Southern Politics Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.0406

  • Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Southern Politics Collection, given by Alexander Heard in February 1982, consists of drafts and research materials for Southern Politics in State and Nation by V.O. Key, Jr., and A Two-Party South?, by Alexander Heard, together with transcripts of interviews on Southern politics used in the preparation of both these works.

Paige Boxes 1-7: Southern Politics in State and Nation by V.O. Key, Jr.

Paige Boxes 8-10: Interviews

Paige Boxes 11-13: A Two-Party South?, by Alexander Heard

Oversize Box 1: Southern Politics in State and Nation - Illustrations

Notes:

Southern Politics in State and Nation, written by V. O. Key, Jr., with the assistance of Alexander Heard, was the principal product of the Electoral Process Survey. It was published in 1949 by Alfred A. Knopf. A Two-Party South?, by Alexander Heard, published in 1952 by the University of North Carolina Pressj and other publications, also resulted.

Some 538 persons informed about southern politics were interviewed. They provided important information, opinion and sources of interpretation. The interviews were held in 11 states over a period of approximately five weeks in each state. The reports of these interviews are here bound in 11 volumes, one per state, arranged in reverse chronological order within each volume. These volumes, along with foldered interview material from the 1950s, comprise the first series, "Interviews, 1946-1958."

The first volume, containing the Alabama interviews, has with it an article that describes the ways in which the interviews were conducted and comments on their significance and limitations. This article, called "Interviewing Southern Politicians," by Alexander Heard, appeared in the American Political Science Review in December 1950.

At the end of this volume appears a list of confidential interviews that were kept separate from the regular a file until inserted at the appropriate place in each state collection at the time of binding.

The 11 volumes are as follows:

State Interviews Conducted by Approximate Dates in State
Alabama Alexander Heard Nov. 18, 1946-Jan. 15, 1947
Arkansas Alexander Heard Oct. 2-Nov. 3, 1947
Florida Alexander Heard Nov. 18-Dec. 20, 1947
Georgia Alexander Heard March 12-April 20, 1947
Louisiana Donald S. Strong Aug. 8-Sept. 9, 1947
Mississippi Alexander Heard June 16-Aug. 13, 1947
North Carolina Alexander Heard Jan. 22-Feb. 28, 1947
South Carolina Alexander Heard Jan. 15-Feb. 14, 1948
Tennes see Alexander Heard Aug. 15-Sept. 15, 1947
Texas Donald S. Strong June 17-July 30, 1947
Virginia Alexander Heard April 25-May 29, 1947

Dates

  • 1946 - 1952

Extent

22.5 Linear Feet (18 Paige boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Southern Politics Collection, given by Alexander Heard in February 1982, consists of drafts and research materials for Southern Politics in State and Nation by V.O. Key, Jr., and A Two-Party South?, by Alexander Heard, together with transcripts of interviews on Southern politics used in the preparation of both these works.

Physical Location

Offsite Storage, Special Collections & Archives

General

Notes:

Southern Politics in State and Nation, written by V. O. Key, Jr., with the assistance of Alexander Heard, was the principal product of the Electoral Process Survey. It was published in 1949 by Alfred A. Knopf. A Two-Party South?, by Alexander Heard, published in 1952 by the University of North Carolina Pressj and other publications, also resulted.

Some 538 persons informed about southern politics were interviewed. They provided important information, opinion and sources of interpretation. The interviews were held in 11 states over a period of approximately five weeks in each state. The reports of these interviews are here bound in 11 volumes, one per state, arranged in reverse chronological order within each volume.

This volume, the first, containing the Alabama interviews, has with it an article that describes the ways in which the interviews were conducted and comments on their significance and limitations. This article, called "Interviewing Southern Politicians," by Alexander Heard, appeared in the American Political Science Review in December 1950.

At the end of this volume appears a list of confidential interviews that were kept separate from the regular a file until inserted at the appropriate place in each state collection at the time of binding.

The 11 volumes are as follows:

State Interviews Conducted by Approximate Dates in State
Alabama Alexander Heard Nov. 18, 1946-Jan. 15, 1947
Arkansas Alexander Heard Oct. 2-Nov. 3, 1947
Florida Alexander Heard Nov. 18-Dec. 20, 1947
Georgia Alexander Heard March 12-April 20, 1947
Louisiana Donald S. Strong Aug. 8-Sept. 9, 1947
Mississippi Alexander Heard June 16-Aug. 13, 1947
North Carolina Alexander Heard Jan. 22-Feb. 28, 1947
South Carolina Alexander Heard Jan. 15-Feb. 14, 1948
Tennes see Alexander Heard Aug. 15-Sept. 15, 1947
Texas Donald S. Strong June 17-July 30, 1947
Virginia Alexander Heard April 25-May 29, 1947

Title
Finding Aid for the Southern Politics Collection
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Vanderbilt University Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Jean and Alexander Heard Library
419 21st Avenue South
Nashville TN 37203 United States


 

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