Preston William Edsall Papers circa 1940-1970

Summary
Contents
Names/subjects
Using these materials
Please note that some historical materials may contain harmful content and/or descriptions. Learn how we’re addressing it.
Creator
Edsall, Preston W. (Preston William), 1902-1972
Size
13.25 linear feet (21 boxes, 8 half boxes, 1 legal box)
Call number
MC 00059
Access to materials

Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice.

The Preston William Edsall Papers document Edsall’s family life, professional activity, and lifelong interest and activity in politics and the Democratic Party. The collection includes correspondence, class materials, reports, speeches, and other information on a wide variety of topics related to North Carolina and United States politics.

Preston William Edsall (1902-1972) was Professor of Political Science at North Carolina State College (later North Carolina State University) from 1947 to 1967, and head of the Department of History and Politics from 1948 to 1967.

Biographical/historical note

Preston William Edsall (1902-1972) received his B.S. in History and Political Science from New York University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Princeton University. After terms as Instructor of Politics and Political Science at Princeton, Rutgers University, and New York University, he served the United States Department of Justice as Special Attorney and was and Associate Editor at the National Archives for the National Research Project. He was Professor of Political Science at North Carolina State College (later North Carolina State University) from 1947 to 1967, and head of the Department of History and Politics from 1948 to 1967.

Scope/content

The Preston William Edsall Papers, 1941-1970, document Edsall’s family life, professional activity, and lifelong interest and activity in politics and the Democratic Party. The collection includes correspondence, class materials, reports, speeches, and other information on a wide variety of topics related to North Carolina and United States politics.

Arrangement

This collection has not been fully processed. It is roughly sorted into series: Personal Files; Class Materials; Manuscripts, Speeches and Reports; North Carolina and Wake County Government; North Carolina Legislative Building; North Carolina General Assembly; North Carolina Politicians; North Carolina Politics; Presidential Campaigns and Elections; Civil Rights; Ku Klux Klan; National Issues.

Use of these materials

The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections 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.

This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. 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 North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Preston William Edsall Papers, MC 00059, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

Source of acquisition

Transferred, 1972

Processing information

Processed by Special Collections staff; finding aid created by Kellie Strickland, 2009 June.

Please note that some historical materials may contain harmful content and/or descriptions. Learn how we’re addressing it.
Personal Files

Contains biographical information, family correspondence, and some of Katherine Edsall’s poetry

Personal Files
Box 1
Class Materials

Includes class notes, records of the Phi Kappa Phi fraternity, 1958-1963, and correspondence with J. T. Caldwell.

Class Materials
Box 2
Class Materials
Half box 3
Documents for Class Material 1941-1964
Legal box 6
Manuscripts, Speeches, and Reports

Contains biographies of U.S. Attorneys General, manuscripts, speeches on political issues, information on political organizations, and manuscripts by other authors about state politics. This series also contains information on the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Judiciary Committees, and a Report to the People about North Carolina Government, 1955.

Manuscripts, Speeches and Reports by Edsall
Box 4
Manuscripts, Speeches and Reports by Edsall
Box 5
Manuscripts by Other Writers
Box 7
Manuscripts by Other Writers
Box 8
Organizations
Half box 9
North Carolina and Wake County Governments
State and Local Government
Box 10
Wake County
Half box 11
Miscellaneous Documents 1957
Half box 15
North Carolina Legislative Building

Contains floor plans, general information, and a State Survey questionnaire with both blank and completed questionnaires.

Floor Plans and General Information
Box 12
North Carolina Legislative Building--State Survey
Box 13
North Carolina General Assembly

Includes information on capital punishment, the Constitution Study Commission, East Carolina College/University, gun legislation, and higher education.

North Carolina General Assembly
Box 14
North Carolina Politicians

Contains biographies of North Carolina politicians.

Biographies of North Carolina Politicians
Box 16
Biographies of North Carolina Politicians
Box 17
North Carolina Politics
State Politics
Half box 18
State Politics
Box 19
State Politics
Box 20
Presidential Campaigns and Elections
Presidential Campaigns and Elections
Half box 21
Presidential Campaigns and Politicians
Box 22
Presidential Campaigns and Politicians
Box 23
Civil Rights
Civil Rights
Half box 24
Ku Klux Klan 1966-1970
Ku Klux Klan 1966-1970
Box 25
National Issues

Documents a variety of important political issues of the 1940s-1950s, and includes information on the National Council of Am-Soviet Friendship, 1947, the AFL-CIO, 1951-1970, Eleanor Roosevelt, Robert F. Kennedy's assassination, and "Extremists". A great variety of information on the United States Congress, North Carolina Redistricting, Reapportionment, and International Affairs is also included in this series.

National Issues
Box 26
United States Congress
Box 27
United States and North Carolina Redistricting
Box 28
Reapportionment
Box 29
Reapportionment
Half box 30
International Affairs
Half box 31
Please note that some historical materials may contain harmful content and/or descriptions. Learn how we’re addressing it.

Access to the collection

Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice.

For more information contact us via mail, phone, or our web form.

Mailing address:
Special Collections Research Center
Box 7111
Raleigh, NC, 27695-7111

Phone: (919) 515-2273

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Preston William Edsall Papers, MC 00059, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

Use of these materials

The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections 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.

This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. 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 North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.