Henry Billups (1872-1955)
From Henry Billups: Bell Ringer at the College of William and Mary, 1888-1955 by Trudier Harris:
"When Charles Henry Billups, Jr. (1872-1955), a black man, came to work at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1888, he was an obscure descendant of liberated slaves. The college was extremely small; there were six faculty members, a president, and a student body of less than two hundred. When Henry died in 1955, the College had a student body of approximately 1,700 and over a hundred faculty members. During that 67 year period, Henry Billups, as he was commonly referred to by most who knew him, had become a tradition at the College of William and Mary. The tradition included a lifetime of service distinguished by 65 years of bell ringing and a lasting place in the hearts of almost seven decades of students who graduated from the College. Of the thousands of persons who worked for the College from its chartered date of 1693, Henry Billups could boast the longest period of tenure."
"It is Henry Billups' relationship with the students at William and Mary which gives him his legendary status. Henry was affectionately known to the students as "Doc" Billups. He was also referred to as "Professor of Boozology" and "student advisor." Mrs. Clara Baker, an 88 year-old retired school teacher from Williamsburg/James City County system, remembered that Henry had a "good relationship" with students. She said they always went to Henry for advice. In the Alumni Gazette for 1952, Henry is listed as "student advisor." In other publications, he is referred to as "caretaker," "Fabled Bell Ringer," and "unofficial advisor"."
Material in the Special Collections Research Center
- Henry Billups in University Archives Faculty-Alumni File Collection.
- Henry Billups in SCRC Digital Archive.
- Lambert Oral History Interview, University Archives Oral History Collection
- Henry Dennison Cole Papers, Box 1, Folder 5, Regarding cemetery lot, 1906.
Need help?
To search for further material, visit the Special Collections Research Center's Search Tool List for an overview of the Special Collections Database, W&M Digital Archive, Flat Hat-William & Mary News-Alumni Gazette index, card catalogs, and other tools available to help you find material of interest in William & Mary Libraries Special Collections Research Center.
Questions? Contact the Special Collections Research Center at spcoll@wm.edu or 757-221-3090, or visit the Special Collections Research Center in the Earl Gregg Swem Library at William & Mary.
| A Note About The Contents Of This Wiki |
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| The information available in this wiki is the best available from known documents and sources at the time it was written. Unfortunately, many of the early original records of William & Mary were destroyed by fires, military occupation, and the normal effects of time. Information in this wiki is not complete as new information continues to be uncovered in Swem Library's Special Collections Research Center and elsewhere. Researchers are strongly encouraged to use the Special Collections search tools for their research as the information contained in this wiki is by no means comprehensive. |
