The Harry Edwards Papers contain items created and collected by Dr. Edwards throughout the course of his more than fifty-year career as a sociologist, scholar, and activist. Through these objects he documents historic moments in the Civil Rights movement, his involvement in professional sports, and academic achievements. Materials in this collection consist of photographs, documents, textiles, magazines, books, manuscripts, news articles, posters and flyers, journals, framed items, and buttons related to Dr. Harry Edwards. The bulk of the content was created in 1967-2002.

Harry Edwards was born on November 22, 1942, in St. Louis, Mo., and raised in East St. Louis, Illinois, the second of eight children. A capable athlete and a gifted student in high school, Edwards relocated to California in 1960 with an athletics scholarship to Fresno City College. He then transferred to San Jose State College, where he graduated in 1964 with a B.A. degree in sociology. Edwards continued his studies, earning his M.A. in 1966 and his Ph.D. in 1970 in sociology from Cornell University. In 2016, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from San Jose State University. Edwards has written numerous articles and books on the sociology of sports and diversity. He later contributed to establishing the Institute for the Study of Sport, Society and Social Change(ISSSSC) which focused on athlete activism and the influence of sport in effecting positive social change at San José State University in 2017.

18 boxes (24.7 linear feet)

Copyright has not been assigned to the San Jose State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

This collection is open for research.