Call Number   MS-29

Name:   Papers of John Belcher held in the Valdosta State University Archives

Dates:  1959, 1960, 1975, 1976, and 1983.                                  

Size:  Two Boxes: Box one consists of seven folders; Box two consists of four folders.                                         

History:  Dr. John Belcher was an associate professor of sociology at the University of Georgia.  Dr. Belcher contributed most of his time to gather information regarding the living conditions of various populations ranging from small villages in Puerto Rico to rural Georgia in the nineteenth century.  He served his field well in collecting required demographic information to further his study as well as to promote beneficial programs to aid society.  

Scope and Content: Within the two boxes are rough draft letters concerning Park wood Development Center.  Evidently, Dr. Belcher was asked or acted on his own accord to promote the institution.  Also, there are several logs that are transcriptions of interviews concerning random topics, mainly church related topics that discuss rituals and the demographics of the congregation.  There are brochures of the Valdosta/Lowndes area that entice people to open businesses and reside in the area.  There are two essays that Dr. Belcher had a hand in writing that deal with living conditions, disaster impact, and rural Georgia sanitation norms in the nineteenth century.  There is also a transcription of elderly living conditions.  It is a survey that the elderly would take that concerned the smallest of detail in their daily life.  Most of his works dealt with Camden County.  He also wrote a pamphlet on healthcare service usage in Greene County, as well as Habersham County.       

Processing Notes:  (If needed, if not, omit)

Subject Headings:

John C. Belcher

Frederick L. Bates

University of Georgia 

Robert W. Peddycoat

Valdosta State College

Valdosta/Lowndes Chamber of Commerce

Moody Air force Base

South Georgia Medial Center

Don Cuddy

Robert Milnes

Phil Waters

James Burke

Park Wood Development Center

J. Adkins

Buddy Wisenbaker

Puerto Rico

Inventory:

Box 1:

Folder: Essay titled, “Level of Living Scales as Measures of Disaster Impact and Recovery” by: John Belcher and Frederick Bates.  Discusses the need for a plan for measuring the level at which reconstruction becomes development to aid in disaster relief.

Folder: Essay titled “Early Nineteenth Century Household Sanitation Norms in Rural Georgia” Lists the routines of the stated period in everyday life.  It is a very detailed description of daily duties that covers every conceivable action.

Folder: Brochure of Valdosta/Lowndes area.  Sponsored by local businesses, and it promotes the arrival of any new residents or businesses by showing the local hospital and educational avenues within the area.

Folder: Rough draft letters concerning the benevolence of Park wood Development Center, which is a refuge for the mentally handicapped.  They attend school there and have projects like woodworking that they can do.  There is also a makeshift list of things that he planned on obtaining to compose a slide show for the center.

Folder: Transcription and hand written charts concerning Determinants in Levels of Living in Rural Puerto Rico.  Also contains a demographic chart that determined how the populace lived.  The charts categorize the people based on race and religion.

Folder: Book: Retirement Survey, Camden County.  People would be interviewed to determine the living condition of the elderly.  The survey asked the participants every conceivable question about their lives.

Folder: Transcription of Interviews on random topics, mainly of church functions and hypothetical questions to determine the response of the interviewed.

Box 2:

Folder: Two kinds of brochures.  Brochure A: The dynamics of Georgia Population. Brochure B: Use of Health Care Service in Habersham and Greene County.  A: Discusses demographics, death rates, population estimates, fertility rates, and population changes.  B: Discusses use or disuse of medical resources, and reasons for use.

Folder: Another list of things needed for the Park Wood slide show.  Ex: which people to photograph and things required for the composition of the project.

Folder: Contains a box of developed slides.  B & J Crestwood were the developers.  Some of the pictures include: two men, a lab that was used to gather sacks of toiletries (to give to the needy perhaps).

Folders: Books Two more books containing random interviews.  Same as above.

Processing Date:) May 4, 2007.

Author of Finding Aid:  Jason Luke, created in partial fulfillment of the requirements of History 3000, Spring 2007.