Courtesy of Vanderbilt University
The Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries at Vanderbilt University has recently digitized a collection of papers from Rev. James M. Lawson, a pioneer of the civil rights movement and advocate for nonviolent activism. Housed in the libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives, the collection was originally donated in 2013. Now, the collection can be accessed by students, faculty, and the general public.
Lawson enrolled in Vanderbilt Divinity School in 1958. During his time in Nashville, he mentored various civil rights activists and organized various student protests in support of desegregating restaurants in the downtown area. His activism led Vanderbilt’s board of trustees to expel Lawson, which resulted in public outrage and faculty resignations. Lawson soon transferred to Boston University to complete his divinity graduate studies. In the 1970s, Lawson moved to Los Angeles, California and served as pastor for the Methodist Church for over two decades.
In the 1990s, Vanderbilt University began to repair its relationship with Lawson. He received three separate Distinguished Alumni awards from the Divinity School, the Association of Vanderbilt Black Alumni, and the Vanderbilt Alumni Association. The university also honored Lawson by establishing the James M. Lawson Jr. Chair, a undergraduate scholarship named in his honor, and the James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study for Nonviolent Movements. Additionally, Lawson served as a Distinguished University Professor with Vanderbilt for three years.
On June 9 of this year, Lawson passed away at the age of 95.
Lawson held a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Baldwin Wallace College in Ohio and a baccalaureate in sacred theology degree from Boston University.