Historical Book Club of North Carolina.

The Historical Book Club of North Carolina was organized in Greensboro in October 1947. Sponsored by the Guilford Battle Chapter of the DAR, the Club's original purpose was to meet three times each year in order to keep abreast of new books of general history. With Clara Booth Byrd as president (a post she kept until 1965), the Club grew to include members from across North Carolina and to include books in all classifications. The Club sponsored an annual Town Meeting on Books and a Book and Author Luncheon. Nationally known authors attended these events and the occasions became special in the cultural life of Greensboro and North Carolina. In 1952, the Club established the Sir Walter Raleigh Award, given annually for the best work of fiction by a North Carolinian. In 1957, the Club changed its name to the Historical Book Club of North Carolina.