Frank Garvin Yerby ( ( 1916-09-05 ) September 5, 1916 – ( 1991-11-29 ) November 29, 1991) was an American writer, best known for his 1946 historical novel The Foxes of Harrow .
59-537: Yerby was born in Augusta, Georgia , on September 5, 1916, the second of four children of Rufus Garvin Yerby (1886–1961), a hotel doorman, and Wilhelmina Ethel Yerby (née Smythe) (1888–1960), a teacher. Yerby's ancestry was Black, White, and Native American. Yerby would later refer to himself as "a young man whose list of ancestors read like a mini-United Nations." One of Yerby's siblings was Alonzo Yerby , Associate Dean of
118-636: A connecting route to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina . Augusta has been mentioned as the east terminus of a proposed expansion of Interstate 14 that would begin in Midland-Odessa, Texas and run through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia with hopes of connecting major military installations along the highway corridor such as Fort Cavazos , Fort Moore , Fort Eisenhower , and Louisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville . Augusta has also been mentioned for another proposed interstate known as Interstate 3 that would go through
177-606: A doctorate in English at the University of Chicago , but left school for financial reasons in 1939. He was a professor of English at Florida A&M University from 1939 - 1940 and then Southern University in Louisiana from 1940 - 1941, before moving to Detroit and New York, where he worked in wartime defense industries. He began his literary career while he was a student at Paine College by publishing poetry, starting with
236-507: A fort at the head of the navigable part of the river. The expedition was led by Noble Jones , who created a settlement as a first line of defense for coastal areas against potential Spanish or French invasion from the interior. Oglethorpe named the town in honor of Princess Augusta , the mother of King George III and the wife of Frederick, Prince of Wales . Oglethorpe visited Augusta in September 1739 on his return to Savannah from
295-475: A mentally disabled teenager, was killed by his cellmates in an Augusta jail. A protest against his death broke out in a riot involving 500 people, after six black men were killed by police, each found to have been shot in the back. The noted singer and entertainer James Brown was called in to help quell lingering tensions, which he succeeded in doing. In 1993, an area known as Hyde Park in Augusta, Georgia,
354-699: A perilous visit to Coweta Town, near present-day Phenix City, Alabama . There, he had met with a convention of 7,000 Native American warriors and concluded a peace treaty with them in their territories in northern and western Georgia. During the American Revolutionary War , the Siege of Augusta resulted in the retaking the city from the British by the Americans. Augusta was the second state capital of Georgia from 1785 until 1795 (alternating for
413-584: A period with Savannah, the first). Augusta developed rapidly as a market town as the Black Belt in the Piedmont was developed for cotton cultivation. Invention of the cotton gin made processing of short-staple cotton profitable, and this type of cotton was well-suited to the upland areas. Cotton plantations were worked by slave labor, with hundreds of thousands of slaves shipped from the Upper South to
472-560: A total area of 306.5 sq mi (793.8 km ), of which 302.1 sq mi (782.4 km ) is land and 4.3 sq mi (11.1 km ) (1.42%) is water. Augusta is located about halfway up the Savannah River on the fall line , which creates a number of small falls on the river. The city marks the end of a navigable waterway for the river and the entry to the Georgia Piedmont area. The Clarks Hill Dam
531-674: A wide diurnal temperature variation throughout much of the year, despite its low elevation and humidity. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 45.4 °F (7.4 °C) in January to 81.6 °F (27.6 °C) in July; there are 53 nights with the low reaching the freezing mark, 82 days reaching or exceeding 90 °F (32 °C), and 5.5 days reaching 100 °F (38 °C) annually. Extreme temperatures range from −1 °F (−18 °C) on January 21, 1985 up to 108 °F (42 °C) on August 10, 2007, and August 21, 1983. Snowfall
590-406: Is My Own," about a black steel worker turned boxer who comes to a tragic end while he worked in the defense industry. That manuscript was rejected, but the editor Muriel Fuller of Redbook encouraged him to send her something else. He sent her the short story "Health Card." She decided it was unsuitable for Redbook , but she sent it to Harper's , which published it in 1944. "Health Card" won
