Research Collection

Description of Holdings in the Russell Library

The Foot Soldier Project collection, housed at the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, consists of raw interview and still image footage in various video and audio formats; final video versions of the documentaries; photographs; and research materials used in documentaries and a related monograph by Dr. Maurice Daniels of the University of Georgia.

Audiovisual materials:

Audiovisual materials consist primarily of interviews with lesser-known participants in the civil rights movement in Georgia during the 1950s and 1960s. Interviewees include, among others, Judge Horace T. Ward and his associates and contemporaries (including Vernon Jordan, Donald Hollowell, Julian Bond, and Constance Baker Motley); Dr. Hamilton E. Holmes, Sr. and his family, friends, and colleagues; and 1953 Red and Black University of Georgia student editors Walter Lundy, Bill Shipp, Gene Britton, and Priscilla Arnold Davis. Non-interview footage includes Judge Ward’s home movies, photographs from the personal archives of Marilyn, Gary, and Isabella Holmes, and other footage used in the documentaries. Also included in the collection are the finished documentaries.

Photographs:

The photograph series contains images collected during the research phases of the Ward and Holmes documentaries. The majority are family photographs. The images depict prominent Georgia natives associated with the civil rights movement as well as some national figures. The images are primarily black and white prints along with some color prints. Date range: 1942-1977, 1994 (bulk 1940s and 1950s).

Papers:

The bulk of the papers relate to the Horace T. Ward documentary and book and are mainly photocopies of transcripts from court cases and correspondence from former University of Georgia law professor James J. Lenoir and Red and Black student editor Walter Lundy, both of whom resigned positions at the university due to the school’s resistance to desegregation. Specific court cases documented include Ward v. Regents of the University System of Georgia and Holmes v. Danner.

Research Policies and Procedures

To access materials at the Richard B. Russell Library, researchers must read and agree to abide by the Library’s Rules and Regulations and complete the Research Application Form and the Use Policy/Copyright Agreement Form available on the Research Tools page <http://www.libs.uga.edu/russell/research/index.html> of the Russell Library web site. A signature is required on these forms. Researcher may bring the completed forms upon first visit to the Library, or they may fax the completed forms to the Russell Library at 706/542-4144, or they may mail the forms to Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, UGA Main Library, Athens, GA 30602-1641. Researchers may also obtain these forms at the Russell Library. Researchers visiting the Library to conduct research will be asked to present a photograph i.d. Researchers must sign in on the research register each day they visit.

Personal belongings are not permitted in the research room — lockers are available for belongings for a refundable 25¢ charge, and researchers should bring quarters as change is unavailable in Russell. Both paper and pencils are available in the research room, but researchers may use their own pencils and paper (subject to search upon leaving). Electrical outlets are also available for those with laptop computers.

Individual researchers can visit the library during its open hours (Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. — directions are available on Russell Library web site). Instructors wishing to arrange a class visit to the Library should contact Sheryl Vogt at 706-542-0619, sbvogt@uga.edu, or Jill Severn at 706-542-5766, jsevern@uga.edu. Please allow at least 10 days notice for classes to avoid scheduling conflicts.

For initial research requests contact the Russell Library at: russlib@uga.edu | 706-542-5788