Earlie Endris Thorpe (November 9, 1924 – January 30, 1989) was a professor of history, an author, and clergyman in the United States. He lived in

Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...

and was a professor at

North Carolina Central University North Carolina Central University (NCCU or NC Central) is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by James E. Shepard in affiliati ...

for 27 years.

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

has a collection of his papers and correspondence. Thorpe served in Italy during World War II. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in history from North Carolina College for Negroes. He earned a Ph.D. in History from Ohio State University in 1953. He and his wife, Martha Vivian Branch, had two daughters: Rita Harrington and Gloria Earl.

Legacy

Marcus P. Nevius delivered the 30th Annual Earlie E. Thorpe Memorial Lecture at

in 2020.

Writings

*"Negro Historiography in the United States", dissertation *''Negro Historians in the United States'' (1958) *''The Desertion of Man: A Critique of Philosophy of History'' (1958) *''The Mind of the Negro: An Intellectual History of Afro-Americans'' (1961) *''Eros and Freedom in Southern Life and Thought'' (1967) *''The Central Theme of Black History'' (1969) *"The Black Experience in America" editor, ten-booklet series *''Struggle for a nation's conscience : the civil rights movement'' *''Pioneers and Planters; Black Beginnings in America'' with Joseph Penn, American Education Publications (1971) *''The Old South: A Psychohistory'' (1972) *"Black history and the organic perspective : an essay to introduce the directory and bibliography no. 870-872" (1975) *"The uses of Black history : a speech delivered during the observance of Black History Week", February 11, 1980 *''African Americans and the Sacred: Spirituals, Slave Religion, and Symbolism'' (1982) *''Slave Religion, Spirituals, and C. J. Jung'' (1983) *''A Concise History of North Carolina Central University'' (1984)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorpe, Earl 1924 births 1989 deaths