649-547: Is a city on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia . The city lies directly across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Augusta, the third most populous city in Georgia (following Atlanta and Columbus ) is situated in the Fall Line region of the state. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , Augusta had a 2020 population of 202,081, not counting
SECTION 10
#1732779734495708-697: Is built on the fall line near Augusta, forming Clarks Hill Lake . Farther downstream, near the border of Columbia County , is the Stevens Creek Dam, which generates hydroelectric power . Even farther downstream is the Augusta Diversion Dam, which marks the beginning of the Augusta Canal and channels Savannah River waters into the canal. As with the rest of the state, Augusta has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ), with short, mild winters, very hot, humid summers, and
767-650: Is not considered. Augusta is located along the Georgia/South Carolina border, about 150 mi (240 km) east of Atlanta and 70 mi (110 km) west of Columbia . The city is located at 33°28′12″N 81°58′30″W / 33.47000°N 81.97500°W / 33.47000; -81.97500 (33.4700, −81.9750). According to the United States Census Bureau , the Augusta–Richmond County balance has
826-630: Is not nearly as common as in Atlanta, due largely to Augusta's elevation, with downtown Augusta being about 900 ft (270 m) lower than downtown Atlanta. The heaviest recorded snowfall was in February 1973 with 14.0 inches (36 cm) Freezing rain is also a threat in wintertime. There are 10 historic districts throughout the city of Augusta. The most prominent, Augusta Downtown Historic District, encompasses most of downtown Augusta and its pre- Civil War area. The Augusta Downtown Historic District
885-542: Is served by two passenger airlines, including Delta Connection , which offers service to Atlanta, and American Eagle , which offers service to Charlotte, Dallas-Ft. Worth, and Washington D.C. Thomas Little Thomas Little (August 27, 1886 in Ogden , Utah – March 5, 1985 in Santa Monica , California ) was a United States set decorator who worked on more than 450 Hollywood movies between 1932 and 1953. He won
944-724: Is usually scheduled for early November. Augusta is also the host to one of the largest IRONMAN 70.3 competition in North America taking athletes through various cycling routes around Augusta, a running course through Downtown Augusta, and an opening swim on the Savannah River along Augusta's riverfront. Recently, Augusta has been the featured home of the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships which leads cyclists through various routes through Downtown Augusta and Fort Eisenhower. The city has also attracted visitors during
1003-529: The Athens of Pericles to Europe in the Dark Ages . Yerby took considerable pains in research and often end-noted his historical works. In all, he wrote 33 novels. In 1946, he published The Foxes of Harrow , a Southern historical romance, which became the first novel by an African American to sell more than a million copies. In this work he faithfully reproduced many of the genre's most familiar features, with
1062-529: The Augusta National Golf Club . Membership at Augusta National is widely considered to be the most prestigious in the sport of golf around the world. Augusta lies approximately two hours away from downtown Atlanta by car via I-20 . The city is home to Fort Eisenhower , a major U.S. Army base formerly known as Fort Gordon. In 2016, it was announced that the new National Cyber Security Headquarters would be based in Augusta. The area along
1121-466: The Augusta metropolitan area . In 2020 it had a population of 206,000, making it the second-largest metro area in the state (after Atlanta ) and the ninth most populous urban center in the Deep South with a metro population of 611,000. Augusta was established in 1736 and is named in honor of Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha (1719–1772), the bride of Frederick, Prince of Wales and the mother of
1180-590: The Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and New York City Hospitals Commissioner. As a child, Yerby attended Augusta's Haines Institute, a private school for African Americans founded by Lucy Laney , from which he graduated in 1933. In 1937, he graduated from Paine College with a B.A. in English, and earned his M.A. in Dramatic Arts from Fisk University in 1938. In 1938, he began courses for
