Conditions Governing Use

Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on accessing material in this collection. Researchers should note the content warnings on several of the scrapbooks.

Preferred Citation

[Box Number], MS-60, Perry N. Jester Collection, Book Arts, Archives, & Rare Books, Boatwright Memorial Library, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Collection donated by a family member.

Biographical / Historical

Born 20 January 1902 – died July 1982.

According to a 1908 article in the Atlanta, Ga., The Golden Age (24 December 1908), Perry Northern Jester was named in honor of his mother's family and former Georgia governor William J. Northern. Perry Northern Jester's parents were John Roberts Jester (1875-1965), former secretary of the Georgia Baptist Education Board and later President of Baptist College of Oklahoma, and Annie Allen Perry Jester (1878-1970), daughter of noted pastor Dr. J.W. Perry of Winder, Georgia. Noted in the University of Richmond (UR) yearbook as being from Winston-Salem, North Carolina , Perry Northern Jester attended the University of Richmond for his first three years of college working towards a Bachelor of Science degree between 1921 and 1924. During his time at UR, he participated in numerous student organizations, including Tri Phi, YMCA, Glee Club & the College Quartet, and the Globe Trotters. After his junior year, Jester transferred to the University of Virginia where he graduated.

Newspaper articles from the time offer conflicting information about Jester's education. Note that a 1928 article in the Washington, D.C. Evening Star (13 May 1928) reports that "Perry Northern Jester came to Washington from Bailey Military Institute in Greenwood, Ga., and studied law in the George Washington University and then entered the foreign service. He will go to Hongkong, China." A 1935 article in the Accomac, Va. Peninsula Enterprise (19 January 1935) reported that "Jester, 32, University of Richmond graduate, was promoted by the President from an unclassified grade to grade eight. He is now vice-consul in [b]arbados, British West Indies. He began his service in Hong Kong." Additional records indicate he was married to Olive Willie Webster (b. 12 June 1889) who died on 13 July 1963 in Charlottesville, Virginia, and on 18 August 1964, he married Edith Maude Brundrett Hyder (1900-1995) in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Jester worked in the diplomatic corps of the United States for most of his career. After completing foreign service school in 1927, he was assigned as vice consul in Hong Kong (1928-1931). As noted in the Richmond News Leader (6 March 1951), "Consul-General Perry N. Jester, formerly of this city, and Mrs. Jester are living in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, where he has taken over duties as head of the United States Consulate. Mr. Jester, who attended the University of Richmond, has served in consulates in Central America, Hong Kong, Barbados, England, Nigeria, Ceylon, and Dakar." An alumni note under Class of 1924 in the UR Alumni Magazine (Spring 1952) indicated that "Perry N. Jester took charge as Consul General in Hamilton, Canada, in February 1951, and reports that the best feature of his position is being near the United States."

As determined by general records and Jester's notes, his diplomatic service was as follows:

Scope and Contents

This collection is a series of scrapbooks documenting the diplomatic service of Perry Northern Jester between 1928 and 1963. The scrapbooks include both personal and more formal, work-related materials, often capturing the scenery, local populations, landscapes, and special events. Please be aware of the specific content warnings noted below for some scrapbook content in Box 3 and Box 4.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in a single series by content/subject.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Barbados
• China
• Diplomatic and consular service United States
• Hong Kong (China)
• Nigeria
• Panama
• Scrapbooks
• Sri Lanka