Viola James Collection
Scope and Content
The Viola James collection contains membership cards for the Women of the Ku Klux Klan, a blank application form, and printed items about the organization. It also includes a small framed tintype of two little girls.
Dates
- c. 1920s
Language of Materials
The material in this collection is in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions
may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for
assistance in determining the use of these materials.
Reproduction or
digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using
our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction.
Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can
be requested using our publication/exhibition form:
http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Biographical Note
Viola James (1902-1965), was a Clarksburg, West Virginia resident who happened to be a woman member of the Ku Klux Klan c. 1920s. After passing, she was survived by her only son Festus Burrell James (1921-2016) who served as an electictrical engineer for the Naval Labratory in World War II. He was instrumental in developing the proximity fuse for bombs, including nuclear bombs, while working for the Department of the Army.
External sources:
"Viola Ethel Cox James", findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5953961/viola-ethel-james, accessed on 5/31/2023.
"Festus Burrell James", findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167963443/festus-burrell-james, accessed on 5/31/2023.
"Viola James in the 1940 Census", ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/1940-census/usa/West-Virginia/Viola-James_567x98, accessed on 5/31/2023.
Extent
0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Abstract
The Viola James collection contains membership cards for the Women of the Ku Klux Klan, a blank application form, and printed items about the organization. It also includes a small framed tintype of two little girls.
Source of Acquisition
The Viola James Collection was donated to Special Collections and University Archives in June 2015.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the Viola James Collection by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Viola James Collection was completed in May 2023.
- Title
- Viola James Collection, c. 1920s
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Sterling Bryant, Student Assistant
- Date
- 2023 (CC0 1.0)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu