Richard Reid papers
Scope and Contents
This collection is comprised of the personal, professional, and research papers of Richard Reid, a newspaper writer, lawyer, and active Catholic who spent the majority of his adult life in Augusta, Ga. Collection contains nespaper clippings, correspondence, working files, research materials, catholic publications, and materials documenting both the Benson family in Augusta and the history of the city of Augusta itself.
Dates
- Created: 1930-1960 Date acquired: 01/20/1993
Creator
- Reid, Richard, 1896-1961 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
No current access restrictions on this collection. Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Augusta University Special Collections & Institutional Archives is the owner of the physical collection and makes reproductions available for research purposes only. Materials within the collection are subject to the copyright law of the United States and item condition. Augusta University Special Collections & Institutional Archives may or may not own the rights to materials in the collection. It is the researcher's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and obtain permission from the copyright holder before publication, reproduction, or display of the materials beyond what is reasonable under copyright law. Researchers may quote selections from the collection under the fair use provision of copyright law.
Biographical or Historical Information
Richard Reid (1896–1961), born in Winchester, Massachusetts, was a nationally prominent newspaperman, lawyer, and Catholic lay leader. A graduate of Holy Cross College (B.A., 1918) with further studies at Columbia University and an M.B. from Fordham University (1923), he also received honorary degrees from Spring Hill College (1938) and Iona College (1958), as well as a Doctor of Letters from Fordham (1952). Reid began his career in Augusta, Georgia, working for The Augusta Chronicle (1918–1919) and the Augusta Herald (1919–1920), and was active in civic organizations including the Boy Scouts, the Augusta Press Club, the Exchange Club, and the Augusta Housing Authority. A dedicated Catholic layman, he served as principal of the Knights of Columbus school for ex-servicemen, executive secretary of the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia (1920–1940), and editor of the Georgia Bulletin before becoming editor of The Catholic News in New Rochelle, New York (1940–1961). He was a founder of the Catholic Institute of the Press, a visiting lecturer at Notre Dame University, and a practicing attorney with the Georgia Bar (1929–1940). Reid received numerous honors, including the Laetare Medal from Notre Dame (1936), the Hoey Medal for Interracial Justice (1946), and knighthoods in the Orders of St. Gregory (1937), the Holy Sepulcher (1952), and the Grand Cross (1956). He authored The Morality of the Newspaper (1937) and Three Days to Eternity, co-written with Rev. Edward Moffett, M.M. He married Katherine O’Leary in 1923, and they had five children. Reid died on January 24, 1961, in New Rochelle, New York, after a brief illness.
Extent
8 boxes
Language
English
Abstract
A collection of the personal and professional papers of lawyer, newspaperman, and Catholic activist, Richard Reid. Contains publications, correspondence, research files, and administrative documentation.
Arrangement
This collection is primarily organized into six main series: Correspondence, Newspaper Clippings, Personal Materials, Professional Materials, Publications and Print Materials, and Research Materials.
The Correspondence series includes both the personal and professional letters of Richard Reid, while the Newspaper Clippings document local Augusta news alongside the topics he cared about most, such as social justice and publishing. Personal Materials covers financial and estate papers, and Professional Materials contains his working files from various endeavors. Finally, Publications and Print Materials and Research Materials capture the published works and research subjects Reid followed throughout his life and career.
Custodial History
Processed by Aaron Hayes, 2025/12-2026-01.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Original provenance of collection is unknown. Collection has been in the holdings of the Augusta University Special Collections & Institutional Archives on record since 1993 upon accession.
- Title
- Inventory of the Richard Reid papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Aaron Hayes
- Date
- 2026-01-22
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Reese Library Archives Repository