1239-615: The Nike EYBL Peach Jam Basketball Tournament held in neighboring North Augusta, South Carolina which features some of the top high school basketball players and teams across the United States. Augusta is linked to Atlanta to the west and Columbia, South Carolina , to the east by Interstate 20 (I-20). I-520 ( Bobby Jones Expressway ) extends from I-20 exit 196 through Augusta's western and southern suburban areas, eventually crossing
SECTION 20
#17327797344951298-906: The Pittsburgh Pirates . Later affiliated with the Boston Red Sox and the San Francisco Giants , the GreenJackets are now the Class A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves . The Augusta Lynx were a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Augusta, Georgia. The Lynx played their home games at the James Brown Arena from 1998 until 2008. The Lynx, who played in the ECHL , had affiliations with
1357-813: The Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School . Private schools in Augusta include Aquinas High School , Episcopal Day School, Saint Mary on the Hill Catholic School, Immaculate Conception School, Hillcrest Baptist Church School, Curtis Baptist High School , Gracewood Baptist First Academy, Alleluia Community School, New Life Christian Academy, Charles Henry Terrell Academy, Heritage Academy, and Westminster Schools of Augusta . Augusta Christian Schools , Augusta First Seventh-day Adventist School, and Augusta Preparatory Day School serve Augusta but are located in neighboring Martinez . The daily newspaper in
1416-693: The Soul City Sirens . Founded in 2008, this league is all-volunteer, and skater owned. Augusta is also home to the former Augusta 706ers, a minor league professional basketball team in the American Basketball Association . The team was founded in 2017 and stopped operations in December 2018 because of a lack of funds. The team played all home games at the James Brown Arena. The city's famous golf course,
1475-745: The Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL and the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL. The Augusta RiverHawks were a professional minor league ice hockey team. They played in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) from 2010 to 2013. They played their home games at the James Brown Arena. The Augusta Stallions were a professional Arena football team founded in 1999. They were one of the 15 original teams to join
1534-623: The U.S. economic recession and a relatively high state unemployment rate, the Augusta community has experienced a decrease in bankruptcy filings and saw a slight decrease in the unemployment rate from late 2009 to March 2011. However, these unemployment numbers were misleading as spring brought lower unemployment rates due to the Masters Golf Tournament. While unemployment fell to a two-year low of 8.3% in April 2011, unemployment rates have since risen to 9.9% as of July 2011. With
1593-634: The 2020 census, its racial and ethnic makeup was 35.52% non-Hispanic white, 55.19% African American, 0.24% Asian, 1.93% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 0.44% some other race, 3.91% multiracial, and 5.58% Hispanic or Latino of any race. This reflected nationwide trends of greater diversification since the beginning of the 21st century. In 1995, citizens of Augusta and unincorporated parts of Richmond County voted to consolidate their city and county governments. Citizens of Hephzibah and Blythe , also located in Richmond County, voted against joining in
1652-527: The Augusta Canal to include Enterprise Mill, Sibley Mill, and King Mill. The city experienced the Augusta Fire of 1916 , which damaged 25 blocks of the town and many buildings of historical significance. As a major city in the area, Augusta was a center of activities during Reconstruction and after. In the mid-20th century, it was a site of civil rights demonstrations. In 1970, Charles Oatman,
1711-638: The Augusta Economic Development Authority as of 2013, the top manufacturing employers in the city were: The top public sector employers were: The Augusta GreenJackets minor league baseball club, formerly located at Lake Olmstead Stadium in Augusta, now play at SRP Park along the Savannah River in North Augusta, South Carolina . The team began to play in 1988 as the Augusta Pirates, affiliated with
1770-481: The Augusta National Golf Club, hosts the first major golf tournament of each year, The Masters . This tournament is often regarded as the most prestigious in the sport and is one of the four major championships . The best professional and amateur golfers in the world come to Augusta during the first full week of April every year. The grounds of Augusta National are known for being pristine, and
