Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction .

Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Viola James Collection, c. 1920s, Ms2023-032, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Viola James Collection was donated to Special Collections and University Archives in June 2015.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Viola James Collection was completed in May 2023.

Biographical Note

Viola Ethel Cox James (1892-1965) was born to Newman M. Cox and Martha Martin in Clarksburg, West Virginia. She was a member of the Women of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s. She married Charles Burrell James (1885-1949) in 1912, and they had a son, Festus Burrell James (1921-2016). She worked as a homemaker.

External sources:

U.S. Federal Census, 1930-1950

"Viola Ethel Cox James", findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5953961/viola-ethel-james , accessed on May 31, 2023.

"Festus Burrell James", findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167963443/festus-burrell-james , accessed on May 31, 2023.

"Viola James" in the West Virginia, U.S., Deaths Index, 1853-1973, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/1208160:2568 , accessed on December 7, 2023.

"Viola E Cox" in the West Virginia, U.S., Marriages Index, 1785-1971, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/10099128:2538 , accessed on December 7, 2023.

"Charles B. James" in the West Virginia, U.S., Deaths Index, 1853-1973, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/1723285:2568 , accessed on December 7, 2023.

Scope and Content

The Viola James Collection contains membership cards for James as a member of the Clarksburg, West Virginia chapter of the Women of the Ku Klux Klan, which are in a wallet marked with the initials "KKK". The collection also has a blank application form and printed Christian literature related to the organization. It also includes a small framed tintype of two unidentified little girls.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Ku Klux Klan (1915-)
• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• Photographs
• Religion
• West Virginia

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Viola James Collection by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).