W. Darrell Overdyke
Encyclopedia
William Darrell Overdyke (August 7, 1907 – June 21, 1973) was an American
historian
known particularly for his work on 18th- and 19th-century plantation
homes in his adopted state of Louisiana
as well as the anti-immigration
Know Nothing
political party
in the American South.
near Pittsburg
in Crawford County
in southeastern Kansas
. He graduated with honors in 1928 from Methodist-affiliated Centenary College
in Shreveport
, Louisiana. He then procured his Master of Arts
degree from Louisiana State University
in Baton Rouge
, after which time he joined the Centenary faculty, a position that he retained for the remainder of his life. In 1941, he was awarded a Ph.D
by Duke University
in Durham
, North Carolina
.
troop master. Because of his kindness, Overdyke was nicknamed "Dr. Bunny" and for several years was voted "favorite professor" by the Centenary graduating classes. The college newspaper referred to him in 1970 as "a man of rare qualities, one knows him by his smile, a hand lifted in a friendly wave, words spoken with kindness, eyes that show a true sincere concern for each fellow man."
Overdyke twice received Carnegie Foundation
grants and a grant for special study from the Hemenway furniture store in Shreveport. From 1945 to 1948, he was chairman of the division of social science. He was a member of the building committee that planned and built the Magale Library at Centenary. He was a pioneer in the use of portable microfilming equipment as a research tool.
Overdyke was a charter member of Phi Alpha Theta
and a founder of the Southern Historical Association
, the Louisiana Historical Association
, the North Louisiana Historical Association
, and the Louisiana Academy of Sciences. He was active in the Organization of American Historians
and the American Historical Association
. He contributed articles and book reviews to various historical journals in the United States and England
. His article "A Southern Family on the Missouri Frontier: Letters From Independence, 1843-1855" was published in 1951 in the Journal of Southern History.
His books include The American Party in Louisiana and the broader The Know-Nothing Party in the South, The second publication includes a chapter on former U.S. President Millard Fillmore
's 1856 comeback effort through the American Party. Fillmore, who carried only Maryland
, lost to the Democrat
James Buchanan
of Pennsylvania
.
His Louisiana Plantation Homes Colonial and Ante Bellum, reflects the work of more than three decades of traveling through the main roads and back roads of Louisiana to photograph the exteriors, interiors, and architectural details of more than 100 plantation homes. Overdyke visited about half of the 64 parishes and stresses the wide variety of residential structures in Louisiana compared to most other states.
Overdyke's interests in architecture and photographic art was enhanced by his wife, the former Martha Walker (1908–1984), who aided him in the collection of architectural and photographic data. This work was selected by the International Council of Scholars and is listed in The Encyclopedia of World Art as one of the leading references in Louisiana architecture.
Two of his other books are The Samuel Ralston Letters and Sanity in an Insane World.
During his later tenure at Centenary, Overdyke was a colleague of the historian Walter M. Lowrey
, a former president of the Louisiana Historical Association.
, Professor John D. Winters
, a specialist in the American Civil War
at Louisiana Tech University
in Ruston
, wrote:
Similarly, Webb D. Pomeroy (Class of 1944, 1923–1989), a former Overdyke student and later faculty colleague, said in the funeral eulogy:
Overdyke is still remembered through the Overdyke Awards in Louisiana history.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
known particularly for his work on 18th- and 19th-century plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
homes in his adopted state of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
as well as the anti-immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
Know Nothing
Know Nothing
The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in the American South.
Background
Overdyke was born in CherokeeCherokee, Kansas
Cherokee is a city in Crawford County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 714.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Cherokee has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
near Pittsburg
Pittsburg, Kansas
Pittsburg is a city in Crawford County, in southeastern Kansas, United States. It is the most populous city in Crawford County and in southeastern Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,233.-History:...
in Crawford County
Crawford County, Kansas
Crawford County is a county located in southeastern Kansas in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 39,134. Its county seat is Girard, and its most populous city is Pittsburg. The county was named in honor of Samuel J. Crawford, Governor of Kansas...
in southeastern Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. He graduated with honors in 1928 from Methodist-affiliated Centenary College
Centenary College of Louisiana
Centenary College of Louisiana is a primarily undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college in Shreveport, Louisiana. The college is one of the founding members of the Associated Colleges of the South, a pedagogical organization consisting of sixteen Southern liberal arts colleges...
in Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, Louisiana. He then procured his Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree from Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, after which time he joined the Centenary faculty, a position that he retained for the remainder of his life. In 1941, he was awarded a Ph.D
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
by Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in Durham
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
Career
At Centenary, Overdyke was an advisor to pre-law students, director of inter-collegiate debate and forensics, and faculty advisor to the student senate. He was also a Cub ScoutsBoy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
troop master. Because of his kindness, Overdyke was nicknamed "Dr. Bunny" and for several years was voted "favorite professor" by the Centenary graduating classes. The college newspaper referred to him in 1970 as "a man of rare qualities, one knows him by his smile, a hand lifted in a friendly wave, words spoken with kindness, eyes that show a true sincere concern for each fellow man."
