This collection consists of the papers of Trezzvant W. Anderson from 1932 to 1963, with the bulk of the material documenting the last few years of his life. It consists mainly of typescripts of his articles submitted in the later part of his career as a reporter for the "Pittsburgh Courier." Most of the articles were written under the bylines "Courier Press Service," "Courier Roving Reporter," "Dateline: Georgia" and "Report from Dixie." Also included in the collection are notebooks and printed materials Anderson used in writing and researching his articles. The earliest materials relate to his service in the U.S. Army during World War II, and his affiliation with the Elks. Very little of his family life is recorded in these papers. A few of the letters mention a wife in passing and he lists Eugenia M. Anderson as his wife on his 1952 tax return.
A significant amount of the correspondence is letters between Anderson and his managers at the "Pittsburgh Courier." Of interest are the letters from William G. (Bill) Nunn, Executive Editor, and Managing Editor P.L. Prattis that concern story assignments and comments on his articles. Most of the correspondence dated 1958-1959 regards sales of the "Courier" and highlights the efforts of a Black newspaper to increase its circulation, especially in the segregated towns of the South. There is also correspondence that relates to his writings such as the letters asking Black community leaders in Florida to urge state officials to spare four men from the death penalty in a 1959 rape case, and letters from people he featured in his articles thanking him for the publicity. Of special interest is correspondence which documents civil rights efforts in the South: attorney James Franklin Estes discusses Tennessee issues; Richard Haley, Congress Of Racial Equality (CORE) field secretary, updates Anderson on the Huntsville, Alabama situation; and Robert W. Saunders writes about bus desegregation in Florida.
