This collection spans W. Keats Sparrow's career at ECU, being comprised of materials from projects to which he contributed, in his roles as English professor, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, and president of Phi Kappa Phi.
Wendell Keats Sparrow was born in North Carolina to Fred Becton and Tessie Rouse Sparrow in 1942. He married Elizabeth H. Sparrow in 1962, who was a Business Education instructor at East Carolina College. He started his education at ECC in 1964, where he earned his Bachelor and Master degrees. He then earned his Doctorate in English at the University of Kentucky. He started his career at East Carolina University as an English professor in 1970 and became the Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs while also continuing to serve as a professor. He served as president of the Honor Society Phi Kappa Phi throughout his entire career at ECU. He became Dean of the Thomas Hariot College of Arts and Sciences in 1990 and retired from the university in 2005.
During his career Sparrow was at the forefront of multiple projects, like the establishment of a public FM radio station to extend coverage throughout eastern North Carolina which had little to no coverage from the UNC-Chapel Hill or the New Bern stations, the renaming of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the organization of a Symposium for Greenville native Robert Lee Humber. He was a member of many civic organizations, including The Tryon Palace Commission, NC Literary and Historical Association, and North Carolinian Society. He also served as the President of the Pitt County Historical Society and the Carolina Charter Corporation, and as Governor of the Society of Colonial Wars.
ECU dedicated the W. Keats Sparrow writing award in his honor which "recognizes excellence in research and writing by students in East Carolina University's English 1100 and 2201 composition classes." He received numerous awards himself, including the 1982 National Council of Teachers of English book award, the 2001 Christopher Crittenden Memorial Award for Significant Contributions to the Preservation of North Carolina History, and the 2008 Harriot College Distinguished Service medal. He passed away on November 11, 2009.
This collection spans W. Keats Sparrow's career at ECU, being comprised of materials from projects to which he contributed including the Robert L. Humber Symposium, public FM radio project, and renaming of the College of Arts and Sciences. The materials include correspondence, photographs, and pamphlets for events he both attended and planned, administrative files from his time as Dean of the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, personal notes, and speech scripts and outlines. The collection is divided into sections based upon his positions at the university.
The first series is his work in his capacity as an English professor, including his time as a member of the Friends of Joyner Library, general correspondence, and speech scripts, outlines, schedules, research, and planning documents for the Department of English Spring Lecture Series.
The second series is his work in his capacity as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. It holds materials relating to the college's naming, organizing the Robert Lee Humber symposium, visiting the commemoration of the Bermuda Maritime Museum, as well as the College of Arts and Sciences administration files, the planning files for the 1995 Convocation of the School of Education, speeches given for the honor society Phi Kappa Phi, and planning files for the dedication of the English Department's Inglis Fletcher Library.
The third series is his work in his capacity as the Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs. This includes his efforts towards establishing a local public FM radio station to extend programming throughout eastern North Carolina. There is also correspondence between Mary Jo Bratton and many ECU faculty members related to her writing of the book East Carolina University: The Formative Years 1907-1982, and general correspondence.
This material is made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to taking precautions against infringement of copyright and respecting the publication rights of reproduced materials. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards. Any materials used should be fully credited with their source according to the example given in the Preferred Citation note. Requests for assistance with citations and images of publication quality should be directed to specialcollections@ecu.edu This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state law. The user assumes full responsibility for using such information and is advised that the disclosure of such information about identifiable living individuals without their consent may have legal ramifications.
This collection is a part of Faculty Records.