and miscellaneous houses and other buildings.

Image Folder PF-3907/6

Scrapbook: Photographs of Oscar Jackson Coffin with family, colleagues, and students (see also folder 243)

Image Folder PF-3907/7

Oscar Jackson Coffin

Image Folder PF-3907/8

Gertrude Wilson Coffin

Image Folder PF-3907/9

Inez Dixon and Alfred Dixon

Image Folder PF-3907/10

Mann family

Image Folder PF-3907/11

J. E. Wilson (Joseph Edward Wilson) and Cordelia Mann

Image Folder PF-3907/12

Jesse Wilson

Image Folder PF-3907/13

Wilson family

Image Folder PF-3907/14

Unidentified people

Image Folder PF-3907/15

Miscellaneous

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 5. Other Family Papers, 1879-1991.

About 500 items.

Correspondence, school materials, church materials, physician's account books, medical licenses, receipts, telephone bills, and other miscellaneous material relating to Gertrude Wilson Coffin; her father, J. E. Wilson (Joseph Edward Wilson), and her mother, Cordelia Mann Wilson, a school teacher, both of Haywood County, N.C.; and other Mann and Wilson family members.

Folder 245

Mann family genealogy

Folder 246

C. E. McCloud algebra notebook, 1880

Folder 247-248

Folder 247

Folder 248

Cordelia Mann Wilson, 1881-1939 and undated

Folder 249

Cordelia Mann Wilson: School materials, 1976-1880

Folder 250

Gertrude Wilson Coffin: School materials, 1903-1906

Folder 251-263

Folder 251

Folder 252

Folder 253

Folder 254

Folder 255

Folder 256

Folder 257

Folder 258

Folder 259

Folder 260

Folder 261

Folder 262

Folder 263

J. E. Wilson, 1879-1929

Folder 264

J. E. Wilson: Bethel Church and Academy, 1887-1908

Folder 265

J. E. Wilson: Check register, 1903-1904

Folder 266

J. E. Wilson: Prescription pad, 1924

Folder 267-275

Folder 267

Folder 268

Folder 269

Folder 270

Folder 271

Folder 272

Folder 273

Folder 274

Folder 275

J. E. Wilson: "Physician's Visiting List," 1894-1895, 1897-1899, 1903, 1922-1923

Folder 276-290

Folder 276

Folder 277

Folder 278

Folder 279

Folder 280

Folder 281

Folder 282

Folder 283

Folder 284

Folder 285

Folder 286

Folder 287

Folder 288

Folder 289

Folder 290

J. E. Wilson: "Physician's Memorandum," 1902-1917

Folder 291-292

Folder 291

Folder 292

Miscellaneous

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Oversize

Oversize Paper Folder OPF-3907/1

Oversize papers

Oversize Image Folder OP-PF-3907/1

Oversize images

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Items Separated

Separated materials include oversize papers (OP-3907/1-4); oversize pictures (OP-P-3907/1-5); pictures (P-3907/folders 1-15).

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