Farmer, James, 1920-1999

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Civil rights leader, author, labor organizer, and teacher.

From the description of Farmer, James Leonard, Jr., and Lula Peterson, Papers, 1908-, 1921- (University of Texas Libraries). WorldCat record id: 19795927

Civil rights leader, author, labor organizer, and teacher, James Leonard Farmer, Jr. was born on January 12, 1920, in Marshall, Texas. He earned degrees from Wiley College (1938) and the Howard University School of Divinity (1940). Farmer went on to found the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) which played a key role in the Civil Rights movement, particularly in launching the Freedom Rides in the summer of 1961. These bus rides tested the federal interstate transportation accomodations at bus terminals. Combined with other CORE non-violent acts, the Freedom Rides led in part to the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Bill of 1964, and to the Civil Rights Voting Act the following year. Farmer is widely recognized as one of the Civil Rights movement's "Big Four," along with Martin Luther King, Jr., Roy Wilkins of the NAACP, and Whitney Young of the National Urban League.

In 1998 President Bill Clinton awarded Farmer the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Farmer died on July 9, 1999.

From the guide to the James Leonard, Jr. and Lula Peterson Farmer Papers AR NUMBER: 87-90; 89-251; 92-335; 89-207; 88-115; 88-162; 87-139; 87-159; 87-205; 97-296; 99-083; 99-213; 2000-28., 1908, 1921-1999, (Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)

Civil rights leader.

From the description of Reminiscences of James Farmer : oral history, 1979. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 309731095

