Biographical/historical information

The End of the Century Book Club was organized in 1899. Among its charter members were Mrs. Thomas J. Jarvis, Mrs. Harry Skinner, Mrs. R. R. Cotten, Mrs. E. B. Ficklen, and Mrs. J. L. Little. This women's organization is more than a book club; it has served as a civic club as well and was the first of its kind in the Greenville area. It led the fight for many civic improvements and was instrumental in the founding of the Sheppard Memorial Library in Greenville, N.C.

Scope and arrangement

The collection contains copies of yearly club programs (1902-1968) and a copy of the club's constitution (undated). There are also notes, invitations, telegrams and correspondence of routine club matters, eulogies for deceased club members, short histories of the club (1940, 1949, 1986, undated) and many newspaper clippings from The (Greenville) Daily Reflector describing club meetings.

The collection also contains treasurers reports (1911-1923) and the minutes of the club meetings (1899-1907, 1912-1977). Of special interest is their work toward the founding of a public library (Sheppard Memorial Library) in Greenville (1902-1928). There is also a history of "The Ladies of the Round Table" Greenville book club and a scrapbook of the End of the Century Book Club's activities and those of other book clubs in the Greenville area. Included in the scrapbook is a letter from Mrs. Mamie Eisenhower (1954).

Administrative information

Custodial History

December 3, 1970, 95 items; Papers (1899-1968), including minutes (1899-1967), club histories, programs, tributes, clippings, reports, and a scrapbook. Gift of the End of the Century Book Club, Greenville, N.C.

June 26, 1987, 1 volume; Minutes (1967-1977). Gift of Mary Everett [Mrs. Clifton W. Everett, Jr.], Greenville, N.C.

August 21, 2007, (unprocessed addition 2), 1 items, 0.02 cubic feet; Minutes (November 1990-March 2005) including clippings, notes, and correspondence of the End of the Century Book Club, Greenville, North Carolina. Unbound. Donor: Mary Everett [Mrs. Clifton W. Everett, Jr.]

January 18, 2019, (unprocessed addition 3), 0.01 cubic feet; This addition includes the minutes of the End of the Century Book Club in Greenville, North Carolina, for April 3, 2012, through May 3, 2016. Donor: Cecilia Moore-Cobb.

June 20, 2023, (unprocessed addition 4), 0.05 cubic feet; Minutes of the End of the Century Book Club of Greenville, North Carolina, for October 4, 2016, through March 3, 2020. Donor: Cecilia Moore-Cobb

Source of acquisition

Gift of Mary Everett

Gift of Cecilia Moore-Cobb

Processing information

Processed by D. Lennon; M. Elmore, March 2002

Encoded by Apex Data Services

Copyright notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

Key terms

Personal Names

Eisenhower, Mamie Doud, 1896-1979--Correspondence

Corporate Names

End of the Century Book Club (Greenville, N.C.)
Sheppard Memorial Library

Topical

Book clubs (Discussion groups)--North Carolina--Greenville
Public libraries--North Carolina--Greenville
Women civic leaders--North Carolina--Greenville
Women--Societies and clubs

Places

Greenville (N.C.)--History

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