Belmont Mercer Farley papers, 1787-1965, 2015

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Summary

Creator:
Farley, Belmont Mercer
Abstract:
Educator from Washington, D.C. Professional papers concern academic freedom, educational television, reading and illiteracy, rural education, attacks on textbooks, federal aid to education, school construction, and strikes. Also discussed are the Ford Foundation, American anti-communist sentiment, peace and war, the U.S. military, and the atomic bomb. There is extensive material on the National Education Association, particularly on public relations and the advent of American educational broadcasting. Also included are Farley's articles, addresses, and radio program scripts, all of which regard U.S. public schools, and material pertaining to educational organization conventions that Farley attended. Personal papers chiefly consist of letters on family genealogy, with some information on public education in Missouri and California, and detailed notes and a self-published 381-page book on the family genealogy, which includes many other families in addition to the Farleys and Mercers.
Extent:
27.0 Linear Feet
Approximately 19,767 Items
Language:
Material in English
Collection ID:
RL.00380

Background

Scope and content:

Belmont Farley's professional papers span his career as an educator, author, and staff member with the National Education Association, and concern academic freedom, educational television, reading and illiteracy, rural education, attacks on textbooks, federal aid to education, school construction, and strikes. Also discussed are the Ford Foundation, American anti-communist sentiment, peace and war, the U.S. military, and the atomic bomb. There is extensive material on the National Education Association, particularly on public relations and the advent of American educational broadcasting. Also included are Farley's articles, addresses, and radio program scripts, all of which regard U.S. public schools, and material pertaining to educational organization conventions that Farley attended.

Personal papers chiefly consist of letters exchanged between Farley and family members on family genealogy, with some information on public education in Missouri and California. There are also detailed notes and a self-published 381-page genealogy of the Farley-Mercer families, which stretches from Pensylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Missouri, and other states, and offers detailed information on the Musser, Metzgar, Gosser, Greenlee, Youngs, Guarco, Dyer, Spangler, Cleland, Carr (Kerr), and Dinsmore families. This book was published in 1932, and updated and republished by Farley's son Thomas Farley in 2015.

Biographical / historical:

Belmont Mercer Farley (1891-1975) was born in Missouri and began his career as a teacher and school superintendent. He then joined the Washington, D.C.-based National Education Association, working from 1929 until his retirement in 1956 in the divisions of NEA publications and public relations. He was especially active on behalf of educational broadcasting during FCC hearings in the early 1950s. In the 1920s, he researched the history of the Farley-Mercer families back to the 18th century, publishing a genealogy in 1932, which was updated and republished by his son in 2015. Farley Mercer died in April 1975.

Acquisition information:
The Belmont Mercer Farley Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a purchase in 1968 and gift in 2016.
Processing information:

Processed by Rubenstein Library staff.

Encoded by Ted Holt and Paula Jeannet, May 2008.

Accessions described in this collection guide: 1968 and 2016-0252.

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Belmont Mercer Farley Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University