Don Roy papers, 1921 - 1980

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Summary

Creator:
Roy, Donald F.
Abstract:
Donald Francis Roy (1909-1980), noted industrial sociologist, was a faculty member at Duke University in the Department of Sociology from 1950 until his retirement in 1979. Roy's areas of specialization were field methods of sociological research and social conflict. The collection includes correspondence, clippings, articles, reviews, manuscripts, research and field notes, reprints, newsletters, photographs, teaching materials, pamphlets, and other written materials. The major subjects of the collection are Roy's study of industrial sociology; workplace interactions; and specific collective bargaining and union campaigns of the Textile Workers Union of America, the Teamsters Union, and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. English.
Extent:
25.5 Linear Feet
Language:
English.
Collection ID:
UA.29.02.0066
University Archives Record Group:
29 -- Papers of Faculty, Staff, and Associates
29 -- Papers of Faculty, Staff, and Associates > 02 -- Individuals

Background

Scope and content:

The collection includes correspondence, clippings, articles, reviews, manuscripts, research and field notes, reprints, newsletters, photographs, teaching materials, pamphlets, and other written materials. The major subjects of the collection are Roy's study of industrial sociology; workplace interactions; and specific collective bargaining and union campaigns of the Textile Workers Union of America, the Teamsters Union, and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.

While at Duke, Roy studied the attempts made by the Textile Workers Union of America to have union contracts accepted in some of the mills of Virginia and North Carolina. Between 1956-1959 and 1973-1979, Roy made detailed observations on the campaigns at the Hanes Knitting Company in Winston-Salem, N.C., 1956-1957; Elkin, N.C., 1956-1957; Chatham, Va., 1956; Burlington, N.C., 1957; Roanoke, Va., 1956 and 1965; Radford, Va., 1957; Vinton, Va., 1957; Dublin, Va., 1957; Altavista, Va., 1957; Henderson, N.C., 1958-1959; Roanoke Rapids, N.C., 1964-1979; Wallace, N.C., 1974 and 1977; Laurinburg, N.C., 1977-1979. The bulk of the information about these campaigns can be found in Boxes 1-5 and Boxes 14-19. Manuscripts on the Sheffield and Tyndall campaigns can be found in Box 1.

In addition, Roy followed the disputes involving the Teamsters Union in Atlanta, Ga., 1966, and the attempt by Local 77 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees to establish a union at Duke Hospital in the 1960s and 1970s. Throughout his life, Roy took detailed field notes, collected materials, and retained correspondence about his industrial studies. These materials are scattered throughout the collection.

In 1965-1966, Roy spent a year on sabbatical at Cornell University. During that year, Roy wrote case studies on the Tyndall Garment Co., the Sheffield and Laurel Campaigns, the Burlington Campaign, the Corinth Study, and the Labor Organizing Campaign. Roy's field notes and observations are included in the collection.

Roy used pseudonyms, to protect confidentiality, for the names of the people and places he studied. Box 14 contains a list of the pseudonyms Roy used in his case studies. The following list gives the actual name followed by the pseudonym used by Roy in some of his studies and in his folder titles.

Missing Title
Hanes Knitting
Tyndall Garments
Winston-Salem, N.C.
Lancaster
Elkin, N.C.
Laurel
Chatham, Va.
Sheffield
Burlington, N.C.
Jefferson
Roanoke, Va.
Statesboro
Radford, Va.
Zebulon
Vinton, Va.
Corinth
Dublin, Va.
Indian Hills
Altavista, Va.
Cartersville
Roanoke Rapids, N.C.
Clearwater

Box 6 contains files for a book begun by Roy about his interest and involvement in union organizing. The book was not completed. The collection file contains Mrs. Roy's outline of the book's organization.

The collection file includes a paper by Huw Beynon with notes and comments about Roy's papers. Beynon's manuscript offers a proposed classification for the collection and outlines themes of Roy's work. The collection file also includes a biographical sketch by Dr. Joy K. Roy, Roy's second wife.

Biographical / historical:

Donald Francis Roy (1909-1980), noted industrial sociologist, was a faculty member at Duke University in the Department of Sociology from 1950 until his retirement in 1979. Roy was educated at the University of Washington (A.B., 1935; M.A., 1935) and at the University of Chicago (Ph.D., 1952). Roy held a number of teaching positions before he came to Duke. He taught at the University of Washington (1935-1937), the University of Oregon (1937-1938), the University of Chicago (1947-1950), Roosevelt College (1948-1950), and the Illinois Institute of Technology (1949-1950).

Roy's areas of specialization were field methods of sociological research and social conflict. Roy applied the participant observer approach to factory situations. He began in 1934 with a study of the makeshift world of unemployed men in a Seattle shantytown called Hooverville. Roy moved into Hooverville and wrote a master's thesis titled "Hooverville, a Study of a Community of Homeless Men in Seattle." Roy's interest in workplace interactions led him to employment in twenty-one different occupations in twenty industries. Roy used his personal involvement in these industries as a basis for his sociological research.

Donald Roy coined the term "banana time," a concept that signifies how employees have made workplaces more tolerable by participating in off-task camaraderie. Banana time refers to the collectively determined break time of factory workers, the start of which was signaled with a lunch box banana.

Roy was married and had two children.

Acquisition information:
The Don Roy Papers were received by the University Archives as a transfer in 1982 (A82-44) and in 1983 (A83-106).
Processing information:

Processed by Linda Daniel

Completed May 2004

This collection is partially processed: materials may not have been ordered and described beyond their original condition.

Brittle newspaper clippings will need to be processed before use. Please consult University Archives staff.

De-accessioned: one copy of Look magazine, Nov. 16, 1965; copies of the News Reporter, published in Whiteville, N.C. (June 1, 1967; June 5, 1967; June 8, 1967; June 12, 1967; June 15, 1967; June 19, 1967; June 22, 1967; and June 26, 1967); four graded student examination books.

Encoded by Linda Daniel, May 2004

Collection level notes updated by Tracy M. Jackson, February 2020.

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Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

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Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Copyright for Official University records is held by Duke University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Don Roy Papers, Duke University Archives, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.