Richard A. Edwards Family Papers, 1822-1974 | Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

By Jason Adkins, Laura Lozier

Collection Overview

Title: Richard A. Edwards Family Papers, 1822-1974

Extent: 3.07 Cubic Feet

Date Acquired: 11/05/1982

Subjects: Agriculture--Kentucky., Arithmetic--Early works to 1900., Bee culture., Eastern Kentucky University--Faculty and staff., Education--Kentucky., Farmers--Kentucky, Tax collection--Kentucky., Teaching

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Richard Alexander Edwards Collection documents the Cook and Gatewood families of Trimble County, KY, of which Pauline Cook, Edwards's wife, is a descendant. In addition to these family documents dating back to the early 19th century, there are scrapbooks documenting farm activities and daily life. R.A. Edwards added to the scrapbook collection with his notes on bee-keeping. School notes and teaching materials document the education and career of Edwards, especially related to the selection of textbooks. Some materials in this collection were donated throughout his tenure at EKU and were cataloged as a part of the book collection. These have been removed from the catalog and added to this collection to provide a single point of access for family materials.

Collection Historical Note

Richard Alexander Edwards was born January 16, 1884, in Graves County, Kentucky. He taught in Graves County rural schools from 1902 to 1906. After receiving his Bachelors of Arts from the University of Kentucky in 1910, he worked as principal of Trimble County High School until 1914. From 1914 to 1918 he served as superintendent of Morganfield City Schools in Union County. He was employed by Eastern Kentucky State Normal School on September 1, 1918, as the director of the Training School. After winning the General Education Board Scholarship he studied at Columbia University, receiving his Master of Arts in 1925.

Richard A. Edwards was a member of the National Education Association (NEA), National Society for Supervisors of Student Teaching, and the Kentucky Education Association (KEA). He was appointed by Governor Fields to the State Textbook Commission and served from 1924 to 1928. From 1948 to 1951 he was on the State Personnel Council, having been appointed by Governor Clements.

Edwards initiated many programs in his career. In 1915 he helped organize the Kentucky High School Athletic Association. While principal at Trimble County and superintendent at Morganfield, he created sports teams. In 1926 Edwards organized Richmond's first permanent Boy Scout troop in the Model High School. He also wrote several books; Looking Back and Walters Collegiate Institute.

Edwards also had several articles published ranging in topic from the history of Kentucky, to education, to bee-keeping. Richard A. Edwards retired in 1954 after working at Eastern for thirty-six years. On May 25, 1964, Edwards won the Eastern Founders Merit Award, proving his lasting effects on the University. After retirement, Mr. Edwards spent many years working in the Crabbe Library binding books in the Townsend Room and organizing the University's first archives. It is obvious from R.A. Edwards's correspondence that he was respected. He gave advice freely. He was well liked by his colleagues. Thirty-eight fellow teachers signed a proclamation honoring him.

R.A. Edwards was married to Mildred Pauline Cook. They had two children Stephen Edwards, and M. Josephine Edwards. Richard Edwards died on October 8, 1982, and is buried in the Richmond Cemetery.

Subject/Index Terms

Agriculture--Kentucky.
Arithmetic--Early works to 1900.
Bee culture.
Eastern Kentucky University--Faculty and staff.
Education--Kentucky.
Farmers--Kentucky
Tax collection--Kentucky.
Teaching

Administrative Information

Repository: Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

Acquisition Source: Edwards, Steven & Josephine Edwards Carpenter

Acquisition Method: gift

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Cook/Gatewood Family],
[Series 2: Richard A. Edwards Papers],
[Series 3: Oversize Materials],
[All]

Series 1: Cook/Gatewood Family

Box 1

Most of the documents in this series are letters from four brothers; George Homer Cook, James B. Cook, William G. Cook, and Alexander Cook. They were sons of Charles B. Cook and Sarah Gatewood. The letters and receipts in this series tell a story of farm life from 1820 to about 1911. The series is arranged in alphabetical order by name of correspondent, and then in chronological order.

Barcode: 31234014058588

Folder 1: Letters and Accounts of Archibald Bain, 1823-1882
Folder 2: Alexander Cook, 1855-1918
Folder 3: Charles B. Cook Mathematics, 1809-1834: A manuscript mathematics book used by Charles B. Cook concentrating on financial calculations such as simple and compound interest and record keeping. The back part of the volume was used as a ledger for personal purchases and wagon accounts from 1820 until 1834.
Folder 4: Charles B. Cook receipts, 1826-1889
Folder 5: Charles B. Cook receipts, 1854-1862
Folder 6: Charles B. Cook receipts, 1863-1889
Folder 7: G. Homer Cook Letters and Notes, 1875-1894
Folder 8: G. Homer Cook Receipts, 1862-1897
Folder 9: James B. Cook Correspondence, 1853-1873
Folder 10: James B. Cook Correspondence, 1861-1866
Folder 11: James B. Cook, Correspondence and Receipts, 1867-1905
Folder 12: Farm Record Book of James B. Cook, Bedford, Ky, 1838-1912
Folder 13: Trimble County, KY Tax Book, 1866: Tax book for Trimble County kept by James B. Cook, sheriff of Trimble County, Kentucky.
Folder 14: William G. Cook Correspondence, 1855-1873
Folder 15: William G. Cook Correspondence, 1873-1891
Folder 16: William G. Cook Letters and Receipts, 1891-1911

Box 2

Barcode: 31234014058570

Folder 1: Cook Family Daughters Correspondence, 1857-1880
Folder 2: Cook Family Daughters Correspondence, 1880-1883
Folder 3: Mildred H. Cook Scrapbook, 1847-1929: This scrapbook has newspaper clippings of jokes, poems, and social announcements. This scrapbook could be useful for finding birth and death announcements. The scrapbook is in chronological order.
Folder 4: Mildred Cook Scrapbook, Loose Pages
Folder 5: Gatewood and Cook - Family Record Book: Book contains financial records, handwriting samples, poetry, and other miscellaneous notes.
Folder 6: William Gatewood Notes, 1820-1832
Folder 7: William Gatewood Notes, 1832-1834
Folder 8: William Gatewood Notes, 1835-1840
Folder 9: Trimble County, KY Tax Books, 1837-1838: Two tax books kept by William Gatewood, sheriff of Trimble County, Kentucky.

Box 3

Barcode: 31234014058562

Folder 1: Gillis and Cook Family Photograph Album, ca. 1870 - ca. 1920

The photographs in this album had birth and death dates noted on many photos and these are included in the item title. This album was originally given to the Dorris Museum. (accession #: 80-3-2)

Item 1: W.B. Gillis, 1829-1918
Item 2: Mr. and Mrs. W.B. Gillis and granddaughter Ollie Spillman, 1876-1896
Item 3: Andrew Graham Gillis, 1860-1888
Item 4: Mrs. Martha (Cooke) Latty, 1802-1896: Mother of Mrs. Elizabeth (Latty) Ewing.
Item 5: Clyde, Elizabeth, and Guy Cook
Item 6: Mildred H. Cook, 1845-1929
Item 7: Ora Cook, 1857-1938
Item 8: Sallie Goode, 1869-1905
Item 9: Willie Goode, 1871-1891
Item 10: Leslie "Bud" Goode, 1873-1893
Item 11: Ben. Cook, 1869-1934
Item 12: Fred Cook, 1864-1919, and wife Minnie
Item 13: Sarah Wright, d. 1935; Josephine Wright, b. 1874; Dorothy Wright, b. 1868
Item 14: Tom Terrell
Item 15: Dora Latty, 1862-1951
Item 16: Richard A. Edwards, b. 1884
Item 17: Mrs. R.A. Edwards, b. 1893 and son Stephen b. 1916: Mildred Pauline Cook.
Item 18: Hurley Lee, b. 1888
Item 19: Frank Biggerstaff: Son of Sallie Martin Biggerstaff.
Item 20: Harry Campbell
Item 21: Joe Campbell
Item 22: Vera Cutshaw, b.1981 and Clarence Cutshaw, b.1888
Item 23: Chan. Cutshaw, b.1893
Item 24: Ray and Guy Cook
Item 25: Susan Baker Gillis, 1828-1922
Item 26: James W. Skidmore
Item 27: James H. Goode, b.1880
Item 28: Unidentified Man
Item 29: Judge John Lee
Item 30: Mrs. Sarah Gillis Lee, 1859-1896
Item 31: John Adams of Sulphur
Item 32: Mrs. Lena Tague Adams
Item 33: John Lee, Jr.
Item 34: Unidentified Child
Item 35: Unidentified Child
Item 36: Unidentified Child
Item 37: Mildred Pauline Cook
Item 38: Mildred Josephine Edwards
Item 39: Charles B. Cook and buddies: Taken during WWI in Coblenzer, Germany.
Item 40: Mr. and Mrs. W.B. Gillis and Stephen Edwards, 1918

Series 2: Richard A. Edwards Papers

Sub-Series 1: Correspondence, 1902-1974

Most of the correspondence regards professional questions. This gives the researcher a good idea of Edwards's projects and when he worked on them. There is a bound index to these letters included in the box. The series is arranged in chronological order.

