Finding Aid of the Clark Foreman Papers,1942 - 1944, PC.1545
Abstract
Clark Howell Foreman taught political science at Black Mountain College (Black Mountain,
North Carolina) during the 1943-1944 school year. Black Mountain College was an experimental
school located in Black Mountain, N.C. Established in 1933 by John A. Rice and others,
the purpose of the college was to educate the whole person, with an emphasis on the
role of the arts and creative thinking.
Clark Foreman's papers contain letters and articles related to Black Mountain College,
conflicts between members of the college community, and racial integration.
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Clark Foreman Papers
- Call Number
- PC.1545
- Creator
- Foreman, Clark, 1902-1977
- Date
- 1942 - 1944
- Language
- English
- Repository
- Western Regional Archives, State Archives of North Carolina
Restrictions on Access & Use
Access Restrictions
Available for research.
Use Restrictions
Copyright is retained by the authors of these materials, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law (Title 17 US Code). Individual researchers are responsible for using these materials in conformance with copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], PC.1545, Clark Foreman Papers, State Archives of North Carolina, Western Regional Archives, Asheville, NC, USA.
Biographical and Historical No
Clark Howell Foreman (1902-1977), an advocate for civil rights in the South, taught political science at Black Mountain College during the 1943-1944 school year.
Black Mountain College was an experimental school located in Black Mountain, N.C. Established in 1933 by John A. Rice and others, the purpose of the college was to educate the whole person, with an emphasis on the role of the arts and creative thinking. Despite the fact that Black Mountain College could rarely offer faculty more than room and board, a number of important teachers and artists were drawn to the school as part of the regular faculty or to participate in the school's Summer Institutes. Josef and Anni Albers, John Cage, Robert Creeley, Merce Cunningham, Max Dehn, Joseph Fiore, Buckminister Fuller, Edward Lowinsky, Robert Motherwell, Charles Olson, M.C. Richards, and Xanti Schawinsky were only a few of those who taught at Black Mountain College. In addition, the success of several of the college's students (such as Ruth Asawa, Edward Dorn, Kenneth Noland, and Robert Rauschenberg) helped to further the college's reputation in the area of the arts and the avant garde.
The character and focus of Black Mountain College shifted over time, according to the make-up of the faculty and students. Personal and ideological conflicts were common and sometimes lead to major changes in the college community. Lack of funds added to the stress of the situation, as did the school's physical isolation and its sometimes strained relations with the local population. Eventually, the student enrollment and available funds dwindled until the college was forced to close in 1956.
Contents of the Collection
Subject Headings
Acquisitions Information
Gift of Clark Foreman, February 6, 1974. During March-April, 2012, these records were moved from the State Archives building in Raleigh to the Western Regional Archives, Asheville, N.C.