| Dates: | 1958 |
| Size: | 1 linear foot |
| Repository: | Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature, 9525 S. Halsted Street, Chicago, Illinois 60628 |
|
Collection Number: |
1958/01 |
| Provenance: | Gifted in 1958 to the Special Negro History Collection (now Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection), George Cleveland Hall Branch, Chicago Public Library. |
| Access: | No restrictions |
| Citation: |
When quoting material from this collection the preferred citation is: Thomas Calhoun Walker Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature |
| Processed by: | Beverly A. Cook, Archivist, April 2021 |
Biographical Note
Thomas Calhoun Walker was born enslaved in 1863 in Gloucester County, Virginia. He grew up on a plantation near Spring Hill, Virginia. Calhoun taught himself to read and saved money to travel to Hampton Institute in the hopes of getting an education. Even though the school denied him entrance, he persisted until the school made an exception and allowed him to enroll. In 1883, Walker began studying law and was admitted to the Virginia Bar in 1887. During his long career, he worked tirelessly to defend African Americans and earned himself the title of “The Pied Piper of Gloucester.” He died in 1953. Walker’s autobiography, The Honey-Pod Tree, was published in 1957.
Sources
- Parker, John W., “The Honey-Pod Tree”. In Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 27, No. 4, 1958. pp. 492-494
- Walker, Thomas Calhoun, The Honey-Pod Tree: The Life Story of Thomas Calhoun Walker. New York: J. Day, circa 1958
Scope and Content
This collection is the typescript of his autobiography, The Honey-Pod Tree. On the verso of the title page of the typescript is an explanation that this book was narrated by Thomas C. Walker to Florence L. Lattimore, a professional social worker and journalist who convinced him that his life-story would be beneficial to African Americans and should be recorded for posterity. They worked together on the book for several years.
Arrangement
The author’s original order is maintained.
Related Materials
Related materials at the Chicago Public Library include:
Related materials at other institutions include:
- Thomas C. Walker Autobiography, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary College
Container List
Series 1: Manuscripts, 1958
| Box 1 | Folder 1 | Manuscript, Walker, Thomas Calhoun (TCW), The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 1, “Free Bells done Ring”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 2 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 2, “I Get Some Education”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 3 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 3, “My Plunge into Betterment”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 4 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 4, “The Church Wakes Up”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 5 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 5, “Contriving to Study Law”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 6 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 6, “Building an Example”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 7 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 7, “The Gloucester Land and Brick Company”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 8 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 8, “The State Lends a Hand”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 9 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 9, “Dilemma of the Children”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 10 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 10, “On Being a Lawyer”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 11 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 11, “Making the County Sober”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 12 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 12, “Political Skirmishes”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 13 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 13, “The Game of Money Raising”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 14 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 14, “The Struggle for Schools”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 15 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 15, “Lending a Hand to the Government”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 16 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 16, “More about the Federal Work”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 17 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 17, “Getting on With Folks”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 18 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 18, “Jim Crowism and Passing”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 19 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 19, “These Later Years”, 1958 |
| Box 1 | Folder 20 | Manuscript, TCW, The Honey-Pod Tree, Chapter 20, “Our Tomorrow”, 1958 |
