John L. Warfield Papers
Scope and Contents Note
The John L. Warfield Papers include documents, photographs, ephemera, and print publications. The collection is comprised of nine series: Personal and Biographical, Research and Publications, Community and Political Activity, Conferences, Center Administration, Correspondence, Teaching, Published Resources, Oversize Material, and Audiovisual Material.
Personal and Biographical contains material related to Dr. Warfield's early life and career, and includes diplomas, family documents, photographs, and personal ephemera. Research and Publications includes collected notes, publications on research topics, as well as Dr. Warfield's scholarship. Community and Political Activity contains material from Dr. Warfield's community work, including the National Black Political Assembly, the Black Citizens Task Force, and KAZI-FM. Conferences consists of material gathered from national and international meetings and conferences, including 2nd Annual International Symposium Apartheid-South Africa which Warfield hosted at UT. Center Administration contains subject files related to the Center's activity, official publications, and administration. Correspondence includes both incoming and outgoing correspondence spanning over twenty years. Teaching contains Dr. Warfield's course packets, exams, and teaching notes. Published Resources is comprised of various pamphlets, newsletters, handbills, brochures, articles, and journals highlighting African and African-American history, culture, and scholarship. Oversize Material contains newspapers and oversized print material from the collection. Items in the Audiovusual Material series were received by the Austin History Center in 2022 and include 1/4 inch reel-to-reel audio tape and 8mm film.
Dates
- Creation: 1953-2000
Language of Materials
English
Access Restrictions
Unrestricted.
Use Restrictions
Standard copyright restrictions apply.
Biographical Sketch
John Lewis Warfield was born May 26, 1936, to Bernis and Della Warfield. An accomplished psychologist, educator, and community activist, Warfield earned a B.A. in Psychology from Kalamazoo College in 1959, a M.A. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Denver in 1961, and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Oregon in 1969. Warfield spent his early career as a clinical and consulting psychologist, an administrator of the Upward Bound Project at the University of Oregon, and as Assistant Professor of Psychology and Executive Director of Expanded Opportunities Program at Macalester College. In 1973, Dr. Warfield joined the faculty at The University of Texas at Austin (UT) as Director of the African and Afro-American Studies and Research Center and Associate Professor of Educational Psychology.
Known for his leadership and commitment to racial justice, Dr. Warfield was referred to by many as “Doc.” In his 13-year tenure as Director of the Center, Dr. Warfield remained unafraid to speak out against racism both on campus and in the Austin community, and regularly organized programs to highlight the contributions and concerns of African and African American people. Under his leadership, the African and Afro-American Studies and Research Center became closely aligned with African Diaspora Studies, creating the foundation for the contemporary UT Black Studies department.
As a scholar activist, Dr. Warfield was deeply involved in the Austin community. Dr. Warfield was a founding member of the Black Citizens Task Force, a local grassroots political organization, and served as its director in 1975. In 1982, he helped to launch and KAZI-FM, a community-based radio station for Austin's African-American community.
Dr. Warfield retired from UT in 2000. He passed away in 2007 at the age of 71, having lived with Parkinson's disease for nearly 20 years. To honor Dr. Warfield's contributions and legacy, UT's Center for African and African-American Studies was renamed the John L. Warfield Center African and African-American Studies in 2008.
More information:
John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies, " About John L. Warfield "
Austin American Statesman Obituary, " John Warfield "
Full Extent
18 linear feet
Abstract
Papers of psychologist, educator, and community activist Dr. John L. Warfield. In his 26-year career (1973-1999) at The University of Texas at Austin, Warfield served as faculty in the department of Educational Psychology and Director of the African and Afro-American Studies and Research Center.
Acquisition Information
Donation.
Accession numbers: 2014-46, 2022-30
Additions
No further materials are expected for this collection.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Rachel E. Winston and Zaria El-Fil, 2019. Audiovisual Material series processed by Rachel E. Winston, 2022.
Subject
- University of Texas at Austin (Organization)
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- John L. Warfield Papers
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Author
- Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection
- Date
- 2019
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard (Dacs)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Revision Statements
- 2020 September: Edited by Carla O. Alvarez to fix compliance check errors to prepare for the migration to new TARO website.
- 2021 November: Edited by Devon Murphy to update control access terms and formatting based on the TARO Control Access List.
- 2025 July: Revised by Ryan Sullivant to fix validation errors prior to ingestion into ArchivesSpace.
Repository Details
Part of the Benson Latin American Collection, The University of Texas at Austin Repository
2300 Red River Street
Austin Texas 78712 United States
(512) 495-4578
bensonspecialcollections@austin.utexas.edu