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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.
This collection was rehoused under the sponsorship of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Office of Preservation, Washington, D.C., 1990-1992.
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Collection Overview
| Size | 3.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 3300 items) |
| Abstract | Edwin Bedford Jeffress, owner of the Greensboro Daily News; mayor of Greensboro, N.C., from 1925 to 1929; and member of the North Carolina General Assembly from Guilford County in 1931. In May 1931, he was appointed chair of the State Highway Commission by Governor O. Max Gardner. When the North Carolina State Highway and Public Works Commission was formed in 1933, Jeffress was named chair by Governor John C. B. Ehringhaus. His tenure was cut short, however, by an illness that rendered him a semi-invalid for the rest of his life, much of which he spent at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill, writing a history of North Carolina. The collection includes correspondence and other papers chiefly relating to E. B. Jeffress's public life. Beginning in 1921 and continuing throughout the collection, there are items relating to Jeffress's managerial duties at the Greensboro Daily News. Materials from the period 1925-1929 document Jeffress's activities as mayor of Greensboro, particularly his interests in taxes, highway construction, airmail delivery, and bonds to finance various civic improvements. Correspondence about highway construction, consolidation of the state's public universities, prison reform, electric power rate hikes, Democratic Party politics, and taxes documents Jeffress's tenure in the North Carolina General Assembly. There are also materials relating to Jeffress's activities as chair of the North Carolina State Highway Commission and its successor, the State Highway and Public Works Commission. Many of the letters are to and from persons interested in specific road projects. Other letters relate to prison problems, which were closely allied to road issues, since many roads were built using convict labor. Also included are a typed copy of Jeffress's unpublished manuscript "The Modern State of North Carolina, 1776-1955" and a few photographs. |
| Creator | Jeffress, E. B. (Edwin Bedford), 1887-1961. |
| Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
| Language | English |
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Information For Users
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Processing Information
Processed by: Roslyn Holdzkom, October 1992
Encoded by: Roslyn Holdzkom, November 2006
This collection was rehoused under the sponsorship of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Office of Preservation, Washington, D.C., 1990-1992.
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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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Biographical Information
Edwin Bedford Jeffress was born in Canton, N.C., the son of Charles James (d. 1933) and Maria Love Osborne Jeffress (d. 1934). He was graduated from Asheville High School in 1903 and entered the University of North Carolina in that same year. At UNC, he earned a Phi Beta Kappa key for scholarship and an Omicron Delta Kappa key for leadership. During his last two years, he was an assistant instructor in geology. In 1907, he received his B.A. degree with a major in general science.
Jeffress taught at the Bingham Military School in Asheville from 1907 to 1909, working during the summers as a reporter for the Asheville Gazette News. In 1909, he quit his teaching job to become a full-time member of the Gazette News staff. Two years later, the Gazette News acquired the Greensboro Daily News. Jeffress is believed to have been the first reporter to serve as staff correspondent in the state capital, where he wrote special dispatches for both the Asheville and the Greensboro paper.
In late 1911, Jeffress purchased a half interest in the Greensboro Daily News and assumed the role of business manager. In 1918, he became president of the Greensboro News Company. The growth in circulation and influence of the Greensboro Daily News, and, later, its afternoon counterpart, the Greensboro Record, was largely attributed to Jeffress. In 1934, Jeffress became seriously ill; subsequent brain surgery resulted in a general incapacitation until his death in 1961. Although he experienced some difficulty getting around, he remained alert and lived out his days at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill.
During his years in public life, Jeffress demonstrated a deep interest in everything that concerned the growth and development of Greensboro. From the first, he was an energetic member of the Chamber of Commerce, serving as president 1921-1922. He also served on the city council, and, as mayor of Greensboro from 1925 to 1929, did much to enhance the city, including playing an important part in establishing the Greensboro-High Point Airport.
Elected to the North Carolina General Assembly, Jeffress proved to be an effective and energetic legislator in the 1931 session, where he served on the on the Commission to Study the Prison Situation in North Carolina and was chair of the House Committee on Reorganization of State Government. Jeffress also worked on the transfer of county roads and county prisoners from local to state control under the State Highway Commission, the consolidation of the three state institutions of higher learning into the Greater University of North Carolina, and other landmark legislation. In May 1931, he was appointed chair of the State Highway Commission by Governor O. Max Gardner. In 1933, the state's prisons were added to the Highway Commission's responsibilities. When the North Carolina State Highway and Public Works Commission was formed in 1933, Jeffress was named chair by Governor John C. B. Ehringhaus, but his tenure was cut short by illness.
Jeffress married Louise Bond Adams on 17 July 1913, and they had five children: Rebecca, who married Winfield S. Barney Jr.; twins Edward Bedford Jr., and Charles (Carl) Osborne; Mary Louise, who married A. Bradford McLean; and Sarah Clark Tate, who married Bruce O. Jolly.
