The collection consists of a variety of materials, only some of which date from the lifetime of C.C. Spaulding. Many of the materials date from the mid-1950s through the 1970s, suggesting that the papers were collected and transferred to Duke without explicit sorting to distinguish C.C. Spaulding's files from other NC Mutual materials. Essentially, this collection serves as the forerunner to the NC Mutual Life Insurance Company Archives, also held at Duke University's Rubenstein Library. Researchers interested in the company's history should consult both collections.
The C.C. Spaulding Papers are arranged into the following series: Clippings, NC Mutual, Writings/Speeches, Subjects, Personal/Family, and Photographs. The Photography Series (2 boxes) is currently closed to researchers, pending processing.
The Clippings Series is the largest series within the collection, and consists of newspaper and magazine clippings collected by various people, including C.C. Spaulding, between the 1920s and the 1970s. The majority of these materials have been photocopied onto acid-free paper, with the original newspaper discarded. Clippings have been arranged alphabetically by subject or name. Major topics present in the series include the civil rights movement, segregation/integration, and African American education, and community life; insurance, business, and financial news; press coverage of C.C. Spaulding's activities and appearances; and press coverage of the NC Mutual Company. This series also includes some scrapbooks of oversize clippings covering miscellaneous topics.
The NC Mutual Series consists of several subseries: Finances, Committees, Publicity/Events, Research/Reports, Publications/Printed Materials, and Correspondence. The Finances Subseries includes the company's annual earnings statements, controller reports, and actuarial files. Within the Committees Subseries is a substantial amount of information from the Company History Committee, which published The NC Mutual Story in 1971. Another major initiative documented within the NC Mutual Series is the opening of the 1966 NC Mutual office building, one of the tallest buildings in downtown Durham. Files relating to the groundbreaking, dedication, and programming surrounding the building's opening are held in the Publicity/Events Subseries. Publicity/Events also includes advertisements and materials from the launching of the SS John Merrick during World War II. Other notable materials held in the NC Mutual Series are some of C.C. Spaulding's correspondence as company president, issues of various publications produced by NC Mutual, and research materials commissioned by the company on issues such as real estate, director's fees, and workmen's compensation.
The Subjects Series contains files arranged by topic which loosely relate to the interests of NC Mutual and its management, including life insurance, "The Negro," and North Carolina. This series is related to the Clippings Series but largely consists of printed materials and other writings or publications collected by unknown parties.
The Writings/Speeches Series includes drafts, essays, articles, and speeches written by C.C. Spaulding, Asa T. Spaulding, and W.J. Kennedy, Jr. Within C.C. Spaulding's materials are writings and speeches delivered in his capacity as NC Mutual president. Other writings include articles, letters to the editor, and commencement or other public addresses.
The Personal/Family Series includes death and memorial materials for A.M. Moore and C.C. Spaulding, two NC Mutual presidents, as well as commemorations, honors, and other materials documenting the men's public service in the twentieth century. Other items in this series include financial materials from John and Martha Merrick, some anonymous volumes, and some materials relating to Asa Spaulding.
