ODU Community Collections
3000 Perry Library4427 Hampton Blvd.
Norfolk, VA 23529
Business Number: 757-683-5350
libspecialcollections@odu.edu
URL: https://www.odu.edu/library/special-collections
James Detterman, February 2014; Kathleen Smith, July 2014
Administrative Information
Conditions Governing Use
Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from Special Collections and University Archives, and the holder of the copyright, if not Old Dominion University Libraries.
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restrictions.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Box [insert number], Folder [insert number and title], Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
Source of Acquisition
Edith R. White
Method of Acquisition
Gift. Accession #A2010-20
Processing Information
The finding aid was created by James Detterman in February 2014.
Accruals and Additions
An addition to the collection was received in January 2016.
Biographical or Historical Information
Edith R. White was born in New Jersey in November 4, 1923. Upon graduating from Vassar College, she became a member of the U.S. Navy's WAVES, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. For her first operation with WAVES, she trained in cryptography, specifically breaking Japanese codes, and worked in Washington DC. Her second appointment was at Sampson Hospital, a tuberculosis hospital in New York, where she met her husband, Forrest. Shortly after their marriage, they moved first to California for some time, bringing their first child into the world, then to Richmond where Edith gave birth to another child, thenceforth moving to, and settling in Norfolk until this day.
Norfolk had a vastly different political setting than Edith's previous residences. There were on-going issues not only involving racial segregation, but also women's rights. Edith previously had black officers in the Navy and black friends in college, and she believed that this was no way for anyone to live, let alone her children. Being the natural born fighter for civil rights that she was, Edith decided to get involved with as many activist groups that she could. Such groups were the League of Women Voters, Women's Interracial Council, American Association of University Women, and the Norfolk Committee for Public Schools, the latter of which Forrest White would become president.
Note written by James Detterman
Scope and Contents
The Edith R. White collection contains of a variety of documents relating to women's activism and educational activity in the city of Norfolk, Virginia. Some of the organizational materials contained in the collection include the Fortnightly Study Club, Women's Council for Interracial Cooperation, and the Norfolk Story League.
An oral history interview with Edith R. White can be fournd in the Old Dominion University Libraries Digital Collections .
Arrangement Note
The collection is organized into four series: Series I: The Fortnightly Study Club; Series II: Women of Norfolk; Series III: Norfolk Story League; and Series IV: Other Organizations.
Related Material
Forrest P. White Papers (MG 5); Forrest R. "Hap" White Papers (MG 96); Women's Council for Interracial Cooperation Papers (MG 54).
Oral Histories in the Perry Library: Edith White
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- African Americans--Civil rights
- Church Women United
- Fortnightly Study Club (Norfolk, Va.)
- Norfolk (Va.)--Politics and government--20th century
- Norfolk Story League
- Women in community organization--Virginia
- Women's Council for Interracial Cooperation (Norfolk, Va.)
- Women--Societies and clubs
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Norfolk (Va.)--Politics and government--20th century
Container List
This series contains directories, programs, and scrapbooks related to the Fortnightly Study Group White was a member of.
- Sub-Series A
Sub-Series A: Directories and Programs1983-2008Scope and Contents
This sub-series consists of directories and programs related to meetings held by the Fortnightly Study Group.
- Mixed Materials box: 1 Box 1
Box 1
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 1 Folder 1
Folder 1: Fortnightly Study Club Member pamphlets belonging to Betsy Nugent1983-2008Preferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 1, Fortnightly Study Club Member pamphlets belonging to Betsy Nugent, 1983-2008, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 2 Folder 2
Folder 2: Fortnightly Study Club Member pamphlets belonging to Connie Ferebee1988-2005Preferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 2, Fortnightly Study Club Member pamphlets belonging to Connie Ferebee, 1988-2005, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 1 Folder 1
- Mixed Materials box: 1 Box 1
- Sub-Series B
Sub-Series B: Scrapbooks1923-2010Scope and Contents
This sub-series includes scrapbooks related to the Fortnightly Study Group.
- Mixed Materials box: 2 Box 2
Box 2
- Graphic Materials box: 2 Item 1
Scrapbook of Histories1923-1962Preferred Citation
Scrapbook of Histories, 1923-1962, Box 2, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Graphic Materials box: 2 Item 2
Scrapbook of Histories1960-1988Preferred Citation
Scrapbook of Histories, 1960-1988, Box 2, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Graphic Materials box: 2 Item 1
- Mixed Materials box: 3 Box 3
Box 3
- Graphic Materials box: 3 Item 1
Scrapbook of Histories1988-1995Preferred Citation
Scrapbook of Histories, 1988-1995, Box 3, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Graphic Materials box: 3 Item 2
Scrapbook of Histories1995-2010Preferred Citation
Scrapbook of Histories, 1995-2010, Box 3, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Graphic Materials box: 3 Item 1
- Mixed Materials box: 2 Box 2
This series contains reports, flyers, directories, and other material related to the Church Women United and Women's Council for Interracial Cooperation organizations.
