Title

Regina Andrews papers, 1920-1987.

Author

Andrews, Regina.

Supplementary Content

Finding aid

Items in the Library & Offsite

Details

Additional Authors

• Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963.
• National Council of Women of the United States.
• National Urban League.
• New York Public Library. Washington Heights Branch.

Description

13 lin. ft.(22 boxes)

Donor/Sponsor

Schomburg NEH Automated Access to Special Collections Project.

Subjects

• Andrews, Regina
• Libraries and community > New York (State) > New York
• Women social reformers > United States
• African Americans > New York (State)
• African American librarians
• National Urban League
• New York Public Library > Washington Heights Branch
• African American women > Biography
• Librarians > United States
• Women > Legal status, laws, etc > United States
• Women > Biography
• Libraries > Cultural programs
• African American legislators > New York (State)
• Women's rights > United States
• National Council of Women of the United States
• Andrews, William T., 1898-1984

Note

• Photographs have been transferred to the Photographs and Prints Division and are described separately.

Source (note)

• Regina M. Andrews

Biography (note)

• Librarian, author, civic leader and community activist.

Processing Action (note)

• Accessioned
• Cataloged

Call Number

Sc MG 275

Author

Andrews, Regina.

Title

Regina Andrews papers, 1920-1987.

Summary

The papers document Andrews' personal life and professional career and activities. Correspondence, reports, printed material and writings are included. Of special significance are the manuscripts of two unpublished works by Andrews, The Black New Yorkers: A Chronological History of the Negro in New York State, 1621-1970 and Women ...With Banners and Human Rights: Laws, Statutes and Amendments in the Constitution of the United States. Her professional activities at the Washington Heights Branch of the New York Public Library are, in part, very well documented by a series of scrapbooks containing photographs, broadsides and other printed material of the "Family Night at the Library" programs.

Also included among the papers are some family correspondence and clippings and a scrapbook relating to Mrs. Andrews' husband, attorney and Assemblyman William T. Andrews.

Biography

Librarian, author, civic leader and community activist. Regina Andrews was born in Chicago in 1901 and migrated to New York City in the early 1920s. Her job at the 135th Street Branch of the New York Public Library placed her in contact with many of the personalities of the Harlem Renaissance and her home was an intellectual and social meeting place for many of the writers and other artists of the period. A writer herself, Andrews was a founder of the Harlem Experimental Theatre. Two of her plays, "Climbing Jacob's Ladder" (1925) and "Underground" (1931) were produced by the group.

In 1949 Andrews was appointed Supervising Librarian of the Washington Heights Branch of the New York Public Library, a post she held until her retirement in 1967. She inaugurated a special library community outreach program which ran for thirteen years. Billed as "Family Night at the Library", this series concentrated on the social, political and cultural life of Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and South East Asia as well as on Afro-American history and culture. Distinguished scholars, artists, writers, statesmen and representatives of various governments participated, and the programs were supplemented by exhibitions of art and artifacts and by annotated bibliographies.

Apart from her library career and creative interests, Andrews maintained a variety of civic interests as well. She served on the boards of several organizations including the National Council of Women of the United States, of which she was a Vice-President, and represented the National Urban League as a member of the United States National Commission for UNESCO. Regina Andrews died in 1993.

Connect to:

Finding aid

Added Author

Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963.

National Council of Women of the United States.

National Urban League.

New York Public Library. Washington Heights Branch.

Added Title

Schomburg NEH Automated Access to Special Collections Project.

Research Call Number

Sc MG 275