1829-594: The British monarch George III . During the American Civil War , Augusta housed the principal Confederate Powderworks . Augusta's warm climate made it a major resort town of the Eastern United States in the early and mid-20th century. Internationally, Augusta is best known for hosting the Masters golf tournament each spring. The Masters brings over 200,000 visitors from around the world to
Frank Yerby - Misplaced Pages Continue
1888-528: The Deep South in the domestic slave trade . Many of the slaves were brought from the Lowcountry , where their Gullah culture had developed on the large Sea Island cotton and rice plantations. During the American Civil War , Augusta was home to many war industries including powder-works facilities. After the war, Augusta had a booming textile industry leading to the construction of many mills along
1947-797: The Savannah River to South Carolina, in which it is known as Palmetto Parkway. U.S. Route 1 (US 1), along with State Route 4 (SR 4), connects Wrens . US 1 also links Augusta with Aiken, South Carolina . US 25 and SR 121 connects Waynesboro with Augusta; across the state line, US 25 and South Carolina Highway 121 (SC 121) links Augusta with Edgefield, South Carolina . US 78 / US 278 / SR 10 , known locally as Gordon Highway , connects Thomson with Augusta. In South Carolina, US 1 and US 78 go through Aiken, South Carolina . US 78 further connects with Charleston, South Carolina . US 278 bypasses Aiken and serves as
2006-825: The area to showcase new cyber related products as well as discussions on cyber based collaboration efforts between the public and private sectors. Companies that have facilities, headquarters or distribution centers in the Augusta metro area include CareSouth , NutraSweet , T-Mobile , Covidien , Solo Cup Company , Automatic Data Processing , Clearwater Paper , Solvay S.A. , Bridgestone , Teleperformance , Olin Corporation , Sitel , E-Z-GO , Taxslayer , Elanco , KSB Company (Georgia Iron Works), Club Car (Worldwide Headquarters), Halocarbon, MTU Friedrichshafen (subsidiary of Tognum ), Kimberly Clark Corporation , Nutrien (formerly PotashCorp), John Deere , Kellogg's and Delta Air Lines ' baggage call center. According to
2065-418: The city from Savannah to Knoxville, Tennessee and would only run through two states, Georgia, and Tennessee. Parts of Augusta are served by city transit service Augusta Public Transit (APT), but the main mode of transportation within the city is by car. Augusta is also served by a number of taxi companies. The city has two airports: Augusta Regional Airport and Daniel Field . Augusta Regional Airport
2124-548: The city is The Augusta Chronicle . The television stations serving Augusta and its metropolitan market are: WAGT ( CW Plus and NBC ), WCES ( PBS ), WFXG ( Fox ), WJBF ( ABC and MeTV ) and WRDW ( CBS ). The city's large medical community and patient population is served by the Medical Examiner (www.AugustaRx.com), a twice-monthly newspaper published since 2006. Augusta is a regional center of medicine, biotechnology, and cyber security. Augusta University ,
2183-669: The course was ranked in 2009 as the third best golf course in the world by Golf Magazine . The city also has several disc golf facilities. The Augusta Top Gun Series is a series of tournaments sanctioned by the Professional Disc Golf Association . These tournaments are held at various venues in Augusta, including Pendleton King Park and Lake Olmstead. Also, Augusta hosted the 2006 Professional Disc Golf World Championships. Along with Pendleton King and Lake Olmstead, two courses in North Augusta, SC
2242-557: The establishment of the Georgia Cyber Center in Downtown Augusta, the Augusta metro region has become a hub for cyber security based companies looking to locate to the area in part as well to the establishment of the U.S. Army Cyber Command relocating to Fort Eisenhower from Fort Meade. Augusta plays host to TechNet on a yearly basis which brings in various military, government, and private sector leaders to
2301-765: The inaugural 2000 AF2 season. They started off in the American Conference, before switching to the Southeast Division in 2001, and then the Eastern Division in 2002. The team folded in 2002. The Augusta Rugby Football Club (ARFC) is a division 2 men's club competing in the Palmetto Rugby Union, part of the USA Rugby South Conference. Augusta has an all-female flat track roller derby team,