- Sub-Series A
Sub-Series A: Church Women United1974-2005, undatedScope and Contents
This sub-series includes yearbooks and directories of the Norfolk Church Women United organization, as well as material relating to Community Understanding Day..
- Mixed Materials box: 1 Box 1
Box 1
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 3 Folder 3
Folder 3: Yearbooks1974, 1977-1981Preferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 3, Yearbooks, 1974, 1977-1981, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 4 Folder 4
Folder 4: Directories2000-2005Preferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 4, Directories, 2000-2005, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 5 Folder 5
Folder 5: Community Understanding DayundatedPreferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 5, Community Understanding Day, undated, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 3 Folder 3
- Mixed Materials box: 1 Box 1
- Sub-Series B
Sub-Series B: Women's Council for Interracial Cooperationcirca 1947-1959Scope and Contents
This sub-series contains documents relating to the Norfolk Women's Council for Interracial Cooperation including newsletters and president's reports, flyers, pamphlets, booklets and brochures, correspondence, and newspaper clippings.
- Mixed Materials box: 1 Box 1
Box 1
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 6 Folder 6
Folder 6: Newsletters, President's Reports1952-1955Preferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 6, Newsletters, President's Reports, 1952-1955, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 6 Folder 6
- Mixed Materials box: 4 Box 4
Box 4
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 1 Folder 1
Folder 1: Flyers, Pamphlets, Brochures, Booklets1947-1959Preferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 4, Folder 1, Flyers, Pamphlets, Brochures, Booklets, 1947-1959, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 2 Folder 2
Folder 2: Letters, Notescirca 1950-1959Preferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 4, Folder 2, Letters, Notes, circa 1950-1959, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 3 Folder 3
Folder 3: Newspaper Clippingscirca 1950-1959Preferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 4, Folder 3, Newspaper Clippings, circa 1950-1959, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 1 Folder 1
- Mixed Materials box: 1 Box 1
This series contains documents pertaining to the Norfolk Story League including yearbooks, miscellaneous booklets, a member list, thank you and congratulatory letters, payment records, remembrances, newspaper clippings, photographs, and a scrapbook.
- Mixed Materials box: 4 Box 4
Box 4
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 4 Folder 4
Folder 4: Norfolk Story League Yearbooks1965-2008Preferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 4, Folder 4, Norfolk Story League Yearbooks, 1965-2008, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 5 Folder 5
Folder 5: Miscellaneous Booklets & Programs, Member List1998-1999Preferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 4, Folder 5, Miscellaneous Booklets & Programs, Member List, 1998-1999, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 6 Folder 6
Folder 6: Thank You/Congratulatory LettersundatedPreferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 4, Folder 6, Thank You/Congratulatory Letters, undated, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 4 Folder 4
- Mixed Materials box: 5 Box 5
Box 5
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 1 Folder 1
Folder 1: Payment Records & ReceiptsundatedPreferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 5, Folder 1, Payment Records & Receipts, undated, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 2 Folder 2
Folder 2: Obituaries & RemembrancesundatedPreferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 5, Folder 2, Obituaries & Remembrances, undated, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 3 Folder 3
Folder 3: Newspaper ClippingsundatedPreferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 5, Folder 3, Newspaper Clippings, undated, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 4 Folder 4
Folder 4: PhotographsundatedPreferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 5, Folder 4, Photographs, undated, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 1 Folder 1
- Mixed Materials box: 6 Box 6
Box 6
- Graphic Materials box: 6 Item 1
Scrapbook of Histories2000Preferred Citation
Scrapbook of Histories, 2000, Box 6, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Graphic Materials box: 6 Item 1
This series contains publications, correspondence, reports and other material related to the Norfolk Area Human Relations Council as well as the American Association of University Women (AAUW), American Association for the United Nations (AAUN), and the Citizens Association for Justice in Virginia.
- Mixed Materials box: 5 Box 5
Box 5
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 5 Folder 5
Folder 5: Norfolk Area Human Relations Councilcirca 1967-1969Preferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 5, Folder 5, Norfolk Area Human Relations Council, circa 1967-1969, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 6 Folder 6
Folder 6: Norfolk Area Human Relations Councilcirca 1967-1969Preferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 5, Folder 6, Norfolk Area Human Relations Council, circa 1967-1969, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 7 Folder 7
Folder 7: Miscellaneous organizations1960-1973Preferred Citation
[Identification of item and date], Box 5, Folder 7, Miscellaneous organizations, 1960-1973, Edith R. White Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 5 Folder 5