Irvin
Nov 21, 2022

Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers

Irvin "Mac" Henry McDuffie and his wife Elizabeth "Lizzie" Hall McDuffie were domestics in their hometown of Atlanta and later in the employ of Franklin Delano Roosevelt during his presidency. Born in Elberton, Georgia, Irvin moved to Atlanta to be a barber and eventually manage the McDuffie-Herndon Barbershop financed by Alonzo Herndon of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Upon the recommendation of a customer, Roosevelt interviewed McDuffie to be his valet at his retreat at Warm Springs, Georgia. McDuffie continued on with Roosevelt through his governorship in New York and his presidency, until McDuffie suffered a nervous breakdown in 1939. Elizabeth worked for 23 years as a maid with the prominent Atlanta family of Edward H. Inman. In 1933 she moved to Washington, D.C. to join her husband and became a maid in the White House where she remained until Roosevelt's death in 1945.

At the AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library we are always striving to improve our digital collections. We welcome additional information about people, places, or events depicted in any of the works in this collection. To submit information, please contact us at DSD@auctr.edu.
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A letter to Elizabeth McDuffie regarding an article featuring her in Ebony.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Correspondence from Bill and Sophia to Elizabeth McDuffie, March 24, 1952
Date Created
1952-03-24
Description
A letter to Elizabeth McDuffie regarding an article featuring her in Ebony.
Subject
African American women, Household employees
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
A letter to Elizabeth McDuffie regarding the book she intended to write.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Correspondence from Henrietta Nesbitt to Elizabeth McDuffie, March 12, 1952
Date Created
1952-03-12
Description
A letter to Elizabeth McDuffie regarding the book she intended to write.
Subject
Household employees, Authors, African American authors
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Three blank postcards displaying buildings at the Little White House in Warm Springs.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Little White House, Warm Springs Postcards, 1952
Date Created
1952
Description
Three blank postcards displaying buildings at the Little White House in Warm Springs.
Subject
Presidents, Buildings and grounds
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Photocopy of a newspaper clipping announcing the death of Anna W. Kuykendall.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
"Mrs. Kuykendall Was McNutt, Lilly Cook", circa 1956
Date Created
1951/1961
Description
Photocopy of a newspaper clipping announcing the death of Anna W. Kuykendall.
Subject
Funeral rites and ceremonies, Household employees, African American women
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Graham W. Jackson Sr. and his wife look at a smiling baby resting on the arm of a couch.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Graham W. Jackson, Sr. with Wife and Child, circa 1955
Date Created
1950/1960
Description
Graham W. Jackson Sr. and his wife look at a smiling baby resting on the arm of a couch.
Subject
African American children, African American musicians, African American educators, African Americans--Music
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
A Christmas card from Kemper Harreld to Elizabeth McDuffie.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Correspondence from Kemper Harreld to Elizabeth McDuffie, circa 1955
Date Created
1950/1960
Description
A Christmas card from Kemper Harreld to Elizabeth McDuffie.
Subject
African American musicians, African American men, African American women
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
An envelope addressed to Elizabeth McDuffie sent from Eleanor Roosevelt.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Envelope from Eleanor Roosevelt, circa 1955
Date Created
1950/1960
Description
An envelope addressed to Elizabeth McDuffie sent from Eleanor Roosevelt.
Subject
Presidents' spouses, Household employees, African American women
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
A letter to Elizabeth McDuffie regarding her health and the Kytle's move to Ohio.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Correspondence from Elizabeth Kytle to Elizabeth McDuffie, November 30, 1950
Date Created
1950-11-30
Description
A letter to Elizabeth McDuffie regarding her health and the Kytle's move to Ohio.
Subject
Household employees, African American women, African Americans--Health and hygiene
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
An envelope addressed to Elizabeth McDuffie sent from Eleanor Roosevelt.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Envelope from Eleanor Roosevelt, August 13, 1950
Date Created
1950-08-13
Description
An envelope addressed to Elizabeth McDuffie sent from Eleanor Roosevelt.
Subject
Presidents' spouses, Household employees, African American women
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
A postcard sent to Elizabeth McDuffie from A. L. Tompkins describing her stay.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Correspondence from A. L. Tompkins to Elizabeth McDuffie, July 28, 1950
Date Created
1950-07-28
