John Cowper Granbery, Jr., (1874-1953) was a Methodist minister, sociology professor and publisher of the Emancipator. He attended seminary school at Vanderbilt and was ordained in 1897. He then attended the University of Chicago, eventually earning a doctorate in sociology in 1909. Granbery taught at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, 1913, but left to join the Foyer de Soldat, an organization formed by the International Committee of the Young Men’s Christian Association of North America to provide aid to soldiers in France during World War I (WWI). Granbery was twice decorated by the Greek government during WWI.
He returned to Georgetown and made a name for himself as an outspoken liberal, making speeches on behalf of the reelection of Miriam A. “Ma” Ferguson. Granbery taught in the history department of Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University) from 1925 until being fired for his political activities in 1932. From 1935 to 1838, he was again at Southwestern, but after his dismissal from that university, Granbery started a liberally monthly, the Emancipator. He published his magazine in San Antonio from 1941 to 1952 and continued to teach at local universities. He also had a radio program on WOAI.
Source:
“Granbery, John Cowper, Jr.” Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed September 28, 2011.
Correspondence comprises the bulk of the John C. Granbery Papers, 1863-1955. The collection also includes copies of Granbery’s publication the Emancipator, as well as newspaper clippings, personal notes, printed material, photographs, sheet music, and news scripts (essays written by Granbery on social and economic issues) detailing his life, political activities, and his service during World War I. Mary A. Granbery’s personal journals, composition notebooks, and activity calendars are also included in the collection.
John C. Granbery and his wife wrote the bulk of the correspondence in the collection, addressing them to various religious ministers, university faculty and presidents, the United States Postmaster General, newspaper editors, and personal acquaintances. The subject matters of the letters include letters of recommendation for college or employment, taxes, mail delivery, legal affairs, and social and economic issues. There are also a number of letters written by Emancipator subscribers expressing their enjoyment of the publication or expressing opinions on different issues.
This collection is open for research use.
A portion of this collection is stored remotely. Advance notice required for retrieval. Contact repository for retrieval.
John C. Granbery Papers, 1863-1955, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.
Some material has been separated to the Austin History Center.
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s