Help Desk Number:
(404) 978-2052
Trezzvant W. Anderson Papers 1932-1963
14 linear feet
Trezzvant William Anderson (b. 1906 d. 1963) was an author and journalist best known for reporting on the injustices and inequalities of the Jim Crow South at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. For most of his career as a journalist, Anderson was affiliated with the Pittsburgh Courier, first as a desk reporter in Pittsburgh in 1947, and eventually as the "Courier Roving Reporter" traveling throughout the Southeastern United States. His writings, as evidenced in this collection, concentrate mainly on civil rights issues such as boycotts, trials, and glaring examples of discrimination in the justice system. A member of the 761st Tank Battalion of the U.S. Army during World War II, Anderson wrote the unit's history, Come Out Fighting: The Epic Tale of the 761st Tank Battalion, 1942-1945. A lifelong Elks member, Anderson was the editor of their magazine Elkdom. He was also a member of various organizations and unions such as the Washington Negro Press Club (serving as its president from 1931 to 1934), the American Newspaper Guild, and the American Federation of Labor.
This collection consists of the papers of Trezzvant W. Anderson from 1932 to 1963, with the bulk of it documenting the last few years of his life. It consists mainly of typescripts of his articles submitted in the latter part of his career as a reporter for the Pittsburgh Courier. Most of the articles were written under the bylines "Courier Press Service", "Courier Roving Reporter", "Dateline: Georgia", and "Report from Dixie". Also included in the collection are notebooks and printed materials Anderson used in writing and researching his articles. The earliest materials relate to his service in the U.S. Army during World War II, and his affiliation with the Elks. A significant amount of the correspondence is letters between Anderson and his managers at the Pittsburgh Courier. Of interest are the letters from William G. (Bill) Nunn, Executive Editor, and Managing Editor P.L. Prattis that concern story assignments and comments on his articles. Most of the correspondence dated 1958-1959 regards sales of the Courier and highlight the efforts of a Black newspaper to increase its circulation, especially in the segregated towns of the South.