Farmer, James Leonard, Jr., 1920-1999

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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 accommodations 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.

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 Subject Files, 1964–2011 John F. Kennedy Library
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 Records of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1896 - 2008. Classification 157 (Civil Unrest) Case Files, 1957 - 1978 National Archives at College Park
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 White House Telephone Recordings and Transcripts, 11/22/1963 - 1/3/1969 Lyndon Baines Johnson Library
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 Sound Recordings Relating to National Parks, 1970–2005 National Archives at College Park
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
referencedIn Records of the U.S. Information Agency, 1900 - 2003. Video Recordings from the "Worldnet Today" Program Series, ca. 1980 - ca. 1994 National Archives at College Park
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 Production Library Audio Recordings, 1999 - 2005 National Archives at College Park
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 Abbie Rowe White House Photographs, December 6, 1960–March 11, 1964 John F. Kennedy Library
referencedIn Branch, Taylor. Taylor Branch papers, 1865-2009 (bulk 1958-2009). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
referencedIn Moving Images Relating to U.S. Domestic and International Activities, 1982–1999 National Archives at College Park
creatorOf Papers of Julian Bond 1897-2006 University of Virginia. Small Special Collections Library
referencedIn John R. Hickman Audio Collection. 1925 - 1975. Sound Recordings of Historical Radio Broadcasts, World War II Government Documentaries, and Popular Radio Shows National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Taylor Branch Papers, (bulk, ), 1865-2013, 1958-2009 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection
referencedIn Photographs from Staff and Stringer Photographic Assignments Relating to U.S. Political Events and Social, Cultural, and Economic Life, 1964–1999 National Archives at College Park
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

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correspondedWith Wilkins, Roy, 1901-1981 person
correspondedWith Wilkins, Roy, 1901-1981. person
associatedWith Woolman, Myron, 1917- person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Marshall TX US
Fredericksburg VA US
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
Civil rights workers
College teachers
Labor union members
Activity

Person

Birth 1920-01-12

Death 1999-07-09

Americans

English

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