Harold T. Pinkett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harold T. Pinkett
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Harold T. Pinkett, July 1969
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| Born | April 7, 1914 |
| Died | March 13, 2001 (aged 86) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Archivist |
Harold Thomas Pinkett (born April 7, 1914 – died March 13, 2001) was an amazing African-American archivist and historian. An archivist is someone who collects and preserves important historical documents and records. In 1942, he made history by becoming the first African-American archivist to work at the National Archives of the United States. This is where the U.S. government keeps its most important historical papers.
Harold Pinkett also achieved other "firsts." He was the first African-American to become a special member (called a "fellow") of the Society of American Archivists. This is a big group for archivists. He was also the first African-American to be the editor of their main magazine, The American Archivist. He was a top expert in records about farming and history, and he even led the Agricultural History Society as its president.
Contents
Harold Pinkett's Life Story
His Family History
Harold Pinkett's family had a long history in Maryland. His ancestors were free Black people as early as 1820. His great-grandfather, Denard Pinkett, was a free worker on a farm in Somerset County. He married Mary, who was enslaved. Because of a Maryland law, their twelve children were all born into slavery, even though Denard was free.
One of Denard's children, Adam Pinkett, was Harold's grandfather. Adam fought for the Union Army during the American Civil War from 1863 to 1866. After the war, he was lucky enough to learn to read and write. He also owned his own land and house. Adam helped start his local Methodist Episcopal church and became a pastor.
Harold's father, Levin Wilson Pinkett, did not go to school for very long. He worked as a cleaner and gardener. Like his father, Adam, Levin also became a pastor in the local Methodist Episcopal church.
His Early Life and School
Harold T. Pinkett was born on April 7, 1914. His parents were Levin Wilson Pinkett and Catherine Pinkett. He grew up in Salisbury, Maryland. This area was segregated, meaning Black and white people were kept separate by unfair laws called Jim Crow laws. There was also a lot of violence against Black people. Even with these challenges, Harold always believed in the power of education, religion, and working hard to achieve goals.
When he was a boy, Harold delivered newspapers for the Afro-American. He also handed out copies of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People's Crisis magazine. This magazine, edited by W.E.B. DuBois, fought for civil rights for African Americans. Harold later wrote for the Crisis himself.
At sixteen, Pinkett started college at Morgan College, a Methodist school. He got a scholarship from Maryland to pay for his classes. He worked as a waiter every summer to pay for his living costs. He graduated in 1935 with top honors.
He wanted to study history in graduate school. However, the University of Maryland was still segregated. So, in 1935, Pinkett began his graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He lived with family to save money and worked for a government program helping people during the Great Depression.
After a year, he taught Latin at a high school in Baltimore. This experience made him want to finish his master's degree. He returned to the University of Pennsylvania and earned his degree in 1938. Money was still tight, so he went south to teach at Livingstone College for a year.
He then wanted to get his doctorate degree. Since the University of Maryland still didn't allow African Americans, he went to Columbia University. After one year, he had to teach again because of money problems. From 1940 to 1941, he taught history, government, and geography at Florida Normal College.
In 1941, he returned to teach at Livingstone. He met Lucille Cannady, and they married in 1943. Lucille also worked for the government, at the Department of Labor, for 33 years.
After World War II, Pinkett went back to school for his doctorate. He started at American University in 1948. In 1953, he earned his PhD in history and archival administration. His important paper was about Gifford Pinchot and the early conservation movement. It was later published as a book and won an award in 1968.
His Amazing Career
Starting Out and World War II
In 1941, Harold Pinkett published his first article in the Journal of Negro History. He also started reviewing books for the journal, often writing about race and fairness in American society.
In early 1942, the National Archives contacted Pinkett. They were looking for someone with knowledge of African-American history. On April 16, 1942, Pinkett started his job at the National Archives. He was the very first African American to be hired for a professional role there.
When he started, he noticed he was the only African American doing professional work. All other Black workers were in jobs like cleaning or delivering messages. Also, many people from the southern states worked at the Archives. He later called this time the "Era of the Confederate Archives."
Only two other African Americans, Dwight Hillis Wilson and Roland C. McConnell, got professional jobs there, but they were only temporary because of the war.
Even though he was "a curiosity" at the Archives, his social life was hard. Restaurants and other places were segregated, meaning he couldn't go to many places.
In 1943, Pinkett applied for a job in the Division of Agriculture Archives. He got the position, even though he was competing against many white candidates. His excellent work led to a promotion as an archivist, a job he held from 1942 to 1948.
