Colored Orphanage of North Carolina (Oxford, N.C.)
Report of Superintendent, the Colored Orphanage of North Carolina, February 1, 1937 to June 30, 1940
[Oxford, N.C.]: [Colored Orphanage of North Carolina], [1940].
Superintendent T. K. Borders (1900-1940), a native of Shelby, N.C. and a former high-school principal, prepared this report shortly before his death on October 15, 1940. Following a brief introduction, the report covers all facets of life at the orphanage, including finances, food production, and living conditions. The facility, mandated by the revised state constitution of 1868, was established in the 1880s, over a decade after the state created its first white orphanage. Though it was a non-profit private institution, the orphanage was required to make an annual report to the people of North Carolina since the children at the home were wards of state sent to the facility by county welfare departments, and because it received sizeable appropriations from the state (see p. 22). Throughout the report, Borders expresses concern about securing finances to improve the overall quality of life for both workers and children. In particular, Borders argues that the orphanage needs funding for repairing buildings, purchasing new supplies, raising salaries, and providing for food and recreation. Staff lists and charts noting donations and expenditures are included in the report, as are brief updates from various orphanage departments.
Monique Prince
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