Burwell T. Harvey, Jr. collection

Collection — Box: 1-7

Identifier: 0000-0000-0000-0042

Staff Only

Scope and contents

This small collection dates from 1900 to 1973 with the bulk of the materials spanning the period 1953-1971. The collection includes correspondence, programs, photographs, news articles, and publications. Most of the materials within the collection pertain to Harvey as commissioner of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. These files contain correspondence from coaches requesting information about players and rules, and discussing conflicts with the Conference. Also included in the collection are copies of Bench Talk Heard and documents related to Harvey's affiliations with other sports organizations. Of interest among the photographs in the collection are those of Morehouse College sports teams. The collection includes a genealogy of the Wynn and Harvey families prepared by Harvey's wife, Ethel Wynn Harvey. There are also two published speeches by Burwell T. Harvey, Sr., a Baptist minister and school teacher.

Dates

1900-1973
Majority of material found within 1953-1971

Creator

Harvey, Burwell Towns (Person)

Conditions Governing Use

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

Burwell Towns "B.T." Harvey, Jr. (1892-1971) was a chemistry and physics professor at Morehouse College. He is best known for his remarkable winning record as Morehouse College's baseball, basketball and football coach. Harvey's career as a coach started at Morehouse College in the fall of 1916 when President John Hope sought to find a coach for the school's baseball, basketball and football teams. As coach, Harvey led the football and baseball teams to four championships each, he also led the basketball team to a phenomenal eleven championships, records that were unrivaled by any other Negro college at the time.

During his time at Morehouse College, he founded and edited the Morehouse Journal of Science, which provided information about the achievements and contributions of African Americans to the field of science. Harvey was commissioner of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for 25 years, an association founded in 1913 to regulate athletics among the Black colleges in the Southeast. Harvey also founded and published Bench Talk Heard, a weekly newsletter chronicling Black college sports and professional Black athletes.

Biographical timeline

Chronology

1892 July 18: Born in Griffin, Georgia to Bruwell T. Harvey, Sr. and Sadie Lovett Harvey; first of two sons
1916: Received a B.S. degree from Colgate University; Hired by Morehouse College Presdient John Hope to coach football, basketball, and baseball and to teach chemistry and physics
1916, 1920-1922: Morehouse College football team championship years, coached by Harvey
1916-1926, 1929: Morehouse College basketball teams championship years coached by Harvey
1918, 1920, 1924-1925: Morehouse College baseball team championship years coached by Harvey
1918 June 18: Married Ethel Mae Wynn
1919 July 12: First child born, Ethel Towns Harvey
1921 July 28: Second child born, Emma Jeanette Harvey
1924 January 20: Third child born, Sadie Elizabeth Harvey
1927: Recieved A.M. degree from Columbia University (General Education Board Scholarship)
1928-1940: Founded and edited the Morehouse Journal of Science
1929: Retired as Head Coach for Morehouse College to devote more time to teaching chemistry and physics
1934: Became Chairman of Chemistry Department, Morehouse College
1941-1966: Commissioner of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC)
1942: Became the Director of the Science Workshop for Alabama State Department of Education at Atlanta University
1968-1969: Published Bench Talk Heard, newsletter on Black sports
1971 October 15: Died in Atlanta, Georgia at age 79

Extent

6 Linear feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in seven series including Personal papers, Writings by Harvey, Morehouse College, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), Organizational affiliations, Printed materials, and Photographs.