Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Carter Perkins, Jr., Papers, Ms1960-004, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Carter Perkins, Jr., Papers were acquired by Newman Library in two accruals in 1960 and 1961.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Carter Perkins, Jr., Papers commenced and was completed in February, 2011.

Biographical Note

Carter Perkins, Jr., was born in Virginia on August 12, 1861. The son of Carter and Mary M. Graves Perkins, he was living with his parents in Charles City County, Virginia, in 1870. By 1880, the family had moved to New Kent County, and Perkins is described there as a 17-year-old sawyer, probably working for his father, whose occupation is listed as "sawmill man." In addition to his other activities, the elder Perkins apparently worked as a dentist and had business and banking interests.

Carter Perkins, Jr., of Newport News is listed as a special student in both the 1892/1893 and 1893/1894 catalogs of the Virginia Agricultural & Mechanical College (now Virginia Tech). The 1894/1895 catalog lists him as a sophomore.

By 1900, Perkins was living in Newport News with the family of his sister, Mary M. Lett, and her husband, attorney Ralph M. Lett. At the time, Perkins was employed as a clerk at a furniture company. Perkins seems to have remained a bachelor and continued to live with his sister's family. In the 1920 census, he was described as a self-employed salesman but had retired by 1930. Carter Perkins,Jr., died on December 8, 1935.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains the papers of Carter Perkins, Jr., a student at Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Virginia Tech) during the 1890s and a resident of Newport News, Virginia. The collection consists largely of memorabilia relating to Perkins's college years, including the 1894/1895 VAMC catalog, copies of the 1895 and 1898 editions of the school's annual ( The Bugle ), and a few photographs of campus scenes. A file devoted to the university's War Memorial Hall includes fundraising literature as well as building plans and the building dedication.

The collection also includes a business journal and a daybook, both bearing Perkins's name. The books both contain business transaction entries, and the daybook describes the establishment of the Auburn Bank at Blacksburg in 1894. Rather than detailing actual business transactions, the books were likely used by Perkins for class assignments in bookkeeping. The daybook, for example, includes several pages that are headed "Albany," which contain accounting entries copied verbatim from The New Bryant and Stratton Common School Book-keeping (New York: Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor, 1878). A copy of the November 1904 issue of The Burr McIntosh Monthly completes the collection. The small-format magazine is devoted to photographs of scenery and celebrities of the day.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by document type.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Students and alumni
• University History
• Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (1872-1896)
• Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute (1896-1944)

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Carter Perkins, Jr., Papers by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).