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Henry A. Washington Papers

An inventory pf his papers at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: PRB
Date: Jun 1998

Biographical History

Henry A. Washington (1906-2001) was an African-American physician and active community leader in Syracuse, New York.

Washington grew up in Tennessee and earned his medical degree from Howard University. The first African-American physician to establish a permanent practice in Syracuse, New York, Dr. Washington has been called one of "Syracuse's black pioneers." ( Syracuse Herald American, 2 Feb 1986) He was a member of numerous medical and civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the American Red Cross, the Syracuse Academy of Medicine and the Onondaga County Medical Society.

Over the years Washington was recognized numerous times, receiving awards from the D unbar Center, the local NAACP and Mayor Thomas Young, and in 1991 the Urban League of Onondaga County presented him with the Harriet Tubman award. Morrisville State College's Dr. Henry Washington Award, given annually, is named in his honor.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Henry A. Washington Papers comprises biographical material, correspondence, and memorabilia of the African American community leader and physician and his wife, Evelyn T. Washington.

Biographical material consists of articles about Dr. Washington and a copy of Mrs. Washington's curriculum vitae.

Correspondence-subject files reflect the variety of civic, social, cultural, and educational organizations in which Dr. and Mrs. Washington have participated. The collection contains incoming and outgoing letters and printed material relating to the Chez-Nous Club, Community Folk Art Gallery, Syracuse Celebrators' Club, the Syracuse Museum of Fine Arts, the Syracuse Chapter of the N.A.A.C.P., Syracuse University's Affirmative Action program, and the Urban League of Onondaga County.

Issues of a number of African American newspapers constitute the bulk of Memorabilia. Also included are obituary notices and funeral programs of friends and colleagues of the Washingtons.

Arrangement of the Collection

Correspondence-subject files are arranged alphabetically by name. Memorabilia is arranged alphabetically by type.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

Some printed material from the collection has been retained in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Sound recordings have been sent to the Belfer audio Archive, and a number of published works have been catalogued separately in the Library's rare books collection.

Subject Headings

Persons

Washington, Henry A.

Subjects

African American physicians.
African Americans -- New York (State) -- Syracuse.

Genres and Forms

Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence.

Occupations

Physicians.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Henry A. Washington Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Henry A. Washington, 1997 to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library and transferred, in part, to the Department of Special Collections, 1998.

Table of Contents

Biographical

Correspondence/subject files

Memorabilia

Inventory