William D. Snider Papers

Collection

Identifier: MSS 0392

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection contains newspaper clippings, correspondence, research material, speeches, notes, awards, certificates, pamphlets, book reviews, interviews, photos, and drawings. The collection's contents date from 1859-2009.

Dates

1859 - 2009
Other: Majority of material found within 1944-2009
Other: Date acquired: 2010 March 29

Creator

Snider, William D. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information. Please see our Sensitive Materials Statement.

Biographical or Historical Information

William D. Snider was born in Salisbury, North Carolina, in 1920. He entered the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1937 and graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1941. After graduation, he returned to Salisbury and worked briefly for the Salisbury Evening Post. Snider soon enlisted in the United States Army and was stationed in China, India, and Burma during his three years of World War II service. After returning to the states, Snider returned to work at the Salisbury Evening Post. In 1948, he was hired as North Carolina Governor R. Gregg Cherry's private secretary. The following year, Snider married the former Flo Lides. He also served in the administration of W. Kerr Scott, the subsequent governor, as his special assistant. In 1951, Snider and his family moved to a Greensboro, where he began work as the associate editor of the Greensboro Daily News. Snider frequently wrote editorials for the newspaper that promoted racial equality and was also an active participant in the interracial Conversation Club. In 1969, Snider served as president of the National Conference of Editorial Workers. By 1972, he had been appointed editor of both the Greensboro Daily News and the afternoon paper, the Greensboro Record. He was named vice president of the Greensboro News Company, publisher of both dailies. Snider retired from the newspaper business in 1982, but continued to contribute to the editorial section of the Greensboro News & Record. He has written two books since his retirement. His first book, Helms and Hunt: the North Carolina Senate Race, 1984, was published in 1985 and Light on the Hill: A History of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was published in 1992.

Note written by

Extent

3.42 Linear Feet (3 boxes, 4 oversized folders in a cabinet)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

A native of Sailsbury, North Carolina, William D. Snider graduated from the University of Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in Journalism in 1941. Snider worked at the Salisbury Evening Post twice (interrupted by three years service in the U.S. Army) before working for two North Carolina Governors.ÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â In 1951 Snider moved to Greensboro, N.C., and began working for the Greensboro Daily News. Snider officially retired as editor in 1982, but continued to write often for the editorial page and published two books.ÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â Helms and Hunt: the North Carolina Senate Race, 1984 and Light on the Hill: A History of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The collection includes many clippings of Snider's articles, correspondence, research material for his published works, speeches delivered by Snider, awards, pamphlets, notes, interviews, photos, and drawings of editorial cartooons. The collection's contents date from 1859-2009.

Arrangement Note

The collection is arranged alphabetically and topically, retaining the original folder names used by William Snider where possible.ÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â Where this was not possible, folders were given names. This is indicated in the collection by the use of brackets around the folder title.

Method of Acquisition

Gift of William D. Snider in March, 2010.

Offensive Language Statement

The UNC Greensboro University Libraries collects, preserves, and makes accessible unique and historical materials for learning and research. The nature of historical materials is such that some material may represent positions, norms, and values that are offensive and objectionable. These materials represent the opinions and actions of their creators. By providing access to these records in our reading room and through our digital collections, we recognize that archives and rare books can play a vital role in holding those creators accountable and in helping us learn from the past.

Our finding aids and other collection descriptions may occasionally re-use language provided by creators or former holders of the materials, but we strive to place outdated or offensive terminology in context. That said, we recognize that we may not always make the right decision and welcome feedback from all sources so we can learn and adjust our practices. Please contact us at scua@uncg.edu if you encounter problematic language in our finding aids or other collection description. We will review the language and, as appropriate, update it in a way that balances preservation of the original context with our ongoing commitment to describing materials with respectful and inclusive language.