Biographical and Historical Note

John Alexander Oates was a Wake Forest College alumnus (1895) who became a lawyer and state legislator. He was born on June 2, 1870, to John Alexander Oates, Sr., and Mary Jewell Ashford Oates. He taught school while earning his own degree at Wake Forest College (1895).

Oates had a varied and active career. He served as editor of the North Carolina Baptist from 1892 until 1907. In 1910, he earned his N.C. law license and practiced until 1950. Oates was devoted to the temperance and prohibition causes, organizing an Anti-Saloon League of North Carolina through his leadership on the Baptist State Committee of N.C.'s Temperance Committee. In 1908, Oates' organizing work was successful when North Carolinians voted for state-wide prohibition.

Oates held a number of government positions as a Democrat: Fayetteville Board of Aldermen member, Cumberland County Board of Education chair (1903-1913); the first judge of the Cumberland County Recorder's Court (1913); Fayetteville School Board chair (1911-1928); state senator (1917-1919); and School for the Blind and Deaf director (1925-1933); and other county and state roles.

In addition to all these roles, Oates was a member of the Wake Forest College Board of Trustees from 1906-1948, including 9 years as Board president. He also was an active local historian, focusing on Fayetteville and Cumberland County, North Carolina. His most notable publication was the 1950 book The Story of Fayetteville and the Upper Cape Fear. Oates was an active member of First Baptist Church, Fayetteville.

Oates was married to Emma Estelle Dodd and, after her death, to Isabelle Charters Crowder, with whom he had two children: John Alexander Oates III and Mary Ashford Oates. He died on February 12, 1958.

Sources: Stroupe, Henry S. "Oates, John Alexander."  Dictionary of North Carolina Biography. 1991. Available at https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/oates-john-alexander

Collection Overview

This collection focuses on his volunteer work with the Anti-Saloon League of N.C. and Wake Forest College and historical research regarding his family, Fayetteville, and Cumberland County. It contains little of Oates' professional life as a lawyer and state politician. Material types include correspondence, family history materials, financial and legal documents, news clippings, notebooks, photographs, publications, writings, and subject files.

Many files listed in the collection inventory include a page count note; most of these should be correct but some may be inaccurate. Materials related to Wake Forest College are located in the correspondence and subject files series.

This collection has eight series: Series 1. Biographical, family, and personal materials, Series 2. Correspondence, Series 3. Correspondence: Anti-Saloon League of North Carolina, Series 4. Financial and legal materials, Series 5. Photographs, Series 6. Speeches, Series 7. Subject files, and Series 8. Writings.

