John Wilson Bivens Papers
John Wilson Bivens attended Wake Forest College (1880-1883) and made his living in Union County, N.C. Materials in this collection include biographical sketches, obituaries, student materials of both Bivens and his son, Anson County and Union Baptist Association records, original poetry, authored news clippings, and other writings related to and possibly by John Wilson Bivens. Items are photocopies, with the exception of one photograph negative.
Biographical and Historical Note
John Wilson Bivens was born in Union County, N.C., on October 29, 1859, to Henry and Jane Ashcraft Bivens. He attended Wake Forest College from 1880-1883 and married Mary Anna Williams in 1884.
After his time at Wake Forest College, Bivens returned to Union County to farm. He was elected as Register of Deeds for Union County in 1890 and served three two-year terms (1890-1896). In 1896, Bivens and his wife moved from Monroe to Wingate, N.C., where the family resided. Bivens was elected to serve in the lower house of the General Assembly between 1901 and 1902, though his time in the legislature was short due to health issues. Later, he worked in banking and business within Union County.
Bivens supported Wingate School (later Wingate University). Wingate School was formed by Baptist associations in Union County, N.C., and Chesterfield County, S.C, for grade school students in the Piedmont region. Bivens was on the Union County Board of Education and his name is listed as a founding trustee on the Union Baptist Association's Resolution regarding Wingate School's construction.
Bivens' son, John Ashcraft Bivens, graduated from Wake Forest College with a Bachelor of Arts in 1917 and a Master of Arts in 1918, and John Ashcraft Bivens, Jr., his grandson, attended Wake Forest College from 1951-1953. John Wilson Bivens died in Wingate, N.C., on December 20, 1927.
Sources:
Wake Forest Alumni Directory, Wake Forest College, 1961.
"History and Traditions," Wingate, Wingate University. Available online at Wingate's web site.
Collection Overview
This collection documents some of Bivens' interests and connections across his life, including: Wake Forest College, Baptist organizations, government, education, religion, and writing. This collection includes news clippings, correspondence, documents, and writings by and about John Wilson Bivens. Materials in the collection are photocopies, with the exception of one photograph negative.
Collection Arrangement
This collection is organized into five series: Series 1. Biographical materials; Series 2. John Ashcraft Bivens (son) materials; Series 3. Union Baptist Association materials; Series 4. Wake Forest College materials; Series 5. Writings
Administrative Information
- Publication Information
- Processed by John Woodard at a previous date. Converted to EAD by Gaby de la Vega and Emily Houlditch in 2023., 2023 September
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open for researchers.
- Conditions Governing Use
- 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 Wilson Bivens Papers (MS313), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.