A. Pratt Adams, Jr. (1915-1981) collection, 1959-1971.

ArchivalResource

A. Pratt Adams, Jr. (1915-1981) collection, 1959-1971.

A. Pratt Adams, Jr. (1915-1981) collection, 1959-1971.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/43886889

The bulk of the A. Pratt Adams, Jr. collection relates to Civic Progress, Inc. This organization was chartered in 1959 to unite citizens in an effort to carry out programs for the common good of society. The Savannah-Chatham Civic Progress was apparently based on a similar organization in St. Louis, Missouri, as there are a few documents relating to the St. Louis Civic Progress. Ostensibly, this organization was created to try and smooth problems that were arising in the 1960s over desegregation. Business leaders such as Adams who founded this group realized that the future of the city's and their own prosperity depended upon minimizing protests and violence. Materials relating to this organization include by-laws, a charter minutes, and correspondence. (Cont.) Adams also was involved with a committee known as the Bi-racial committee, which included members of Civic Progress as well as some prominent civil rights leaders in Savannah. There are documents relating to this committee as well in the collection. This committee worked on an agreement between several movie theaters, hotels, restaurants, and bowling alleys to allow a certain number of blacks into their establishments at certain times of the day on certain days of the week. (Cont.) There are also papers in the collection concerning the establishment of a Juvenile Unit within the Savannah Police Department. Adams was apparently on several committes that worked on establishing this unit. There are reports, minutes, and correspondence dealing with this issue. Other papers in this collection include correspondence regarding Coastal Zoning and Historic District regulations.

1/2 box.

Georgia Historical Society