Carnegie Foundation
The Carnegie Foundation is an organization based in The Hague, Netherlands. It was founded in 1903 by Andrew Carnegie in order to manage his donation of US$1.5 million, which was used for the construction, management and maintenance of the Peace Palace...
grants and a grant for special study from the Hemenway furniture store in Shreveport. From 1945 to 1948, he was chairman of the division of social science. He was a member of the building committee that planned and built the Magale Library at Centenary. He was a pioneer in the use of portable microfilming equipment as a research tool.
Overdyke was a charter member of Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta is an American honor society for undergraduate and graduate students and professors of history.The society is a charter member of the Association of College Honor Societies and has over 350,000 members, with about 9,500 new members joining each year through 860 local chapters.-...
and a founder of the Southern Historical Association
Southern Historical Association
The Southern Historical Association is an organization of historians focusing on the history of the Southern United States . It was organized on November 2, 1934...
, the Louisiana Historical Association
Louisiana Historical Association
The Louisiana Historical Association is an organization of professional historians and interested laypersons dedicated to the preservation, publication, and dissemination of the history of the U.S. state of Louisiana, with particular emphasis at the inception on territorial, statehood, and the...
, the North Louisiana Historical Association
North Louisiana Historical Association
The North Louisiana Historical Association was organized in 1952 to in its own words "encourage an appreciation and understanding of the history of North Louisiana."-History:...
, and the Louisiana Academy of Sciences. He was active in the Organization of American Historians
Organization of American Historians
The Organization of American Historians , formerly known as the Mississippi Valley Historical Association, is the largest professional society dedicated to the teaching and study of American history. OAH's members in the U.S...
and the American Historical Association
American Historical Association
The American Historical Association is the oldest and largest society of historians and professors of history in the United States. Founded in 1884, the association promotes historical studies, the teaching of history, and the preservation of and access to historical materials...
. He contributed articles and book reviews to various historical journals in the United States and England
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. His article "A Southern Family on the Missouri Frontier: Letters From Independence, 1843-1855" was published in 1951 in the Journal of Southern History.
His books include The American Party in Louisiana and the broader The Know-Nothing Party in the South, The second publication includes a chapter on former U.S. President Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president...
's 1856 comeback effort through the American Party. Fillmore, who carried only Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, lost to the Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
James Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
His Louisiana Plantation Homes Colonial and Ante Bellum, reflects the work of more than three decades of traveling through the main roads and back roads of Louisiana to photograph the exteriors, interiors, and architectural details of more than 100 plantation homes. Overdyke visited about half of the 64 parishes and stresses the wide variety of residential structures in Louisiana compared to most other states.
Overdyke's interests in architecture and photographic art was enhanced by his wife, the former Martha Walker (1908–1984), who aided him in the collection of architectural and photographic data. This work was selected by the International Council of Scholars and is listed in The Encyclopedia of World Art as one of the leading references in Louisiana architecture.
Two of his other books are The Samuel Ralston Letters and Sanity in an Insane World.
During his later tenure at Centenary, Overdyke was a colleague of the historian Walter M. Lowrey
Walter M. Lowrey
Walter M. Lowrey was an historian affiliated with Centenary College, a Methodist-institution in Shreveport, Louisiana, who was also a founding member of the Louisiana Historical Association....
, a former president of the Louisiana Historical Association.
Legacy
On October 31, 1970, Overdyke was named "Research Professor of Southern History" by the Centenary College board of trustees in honor of his academic successes. In a tribute published shortly after Overdyke's death in 1973 in the journal North Louisiana HistoryNorth Louisiana History
North Louisiana History is an academic journal published twice annually in Shreveport, Louisiana by the North Louisiana Historical Association .-History:...
, Professor John D. Winters
John D. Winters
John David Winters was a historian at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana, best known for his definitive and award-winning study, The Civil War in Louisiana, still in print, published in 1963 and released in paperback in 1991.-Background:Winters was born to John David Winters, Sr...
, a specialist in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
at Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
in Ruston
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
, wrote:
Darrell Overdyke loved beauty -- nature, music, dance, literature, and art. When possible, he attended every symphony concert, ballet, musical play, opera, and art exhibit presented. ... His personal music library contained more than seven hundred classical records, many of which were string quartet recordings. Above all, he loved people -- children, college students, and all others he met. He gave freely of his time and talents to everyone who asked.
Similarly, Webb D. Pomeroy (Class of 1944, 1923–1989), a former Overdyke student and later faculty colleague, said in the funeral eulogy:
No other professor ever spent more time with students. No student who seriously studied with him could ever say, "He doesn't like me." ... He lives on in our faith and in our lives. ...
Overdyke is still remembered through the Overdyke Awards in Louisiana history.