University Activities and Alumni Relations

Scope and content:

Series 1: University Activities and Alumni Relations, 1941-2006, is comprised of correspondence, scrapbooks, and ephemera, related to Emily Lewis Lee's involvement with James Madison University as a student and as an alumna.

Correspondence contains letters primarily regarding reunion planning, plus Lee's annual "Lee News" bulletins for 1981, 1983-1991, with similar reports in 1997, 1999 and 2001.

Scrapbooks contain two large disbound scrapbooks largely of color photographs compiled either for or after the 35th, 40th and 45th Reunions of the Class of '43. The first of these has a small selection of black & white photographs from the 1940s. One scrapbook documents Lee's time as a student during 1941-1943. Of particular interest is a program for "Plantation Idyll," a "musical water pageant" presented by Camp Strawderman (Edinburg, Virginia). The cast includes a "Mammy" character, "Negro servants," and "Pickaninnies." Emily Lewis Lee served as an usher for the production. Another scrapbook, 1946-1947, 2000-2003, documents Lee's work and research on World War II veterans who were JMU alumni. A related research file is included in this series.

Also included are three guestbooks containing signatures from alumni receptions and luncheons dating from 1956-1989. The first of these books belonged to the Madison Alumni Richmond Chapter, and the other two are most likely from on-campus alumni events.

Related subject matter is located in the Photographs series.

Access and use

Location of collection:
James Madison University
Second Floor Room 203, MSC 1704
Carrier Library
James Madison University
880 Madison Drive
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Tiffany Cole
Phone: (540) 568-3444
Phone: (540) 568-3612
Fax: (540) 568-3405
Parent restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.
Parent terms of access:
The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collection Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).

Contents