William G. Pickens papers

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: 0000-0000-0000-0134

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The William G. Pickens Collection spans the years between 1976 and 2010. This small collection provides a glimpse into some of Dr. Pickens contributions to the field of English. Included are programs of annual events and workshops, photographs, audio cassettes and scrapbooks. Of particular note are photographs and scrapbooks documenting the Mirror Grant Project at Morehouse College and a news article depicting Dr. Pickens and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s experience working tobacco farms in Hartford, Connecticut. In addition, there is also an artistic rendition sculpture of Dr. King.

Dates

Creation: 1976-2010

Creator

Pickens, William G. (Person)

Rights Statement

All materials in this collection are either protected by copyright or are the property of the Robert W. Woodruff Library of the Atlanta University Center, Inc., and/or the copyright holder as appropriate. For more information, please contact archives@auctr.edu.

Biographical note

Dr. William Garfield Pickens (1927-1998) was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1927 at Grady Hospital. His parents were Mr. William Pickens and Mrs. Eula Resse Pickens. He attended David T. Howard Elementary School and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School. After finishing high school, he attended Morehouse College where he received his Bachelor’s degree in English and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1948, and he was later inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. With a major in English, he continued his education at Atlanta University and received a master’s degree in English in 1950. In 1969, he obtained his Ph.D. in English and Linguistics from the University of Connecticut at Storrs. After returning to Atlanta in 1970, Dr. Pickens joined the Morehouse College faculty as professor of English. Pickens was a member of the Morehouse College English Department for nearly 30 years where he served as Chair of the department from 1970 until 1984.