Charlotte Capers (June 28, 1913 − December 23, 1996) was director of the

Mississippi Department of Archives and History Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) is a state agency. It is the official archive of the Mississippi Government. Location The Mississippi Department of Archives and History is located in Jackson. The William F. Winter Archives ...

(MDAH) from 1955 to 1969 and was the first woman to become the head of a state agency in Mississippi. Her tenure in various staff positions at MDAH spanned 45 years (1938–1983).

Biography

Charlotte Capers was born in Columbia, Tennessee, to Walter B. Capers and Louise Woldridge Capers.

Education and career

With a goal of becoming a journalist, Capers attended the

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Co ...

and

Millsaps College Millsaps College is a private liberal arts college in Jackson, Mississippi. It was founded in 1890 and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. History The college was founded in 1889–90 by a Confederate veteran, Major Reuben Webster M ...

, receiving a BA degree in English from the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment. ...

in 1934. In 1938, Capers joined the staff of MDAH as a stenographer. In 1943, when MDAH Director, William D. McCain was called to active duty in WWII, Capers was promoted from her position as research and editorial assistant to Acting Director. She served in that position until McCain returned from military service in 1945. In 1955, Capers was elected MDAH Director by the Board of Trustees. Accomplishments during her tenure as Director included: * Planned and oversaw restoration of the

Old Mississippi State Capitol The Old Mississippi State Capitol, also known as Old Capitol Museum or Old State Capitol, served as the Mississippi statehouse from 1839 until 1903. The old state capitol was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. In 1986, th ...

. * The State Historical Museum was organized and housed in the Old State Capitol. * Plans were finalized and funding was secured for construction of a new Archives and History Building. In 1969, Capers stepped down as MDAH Director and moved into a subordinate position as director of information and education at MDAH. In 1972, she was appointed principal executive for restoration of the Governor's Mansion. Charlotte Capers retired from MDAH on April 1, 1983.

Journalism credits

* Editor-in-chief (1956–69) for the ''Journal of Mississippi History'' * Author of ''The Capers Papers'' – a collection of humorous essays originally published in Jackson, Mississippi newspapers * Authored 99 book reviews for ''

The New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

Legacy and death

In 1983, the

Mississippi Legislature The Mississippi Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The bicameral Legislature is composed of the lower Mississippi House of Representatives, with 122 members, and the upper Mississippi State Senate, with 52 me ...

authorized MDAH Board of Trustees to rename the Archives and History Building as the Charlotte Capers Building in honor of her 45 years of dedicated service to MDAH. Charlotte Capers died December 23, 1996, and was interred at Lakewood Memorial Park in Jackson, Mississippi.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Capers, Charlotte 1913 births 1996 deaths People from Columbia, Tennessee People from Jackson, Mississippi University of Mississippi alumni American archivists Female archivists 20th-century American historians 20th-century American women writers Writers from Jackson, Mississippi