Also in 1943, Pinkett joined the Society of American Archivists (SAA). Even though white men led the SAA until the 1960s, Pinkett became an SAA Fellow in 1962. He was elected to the SAA Council in 1971 and became the editor of the American Archivist magazine from 1968 to 1971.
In December 1943, Pinkett received his draft notice for the war. He served in Maryland, Massachusetts, France, Belgium, and Japan. He worked in teaching and administration roles. He became a technical sergeant and earned several medals for his service in World War II.
While in the army, Pinkett faced racism because the army was segregated. He tried to transfer units twice but was rejected. He also chose not to become an officer. He felt he didn't want to risk his life for a country that denied him his civil rights.
He continued to write during the war, for both academic and popular magazines. He wrote about race, war, how the media showed African Americans, segregation, and history. Near the end of the war, he wrote about his experiences, saying that "most Army Jim Crow is entirely unnecessary."
The 1950s and 1960s
Pinkett left the army in 1946 and went back to work at the National Archives that June. He kept writing for different publications. In 1948, he became a supervisory archivist, a job he held until 1959. He also helped create six important lists for the National Archives. He also pushed for using oral history and films for research.
During his time at the Archives, he helped many famous scholars with their research.
In 1959, Pinkett applied to be the chief of the Agriculture and General Services Branch. He was the only Black person among 25 candidates. He got the promotion, but he felt it was long overdue. From 1959 to 1962, Pinkett managed the branch's archival and administrative work. He played a key role in deciding which records were kept and which were thrown away. His work helping researchers and government officials earned him an award in 1964.
In 1968, after being passed over for other jobs, Pinkett was promoted to Divisional Deputy Director. This is also when he started editing the American Archivist magazine. From 1970 to 1972, Pinkett also served on the editorial board of a new magazine, Prologue: Journal of the National Archives. He also wrote articles for it. In 1970, he helped lead a conference to encourage archivists and historians to work together.
The 1970s and the SAA
In 1971, Pinkett took on leadership of the new Natural Resources Records Branch. This made him the highest-ranking African American in the General Services Administration.
By the early 1970s, African American history was a very popular area of study. The Civil Rights Movement was growing. Pinkett agreed with the goals of younger activists, but he worked in different ways. He continued to write articles, edit journals, and speak at conferences.
He was also very involved with the Society of American Archivists (SAA). Many younger members felt the SAA was not diverse enough. They wanted more diversity among archivists and in the collections they kept.
Pinkett ran for Vice President of the SAA, but he lost by a small number of votes. Still, he remained active. He served on many committees, including the Nominating Committee and the Awards Committee. He also continued to write and review for several publications.
Also in the 1970s, Pinkett served on the Agricultural History Society's executive committee and editorial board. He was also active in the Forest History Society, serving on its board for twenty years. He was elected president from 1976 to 1978. In 1975, he received the Society's highest honor.
He also taught at Howard University from 1970 to 1976 and at American University from 1976 to 1977.
At the end of the 1970s, Pinkett felt that the National Archives was becoming less professional. He decided to retire. He later received an Exceptional Service Award. Pinkett said he was "not bitter" about his lack of faster promotions at the Archives. However, he worked harder than many non-Black employees who received more recognition. Another archivist, Wilda Logan, said Pinkett “probably had to walk on water twice” to get his professional jobs.
Retirement Years: The 1980s and 1990s
Even after retiring from the National Archives, Harold Pinkett stayed involved in archival work. In 1980, he helped Howard University start its own archives. He also worked as a consultant for many African American organizations. These included the National Business League, the United Negro College Fund, the National Urban League, The Links, Inc., and the NAACP. He also worked with Cheyney University and wrote for The American Archivist.
He remained an important member of the Agricultural Historical Society. He served on its executive committee and was president from 1982 to 1983. He wrote articles for their journal, Agricultural History, and continued to review books.
Pinkett worked as a consultant for many universities and organizations during his retirement.
His Lasting Impact
Throughout his career, Harold Pinkett fought for more minority representation in the archival profession. He especially pushed for this in the SAA and the National Archives. He suggested that minority members serve on committees and boards. He also urged them to recruit more minorities for projects and to share the findings of their Task Force on Diversity. This Task Force later created the Minorities Roundtable, which is now called the Archivists and Archives of Color Roundtable.
In 1999, the Society of American Archivists named an award for minority graduate students after Pinkett. He passed away on March 31, 2001, just before his 87th birthday. He opened many more doors for future archivists than were open when he started his work over 60 years earlier. Archivist Wilda Logan called him "the Martin Luther King, Jr. of archivists." He is seen as the father of African American archivists and archival work.
