Robert and Sadye Wier Papers

Collection

Identifier: MSS-313

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The Robert and Sadye Wier Papers, 1885-1975, consist of business records, correspondence, family papers, oral history interviews, personal papers, photographs, scrapbooks, and other items related to the lives of the Wiers. Topics covered include race relations, the history of Starkville, the Starkville Second Baptist Church, Journeymen Barber's International Union of America, teaching in Starkville, and the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service in Newton, Winston, and Lowndes counties.

Dates

Majority of material found within 1885 - 1975

Creator

Wier, Robert K., 1886-1974 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

None.

Conditions Governing Use

Any requests for permission to publish, quote, or reproduce materials from this collection must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian for Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Mississippi State University as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biographical Note

Robert Wier was born on 19 March 1886 to Mary Ollie Shular and a prominent white businessman (possibly Robert Koger Wier, 1862-1949). R. Wier was a highly respected member of the Black community in Starkville Mississippi, and became one of the first Black businessmen in the area He operated the City Barber Shop from 1911 to 1966 and was the first and only Black individual to own a business on Main Street. R. Wier passed away on 26 December 1974 at the age of 88.

Sadye Wier was born on 3 December 1905 to Samuel J. Hunter and Minnie Lane Hunter of McLeod, Mississippi. S. Wier began her home economics teaching career in 1923 and taught in Macon, Okolona, Aberdeen, Shuqualak, Starkville, Senatobia, and Grenada. She served in this role until 1943 when she began working for the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service, where she worked with Black families in Newton, Union, Winston, and Lowndes counties. S. Wier retired in 1965. Throughout her life, S. Wier became an expert on race relations. Although she was not a civil rights leader, she worked within the segregated system to advocate for the Black community. S. Wier remained a prominent, influential figure in Mississippi until her death on 24 August 1995.

Extent

19.5 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

System of Arrangement

This collection has been organized into eight series: 1) Robert Wier 2) Sadye Wier 3) Hunter Family 4) Macon Family 5) Photographs and Negatives 6) Scrapbooks and Albums 7) Sheet Music 8) Miscellany

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The papers are a gift of Sadye Wier, 1977.

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: MSS 313 Wier (Robert & Sadye) papers, Manuscript Division, Special Collections Department, Mississippi State University Libraries, Mississippi State, Mississippi.

Preservation Note

Basic preservation was performed on this collection including the removal of metal fasteners, the photocopying of newspaper clippings, and the removal of non-archival plastic enclosures. Photographs were interleaved with non-buffered, acid-free paper.

Processing Note

This collection was originally donated in 1977, but has experienced subsequent additions in 1981, 1983, 1988, 1991, and 1994. The collection re-processed from January to February 2020 by Carrie P. Mastley, Manuscripts Librarian. Every attempt was made to keep the order instated by the original processor. However, some series were not properly arranged, such as the photographs, scrapbooks, sheet music, and miscellany. Folder labels were also standardized to make them more readible for the researcher.