W. J. Peele Papers
MC 00012
Special Collections Research Center
0.5 Linear feet
1 box
1888-1923
The William Joseph Peele Papers, 1888-1923, contain items relating to Peele's tenure on the Board of Trustees at North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (later North Carolina State University) between 1899 and 1901. The majority of material details administrative topics discussed and changes made during that period. A small number of personal materials are also included.
William Joseph Peele (1855-1919) was a lawyer, an author, and an active participant in organizing state history agencies. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 1879. As one of the founders of the Watauga Club, Peele was instrumental in the establishment of the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts.
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the
Special Collections Research Center Reference Staff.
1 box
Peele, W. J. (William Joseph), b. 1855
Restrictions to Access
This collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice.
Acquisitions Information
Gift of Dr. Preston Edsall, Head of Political Science Department at North Carolina State University, 1953 July 31 and 1967 July 5. Additional donation made by Henry Shaw, 1978 August 23.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], William Joseph Peele Papers, MC 00012, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Copyright Notice
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The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
Biographical Note
William Joseph Peele was born on 1855 January 31 near Jackson in Northampton County, North Carolina, the youngest of fourteen children of Isaac and Nancy Thompson Cobb Peele. His father was a prosperous farmer, slaveowner, and participant in county government. Financed by two brothers-in-law, Peele became a freshman at the University of North Carolina when it reopened in 1875 after being closed for five years following the Civil War. He studied classics and graduated in 1879. Peele then studied law, obtained his license, settled in Raleigh, and formed a partnership with Ernest Patrick Maynard, a Wake County native and fellow member of the University of North Carolina's class of 1879.
Peele believed his university education had not prepared him to earn a living and therefore became convinced that the state needed to develop industrial education. In May 1884 Peele helped establish the Watauga Club, which promoted various projects, including a statewide topographical survey, under his leadership. The Club's primary goal was the establishment of an industrial school in North Carolina for training manufacturers, mechanics, and farmers. Through the combined efforts of the Watauga Club and Leonidas Lafayette Polk's organized farmers, North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, later North Carolina State University, was established in 1889. Between 1899 and 1901, Peele served on the board of trustees of the College, a position he held at the University of North Carolina between 1891 and 1897.
In 1897 Peele founded the North Carolina Publishing Society to print his
Lives of Distinguished North Carolinians. He was also the author of the
Index to the Law of Exemptions in North Carolina of Homestead and Personal Property (1892) and
Civil Government of North Carolina and the United States (1907). Additionally, Peele remained active in state and community endeavors. He was a member, 1900, of the Monday Evening Club of Raleigh. In 1901 he helped organize the State Literary and Historical Association and served as chairman of the committee to draft its constitution. Two years later Peele wrote the bill and obtained General Assembly support for the establishment of the North Carolina Historical Commission. The governor appointed him one of the Commission's first five members; Peele served as its first chairman and remained a member of the agency until his death on 1919 March 27. He was survived by his wife Elizabeth Bellamy Peele, a native of Raleigh whom he had married on 1909 September 4 after a twenty-one-year courtship.
Scope and Content Note
The majority of the material in this collection relates to the administrative history of
North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts between 1897 and 1900.
William Joseph Peele's speech, delivered at the laying of the College's cornerstone on 1888 August 22 detailed the efforts to establish the College. Letters received by Peele concerned business of the College, particularly vacant positions and professorships. The committee notes document business conducted in the administration of the College such as salaries, professorships, and the organization of various departments. These documents also contain information submitted by and about administrators and professors at the College, including
Daniel Harvey Hill,
Wilbur Fisk Massey,
Wallace Carl Riddick,
Charles Burgess Williams, and
William Alphonso Withers. The College history, written by an unknown author, describes
William A. Withers' tenure, 1897-1899, as Acting Director of the
North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. This collection also contains personal material relating to Peele's Raleigh law practice with
Ernest Patrick Maynard, biographical speeches presented in honor of Peele, and a letter of condolence received by
Elizabeth Bellamy Peele upon her husand's death. Also included is an undated copy of a book documenting marriages, births, and deaths within the Peele family between 1774 and 1916 (bulk within early nineteenth century). Many of the documents in this collection are accompanied by typed transcripts.
Organization of the Collection
This collection is organized into nine folders, namely speech, Peele and Maynard, letters, North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts Committee Notes (dated and undated), North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Administrative History, condolences, biographical speeches, and Peele family records. The folders are arranged chronologically.
Related Material
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William Joseph Peele Papers (#1881), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
-
Daniel Harvey Hill (1859-1924) Papers, 1883-1955, MC 00022, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries
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Wilbur Fisk Massey Papers, 1857-2000, MC 00202, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries
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Wallace Carl Riddick Papers, 1913-1980, MC 00014, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries
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Charles Burgess Williams Papers, 1895-1953, MC 00016, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries
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William Alphonso Withers Papers, 1868-1926, MC 00178, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries
Hill, D. H. (Daniel Harvey), 1821-1889
Massey, W. F. (Wilbur Fisk), 1839-1923
North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station.
North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts--Administration.
North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts--Faculty.
North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts--History.
North Carolina State University--History.
Peele family
Peele, W. J. (William Joseph), b. 1855
Riddick, W. C. (Wallace Carl), 1864-1942
Williams, Charles Burgess, 1871-1947
Withers, William Alphonso, 1864-1924
Diplomas
Letters (correspondence)
Universities and colleges--North Carolina--History
Speech
1
1
1888
Correspondence: Peele and Maynard
1
2
1888-1895
Letters
1
3
1897-1899
North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts Committee Notes
1
4
1899
North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts Committee Notes
1
5
circa 1899
North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts Administrative History
1
6
circa 1900
Condolences
1
7
1919
Biographical Speeches
1
8
1919-1923
Peele Family Records
1
9
undated
Diploma of William Joseph Peele
10
undated