Collection Inventory

• Biographical, family, and personal materials
  • Certificates  (1912-1962) box 2 folder 62
  • Group photograph of Scotch marker unveiling participants (oversize)  (1940) box 3 folder 114
  • Event invitations  (1917-1965) box 2 folder 63
  • Family and personal history materials (circa 1960-1969) box 1 folder 2
  • Family memorials, correspondence, and related materials (circa 1938-1970) box 1 folder 1
  • Family letter, unidentified father to son  (1911 September 10) box 1 folder 16
  • Lindley, Isabelle Crowder Oates, materials (circa 1931-1967) box 1 folder 9
  • McKethan, James K., letter to "cousin William" from Tarboro, N.C.  (1864 April 15) box 1 folder 10
  • Oates, David T., obituary (circa 1910-1912) box 1 folder 11
  • Oates, John A., Jr. (1870-1958), news clippings (circa 1920-1958) box 1 folder 13
  • Oates, John A., Sr. (1833-1901), clippings and letter (1860, 1901) box 1 folder 12
  • Oates, John A., III, writings and biographical materials  (1949-1971) box 1 folder 14
  • Oates, Mary Jewell Ashford, Female Institute, Clinton, N.C., diploma  (1863 June) box 1 folder 108
  • Personal mementos (circa 1907-1951) box 1 folder 109
  • Scrapbook, Harris School, second grade  (1913) box 1 folder 107
  • York, Pennsylvania, VFW Scottish band photographs (oversize)  (circa 1947) box 1 folder 113
• Correspondence: Anti-Saloon League of North Carolina
  • A  (1907-1908) box 2 folder 66
  • B  (1903-1908) box 2 folder 67
  • C  (1907-1908) box 2 folder 68
  • D  (1905-1908) box 2 folder 69
  • E-F  (1905-1908) box 2 folder 70
  • G  (1907-1908) box 3 folder 71
  • H-J  (1907-1908) box 2 folder 72
  • K-L  (1903-1908) box 2 folder 73
  • M  (1907-1908) box 2 folder 74
  • N-O  (1905-1908) box 2 folder 75
  • P-Q  (1907-1908) box 2 folder 76
  • R  (1907-1908) box 2 folder 77
  • S  (1907-1908) box 2 folder 78
  • T-V  (1907-1908) box 2 folder 79
  • W  (1907-1908) box 2 folder 80
  • X-Z  (1907) box 2 folder 81
  • Pamphlets  (1902-1944) box 2 folder 82
• Correspondence
  • Bradford, James A., letter to Senator Henry Clay regarding U.S. arsenal, Fayetteville, N.C.  (1851 February 11) box 1 folder 3
  • Correspondence  (1905-1964) box 1 folder 7
  • Correspondence  (1908-1957) box 1 folder 8
  • Herring, Robert W., and Graham Kenan, Kenan and Herring law firm materials  (1906-1908) box 1 folder 5
  • Correspondence regarding WFC (1938-1945, 1965) box 4 folder 3
  • Correspondence regarding WFC  (1939-1945) box 4 folder 7
  • Correspondence regarding WFC  (1941-1943) box 4 folder 5
  • Correspondence regarding WFC  (1943-1946) box 3 folder 1
  • Correspondence regarding WFC  (1945-1948) box 4 folder 6
  • Correspondence regarding WFC  (1946) box 4 folder 8
  • Correspondence regarding war changes to WFC  (1942) box 4 folder 4
  • Legal and history correspondence  (1917-1957) box 1 folder 4
  • Oates, Mary Ashford, correspondence (1863-1864, 1925) box 1 folder 15
  • The Story of Fayetteville and the Upper Cape Fear correspondence and related materials  (1948-1970) box 1 folder 6
• Financial and legal materials
  • Accounts  (1950) box 1 folder 17
  • Bills  (1951) box 1 folder 18
  • Bills and related correspondence  (1949-1951) box 1 folder 19
  • Certificate of cohabitation for George Oates and Jinnie Bizzell, two freed persons  (1866) box 1 folder 21
  • Insurance policies (1881, 1940) box 1 folder 23
  • Land deeds and records, including photocopies  (1771-1949) box 1 folder 22
  • Notebook containing accounts and notes  (1946-1950) box 3 folder 106
  • Receipts and interest notes  (1878-1959) box 1 folder 20
  • Will: Roger Snell copy (1758)  (1952) box 1 folder 24
• Photographs
  • History of Fayetteville box 2 folder 58
  • John A. Oates and others box 2 folder 59
  • Scottish Clan box 2 folder 60
  • Tom Jeffries image from a publication on photograph paper  (circa 1925) box 4 folder 2
  • Unidentified box 2 folder 61
• Speeches (undated)
  • Baptists box 1 folder 33
  • Chamber of Commerce box 1 folder 34
  • Civilization and progress box 1 folder 35
  • Fayetteville box 1 folder 36
  • Flag box 1 folder 37
