| Author: | Dabbs, Edith M., 1906-1991 |
| Date Range: | 1791-1986 |
| Extent: | 3.75 linear ft. |
| Location: | 5-I-3-1 |
| Background: | South Carolina Educator, journalist, author, and historian |
| 1906 Nov. 10 | Born Dalzell, S.C., daughter of John Hampton and Vermelle Wells Mitchell |
| 1927 | Graduated Coker College, B.A. degree in English and Latin |
| 1927-1932 | High school teacher in S.C. |
| 1935 | Married James McBride Dabbs of Mayesville, S.C., and moved to Rip Raps Plantation |
| 1951 | Attended National Communications Institute in New York City |
| 1952 | Produced No Place To Play about Robbins Trailer Camp near Aiken, the first documentary on trailer housing made in U.S. Reporter for Associated Press International, United Press International, and Religious News Service Involved in establishment of Camp Care on Johns Island, one of first migrant day care centers in region |
| 1964 | Published Walking Tall, a brief history of Penn School |
| 1965 | James McBride Dabbs appointed chairman of Penn Community Services, Inc. |
| 1970 | James McBride Dabbs died |
| 1970 | Published Face of an Island |
| 1971 | Appointed honorary trustee of Penn Community Services, Inc. |
| 1972 | Edited Haunted by God, published posthumously for James McBride Dabbs |
| 1977 | Awarded honorary Doctor of Humanities degree, Francis Marion College |
| 1978 | Recipient of National Valiant Woman Award from Church Women United and World Who's Who of Women |
| 1979 | Named life member of Southern Regional Council in Atlanta |
| 1983 | Published Sea Island Diary |
| 1991 Feb. 28 | Died |
The primary focus of the collection is material compiled about Penn School and St. Helena Island by Dabbs. A native South Carolinian, Dabbs began her association with the school in 1960 when her husband, James McBride Dabbs (1896-1970), became a trustee of Penn Community Services, Inc. During trips to the island for meetings, Edith spent her time with the people who lived there, learning about them, the island, and the school. After James' death, Edith was made an honorary trustee and became custodian of the school's archive. Three publications resulted from Dabbs' appreciation of the island: Walking Tall (1964), Face of an Island (1970), and Sea Island Diary (1983). Most of the material in the collection pertains to her research for the latter book.
Edith Mitchell graduated from Coker College in 1929 and taught in various South Carolina high schools. After marrying James Dabbs in 1935, she became involved with raising a family and helping with the Dabbs plantation, Rip Raps, at Mayesville near Sumter. James Dabbs, head of the English Department at Coker College, became well known in the literary world for his writings on the South and in the civil rights world through his work as president of the Southern Regional Council. Like James, Edith held strong convictions about the rights of the underpriviledged and the importance of the civil rights movement. Although Edith gave her time to different organizations, such as Church Women United, she was made a life member of the Southern Regional Council.
The collection is arranged in three series: papers, persons, and topical. The first series includes Dabb's personal correspondence, correspondence about and drafts of her publications, and early writings. The persons series contains notes and correspondence regarding island residents or information about the island. Under topical series are Dabbs' research notes on Beaufort, Penn School, and St. Helena Island for Sea Island Diary. There is also a small card file drawer with additional topical research notes. Seven uncut copies of Home of the Freed (1926) by Rossa Cooley and an undated oversize photograph taken at Penn Community Services, Inc., accompany the collection.
