Rev. Cecil A. Ivory Papers - Accession 1730

Authors

Cecil Augustus Ivory

Files

Identifier

Accession 1730

Inclusive Dates

1889-2011, nd

Restrictions

Open under the rules and regulations of the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections

Collection Size

.75 linear Feet, 1500 pieces

Language

English;

Scope and Content Note

The Rev. Cecil Augustus Ivory Papers document the personal, academic, religious, and civil rights activities of Rev. Cecil Augustus Ivory (1921–1961), a prominent Rock Hill, South Carolina minister and civil rights leader. The materials span from the late nineteenth century to the late twentieth century, with the bulk dating from the 1940s through the early 1960s.

The collection includes personal and professional correspondence, academic papers, newspaper clippings, church records, organizational records, scrapbook materials, artifacts, and a personal book collection. Personal correspondence includes letters, postcards, and a telegram exchanged between Ivory and his family, including correspondence with his future wife, Emily Richardson Ivory (1925–2008). Professional correspondence documents Ivory’s appointment and service as minister of Hermon Presbyterian Church and his relationships with religious and educational institutions, including the Harbison Institute.

Academic materials consist of handwritten notes and papers completed during Ivory’s studies at Mary Allen Junior College and later records relating to his theological education at Johnson C. Smith University, including correspondence and financial documentation concerning his B.Div. funding through the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (UPCUSA) and sponsoring congregations. Church-related materials document Ivory’s ministerial work at Hermon Presbyterian Church and include bulletins, programs, financial reports, by-laws, pastoral calls, dismission certificates, and related correspondence, as well as records of the Hermon Presbyterian Nursery.

A substantial portion of the collection documents Rev. Ivory’s leadership in Rock Hill’s civil rights movement. These materials include correspondence, financial records, call-to-action statements, programs, and newspaper clippings related to the Local Committee for the Promotion of Human Rights, the Rock Hill Branch of the NAACP, and local civil rights campaigns, including the 1957 bus boycott, the 1960–1961 sit-in movement, and the Freedom Rides. Of particular note are materials relating to the Friendship Nine, Ivory’s June 7, 1960 arrest during a sit-in at McCrory’s Five and Dime Store, and correspondence with national civil rights figures, including U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and CORE leader James L. Farmer. Scrapbook materials further document these activities through photographs, certificates, biographical material, and commemorative items.

Additional materials include newspaper clippings addressing race relations in Rock Hill, Kennedy for President (1960) campaign memorabilia, records related to the York County Nature Museum, and miscellaneous papers reflecting Ivory’s personal life, affiliations, and declining health. Artifacts include two black briefcases associated with Rev. Ivory and his son, as well as the binding from Ivory’s scrapbook. The personal book collection consists of volumes collected by Rev. Ivory or the Ivory family, dating from 1889 to 1966.

Provenance

The Reverend Cecil A. Ivory Papers were gifted to the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections by Ms. Darnell Ivory, the daughter of Rev. Ivory. The first part of the collection was received in February 2020; a later addition was donated by the Hermon Presbyterian Church on behalf of the Ivory Family in August 2021.

Copyright

For information concerning copyright please contact the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections at Winthrop University.

Finding Aid Citation

Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections, Winthrop University, "Rev. Cecil A. Ivory Papers - Accession 1730". Finding Aid 1471.
https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/manuscriptcollection_findingaids/1471

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