2360-574: The life and career of Frank Yerby. Uncle Percy in Thomas Mullen 's Darktown is partly based on Frank Yerby. George R. R. Martin cites Frank Yerby as an influence on his own writing. Veronica T. Watson published an anthology of Frank Yerby's short stories, The Short Stories of Frank Yerby (2020). It includes five previously published and eleven previously unpublished short stories. Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( / ə ˈ ɡ ʌ s t ə / ə- GUSS -tə )
2419-492: The merger, which took effect January 1, 1996. The unified government consists of a mayor and ten commissioners . Eight commissioners represent single-member districts, while two are elected at-large, each to represent a super district that encompasses half of Augusta-Richmond's population. Law enforcement in Augusta is handled by the Richmond County Sheriff's Office which patrols the main city of Augusta and
Frank Yerby - Misplaced Pages Continue
2478-462: The notable exception of his representation of African-American characters, who bore little resemblance to the "happy darkies" that appeared in such well-known works as Gone With the Wind (1936). That same year he also became the first African American to have a book purchased for screen adaptation by a Hollywood studio, when 20th Century Fox optioned Foxes . Ultimately, the book became a 1947 film of
2537-533: The poems "Miracles" and "Brevity" in the September 1934 issue of New Challenge , a literary magazine published by Dorothy West . Two years later, Yerby would publish his first short story, "Salute to the Flag," in the November 1936 issue of The Paineite , the student newspaper of Paine College. He would continue to publish poetry and short stories while he was a student at Paine College and Fisk University. While he
2596-425: The prestigious O. Henry Memorial Prize for best short story. The success of "Health Card" earned Yerby a book contract with Dial Press. The rejection of "This is My Own" caused Yerby to abandon protest literature in favor of historical fiction. Yerby was originally noted for writing romance novels set in the antebellum South. In mid-century, he began writing a series of best-selling historical novels ranging from
2655-434: The river was long inhabited by varying cultures of indigenous peoples , who relied on the river for fish, water and transportation. The site of Augusta was used by Native Americans as a place to cross the Savannah River, because of its location on the fall line . In 1735, two years after James Oglethorpe founded Savannah , he sent a detachment of troops to explore the upper Savannah River. He gave them an order to build
2714-567: The same name starring Rex Harrison and Maureen O'Hara which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Production Design ( Lyle R. Wheeler , Maurice Ransford , Thomas Little , Paul S. Fox ). In some quarters, Yerby is best known for his masterpiece The Dahomean (1971). The novel, which focuses on the life of an enslaved African chief's son who is transported to America, serves as the culmination of Yerby's efforts toward incorporating racial themes into his works. Prior to that, Yerby
2773-690: The state that retain the sheriff in a law enforcement capacity. Public K–12 schools in Augusta are managed by the Richmond County School System , which covers all of Richmond County. The school system contains 36 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, and the following eight high schools: Glenn Hills , Butler , Westside , Hephzibah , T. W. Josey , A.R.C. (Academy of Richmond County) , Lucy Craft Laney , and Cross Creek . There are four magnet schools : C. T. Walker Traditional Magnet School , A. R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet High School , Davidson Fine Arts , and
2832-693: The state's only public health sciences graduate university, employs over 7,000 people. Along with Piedmont Augusta , the Medical District of Augusta employs over 25,000 people and has an economic impact of over $ 1.8 billion. The city's three largest employers are Augusta University, the Savannah River Site (a Department of Energy nuclear facility) and the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence at Fort Eisenhower , which oversees training for Cyber , Signal Corps , and Electronic Warfare. Despite layoffs from several companies during
2891-404: The unconsolidated towns of Blythe and Hephzibah which fall under Augusta-Richmond County. It is the 116th most populous city in the United States and the 92nd-largest metropolitan area. The process of consolidation between the city of Augusta and Richmond County began with a 1995 referendum in the two jurisdictions. The merger was completed on July 1, 1996. Augusta is the principal city of