(Adapted from the note by C. Sylvester Green in the Dictionary of North Carolina Biography , Volume 3, 1988.)
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Scope and Content
The papers of E. B. Jeffress, newspaperman, historian, politican, and public servant of Greensboro, N.C., includes correspondence and other papers chiefly relating to E. B. Jeffress's public life. Beginning in 1921 and continuing throughout the collection, there are items relating to Jeffress's managerial duties at the Greensboro Daily News. Materials from the period 1925-1929 document Jeffress's activities as mayor of Greensboro, particularly his interests in taxes, highway construction, airmail delivery, and bonds to finance various civic improvements. Correspondence about highway construction, consolidation of the state's public universities, prison reform, electric power rate hikes, Democratic Party politics, and taxes documents Jeffress's tenure in the North Carolina General Assembly. There are also materials relating to Jeffress's activities as chair of the North Carolina State Highway Commission and its successor, the State Highway and Public Works Commission. Many of the letters are to and from persons interested in specific road projects. Other letters relate to prison problems, which were closely allied to road issues, since many roads were built using convict labor. Also included are a typed copy of Jeffress's unpublished manuscript "The Modern State of North Carolina, 1776-1955" and a few photographs.
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Series Quick Links
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Series 1. Correspondence, 1870-1948 and undated.
Arrangement: chronological.
Chiefly letters relating to E. B. Jeffress's career in public service, first as mayor of Greensboro, then as state legislator, and finally as chair of the State Highway and Public Works Commission.
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Subseries 1.1. 1870-1930.
Items from 1870 consist of two receipts relating to the account of a Jeffress family member with Yancy & Vaughan for purchase of drygoods, chickens, and a cow. E. B. Jeffress materials start in 1921 with items relating to his managerial duties at the Greensboro Daily News. There are also a few items relating to the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce and to the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church of which Jeffress was a member. In December 1924, there are many letters about the opening of a new plant for the Greensboro Daily News. While there are a few 1925-1929 items relating to the newspaper, most document Jeffress's activities as mayor of Greensboro, particularly his interests in taxes, highway construction, airmail delivery, and bonds to finance various civic improvements. Letters document mayoral responsibilities, which apparently included everything from granting permission for groups to picnic on city property to directing investigations of police misconduct. Although Jeffress was mayor through 1929, there are few items after 1926.
Also included are a small number of personal letters, including one, dated 29 July 1929, from Jeffress to his daughter Rebecca, in which he discussed taking up golf. There are also a few letters about personal business deals in which Jeffress was involved, including a telegram, dated 30 October 1929, from Jeffress to a partner in a stock deal that reads, "Have you noticed the stock market this week?"
| Folder 1 |
1870 |
| Folder 2 |
1921-1922 |
Folder 3-7
Folder 3Folder 4Folder 5Folder 6Folder 7 |
1924 |
Folder 8-13
Folder 8Folder 9Folder 10Folder 11Folder 12Folder 13 |
1925 |
Folder 14-22
Folder 14Folder 15Folder 16Folder 17Folder 18Folder 19Folder 20Folder 21Folder 22 |
1926 |
| Folder 23 |
1927-1928 |
| Folder 24 |
1929-1930 |
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Subseries 1.2. January-April 1931.
Materials chiefly relating to Jeffress's tenure as member of the North Carolina General Assembly from Guilford County. The bulk of the items are letters from constituents and lobbying groups, but there is also correspondence with other legislators and government officials. Issues include transportation, highway construction, consolidation of the state's universities, prison reform, electric power rate hikes, and taxes. Folder 27 contains letters from store owners and workers opposed to "any and all forms of sales tax."
There are also a few items relating to the Greensboro Daily News and to private business deals. Among Jeffress's correspondents was Hariette Hammer Walker, editor of the Courier of Asheboro, N.C.
Folder 25-58
Folder 25Folder 26Folder 27Folder 28Folder 29Folder 30Folder 31Folder 32Folder 33Folder 34Folder 35Folder 36Folder 37Folder 38Folder 39Folder 40Folder 41Folder 42Folder 43Folder 44Folder 45Folder 46Folder 47Folder 48Folder 49Folder 50Folder 51Folder 52Folder 53Folder 54Folder 55Folder 56Folder 57Folder 58 |
January-April 1931 |
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Subseries 1.3. May 1931-1934.
