George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center
Roger Wilkins papers
Wilkins, Roger W., 1932-2017
C0212
/repositories/2/resources/328
3.25 Linear Feet
9 boxes
1928-2008
The papers document Wilkins' career while he was a professor at George Mason University. The documents include correspondence, publications, and speeches. There are also 14 videotape cassettes with lectures by other Robinson professors and media appearances by Wilkins.
Map Case 11.5
English
Access Restrictions
There are no access restrictions.
Use Restrictions
The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)
Preferred Citation
Roger Wilkins papers, C0212, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.
Acquisition Information
Donated by Roger Wilkins in 2012.
Processing Information
Processed by Stephanie Washburn in 2012. EAD markup completed by Stephanie Washburn in 2012. Finding aid updated by Amanda Brent in February 2021.
Biographical Information
Born in 1932 in Kansas City, Missouri, Roger Wilkins attended the University of Michigan and earned his Bachelor's degree in 1953 and his J.D. in 1956. He interned with Thurgood Marshall at the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund during his studies and his uncle, Roy Wilkins, served as the executive secretary of the NAACP from 1955 to 1977. In his early career, Roger Wilkins worked with the Ohio Welfare Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and as the assistant attorney general under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Following this, Wilkins pursued a successful career in journalism writing for The New York Times, The Washington Times, and editing The Washington Star. In 1972, as a member of The Washington Post's editorial staff, Wilkins along with Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, and Herbert Block earned the Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the Watergate Scandal that led to President Nixon's resignation. A widely published author, Wilkins wrote "A Man's Life," his autobiography, published first in 1982 and reprinted in 1991. In addition, Wilkins co-authored "Quiet Riots: Race and Poverty in the United States" with Fred Harris in 1988 and published "Jefferson's Pillow: the Founding Fathers and the Dilemma of Black Patriotism" in 2001. In 1986 he joined George Mason University as the Clarence Robinson Professor of History and American Culture and retired in 2007. Wilkins passed away in 2017. George Mason University named the Roger Wilkins Plaza after him that same year.
Scope and Content
The papers document Wilkins' career while he was a professor at George Mason University. The documents include correspondence, publications, and speeches. There are also 14 videotape cassettes with lectures by other Robinson professors and media appearances by Wilkins.
Series 1 contains the publications of Roger Wilkins and the various conferences, lecture series, and symposiums he attended and contributed to. The series includes articles he wrote organized by general subject, two of the books he published with various book reviews of the works, and the various flyers and papers of the conferences. The series is organized alphabetically by folder and then chronologically.
Series 2 contains Wilkins' general correspondence during his time as a Robinson professor. This series is organized chronologically by folder.
Series 3 contains the papers on the various organizations in which Wilkins was involved such as the African American Institute, the MacArthur Foundation, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. The series is organized alphabetically by folder and then chronologically.
Series 4 is made up of biographical material on Roger Wilkins. It includes articles he wrote describing himself as a father as well as other documents discussing his mother's and uncle's work for civil rights. There are also several transcribed interviews, one of which was conducted by one of his daughters. The series is arranged alphabetically by folder and then chronologically.
Series 5 contains various syllabi and notes from the classes Wilkins taught while at George Mason from 1990 through 2006. In addition there is information about the provost search in the spring of 1990. The series is organized alphabetically by folder and then chronologically.
Series 6 contains photographs, two cassette tapes of speeches, and 14 VHS tapes of lectures by Wilkins and other professors from 1995 through 2004. The series includes a funeral speech for George N. Lindsay given by Roger Wilkins as well as a letter from Lindsay's widow. This series is organized by medium and then chronologically.
Related Material
The Special Collections Research Center also holds the papers of other Robinson professors.
Arrangement
Organized by into six series:
series 1 - Publications, 1965-2008, (Boxes 1-5)
series 2 - General Correspondence, [undated] 1987-2006, (Box 5)
series 3 - Affilitations, 1995-2000, (Box 6)
series 4 - Biographical papers, [undated] 1923, 1963-2007, (Box 6)
series 5 - George Mason University, 1990-2006, (Boxes 7 and 8)
series 6 - Audio/Visual, [undated] 1995-2004, (Boxes 8 and 9)
Organized into 6 series
Series
- Series 1: Publications, 1965-2008, (Boxes 1-5)
- Series 2: General Correspondence, 1987-2006) (Box 5)
- Series 3: Affiliations, 1995-2000, (Box 6)
- Series 4: Biographical papers, 1928, 1963-2007 (Box 6)
- Series 5: George Mason University, 1990-2006, (Boxes 7-8)
- Series 6: Audio/Visual, 1994-2004, (Boxes 8-9; oversize 1)
African Americans -- Civil rights -- History -- 20th century
United States -- Politics and government
Correspondence
Photographs
Sound recordings
Video recordings
Education, Higher
Education, Higher -- Virginia
George Mason University
George Mason University--Faculty
Wilkins, Roger W., 1932-2017
Series 1: Publications/repositories/2/archival_objects/821181965-2008(4.5 boxes)Scope and ContentThis series includes articles and books written by Roger Wilkins, lectures, conferences, symposiums at which Roger Wilkins spoke, and the notes of the Pulitzer Prize committee.
