Lemuel Showell Blades, III, (1933-2011) began his career as a lawyer and then went on to become the president of the Norfolk Telephone Company while serving on a number of committees in Elizabeth City, and New Bern, North Carolina. This collection spans from 1711-2011 and includes newspaper clippings, photographs, genealogical charts, letters, oral histories, books, videos, and career files. The strength of this collection is the genealogical overview of the several generations linking to the Blades family.