Box 3

Barcode: 31234014058562

Folder 2: Index to Correspondence

Box 4

Barcode: 31234014058513

Folder 1: Correspondence, 1902-1919
Folder 2: Correspondence, 1920-1924
Folder 3: Correspondence, 1925-1929
Folder 4: Correspondence, 1930-1939
Folder 5: Correspondence, 1940-1949
Folder 6: Correspondence, 1950-1959
Folder 7: Correspondence, 1960-1974

Sub-Series 2: School Assignments

Box 4

Barcode: 31234014058513

Folder 8: Botany, 1907
Folder 9: Compositions, 1904: Richard A. Edwards Bowling Green, Ky
Folder 10: Educational Statistics
Folder 11: Psychology

Box 5

Barcode: 31234014058505

Folder 1: Sociology
Folder 2: Tests and Measurements
Folder 3: Zoology

Sub-Series 3: Professional Publications and Records, 1903-1939

Box 5

Barcode: 31234014058505

Folder 4: A Manual for Observation and Method Teaching and Student Teaching, 1928
Folder 5: Syllabus for Fundamentals of Secondary Education, 1939
Folder 6: Teacher's Register and Grade Book of R.A. Edwards, 1903-1906

Sub-Series 4: Farming Records, 1822-1970

Materials relating to farm management. This series contains scrapbooks of farming records. Dating from 1882 to 1970, they record information about two farms. Eventually R.A. Edwards began farming the land, so he added to the scrapbooks. In addition to farming he raised honey bees, and a scrapbook on bees is included in this series. The records are a good source of information on prices, farming schedules, and farm layout. The series is arranged in chronological order.

Box 5

Barcode: 31234014058505

Folder 7: Cook Place Land Records, 1822-1937: Typescripts of deeds relating the the Cook Family land in Trimble County, Kentucky.
Folder 8: Farming Cookplace, 1937-1948: Photographs, news clippings ephemera, contracts and financial records for the Cook farm.
Folder 9: Beekeeping Records, 1941-1970: Annual records for apiaries in Trimble County and Madison County, Kentucky.
Folder 10: Honey Bees, 1941-1970: More in-depth records on income and expenses relating to Mr. Edwards' apiary.

Sub-Series 5: Memorabilia/Ephemera

Box 6

Barcode: 31234014058497

Folder 1: Memorabilia/Ephemera: Includes several greeting cards from Cotton Noe and Herman L. Donovan, booklets on the liquor option, textbook adoption materials, news clippings and programs.

Sub-Series 6: Personal Writings

Box 6

Barcode: 31234014058497

Folder 2: The Collins Family
Folder 3: The Cook Family
Folder 4: The Edwards Family
Folder 5: The Gallemore-Bean Family
Folder 6: My Sourcebook of Genealogy of the Edwards Family (f.1 of 2)
Folder 7: My Sourcebook of Genealogy of the Edwards Family (f.2 of 2)

Box 7

Barcode: 31234014058489

Folder 1: Pioneer Catholics in Kentucky
Folder 2: First Forty Years of the Training School
Folder 3: Looking Back
Folder 4: History of the Training School, 1956: History of Model Laboratory School, also known as the Training School.

Box 8

Barcode: 31234014058471

Folder 1: Scripturae: "Schoolboy Compositions, Essays, Speeches Bulletins and Other Written Material, Wise and Otherwise, Good and Nogood." Much of the volume consists of educational topics affecting Eastern and Model Laboratory School.
Folder 2: The Training School, Vol. 1 (f.1 of 2): This 4 volume set contains a complete history of Model Laboratory School and includes, lists of students, programs, correspondence, statistics, photographs and Edwards' explanatory text.
Folder 3: The Training School, Vol. 1 (f.2 of 2)
Folder 4: The Training School, Vol. 2 (f.1 of 2)
Folder 5: The Training School, Vol. 2 (f.2 of 2)

Box 9

Barcode: 31234014058463

Folder 1: The Training School, Vol. 3 (f.1 of 2)
Folder 2: The Training School, Vol. 3 (f.2 of 2)
Folder 3: The Training School, Vol. 4 (f.1 of 2)
Folder 4: The Training School, Vol. 4 (f.4 of 2)
Folder 5: Walter's Collegiate Institute

Series 3: Oversize Materials

Folder 1: Certificates and Diplomas: Includes certificates and diplomas for Charles B. Cook, Pauline Cook, Ola Edwards, Richard A. Edwards and Stephen Edwards.; Barcode: 31234014031361
Folder 2: World War I Scrapbook: Barcode: 31234014031379

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Cook/Gatewood Family],
[Series 2: Richard A. Edwards Papers],
[Series 3: Oversize Materials],
[All]