Barbee, David Rankin, 1874-1958

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David Rankin Barbee was born Oct. 15, 1874, in Murfreesboro, Tenn., son of the Rev. John Dodson and Margaret Overson Rankin Barbee. He attended Emory and Henry College, without receiving a degree. In 1896 Barbee began a career in journalism with the Nashville Banner. He subsequently worked for newspapers in Memphis, Chattanooga, Montgomery, Mobile, New Orleans and Ashville. Barbee came to Washington, D.C. as a feature writer for the Washington Post in 1928. He joined the F.D. Roosevelt administration in 1933 as a public relations writer for the Federal Alcohol Administration. From his retirement in 1942 until his death, Barbee devoted his time to historical research. His interests, while unusually catholic, centered on Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth, confederate spy Rose O'Neil Greenhow, and on Southern history in general. Barbee died in Orange, Tex., March 7, 1958.

From the description of The David Rankin Barbee papers, 1886-1956 (bulk 1928-1956) (Georgetown University). WorldCat record id: 71014930

Biographical Note

James Dodson Barbee

  • 1832, Mar. 16: Born, Lawrence County, Ala.
  • 1852: Admitted as itinerant minister, Tennessee Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
  • 1853 - 1867 : Minister at various parishes in Alabama
  • 1866: Married Margaret R. Rankin
  • 1868 - 1869 : Minister, Elm Street Church, Nashville, Tenn.
  • 1869: Presiding elder, Huntsville District, Methodist Episcopal Church, South
  • 1870 - 1873 : Presiding elder, Fayetteville
  • 1873 - 1877 : Minister at Murfreesboro, Tenn.
  • 1877 - 1879 : Presiding elder, Columbia District, Methodist Episcopal Church, South
  • 1879 - 1883 : Minister, Clarksville, Tenn.
  • 1882: Delegate, General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Nashville, Tenn.
  • 1883 - 1887 : Minister, McKendree Church, Nashville
  • 1887 - 1904 : Book agent, Methodist Publishing House
  • 1898: Settled war claims of Methodist Publishing House
  • 1902: Presiding elder, Nashville District, Methodist Episcopal Church, South
  • 1904, Dec. 5: Died, Nashville, Tenn.

David Rankin Barbee

  • 1874, Oct. 15: Born, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
  • circa 1892 - 1895 : Studied at Emory and Henry College, Emory, Va., and Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.
  • 1896 - 1899 : Reporter, Nashville Banner
  • 1901: Reporter, Nashville American
  • 1901 - 1908 : Telegraph editor, Memphis Commercial Appeal
  • 1908: Editor, Chattanooga Star
  • 1908 - 1910 : News editor, Memphis Commercial Appeal
  • 1910 - 1911 : Managing editor, Montgomery Advertiser
  • 1911 - 1918 : Managing editor, Mobile Register
  • 1913: Married Elina Guzman
  • 1918 - 1926 : News editor, New Orleans States
  • 1926 - 1928 : Managing editor, Asheville Citizen
  • 1928 - 1932 : Feature writer, Washington Post
  • 1933: Assistant to secretary of commerce
  • 1933 - 1940 : Special assistant, Federal Alcohol Administration
  • 1940 - 1942 : Public Relations Department, Treasury Department
  • 1947: Published "The Capture of Jefferson Davis," Tyler's Quarterly Historical and Genealogical Magazine
  • 1958, Mar. 7: Died, Orange, Tex.

From the guide to the James Dodson Barbee and David Rankin Barbee Papers, 1784-1953, (bulk 1852-1904), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf James Dodson Barbee and David Rankin Barbee Papers, 1784-1953, (bulk 1852-1904) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Ashe, Samuel A. (Samuel A'Court), 1840-1938. Samuel A. Ashe papers, 1855-1938. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
creatorOf Taft, Charles Sabin. Notes on the circumstances attending the assassination of Abraham Lincoln : ... as witnessed by me / Charles Sabin Taft, 1865. National Library of Medicine
creatorOf Anderson, James Douglas, 1867-1948. James Douglas Anderson papers, 1854-1951, bulk 1888-1948. Tennessee State Library & Archives, TSLA
referencedIn Wendell Holmes Stephenson Papers, 1820-1968 David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
referencedIn Bearden, Margaret. The Margaret K. Bearden papers. Part 2, 1865-1999 (bulk 1950-1979). Georgetown University, Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library
creatorOf Ambler family. Papers : of the Ambler family, 1798-1931. Virginia Historical Society Library
creatorOf Barbee, David Rankin, 1874-1958. Papers of the Kean family [manuscript], 1859-1951. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Reed, Walter, 1851-1902. Walter Reed letter to A.E. Truby [manuscript], 1900 December 10. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Bledsoe, Albert Taylor, 1809-1877. Letters of Albert Taylor Bledsoe [manuscript] 1858-1875. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Eisenschiml, Otto, 1880-1963. Papers, 1936-1963. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
creatorOf Papers related to the forgery of a Cotton Mather letter, 1870-1949. Massachusetts Historical Society
creatorOf Barbee, David Rankin, 1874-1958. The David Rankin Barbee papers, 1886-1956 (bulk 1928-1956) Georgetown University, Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library
referencedIn Bearden, Margaret. The Margaret K. Bearden papers, 1944-1983. Georgetown University, Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church (Washington, D.C.) corporateBody
associatedWith Ambler family. family
associatedWith Anderson, James Douglas, 1867-1948. person
associatedWith Ashe, Samuel A. (Samuel A'Court), 1840-1938. person
correspondedWith Barbee family family
associatedWith Barbee, James Dodson, 1832-1904. person
correspondedWith Bearden, Margaret person
associatedWith Bledsoe, Albert Taylor, 1809-1877. person
associatedWith Booth, John Wilkes, 1838-1865. person
correspondedWith Buchanan, James, 1791-1868 person
associatedWith Cleveland Park Memorial Library. corporateBody
correspondedWith Cunningham, John Whitfield, 1805-1874 person
correspondedWith Dabney, Virginius, 1835-1894 person
associatedWith Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889 person
correspondedWith Denny, Collins, 1854-1943 person
correspondedWith Duncan, Waddy T. (Waddy Thompson), 1867- person
correspondedWith Duncan, William Wallace person
associatedWith Eisenschiml, Otto, 1880-1963. person
associatedWith Greenhow, Rose O'Neal, 1814-1864. person
correspondedWith Hoss, E. E. (Elijah Embree), 1849-1919 person
correspondedWith Keener, John Christian, 1819-1906 person
associatedWith Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865. person
associatedWith Methodist Episcopal Church, South. corporateBody
associatedWith Methodist Publishing House. corporateBody
correspondedWith Morris, James Craik, 1870-1944 person
associatedWith Plitt, George. George Plitt papers. 1836-1873 person
associatedWith Reed, Walter, 1851-1902. person
correspondedWith Reeves, Elbert C., 1841-1929 person
correspondedWith Stephenson, Wendell Holmes, 1899-1970 person
associatedWith Taft, Charles Sabin. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
United States
Southern States
Subject
Publishers and publishing
Slavery
African Americans
Methodist Church
Religious literature
Occupation
Editors
Historians
Activity

Person

Birth 1874

Death 1958

English,

French

Information

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SNAC ID: 49937863