Floyd B. McKissick papers, 1940s-1980s.

Creator: McKissick, Floyd B. (Floyd Bixler), 1922-
Collection number: 4930
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Abstract: Floyd B. McKissick (1922-1991) was born in Asheville, N.C. He was an attorney, businessman, and civil rights leader. McKissick married Evelyn Williams, with whom he had four children: Joycelyn; Andree; Floyd, Jr.; and Charmaine. Materials documenting Floyd B. McKissick’s work as an lawyer, businessman, and civil rights leader. Included are items pertaining to his law practice in Durham, N.C.; his service, beginning in 1966, as national director of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE); his work as advisor to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); and his interests in politics and education. Many items relate to Soul City, N.C., a town owned and operated by African Americans near Warrenton, N.C. Included are items describing the impact of Soul City on rural Warren County, N.C., and Vance County, N.C. Among the companies documented are McKissick Enterprises of New York and North Carolina; City Development, Inc.; HealthCo, Inc.; Madison and McKissick Development, Inc.; McKissick S.C. Associates; the Soul City Foundation and other Soul City companies; and the Warren Regional Planning Corporation. There are also a few items relating to the McKissick family and to his affiliation with the Republican Party at the local, state, and national levels.

Repository: Southern Historical Collection

Collection Highlights: Materials documenting Floyd B. McKissick’s work as an lawyer, businessman, and civil rights leader. Included are items pertaining to his law practice in Durham, N.C.; his service, beginning in 1966, as national director of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE); his work as advisor to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); and his interests in politics and education. Many items relate to Soul City, N.C., a town owned and operated by African Americans near Warrenton, N.C. Included are items describing the impact of Soul City on rural Warren County, N.C., and Vance County, N.C. Among the companies documented are McKissick Enterprises of New York and North Carolina; City Development, Inc.; HealthCo, Inc.; Madison and McKissick Development, Inc.; McKissick S.C. Associates; the Soul City Foundation and other Soul City companies; and the Warren Regional Planning Corporation. There are also a few items relating to the McKissick family and to his affiliation with the Republican Party at the local, state, and national levels.

Of particular note in this collection are the materials in Series 1 relating to the town of Soul City. This includes architectural plans, photographs, news clippings, correspondence, and other administrative files, as well as documentation related to various business ventures that were undertaken in Soul City.