Materials chiefly relating to Jeffress's activities as chair of the North Carolina State Highway Commission, to which he was appointed by Governor O. Max Gardner, and its successor the State Highway and Public Works Commission, to which Governor John C. B. Ehringhaus appointed Jeffress. Many of the letters are to and from persons interested in specific road projects. Other letters relate to prison problems, which were closely allied to road issues, since many roads were built using convict labor. The North Carolina State Highway Commission included a prison department in 1932, and there are several reports on investigations of prison conditions in materials from that year. The State Highway and Public Works Commission also had jurisdiction over prisons. Beginning in February 1932, many items relate to efforts to get the $125,000,000 Emergency Appropriation for Federal Aid in Highway Construction bill through Congress.
Although most correspondence from this period is about highways and Jeffress's speaking engagements and attendance at public functions as chair of the Highway Commission, there are also some materials relating to newspaper work and to private business deals. In addition, there are a great number of inquiries from people seeking employment or recommendations for jobs. After April 1932, the volume of correspondence lessens considerably, as Jeffress was periodically ill or concerned with the death of his father in mid-July 1933 and his mother on 31 July 1934. Although there is no direct reference to the illness that ended Jeffress's active career, by September 1934, his secretary was signing his letters; it may be assumed that he fell ill sometime before then.
Folder 59-92
Folder 59Folder 60Folder 61Folder 62Folder 63Folder 64Folder 65Folder 66Folder 67Folder 68Folder 69Folder 70Folder 71Folder 72Folder 73Folder 74Folder 75Folder 76Folder 77Folder 78Folder 79Folder 80Folder 81Folder 82Folder 83Folder 84Folder 85Folder 86Folder 87Folder 88Folder 89Folder 90Folder 91Folder 92 |
May-December 1931 |
Folder 93-116
Folder 93Folder 94Folder 95Folder 96Folder 97Folder 98Folder 99Folder 100Folder 101Folder 102Folder 103Folder 104Folder 105Folder 106Folder 107Folder 108Folder 109Folder 110Folder 111Folder 112Folder 113Folder 114Folder 115Folder 116 |
1932 |
Folder 117-136
Folder 117Folder 118Folder 119Folder 120Folder 121Folder 122Folder 123Folder 124Folder 125Folder 126Folder 127Folder 128Folder 129Folder 130Folder 131Folder 132Folder 133Folder 134Folder 135Folder 136 |
1933 |
Folder 137-141
Folder 137Folder 138Folder 139Folder 140Folder 141 |
1934 |
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Subseries 1.4. 1935-1948 and undated.
Chiefly letters relating to routine newspaper work, mainly about advertising copy. Early in 1935, there is a letter mentioning Jeffress's retirement from the State Highway and Public Works Commission due to bad health. Many subsequent letter note the progress of his recovery. A few letters relate to political affairs, particularly, in 1936, to Jeffress's support of Clyde R. Hoey for governor. Letters from 1938 show sporadic activity in the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, and materials from the 1940s relate chiefly to club participation and repairs to Jeffress's Greensboro home. By 1946, Jeffress's address was the Carolina Inn, but materials in this collection do not document his activities while a resident there.
| Folder 142 |
1935 |
| Folder 143 |
1936 |
| Folder 144 |
1937 |
| Folder 145 |
1938 |
| Folder 146 |
1939 |
| Folder 147 |
1940 |
| Folder 148 |
1941 |
| Folder 149 |
1942 |
| Folder 150 |
1943-1948 |
| Folder 151 |
Undated and fragments |
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Series 2. Other Papers, 1860-1955
and undated.
A typescript of "The Modern State Of North Carolina, 1776-1955," by E. B. Jeffress; an account book, 1860-1862; and miscellaneous items.
In his narrative, Jeffress largely emphasized the development of transportation and communication, the work of great political leaders, constitutional and legal developments in government administration, and the evolution of public education. Most of the early chapters present fairly standard, popularly written, state history. The later chapters, however, are a bit more lively, dealing with politicians and events with which Jeffress himself had been associated. Included in folder 152 is part of a 1955 letter from Lambert Davis, director of the University of North Carolina Press, declining to publish the manuscript. Chapter titles are listed below; titles and order remain as received.
| Folder 161 |
Folder number not used |
| Oversize Volume SV-1167/1 |
Account book, 1860-1862, about 800 pagesThe book contains accounts of of E. B. Jeffress (1823-1891), grandfather of E. B. Jeffress (1887-1961), for purchases of general merchandise in South Boston, Va. |
Folder 162-164
Folder 162Folder 163Folder 164 |
Miscellaneous materials, including notes on various subjects, fragments of writings, and other items |
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Series 3. Pictures, 1930s.
| Image P-1167/1 |
Photograph, probably E. B. Jeffress with another man posed in front of an orange juice stand, 1930s |
Image P-1167/2-5
P-1167/2P-1167/3P-1167/4P-1167/5 |
Photographs documenting an automobile trip, largely showing unidentified roads, 1930s |
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Items Separated