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Luther Porter Jackson Papers, 1772-1960, Accession #1952-l, Special Collections and Archives, Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA.
Luther Porter Jackson Sr. was born July 11, 1892 in Lexington, Kentucky. He was the ninth child of Delilah (Culvrson) Jackson and Edward Jackson. He early schooling was at Chandler Normal School in Lexington, where he completed his studies in 1910. Upon completion of his secondary education he entered Fisk University where he received the A.B. degree in 1914. He remained at Fisk for another semester and in 1916 was awarded the A.M. degree.
In 1915, at the ripe old age of twenty-three, he began his teaching career at Vorhees Industrial School, Denmark, South Carolina, where he was also Director of the Academic Department. Jackson left South Carolina in 1918 and joined the staff of the Topeka Industrial Institute, Topeka, Kansas, as Instructor of history and music.
Desiring more education, he returned to the east and sought graduate training at Columbia University in 1920. Here he was to receive one of his many setbacks, which took in stride and proceeded to correct. Writing to a former instructor at Fisk, Jackson stated that Columbia did not consider his A.B. and A.M. from Fisk up to their standards. He, therefore, enrolled for one year at New York City College. Finally, in 1921, he began his studies at Columbia, where he was graduated from their Teachers College in 1922.
After completing his second masters degree, Luther Jackson joined the faculty of what was then the Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute, now Virginia State University. While on staff of the university, Luther Jackson continued his studies, first at Columbia University and then at the University of Chicago, where he received the Ph.D. in history in 1937. Soon after arrival at V.N. & I.I., Jackson took over the College High School and directed its activities from 1923-1928. He headed the history department from 1930-1950, formed the " League of Negro Voters" in 1934, and in 1937 organized the " Petersburg Business League", which became the Virginia Trade Association in 1941.
In 1935, Carter G. Woodson asked Luther Jackson to head all fund-raising activities for the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. As chairman of the Virginia chapter, Jackson went on to establish that chapter as one of the most productive of all state chapters. Somehow he still found time to conduct the Petersburg Community Choir of 100 voices, have his doctoral dissertation, write a column for
Jackson authored these books:
In addition to joining the faculty, Luther Jackson married a young lady whom he had met while they were both students at Fisk University. The young lady was Johnella M. Frazer (1897-), a native of Shelbyville, Kentucky, the daughter of Laura and Patterson Tilford Frazer; her father was President of Hopkinsville College in Kentucky. Mrs. Jackson completed the conservatory course at Fisk at the age of seventeen(17) and toured with the Fisk "Jubilee Singers" for two years under John Work. She joined the staff of Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute in 1916, a full nine years before there was a music department, as the University's first full time instructor of piano.
Mrs. Jackson, like Luther, also recognized the need for additional training. During the summer vacation she studied at Temple University at the Chicago Music College and at Columbia University. She remained at Virginia State University for forty-nine years, retiring in 1965.
1. Lucious Edwards, Jr." The Luther Porter Jackson,
Sr.(1892-1950) Papers" (paper presented at the 63rd meeting of
the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and
History, Los Angeles, CA, October 13, 1978)
2. Marva D. Curtis, "The Virginia Voters League"
(unpublished masters thesis, Virginia State University, 1979)
3. Lucious Edwards, Jr., "Luther Jackson Leaves a Legacy
of History in Papers to Virginia State University,"
The Luther Porter Jackson are one of the most valuable manuscript groups from a historical point of view in the nation, for this former professor of history at Virginia State University lived and worked during an era when the concept of black inferiority was the accepted rule. In addition, this was the time of "Jim Crowism." Segregation was not "de facto," it was legal and challenged by few people, black and white.
During the major time span of these papers, 1920-1950, a number of political and civil rights organizations developed into potent forces and others were born: the NAACP, the Negro Organizational Society, the Southern Regional Council, and the Southern School for Workers. This manuscript group is rich in correspondence with most of the leaders of these movements. Some of the correspondence includes Walter White, Lorenzo C. White, P. Bernard Young, Gordon Hancock and others.
Correspondence with Virginia based political and civil rights groups is strong and gives a good picture of the tempo of the era in the State: the Virginia Voters League, the Committee for Virginia, the Petersburg Negro Business League.
In addition to correspondence with major political and civil rights organizations, Jackson maintained as interesting relationship with others across the U.S. The business or office correspondence of Luther P. Jackson from 1920-1950 include correspondence with John Hope Franklin, W.E.B. DuBois, Hugh Smythe, Helen Edmonds, P. Bernard Young, E. Franklin Frazier, Charles S. Johnson, Rayford Logan, Alrutheus Ambush Taylor, Lorenzo J. Green and others.
The collection also consists of ledgers, pamphlets, financial and legal documents, photographs, speeches, newspaper articles, cards, telegrams, notebooks, artifacts and Jackson's research materials.
Jackson collected personal papers of ante-bellum and post-bellum black families in Virginia: The Butler Papers, the Layton Papers, and the Stephen Wooldrige Papers. In his research of free black property owners in Virginia, he acquired a substantial amount of materials from various counties and cities of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
SERIES I. BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
The first five folders contain writings about Jackson.
Some material is not a part of the original manuscript group.
(Box 1)
SERIES II. CORRESPONDENCE
A.
The correspondence between Luther and Johnella Jackson
are arranged chronologically from 1920-1950. Additionally,
letters, postcards and telegrams are arranged alphabetically
by the other members of the family. (Boxes 1-5)
B.
Office correspondence, extensive, arranged
chronologically. (Boxes 5-12)
C.
Letters arranged alphabetically by writer. (Boxes 13-16)
SERIES III. FINANCIAL & LEGAL
Family bills, tax statements, school bills and stocks.
Arranged by type. Copyright for Jackson's
This box contains articles about Negroes in the United States, race vote in Tampa, colored men's progressive club, Negro principal to stay as school integrates, a sample form of application for registration to vote in the state of Louisiana. A