Scope and arrangement
The Hugh Smythe Papers, cover Smythe's professional career from 1942 through 1963. During this period Smythe's activities centered upon research, writing, and university teaching in the fields of sociology and anthropology, with special emphasis on East Asian and African studies. He also wrote extensively on American race relations and increasingly pursued interests in governmental affairs.
The Collection comprises correspondence; books, articles, and manuscripts; and material relating to Smythe's many professional interests and activities. Included are some papers of Mabel Murphy Smythe, his wife and sometime co-author; and manuscripts by W. E. Burghardt DuBois. The Papers have been organized into five series as follows: Correspondence; Manuscripts; Professional Activities and Interest; Mabel Smythe; W.E.B. DuBois Papers.
The Hugh H. Smythe papers are arranged in five series:
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The CORRESPONDENCEis arranged chronologically, and in some instances topically. Several folders contain correspondence relating to Smythe's Ford Foundation grant in 1957.
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The MANUSCRIPT series is subdivided topically by articles and alphabetically therein. The specified topics are: Africa, Japan, and American Race Relations. Of special interest in the African section is the preliminary data relating to the Smythes' The New Nigerian Elite(1960). Included are manuscripts for articles, monographs, book reviews and speeches.
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The series on Hugh Smythe's PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIEScontains syllabi, bibliographies, lecture notes, etc., pertaining to his teaching at Yamaguchi National College (Japan) and Brooklyn College. Also included is material illustrating Smythe's extra-academic interests such as, United Nations affairs, Crossroads Africa, and civil rights activities.
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MABEL SMYTHE'S PAPERS,arranged alphabetically by form and therein by subject, include personal memorabilia (a scrapbook), manuscripts, and some correspondence. Of particular interest is her research material on segregation in education, which was used by the N.A.A.C.P. legal staff in their cases, and was instrumental in the 1954 Supreme Court Decision barring segregation in public schools.
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The fifth series comprises manuscripts of articles and speeches and some correspondence by W. E. B. BURGHARDT DUBOIS.This material, also arranged alphabetically by form and therein by subject, was included in the papers of Hugh Smythe at the time of receipt.