Collection inventory

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Robert G. Gregory Papers

An inventory of his papers at the Syracuse University Archives


Finding aid created by: Erin Gravley
Date: 2018

Biography

Robert G. Gregory (1924-2014) was a professor of history in the Maxwell School at Syracuse University from 1966 to 1995. He is the creator of the Kenya National Archives at Syracuse University, an extensive microfilm collection of documents and records pertaining to the British colonial government in Kenya. He served as acting director of the Program of East African Studies at Syracuse University and additionally was elected chairman of the Association of African Studies Programs, a national group.

Gregory received his doctorate degree in British Empire history from the University of California Los Angeles in 1957. As part of his studies he received a number of fellowships to study in East Africa, India, and England. He went on to serve as a civilian historian for the Strategic Air Command. Prior to Syracuse University, he taught at Wake Forest College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he helped bring the first student of color to the campus, a West African exchange student, causing much controversy within the town.

While at Syracuse University, Gregory directed the Program of East African Studies and was chairman of the Africa section of the Foreign and Comparative Studies Program. He created and co-taught an experimental course called Cross-national Issues. Additionally, during some summers he taught in the University College Master of Social Science Program. In his capacity as professor he advised and worked with a number of graduate and doctoral students. He published a number of books on East Africa, including South Asians in East Africa: An Economic and Social History, 1890-1980 and The Rise and Fall of Philanthropy in East Africa: The Asian Contribution.

Gregory secured a number of grants for a project to conduct interviews in the 1960s to 1970s in India and East Africa, as various nations in these areas transitioned from colonial to independent rule. During the course of this research, Gregory took several year-long trips to India and East Africa. Eventually this work would contribute to the Kenya National Archives.

The Kenya National Archives is recognized for its importance in preserving the history of Kenya, as many original reports housed in Nairobi were destroyed in a fire. In 1964 and 1965, a plan to create a safe, centralized microfilm archive was drafted jointly by representatives of the Kenya government, the Program of Eastern African Studies at Syracuse University, and the National Science Foundation of the United States. Much of Gregory’s research ended up in these Archives.

Scope and Content Note

The collection comprises Gregory’s research, including notes, manuscript drafts, and grant applications, including his applications for funding for the Kenyan National Archives project. Gregory's research and publication notes make up the bulk of the collection. His work as a faculty member is also a portion of the collection, with course materials for various classes and memos regarding the Program for Eastern African Studies being among the materials. During Gregory’s multi-year interview project, he worked with a number of graduate students, including Dana Seidenberg, some of who have research and interviews included in Gregory’s papers.

The Robert G. Gregory Papers is arranged into eight series:

The series Dana Seidenberg contains the notes, research materials, and manuscripts belonging to graduate student and research assistant Dana Seidenberg (MA 1973, PhD 1979). Research materials include excerpts from books and newspapers. Seidenberg conducted research for Gregory and also conducted her own research, focused on South Asians in East Africa.

Grants comprises the various applications for funding completed by Gregory, organized by institution and including application coversheets, notes, and relevant correspondence. These proposals were both personal (relating to Gregory's research and work) and departmental (relating to Syracuse University and the departments with which Gregory worked).

Kenya National Archives contains the materials related to the Kenya National Archives (KNA) at Syracuse University, including indexes, applications for funding, and manuscript versions of papers written for and about the KNA.

Personal materials comprises some materials from Gregory's personal life. These materials include art and poetry written by Gregory, some coursework and notes from his years as a student, and passports belonging to Gregory, his wife, and his children.

Professional activities encompasses Gregory's work as a historian and a member of various departments at Syracuse University and professional associations. Materials include: notes for, programs from, and papers presented at various conferences and panels; book and article reviews written by Gregory; curriculum vitae; and proposals for programs and resources at Syracuse University.

Research and publications comprises the bulk of the collection. Publication materials include books and published papers written by Gregory and others, as well as correspondence relating to the publication of several of Gregory's books and his notes and drafts for various articles. The research portion of the materials includes interviews and notes conducted by several of Gregory's research assistants; Gregory's research materials organized by subject; and most extensively, his handwritten notes organized by topic. Indexes for some of the notes are included.

Also in this series are several sets of index cards that Gregory used for notetaking. Where possible, original order, grouping, and titling of cards was preserved.

Slides and film negatives includes negatives and slides from Gregory's personal life and travels as well as those used in his instruction.

Teaching materials comprises materials from Gregory's time as a professor of history at Syracuse University. Course materials such as exams and syllabi are organized by course, and additionally there are bibliographies and notes for various topics covered in Gregory's classes.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.

Researcher access to the recording requires advance notice in order to produce a working copy.

Use Restrictions:

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

Related Material

A folder of material was separated and placed with the Archives' collection on the American Association of University Professors.

The Archives has a clippings file and a portrait file on Robert G. Gregory.

Bird Library at Syracuse University houses the Kenya National Archives, created by Robert G. Gregory.

Selected Search Terms

Names

Gregory, Robert G.
Honey, Martha.
Seidenberg, Dana April, 1947-
Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.

Subjects

Africa, East -- Colonization.
Africa, East -- Maps.
Africa, East – Colonial influence.
Africa, East – History – 20th century.
Africa, East – Library resources.
Africa, East – Relations – India.
Africa, East.
Kenya.
Tanzania.
Uganda.
College teachers.
Higher education.

Types of Material

Card files.
Clippings (information artifacts)
Color slides.
Historical maps.
Passports.
Phonograph records.
Photographs.
Sound recordings.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Robert G. Gregory Papers,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

These materials were donated to the Archives by Theresa Gregory in 2017.

Processing Information

Materials were rehoused in archival folders and boxes. Where possible, original folder titles and content orders were preserved.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged alphabetically within series.

Table of Contents

Dana Seidenberg

Grants

Kenya National Archive

Personal materials

Professional activities

Research and publications

Slides and film negatives

Teaching materials

Inventory