Description
A postcard sent to Elizabeth McDuffie from A. L. Tompkins describing her stay.
Subject
African American universities and colleges, Household employees, African American women
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Photocopy of a newspaper clipping describing the fifth year anniversary of President Franklin Roosevelt's death.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
"Warm Springs Observes Anniversary of Tragedy", April 13, 1950
Date Created
1950-04-13
Description
Photocopy of a newspaper clipping describing the fifth year anniversary of President Franklin Roosevelt's death.
Subject
Presidents, Associations, institutions, etc., International relations
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Photocopy of a newspaper clipping commenting on the legacy of President Franklin Roosevelt.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
"History Will Give the Final Verdict", April 1950
Date Created
1950-04
Description
Photocopy of a newspaper clipping commenting on the legacy of President Franklin Roosevelt.
Subject
Presidents, Political science
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
A letter to Elizabeth McDuffie thanking her for Eleanor Roosevelt's autograph.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Correspondence from Graham W. Jackson to Elizabeth McDuffie, September 27, 1949
Date Created
1949-09-27
Description
A letter to Elizabeth McDuffie thanking her for Eleanor Roosevelt's autograph.
Subject
African American musicians, Household employees, African American women, Presidents' spouses
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
A letter to Elizabeth McDuffie regarding a newspaper clipping.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Correspondence from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Warm Springs Memorial Commission to Elizabeth McDuffie, January
Date Created
1949-01-04
Description
A letter to Elizabeth McDuffie regarding a newspaper clipping.
Subject
Associations, institutions, etc., African American women, Household employees
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
A letter to Elizabeth McDuffie regarding her donation of President Franklin Roosevelt's shaving brush. Written on verso: Ans.; Call for Miss Tamie; Hemlock-4273-W.; Lola, Ve. 8905-1st Ring; 15; 6 o'clock.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Correspondence from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Warm Springs Memorial Commission to Elizabeth McDuffie, December
Date Created
1948-12-08
Description
A letter to Elizabeth McDuffie regarding her donation of President Franklin Roosevelt's shaving brush. Written on verso: Ans.; Call for Miss Tamie; Hemlock-4273-W.; Lola, Ve. 8905-1st Ring; 15; 6 o'clock.
Subject
Associations, institutions, etc., African American women, Household employees
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
South-View Cemetery Association Card for Sarah Stanfield, Elizabeth McDuffie's mother, noting her place of burial.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
South View Cemetery Association Card, October 20, 1948
Date Created
1948-10-20
Description
South-View Cemetery Association Card for Sarah Stanfield, Elizabeth McDuffie's mother, noting her place of burial.
Subject
African American women, Funeral rites and ceremonies
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
A collection of telegrams offering condolences on the death of Sarah Stanfield, Elizabeth McDuffie's mother.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Condolence Telegrams, October 1948
Date Created
1948-10
Description
A collection of telegrams offering condolences on the death of Sarah Stanfield, Elizabeth McDuffie's mother.
Subject
African American women, Household employees, Funeral rites and ceremonies
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Photocopy of two newspaper clippings. One describes a party hosted by Elizabeth McDuffie in 1948 for her friends from Washington. The other describes an event honoring Mrs. McDuffie around 1933.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
"Social Swirl", September 26, 1948
Date Created
1948-09-26
Description
Photocopy of two newspaper clippings. One describes a party hosted by Elizabeth McDuffie in 1948 for her friends from Washington. The other describes an event honoring Mrs. McDuffie around 1933.
Subject
Household employees, African American women, African Americans--Politics and government
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
A letter to Elizabeth McDuffie regarding an article about her in Ebony.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Correspondence from Isabelle Hurd to Elizabeth McDuffie, circa 1952
Date Created
1947/1957
Description
A letter to Elizabeth McDuffie regarding an article about her in Ebony.
Subject
Household employees, African American women
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
Photocopy of a newspaper clipping in which Eleanor Roosevelt wrote answers to reader's questions.
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers
"If You Ask Me", circa 1952
Date Created
1947/1957
Author
Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
Description
Photocopy of a newspaper clipping in which Eleanor Roosevelt wrote answers to reader's questions.
Subject
Presidents' spouses, Presidents, Children, Political science
Collection
Elizabeth and Irvin McDuffie Papers