Oral history interview with James Townsend by Eugene Pfaff

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In this transcript of a November 22, 1978, oral history interview conducted by Eugene Pfaff with James Townsend, Townsend discusses the sit-in demonstrations at Woolworth's, working with Dr. William Hampton, his relationship with the media, and his role in city planning and road construction. He comments on the Greensboro Police Department, race relations in Greensboro, and problems and achievements during his tenure as city manager. He mentions his support for the sit-in participants, and the resistance amongst downtown businesses to desegregate.

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Title: Oral history interview with James Townsend by Eugene Pfaff
Who's responsible?: Townsend, James R. (Interviewee)
Pfaff, Eugene E., Jr., 1948- (Interviewer)
Original creation or publication date: 1978-11-22
Place: Greensboro (N.C.)
Decade: 1970-1979
Type of item: text
Original format: interviews
Subject headings: Greensboro Sit-ins, Greensboro, N.C., 1960
Topics: North Carolina
African-American History
Business
Additional tags: Business desegregation and sit-ins, 1960
Copyright information: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
IN COPYRIGHT. This item is subject to copyright. Contact the contributing institution for permission to reuse.
Contributing Institution: Greensboro Public Library
Collection: Greensboro Public Library Oral History Program
Civil Rights Greensboro
Funding source: Digitzation funded by a grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro.
Contributor's identifier: GPL_OH0001.128
Gateway identifier: gpl:7395
Item note: James Richard Townsend was born July 23, 1893, in Burlington, North Carolina, and was raised in Greensboro. He attended North Carolina State University, graduating in 1914 with a degree in civil engineering. Townsend then worked in the City of Greensboro engineering department until enlisting with the National Guard in 1917. In 1920 he entered the United States Army, serving in Hawaii, Panama, and Washington, D.C. He was commanding general of Camp Davis in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Camp Han in California during the Second World War. General Townsend also commanded anti-aircraft defenses at Casino, Italy, during World War II, as well as serving in Rome, Northern Italy, Southern France, and the Pacific.<br><br>Townsend retired from the army in 1946 and the following year was appointed city manager for the City of Greensboro, serving in this capacity until retirement in August 1961. He then moved to Durham, where he served as chairman of the North Carolina Board of Water Commissioners until 1967. He was also president of the North Carolina League of Municipalities.<br><br>Townsend was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Croix de Guerre with Palm Leaf, and the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf. Greensboroâ€™s largest water reservoir, Lake Townsend, is named in his honor. General Townsend died in Durham, N.C., on January 24, 1982, at the age of 88.
OCLC number: 884367822

Oral history interview with James Townsend by Eugene Pfaff

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