2950-482: The unincorporated areas of Hephzibah and Blythe although both of these towns have their own police departments. Prior to consolidation, Augusta had a city police department and the Richmond County sheriff patrolled the unincorporated areas of the county. The consolidation charter deems the sheriff as the chief law enforcement officer of Richmond County. Augusta is one of the few consolidated city-counties in
3009-589: Was a student at the University of Chicago, he worked for the Federal Writers Project , writing about religious groups he observed on the south side of Chicago as part of the social history The Negro in Illinois under the supervision of the dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist Katherine Dunham . Yerby continued to publish short stories and wrote the manuscript of a protest novel, "This
SECTION 50
#17327797344953068-420: Was finalized in 1956. Yerby left the United States in 1952, in protest against racial discrimination, and moved to Nice , France, for three years. In 1955, he moved to Madrid , Spain where he remained for the rest of his life. Yerby married Blanca Calle-Perez in 1956. Yerby died from liver cancer in Madrid and was interred there in the Cementerio de la Almudena , the biggest Spanish cemetery. In 2006, Yerby
3127-418: Was investigated by the EPA for contamination. The investigation totaled $ 1.2 million. Air, groundwater, and soil were all believed to be contaminated, and people living in the area were hoping for government assistance to move away from Hyde Park. Two of five neighborhoods in Hyde Park appeared to have arsenic, chromium, and dioxin, while all five were found to have PCBs and lead. However, residents were told it
3186-594: Was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. Augusta also includes the: At the 2020 United States census , there were 202,081 people, 66,838 households, and 41,517 families residing in the city. During the 2010 U.S. census , the city's population was 195,844, up from 195,182 at the 2000 United States census . In 2000, the city's racial and ethnic composition was 43.72% non-Hispanic white, 49.96% African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.50% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.18% some other race, 1.48% multiracial, and 2.79% Hispanic or Latino of any race. By
3245-415: Was not a risk to their health unless they somehow ingested it on a regular basis. At the time the article was written, the citizens still questioned why the EPA and ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Disease Registry) did not consider these chemicals as a threat to them. Hyde Park also has higher rates of certain illnesses (such as cancer, infections, rashes) than the average in America, and the citizens question why that
3304-453: Was often criticized by blacks for the lack of focus on African-American characters in his books. In 2012, The New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote an article featuring an at-risk child whose life was turned around by reading Yerby books that one of his teachers was secretly providing to him. Yerby married Flora Helen Claire Williams (1921 - 2001) in 1941. They had four children. The couple separated in 1955, and their divorce
3363-443: Was posthumously inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame. In 2013, the Augusta Literary Festival created an award to honor Frank Yerby. This award is given to three fiction authors from a submission pool. In 2023, the Georgia Historical Society , in partnership with the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, Haines Alumni Association, and Paine College , erected a Georgia historical marker in Augusta, Georgia recognizing
3422-421: Was sanctioned by the International Hot Boat Association . The event benefited the Augusta Chapter of the Georgia Special Olympics with over 100 racing teams from 25 states competed annually for $ 140,000 in purse and prizes while trying to beat the course record of 252.94 mph (407.07 km/h). Augusta is the site of the Head of the South Regatta. The youth rowing regatta is held on the Savannah River and
3481-419: Was used for the tournament. 299 disc golfers from around the world attended the event, with Ken Climo winning the tournament and his 12th world championship. Augusta hosted the Augusta Southern Nationals billed as "World's Richest Drag Boat Race" for 30 consecutive years. The event was held on the Savannah River near downtown in July until 2016. The race was part of the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series and
#494505