Back to start of Edith M. Dabbs Papers
| Box 1 | Papers, 1936-1982 & undated Includes personal correspondence, drafts and correspondence regarding her three publications, and examples of early writing attempts. |
| Box 1-2 |
Persons Organized alphabetically by individual and family surname, this series contains information on St. Helena Island residents, persons associated with Penn School, and researchers with information about Penn School or St. Helena; includes original correspondence, copies of correspondence and land papers, and notes on newspaper articles. |
| Box 2-3 |
Topical, 1859-1982 & undated Materials relating to Dabbs research on St. Helena Island; arranged in the following subseries: African-American Culture, Beaufort, Civil War, Natural Disasters, Penn School, and St. Helena; includes original and duplicated correspondence, newspaper clippings, articles, original Penn School materials, and notes on newspaper articles. |
Box 1 Folder Number
Papers
Personal Correspondence, 1968-1979, n.d. 1
Publications
Face of an Island
Correspondence, 1965-1980, n.d. 2
Sea Island Diary
Correspondence, 1964-1982, n.d. 3
Draft I 4
Draft II 5-6
Draft III 7-8
Final Draft 9-10
Funding 11
Notes 12
Walking Tall
Correspondence and Drafts, 1962-1971, n.d. 13
Writings, 1936-1937, n.d. 14
Persons
Andrews, Elizabeth 15
Blake, Herman 16
Brimijoin, Kay 17
Burns, Betsy Jacoway 18
B, miscellaneous. 19
Chaplin Family 20
Cooley, Rossa B 21
Cope Family 22
C-E, miscellaneous. 23
Fripp Family 24
Frissell, Hollis Burke 25
F, miscellaneous. 26
Box 2
Gannett, William Channing 27
House, Grace B. 28
Diary 29
H-K, miscellaneous. 30
Murray, Ellen 31
M-N, miscellaneous. 32
Peabody, George Foster 33
P-R, miscellaneous. 34
Sams Family 35
Smalls, Robert 36
S, miscellaneous 37
Thorpe, David F 38
Diary 39
Towne, Laura M. 40
Diary 41
Letters bound volume
T-W, miscellaneous. 42
Topical
African-American Culture, 1872-1969, n.d. 43
Beaufort, S.C.
Churches, 1859-1971, n.d. 44
Colonial, 1924-1971, n.d. 45
Forts, 1908-1974, n.d. 46
General, 1871-1980, n.d. 47
Industry, 1882-1970, n.d. 48
Islands, 1907-1981, n.d. 49
Maps 50
Obituaries, 1883-1936 51
Civil War, 1860-1968, n.d. 52
Natural Disasters
1886-1896 53
1911 54
1928-1940 55
Penn School
Administrative
Annual Meetings, 1012-1913, 1920-1931, 1979 56
Annual Reports, 1890-1898, 1931-1932, 1951, n.d. 57
Box 3
Board of Trustees
General, 1900-1948 58
Minutes, 1903, 1912, 1916, 1919-1929 59
1930-1939, 1943-1949 60
Committees 61
Copyright, 1968-1979 62
Executive Committee, Minutes, 1927-1936 63
Exhibits, 1973-1978 64
Papers, General, 1903-1980, n.d. 65
Southern Historical Collection, U.N.C.
1963-June 1975 66
Aug. 1976-1981, n.d 67
Teachers' Materials and Reports 68
Alumni 69
Anniversaries, 1912, 1937 70
Benezet Society 71
Clubs 72
Exhibition Day, 1910-1934, n.d. 73
Facilities, 1864-1958, n.d. 74
Fortner Bill, 1914, n.d. 75
Movies, 1929-1971 76
Museum, 1953-1972 77
Papers, General, 1892-1982, n.d 78
Port Royal Experiment 79
Programs
Better Homes, 1923-1933, n.d 80
Community Development, 1928-1929, 1948-1949, n.d 81
Farmers' Conference and Fair, 1904-1935, n.d 82
General, 1922-1980, n.d 83
Home Acre, 1917-1927 84
Trustees and Staff, 1928-1956, n.d 85
Visitors, 1911, 1926-1938, n.d. 86
St. Helena, S.C.
Access, 1913-1970, n.d 87
Churches, 1790s-1960s, n.d. 88
General, 1862-1954, n.d. 89
Plantations 90
Seven bound volumes of Home of the Freed by Rossa B. Cooley (1926)
Oversize folder: MP, ca. 1914, and Photograph, n.d.