Byron De La Beckwith Letter
In a March 21, 1972, letter to the Bryan Brother Packing Company in West Point, MS, Byron De La Beckwith inquires about job opportunities for salesmen in the company. He provides his job history as well as commentary on who he would work with ("I work only for white Anglo Saxon Protestants or very conservative Roman Catholics..."), organizations which he supports ("Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Citizens Council, Masons, Knight, Templar work, the Shrine, V. F. W., American Legion, various charities, the Salvation Army. Also on George C. Wallace of course. Plus an assortment of other right wing activities"), and ways in which his notoriety has helped him in his current sales position ("Being so widely known helps me in my selling. Being accused on murdering a top ranking NAACP official dear to the U. S. Community Party and its subsidiaries in Government seems to often open all sorts of doors - financial - religious - political - etc").
The letter also contains a note in pencil on the back. In this note, to JB (J. B. Stroud, Personnel Manager of Bryan Brothers), John (John Bryan, Sr., CEO of Bryan Brothers) suggests Stroud answer very briefly & formally stating that "we have no openings @ present."
To the letter, De La Beckwith attached a photograph and a business card which are also included in the collection.
Dates
- 1972 March 21
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Extent
0.1 Linear Feet
Abstract
In a March 21, 1972 handwritten letter of application for employment with Bryan Brothers Packing Company in West Point, MS. Byron De La Beckwith, the assassin of civil rights leader Medgar Evers, provides his employment history and his thoughts on topics such as labor unions, dealings with minority customers, integrated schools, and politics. He also lists organizations and activities with which he is affiliated.
Biographical/Historical Note
Byron De La Beckwith (1920-2001) was an American white supremacist and the assassin of civil rights leader Medgar Evers on June 12, 1963, in Jackson, MS. He was twice tried for Evers' murder in 1964, but avoided convictions when the juries both returned deadlocked. Based on new evidence that he had boasted about the assassination at a Ku Klux Klan rally, De La Beckwith was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 1994. In 2001, while his case was still being appealed, he died of heart problems in prison.
Arrangement
Collection consists of a single folder.
Acquisition Note
This collection was purchased by Special Collections in November 2003.
Letter Transcription
A transcription of this letter is available as a PDF.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository