Robert MacDonald Lester Collection
Scope and Contents
The collection contains scrapbooks created by Lester from 1908-1911. These scrapbooks are mainly related to his experiences as an undergraduate student. Educational programs such as: commencements and non educational programs are included. Approximately thirty newspaper clippings, many related to Lester, are included. Magazine include: Southwestern News and Vanderbilt Alumnus. Magazine clippings and reprints are also found in the collection. Twenty pamphlets, mainly related to educational topics, such as: course descriptions and college catalogs are included. Vanderbilt Commodore yearbooks for the years 1909 to 1911, as well as, Buford College’s 1910 yearbook The Mirror are included. The collection also contains microfilms of minutes and other documents related to Council of Southern Universities, Inc.
Dates
- Creation: 1908 - 1964
Conditions Governing Access
The physical materials from this collection may be viewed only in the reading room of Vanderbilt’s Special Collections and University Archives. Materials should be requested two to three days in advance to facilitate easier access. Contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu to schedule an appointment.
Biographical Note - Robert MacDonald Lester
Robert MacDonald Lester was born in Center, Alabama, to the Reverend Samuel Robert and Ann Virginia Watson Lester on November 7, 1889. He attended Birmingham-Southern College where he received an A.B. in 1908. He received another A.B. from Vanderbilt University in 1911. In 1917 he received a M.A. from Columbia University. Lester was Superintendent of the Covington, Tennessee, school system from 1919 to 1921. From 1922 to 1927 he taught English at Columbia University, where he also served as the Administrative Officer for Undergraduate Men and Assistant to the Director of University Extension. He married Memory Aldridge on January 30, 1915. He served as a Private in World War I. Lester held many positions at the Carnegie Corporation of New York, eventually rising to Secretary of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advance of Teaching. Lester served as the Executive Director of the Southern Fellowship Fund from 1954 till 1967. He died February 21, 1969.
Full Extent
1.68 Linear Feet (4 letter Hollingers)
Language of Materials
English
- Title
- Finding Aid for the Robert MacDonald Lester Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives Repository
Special Collections Library
1101 19th Ave. S.
Nashville TN 37212 United States
specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu
About this Site
This site contains collection guides, or finding aids, to the archival collections held by Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives, the History of Medicine Collection, and the Scarritt Bennett Center. Finding aids describe the context, arrangement, and structure of archival materials, allowing users to identify and request materials relevant to their research.
Requesting Materials
Each finding aid contains a link to request materials from the collections. Collections can also be requested by emailing the repository directly through the library website. Each repository has its own location, hours, and contact information. Please consult the repository with questions about using the materials. Collections are non-circulating and must be used in the repository’s reading room. In many cases, the collections are stored off-site and require advance notice for retrieval.