Affirmative Action articles/repositories/2/archival_objects/821191990-199811A Man's Life and reviews/repositories/2/archival_objects/821201982-199112Book Reviews/repositories/2/archival_objects/821211972-200613Articles discussing Brown v Board/repositories/2/archival_objects/821221989-199514Jefferson's Pillow and reviews/repositories/2/archival_objects/821232001-200315Lexus Nexus articles/repositories/2/archival_objects/82124January 1, 199116miscellaneous articles/repositories/2/archival_objects/821251990-200317Articles mentioning Roger Wilkins/repositories/2/archival_objects/821261987-200621Miscellaneous essays/repositories/2/archival_objects/821271980-200322Articles about Nelson Mandela and the Free South Africa Movement/repositories/2/archival_objects/821281974-199923Notes and Speeches/repositories/2/archival_objects/821291968-200724Articles discussing politics and elections/repositories/2/archival_objects/821301984-200425Pulitzer Prize/repositories/2/archival_objects/821311987-198826Articles discussing race and racism/repositories/2/archival_objects/82132undated31Articles discussing race and racism/repositories/2/archival_objects/821331965-199032Articles discussing race and racism/repositories/2/archival_objects/821341991-199333Articles discussing race and racism/repositories/2/archival_objects/821351994-200834Articles with discussions between Shelby Steele and Roger Wilkins/repositories/2/archival_objects/821361989-199341Articles discussing the Supreme Court/repositories/2/archival_objects/821371988-200542Conferences, Symposiums, and Lectures/repositories/2/archival_objects/821381983-199043Conferences, Symposiums, and Lectures/repositories/2/archival_objects/821391991-199544Conferences, Symposiums, and Lectures/repositories/2/archival_objects/821401996-200745Conferences, Symposiums, and Lectures: University of Michigan Lecture/repositories/2/archival_objects/821411996-199751Conferences, Symposiums, and Lectures: DePauw Symposium/repositories/2/archival_objects/82142200352Conferences, Symposiums, and Lectures/repositories/2/archival_objects/821432004-200553Series 2: General Correspondence/repositories/2/archival_objects/82144undated, 1987-2006(1 box)Scope and ContentThis series contains Roger Wilkins correspondence from 1987 to 2006. It is organized chronologically.
Correspondence dealing with his work at NPR/repositories/2/archival_objects/82145February 199354General correspondence/repositories/2/archival_objects/82146undated55General correspondence/repositories/2/archival_objects/821471987-199656General correspondence/repositories/2/archival_objects/82148199757General correspondence/repositories/2/archival_objects/821491998-200658Series 3: Affiliations/repositories/2/archival_objects/821501995-2000(0.5 box)Scope and ContentThis series includes organizations in which Roger Wilkins participated or headed from 1995 to 2000. It is organized alphabetically by organization then chronologically.
African American Institute/repositories/2/archival_objects/821511995-200061Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights/repositories/2/archival_objects/821521996-199762Legal Defense Fund, NAACP/repositories/2/archival_objects/821531995-199663MacArthur Foundation/repositories/2/archival_objects/82154199664Series 4: Biographical papers/repositories/2/archival_objects/82155undated, 1928, 1963-2007(1 box)Scope and ContentThis series includes interviews with Roger Wilkins and biographical articles about him and his family.
Biographical articles/repositories/2/archival_objects/821561928; 1963-200765Interviews with Roger Wilkins/repositories/2/archival_objects/821571969-200366Series 5: George Mason University/repositories/2/archival_objects/821581990-2006(1.5 boxes)Scope and ContentThis series contains notes and syllabi of the classes Roger Wilkins taught while a Clarence Robinson professor of History and American Culture at George Mason University.
HNRS 130/repositories/2/archival_objects/821592003 and 200571Politics and the (Mass) Media/repositories/2/archival_objects/821601991-199972Politics and the (Mass) Media/repositories/2/archival_objects/821612000-200673Provost Search/repositories/2/archival_objects/82162January - April 199074Race, Law and Culture/repositories/2/archival_objects/821631991-199575Race, Law and Culture/repositories/2/archival_objects/821641996-199981UNIV 190/repositories/2/archival_objects/821651996-200282Series 6: Audio/Visual/repositories/2/archival_objects/82166undated, 1995-2004(1.5 boxes)Scope and ContentThis series contains audio tapes and VHS tapes of lectures given by Roger Wilkins and other Robinson professors.
Photographs/repositories/2/archival_objects/82167undated; 200483George N. Lindsay funeral speech/repositories/2/archival_objects/82168199584With Good Reason "Political Literacy: What Americans Should Know Before Voting"/repositories/2/archival_objects/82169undated91Harry Belafonte #1/repositories/2/archival_objects/82170undated92Harry Belafonte #2/repositories/2/archival_objects/82171undated93Bateson Lecture/repositories/2/archival_objects/82172undated94Breakfast with Roger Wilkins/repositories/2/archival_objects/82173Dec 6, 199595Close Up on CSPAN/repositories/2/archival_objects/82174Dec 7, 199596Bateson Lecture #1/repositories/2/archival_objects/82175Feb 22, 199697Bateson Lecture #2/repositories/2/archival_objects/82176Feb 22, 199698Roger Wilkins Lecture #1/repositories/2/archival_objects/82177Mar 20, 199699Roger Wilkins Lecture #2/repositories/2/archival_objects/82178Mar 20, 1996910Vassily Aksyonov #1/repositories/2/archival_objects/82179Apr 15, 1997911Vassily Aksyonov #2/repositories/2/archival_objects/82180Apr 15, 1997912Media Meet #9810 Civil Rights/repositories/2/archival_objects/82181January 19, 1998913A. Scott Bullitt Lecture in American History/repositories/2/archival_objects/82182January 14, 2003914For the Record #1105/repositories/2/archival_objects/82183May 6, 2004914Ceremonial Stage photo/repositories/2/archival_objects/82184May 18, 20051Scope and ContentThe American Academy of Arts and Letters where Roger Wilkins was a keynote speaker. Wilkins is in the first row sixth from the right.