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This collection consists of three diaries (1915-1917) written by John Ambrose Chalk documenting daily weather, agricultural activities, and interesting social events in Chowan County, North Carolina. He and his family were living on Mulberry Hill Farm while he managed the farm for Mr. Henry Wood of Edenton, N.C. Also included are transcriptions of the diaries provided by the donor along with family information, and indices to places mentioned and interesting events.

Papers (1916-1935) including a photocopy of an autobiography, bound book, of professional papers and articles and copy of a lecture.

Papers (1898-1946, undated) including correspondence, newspapers, notes, programs, etc. compiled by a teacher in the English Department of East Carolina Teachers Training School.

Papers (1805-1889, 1961-1963) of a wealthy, Elizabeth City, NC business family, consisting of correspondence, legal records, financial records, genealogical papers, Civil War events, letters, wedding gift, labor strikes and miscellaneous.

Papers of Kelly Cherry (1972-1999 [Bulk: 1995-1999]) documenting the life and literary career of the prolific Baton Rouge, Louisiana-born American novelist, poet, essayist, educator at University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Virginia among other universities, and poet laureate of Virginia 2010-2012; consisting of typescripts of Paula: An Odyssey: A Novel, Parts 1 – 4) (1995-1999), an unpublished volume; a broadside of her poem Loneliness: Words for a Secular Canticle (1980); also including loose manuscript items transferred from Kelly Cherry's works in the Stuart Wright Book Collection Augusta Played: A Novel (1978-1979), Conversion (1980), and Sick and Full of Burning: A Novel (1972-1989).

Papers of the Historic Halifax Garden Association include official documents (1975-1999) such as the constitution and by-laws, papers regarding tax-exempt status and a photocopy of the check handing over the remaining assets of the association to the Historical Halifax Restoration Association; two secretarial notebooks (1981-1989); a guestbook used at the opening of the Restored Eagle Tavern in Historic Halifax (June 29, 1981) and records belonging to past president Gwen B. Dickens (1975, 1979-1989) such as orders of business, attendance records, membership dues records, correspondence and material related to projects.

This collection includes letters mailed to Thomas Milton Carr, Jr. from May through December 1864 while he was serving in Company B of 2nd North Carolina Junior Reserves. Correspondents were mainly family members living in Martindale in Mecklenburg County, N.C., and nearby counties. Topics are news related to the Civil War, events of daily life and the effect of the war on them, and information related to friends and family members serving in the Confederate Army.

Papers (1941-1962) consisting of correspondence, field orders, clippings, maps, photos, and miscellaneous.

Collection (1863-1865) including correspondence, company returns, clothing reports, equipment reports, orders, invoices, ordance reports, etc.

Papers (1908 – 1986, undated [bulk: 1964 – 1986]) of John Porter East, including biographical, genealogical, and historical materials relating to his life (b. 5 May 1931 – 29 June 1986) ; his marriage to Priscilla Sherk East and their children; his service as an officer in the U. S. Marine Corps; his battle against poliomyelitis and the paralysis it caused; his graduate studies in political science and as a professor of Political Science at East Carolina University, 1964 – 1980, including his teaching files for each of his classes, his academic and professional publications, speeches, interviews; and also his conservative Republican political beliefs and affiliations and political career, including his several unsuccessful attempts to win political office in North Carolina, 1966 – 1976, culminating in his successful campaign for and election to the United States Senate in 1980; but the bulk of the collection focuses on his service in the Senate, where he was aligned with Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) and a member of Helms' political organization, the Congressional Club; including his mailing lists, correspondence and constituent cases and projects files; his office and staff files, including files of this administrative assistants, press secretaries and legislative assistants; his political patronage and nomination files, committee and legislative activities; his voting records, newsletters, voluminous clipping files, press and public relations files, including publications, audio and video of interviews, speeches, and political events; his frequent bouts of ill health due to poliomyelitis, hyperthyroidism, urinary tract blockages, and depression, and their side effects which may have contributed to his death by suicide; also including photographic prints and negatives, microfilm of committee records, correspondence, case and general files, voter registration files; and also oversized materials, 1981 – 1986, undated.

Papers (1943) consisting correspondence of Tobacco association, newspapers articles.

Photograph album documenting the travels (1951) of the USS Seiverling through stops in Pearl Harbor, Midway, Japan, and probably Hong Kong, participation in the Taiwan Strait Patrol, and bombardments near Songjin, North Korea. Photographs depict not only the activities of the sailors, but also activities of the local people. Also included are photographs of other U.S. Navy ships, and small boats carrying surrendering North Koreans.

Scrapbook, clippings, correspondence, photographs, reports, and other materials related to the World War II career of Lt. Commander Richard Hamilton Smith aboard the USS Teak and the USS Thomas J. Gray, and especially related to the successful evacuation during 7-9 September 1945 of British, Australian and American prisoners of war held by the Japanese at Kiirun, Formosa [Taiwan].

Robert Ryves (later Rives) is traces back to 1465 France. His family eventually settled in North Carolina in the mid 1700's. Robert Ryves descendant John Gaston Rives Jr was born on June 24, 1854 in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. This collection spans 1818-1957, 2007 and contains three pages removed from the Rives family Bible, containing birth, death, and marriage records dating between 1818 and 1957, genealogy of the Rives family back to 1465 France, and a photograph of John Gaston Rives Jr. The strength of this collection is the genealogical records.

Major General Charles Justin Bailey was born at Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, on June 21, 1859. He commanded the 81st Infantry Division, American Expeditionary Forces, fighting in France during 1918 and 1919. Bailey compiled this album during 1918 and 1919 and it contains postcards of French and German towns and provinces; a few letters; photographs of France and the 81st Division including behind the lines scenes, Camp Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina, and identified officers and dignitaries; clippings and ephemera; and eight large color fold-out maps. The strength of the collection is its representation of World War I in France.