Bumstead, Horace, 1898-1919

This correspondence reflects Towns’ personal, professional and literary life. Much of the correspondence regards Towns’ efforts to publish his writings. His correspondence with the Atlanta University presidents and faculty, Myron Adams, Horace Bumstead, Edgar H. Webster, reveal the friendships between the men that extended beyond purely professional interests. Of note are the letters between Bumstead and Towns regarding the latter’s letter to The Guardian supporting William Monroe Trotter’s invective against Booker T. Washington. Letters from James Weldon Johnson span a friendship of over 40 years and discuss Johnson’s role as an American Consul, his poetry and book Autobiography of an Ex-colored Man, and changing his middle name from William to Weldon. The letters from W.E.B. DuBois mainly concern work Towns did for "Phylon". (See also Series E - Atlanta University and Series F - Harvard University, for additional correspondence.)