  • General  (1905-1949) box 1 folder 32
  • Graduation box 1 folder 38
  • History box 1 folder 39
  • Life, love, laughter box 1 folder 40
  • Music box 1 folder 41
  • North Carolina box 1 folder 42
  • Politics box 1 folder 43
  • Power box 1 folder 44
  • Religion box 1 folder 45
  • Social Order box 1 folder 46
  • Teachers box 1 folder 47
  • Temperance box 1 folder 48
  • War box 1 folder 49
  • Words box 1 folder 50
• Subject files
  • Baptist State Convention of N.C.  (1916-1949) box 3 folder 100
  • Civil War material: Lovejoy, Charles C. (3rd Lt., Co. 1, 4th Regiment, N.C. Cavalry), letter to "Miss Mary", Raleigh. He was recovering from a wound received near Nottaway, Virginia, mentions Captain [Joseph O.] Cherry and Cousin [Marcellus Ferdinand] Rand  (1864 June 28, September 8) box 3 folder 104
  • Civil War material: Presidential amnesty proclamation signed by Andrew Johnson for James M. Wooten, Onslow County, N.C. (photocopy)  (1865 November 9) box 3 folder 105
  • Fayetteville, N.C.: Clubs box 2 folder 90
  • Fayetteville, N.C.: First Baptist Church  (1890-1955) box 2 folder 91
  • Fayetteville, N.C.: History  (1905-1940) box 2 folder 92
  • Fayetteville, N.C.: Pamphlets  (1905-1957) box 2 folder 93
  • Fayetteville, N.C.: North Carolina Baptist newspaper box 2 folder 94
  • N.C. counties: Bladen  (1957, undated) box 2 folder 83
  • N.C. counties: Brunswick  (1951, undated) box 2 folder 84
  • N.C. counties: Cumberland (1911-1954, undated) box 2 folder 85
  • N.C. counties: Duplin  (1950) box 2 folder 86
  • N.C. counties: Moore  (1950) box 2 folder 87
  • N.C. counties: New Hanover (undated) box 2 folder 88
  • N.C. counties: Robeson box 2 folder 89
  • N.C. state maps box 2 folder 64
  • News clippings: Education box 2 folder 51
  • News clippings: Family box 2 folder 52
  • News clippings: Fayetteville box 2 folder 53
  • News clippings: First Baptist Church box 2 folder 54
  • News clippings: Highland Scots (circa 1927-1938) box 2 folder 55
  • News clippings: History box 2 folder 56
  • News clippings: Prohibition and Anti-Saloon League box 2 folder 57
  • Programs  (1939-1967) box 2 folder 65
  • Scottish Clan correspondence  (1939-1959) box 2 folder 95
  • Scottish Clan festivals  (1939-1954) box 3 folder 96
  • Scottish Clan members box 3 folder 97
  • Scottish Clan pamphlets and notes  (1910-1946) box 3 folder 98
  • Segregation  (1898-1951) box 3 folder 99
  • Victory Gardens  (1944-1945) box 3 folder 101
  • WFC materials  (1912-1952) box 3 folder 102
  • WFC Board of Trustees materials  (1944-1957) box 3 folder 103
• Writings
  • Articles about Christianity and its practice, likely by John Alexander Oates, Jr. (circa 1930-1958) box 1 folder 26
  • "Christian Citizenship" and "A Study of the Baptist People"  (circa 1897) box 4 folder 1
  • News clippings and transcriptions  (1902-1957) box 1 folder 25
  • Poetry (1906, 1929) box 1 folder 27
  • Poetry (undated) box 1 folder 28
  • Reminiscences  (1952) box 1 folder 29
  • Research and speech notes (circa 1910-1958) box 1 folder 30-31

Summary Information

Repository

Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives

Creator

Oates, John Alexander, 1870-1958

Title

John Alexander Oates Papers

ID

MS144

Date [inclusive]

1771-1970

Quantity

2 record cartons, 2 document boxes

Extent

3.44  Linear Feet

Administrative Information

Publication Information

Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, 2004

Revision Description

Revised by Finley Turner, Stephanie Bennett and Nancy Sullivan, Stephanie Bennett, 2019, 2020, 2021

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for use. 

Copyright Notice

The nature of the WFU Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Archives and Special Collections of ZSR Library claims only physical ownership of most materials. The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. 

Preferred Citation

John Alexander Oates Papers (MS144). Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA. 

Controlled Access Headings

Personal Name(s)

• Oates, John Alexander, 1870-1958

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