Biography:

George Coleman Osborn

George Coleman Osborn was born on May 15, 1904, in Learned, Mississippi. He graduated from Mississippi College in 1927 and received master's and doctoral degrees from Indiana University in 1932 and 1938. For four years he was a public school teacher and administrator in Mississippi. For the rest of his career he was a professor at universities and colleges in Indiana, Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi and Virginia. Among special research services, his projects included Democratic Majority Research Expert on Taxation for the Finance Committee, United States Senate, 1936–1938. Osborn published a number of books and articles. Among these works were: John Sharp Williams: Planter-Statesman of the Deep South; James Kimble Vardaman, Southern Commoner; The Life of a Southern Plantation Owner During Reconstruction, as Revealed in the Clay Sharkey Papers; Plantation Life in Central Mississippi As Revealed in the Clay Sharkey Papers; and My Confederate History - Clay Sharkey. Osborn died in August, 1982 in Gainesville, Florida.

 

Scope and Content Note:

The material in this collection reflects Osborn's research interests in three of his publication areas: John Sharp Williams, Clay Sharkey, and James K. Vardaman. The bulk of the material relates to the Congressional and Senatorial career of Williams. With the exception of the 1912 correspondence, which is almost totally original and concerns Woodwork Wilson's 1912 presidential campaign, the Williams material consists of typescript copies. The Williams material is contained in series one through five. Series six contains legislative messages of Governor James K. Vardaman, with comments by Osborn. Series seven has holographic and typescript memoirs by H. Clay Sharkey. All of the Williams correspondence and Sharkey papers, both original and typescript copies, were given to Osborn by Williams and Sharkey.

 

Series Identification:

Series 1: Correspondence. 1907; 1912–1923; 1926; 1929–1931; n.d.
Mostly typescript copies of incoming and outgoing correspondence, with the exception of 1912 which is all original. Most of the letters deal with state politics in Mississippi, with Democratic Party and national politics (especially the 1912 election of Woodrow Wilson) the other principal topics. Fred Sullens, H. Clay Sharkey, Pat Harrison, Patrick Henry and Leroy Percy are some of the principal correspondents.  
Box 1: 1907; 1912–1917 
Box 2: 1917–1923; 1926; 1929–1931; n.d. 

Series 2: Speeches. 1912; 1916; 1922–1924. 7 items.
Typescripts and notes of various speeches made by John Sharp Williams.  
Box 2

Series 3: Newsclippings. 1903–1917; 1919–1923; 1927; 1931; n.d.
Typescripts of news stories and news story excerpts covering the career of John Sharp Williams.  
Box 2

Series 4: Newsclippings. 1912; 1932; n.d. 10 items.
Photocopies of newsclippings relating to the career of John Sharp Williams.  
Box 2

Series 5: Miscellaneous Research. 1920; 1933; n.d. 13 items.
Research notes and materials related to the career of John Sharp Williams; including "Resolutions of the Democratic State Convention of Mississippi Adopted at Its Meeting in Jackson, Mississippi" (1920) and typescript copy of a portion of the minutes of the annual meeting of the North Carolina Society of the Cincinnati (1933) which eulogized John Sharp Williams.  
Box 2

Series 6: Messages of Governor James K. Vardaman. 1904–1908. 1 item. 
Comments on the legislative messages of Vardaman delivered during his gubernatorial administration. Printed texts of the messages, taken from legislative journals, are inserted.  
Box 2

Series 7: H. Clay Sharkey Papers. 1914; 1929; 1932; n.d. 11 items.
Holographic essays and typescripts on the Civil War and other periods of H. Clay Sharkey's life: "To My Children." "A Lucky Shot." "An Unexpected Sermon," "The Unknown Pedigree," and untitled; 2 items of correspondence. 
Box 2