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Congress of Racial Equality, Seattle Chapter, records, 1961-1970 University of Washington Libraries Special Collections
referencedIn KVOS Channel 12 Film Records, 1961-1967. Western Washington University
referencedIn Field Foundation Archives 88-407; 89-016; 89-249; 90-334; 91-140; 91-165; 93-228; 2007-053., 1940-1990 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn Floyd B. McKissick Papers, 1940s-1980s University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection
referencedIn Biography -- Farmer, James. Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library
referencedIn Evans, Rowland, 1921-2001. Rowland Evans Jr. and Robert D. Novak papers, 1948-2008. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
creatorOf Farmer, James, 1920-1999. James Farmer and the freedom ride, 1996 April 10 [sound recording]. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Roy Wilkins papers, 1901-1980 Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn KVOS Channel 12 Film Records, 1961-1967 Western Washington University Heritage Resources
creatorOf Congress of Racial Equality. National Director James Farmer files, 1960-1966. Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Center
referencedIn Field Foundation Archives 88-407; 89-016; 89-249; 90-334; 91-140; 91-165; 93-228; 2007-053., 1940-1990 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn Congress of Racial Equality. Seattle Chapter. Congress of Racial Equality, Seattle Chapter, records, 1961-1970. ND Univ of Washington Libraries (OCLC Worldshare ILL Beta)
referencedIn William B. Hanson Faculty Records, 1909-2005 Special Collections, Simpson Library, University of Mary Washington
creatorOf NONMUSIC RECORDING (COLLECTION) Audio materials, 1956-1977 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Audio materials, 1956-1977 [sound recording]. Library of Congress
referencedIn Congress of Racial Equality. Associate National Director George Wiley files, 1962-1966 (bulk 1965). Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Center
creatorOf Milgram, Morris 1916, Morris Milgram papers 1923-1994, undated Historical Society of Pennsylvania
creatorOf James Leonard Farmer, Jr., and Lula Peterson Farmer papers Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn George S. Schuyler Papers, 1912-1976. Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Congress of Racial Equality. Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) papers, 1959-1976 (inclusive), [microform]. Yale University Library
creatorOf Boyer, Ernest L. Cassette tapes of University of Virginia events [manuscript], 1981-1990. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Wiley, George A. Papers, 1949-1975. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Field Foundation (New York, N.Y.). Field Foundation archives, 1940-1990. University of Texas Libraries
creatorOf Farmer, James, 1920-. Reminiscences of James Farmer : oral history, 1979. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom John F. Kennedy Library
referencedIn Roy Wilkins Papers, 1901-1980, (bulk 1932-1980) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Series 1, Subseries 1, Sub-subseries 2. Moe Foner interview Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives
referencedIn American Committee on Africa. Archives 1948-1988. Tulane University, Amistad Research Center
referencedIn Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters Records 1920-1968 (bulk 1950-1968) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Branch, Taylor. Taylor Branch papers, 1865-2009 (bulk 1958-2009). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
creatorOf Papers of Julian Bond 1897-2006 University of Virginia. Small Special Collections Library
referencedIn Taylor Branch Papers, (bulk, ), 1865-2013, 1958-2009 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection
creatorOf Congress of Racial Equality. Records, 1941-1967. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Congress of Racial Equality. Southern Regional Office. Records, 1954-1966. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters Records 1920-1968 (bulk 1950-1968) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith American Committee on Africa. corporateBody
associatedWith American League for Puerto Rico's Independence. corporateBody
associatedWith American League for Puerto Rico's Independence. corporateBody
associatedWith Ames, Billie C. person
associatedWith Ames, Billie C. person
associatedWith Bond, Julian, 1940- person
associatedWith Branch, Taylor. person
associatedWith Branch, Taylor. person
correspondedWith Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. corporateBody
associatedWith Center for Community Action Education. corporateBody
associatedWith Coalition of American Public Employees. corporateBody
associatedWith Congress of Racial Equality. corporateBody
associatedWith Congress of Racial Equality. corporateBody
associatedWith Congress of Racial Equality. Seattle Chapter. corporateBody
associatedWith Congress of Racial Equality. Southern Regional Office. corporateBody
associatedWith Congress of Racial Equality. Seattle Chapter corporateBody
associatedWith Council on Minority Planning and Strategy. corporateBody
associatedWith Democratic Party (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Edwin, Ed, person
associatedWith Evans, Rowland, 1921-2001. person
associatedWith Farmer, Lula A., 1922-1977 person
associatedWith Fellowship of Reconciliation (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Field Foundation (New York, N.Y.) corporateBody
associatedWith Field Foundation (New York, N.Y.) corporateBody
associatedWith Fisher, E. Bernice. person
associatedWith Fisher, E. Bernice. person
associatedWith Gandhi, Mahatma, 1869-1948 person
associatedWith Gartner, Alan. person
associatedWith Gartner, Alan. person
associatedWith Greyhound Corporation corporateBody
associatedWith Hanson, William Byrd, 1940-2005 person
associatedWith Institute of International Education (New York, N.Y.) corporateBody
associatedWith Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968. person
associatedWith King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968. person
associatedWith Ku Klux Klan (1915- ) corporateBody
associatedWith KVOS Channel 12 corporateBody
associatedWith KVOS Channel 12 corporateBody
associatedWith League for Industrial Democracy. corporateBody
associatedWith Lincoln University, Chester County, Pa. corporateBody
associatedWith Lincoln University (Pa.) corporateBody
associatedWith McKissick, Floyd B. (Floyd Bixler), 1922- person
associatedWith Milgram, Morris 1916- person
associatedWith Milgrim, Morris. person
associatedWith Milgrim, Morris. person
associatedWith National Advisory Eye Council (U. S.) corporateBody
associatedWith National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. corporateBody
associatedWith National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees. corporateBody
associatedWith Palenius, Lillian. person
associatedWith Palenius, Lillian. person
associatedWith Perot, Ruth Turner. person
associatedWith Perot, Ruth Turner. person
associatedWith Public Policy Training Institute. corporateBody
associatedWith Raymond, Catharine. person
associatedWith Raymond, Catharine. person
associatedWith Reynolds, Ruth M. person
associatedWith Reynolds, Ruth M. person
associatedWith Robinson, James Russell. person
associatedWith Robinson, James Russell. person
associatedWith Schuyler, George Samuel, 1895- person
associatedWith Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Sugihara, Ina. person
associatedWith Sugihara, Ina. person
associatedWith Theriault, Rene John. person
associatedWith United States. Congress corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare. corporateBody
associatedWith Wiley, George A. person
correspondedWith Wilkins, Roy, 1901-1981 person
correspondedWith Wilkins, Roy, 1901-1981. person
associatedWith Woolman, Myron, 1917- person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Mississippi
Chicago (Ill.)
United States
United States
Alabama
Jackson (Miss.)
United States
Chicago (Ill.)
Subject
Education
Education
African American civil rights workers
African Americans
African Americans
African Americans
Civil rights demonstrations
Civil rights demonstrations
Civil rights movement
Civil rights workers
Government employee unions
Housing
Housing
Labor unions
Literacy
Literacy
Nonviolence
Politicians
Politicians
Race
Segregation in transportation
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1920-01-12

Death 1999-07-09

Birth 1920

Americans

English

Information

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Ark ID: w6039jfq

SNAC ID: 87850787