Looking for a romance novel with a bit of suspense? That’s easy. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has books that fit the bill in our Library catalog. Type in "romantic suspense" as a search in the Library catalog and nearly 3,500 matches will appear!

Don’t be fooled by the occasional book cover with someone brandishing a handgun because you’re in the right place. These books are more than traditional romance novels with couples dealing with domestic hardships and bliss.   

Romantic suspense is fiction, defined by the Romance Writers of America, where “…suspense, mystery, or thriller elements constitute an integral part of the plot.” With a love stories as the basis, these novels may feature many additional themes. The most prolific authors in the genre include authors such as Heather Graham, Kat Martin, Nora Roberts and B.J. Daniels.

For all fans, the famous Harlequin brand of romance books steps into this genre too with its Harlequin Romantic Suspense series. The Library owns more than 100 titles from this brand, mostly e-books. Library customers can find titles available in multiple formats to enjoy, but e-books are most prominent.

Find a title to read from our list of New Romantic Suspense Fiction here.

If you're hungry for poetry, bring your appetite to Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's Main  Library for 12:15 at Main: Poetry Exploration on Wednesday, March 4, 2020. This meetup is the first in a series of monthly to bi-monthly meetings where poets of all levels can  create or recite poetry at lunchtime. Listening ears are welcome to participate as well.

 

The 12:15 at Main program will run until Main Library closes its doors for renovation in early 2021. Meetings, held the first and third Wednesday of each month, will vary in topics topics based on presenters. Attendees will also enjoy short video screenings and new discussion prompts.

The goal of the program is to build an anthology for continuing attendees so that they have a variety of personal work that spans different topics and styles. 12:15 at Main: Poetry Exploration is a program for everyone and there is no skill requirement.

Patrons who know little about poetry will have the opportunity to learn new styles and writing mechanisms along the way. To see the complete schedule of 12:15 at Main: Poetry Exploration, click here.

For more information about 12:15 at Main: Poetry Exploration, please contact  Rob Smith at [email protected].

Written by: Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Historian-in-Residence, Dr. Tom Hanchett.

For decades in Charlotte, Attorney J. Charles Jones was a buoyant, familiar community presence on the city’s mostly African American west side. History-seekers and city leaders often invited him to speak about his role in Charlotte’s 1960 sit-ins. He advocated enthusiastically for civic projects and strove to help neighbors join together for change. His cheery greeting, “Gracious good day!” was usually followed by reference to The Elders, the previous generations who had gotten us here and demanded that we keep moving forward. He wanted you to know the Civil Rights history that his generation had made — so that you would pick up the torch, in turn, and make history yourself.

Charles Jones’ role in the Civil Rights movement ran deeper and reached even further than his listeners often realized. Not only did he co-lead Charlotte’s successful 1960s sit-ins, the largest such action in the early days of that student movement, he went on to:

• Take part in the meetings in 1960s that created the nationally important Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee
• Do jail-time in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on SNCC’s behalf in 1961 – a “jail, no bail” protest that foreshadowed Rev. Martin Luther King’s later stay in the Birmingham jail.
• Join the 1961 Freedom Ride in Mississippi and again go to prison at the legendarily harsh Parchman Farm Penitentiary
• Take part in tumultuous SNCC campaigns for voting rights in McComb, Mississippi (1961) and Albany, Georgia (1961 – 62) – where he helped launch the SNCC Freedom Singers with Bernice Johnson Reagon and others.
• Initiate a high-profile 1966 march around Washington DC’s beltway that is credited with opening housing to all in the DC area.

In the late 1960s he returned to Charlotte, earned a law degree and began a career as Attorney J. Charles Jones, spending half a century representing mostly poor, mostly African American clients.

When Jones passed away at the end of 2019, the national media took notice. This essay pulls together those sources along with other essays and research materials that give a sense of his work and his personality. It starts with the funeral program distributed to mourners at the Chapel on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University on January 4, 2020. Then come links to obituaries and profiles in national and local news media. Finally, there are links to oral histories and photo collections in Charlotte and elsewhere. This list is by no means complete, but rather a starting point for those interested in Jones and his legacy.

Neil Genzlinger, “J. Charles Jones, Civil Rights Activist, Is Dead at 82,” New York Times, January 10, 2020.



Matt Schudel, “J. Charles Jones, Civil Rights Activist Who Led Protest Walk Around Beltway, Dies at 82,” Washington Post, January 18, 2020.

“Life Well-Lived: J. Charles Jones -- American Civil Rights Leader Dies at 82,” NBC Today Show, January 19, 2020.  

“Johnson C. Smith University Remembers J. Charles Jones,” Happenings page, JCSU website.  

“Interview with J. Charles Jones,” interviewer Kara Miles, June 16, 1993, Duke University Libraries. 

“Interview with J. Charles Jones,” interviewer Debbie Howard, May 18, 2005, Special Collections, J. Murrey Atkins Library, UNC Charlotte.

“Oral Histories with J. Charles Jones and Charles Sherrod,” June 23, 2005, Miami University of Ohio.  

Corey Inscoe, “Meet the Man Who Led Charlotte’s Lunch-Counter Sit-Ins and Went to Jail with Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Charlotte Observer, February 07, 2017.

David Aaron Moore, “Stumbling Across a Hero,” Charlotte Magazine, January 2, 2011. 

Frye Gaillard, “Days of Hope and Courage: Reunion Will Celebrate Local Civil Rights Sit-Ins,” Creative Loafing, January 29, 2003. 

A video interview with Jones about the Charlotte Sit-ins is part of the permanent exhibition Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers at Levine Museum of the New South in Charlotte.

The Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library holds photographs and other materials related to Jones. This Facebook post from February 9, 2020, gives a glimpse.

--

The main photo on this blog is by Diedra Laird/The Charlotte Observer (2016).

The only thing that separates Southwest Middle School and Steele Creek Library is a narrow grass median. Though the two are near in proximity, they have never been relationally close. Inspired to change that dynamic and build a closer relationship with students at Southwest Middle, Steele Creek Librarian Sarah Story began attending open houses at Southwest Middle to make the Library more visible to students and parents. 

In August, Steele Creek and Outreach staff teamed up to attend three open houses at Southwest Middle where they were able to connect with students stopping by to pick up their schedules and meet their teachers.  

“This was a great way to increase Library visibility in the school community, advertise Teen programs and meet parents who we don’t often see during the school year,” Story said. 



In December 2019, another Librarian, Kara Hunter,joined Story on outreach visits to Southwest Middle’s sixth grade classes. 



“Kara and I visited almost every 6th grade class to show them online resources that they could use for upcoming research projects,” Story said. “In total, we visited 11 classes, 210 students and 13 teachers,” she added. 

Their visit resulted in students excitedly running up to Story when they noticed her in the Library just a few days later. They told her about the resources they remembered, how they used CultureGrams that day for a class assignment and introduced a new group of students to staff and what the Library has to offer. 

Story was also inspired to create positive change at Southwest Middle where she’d heard stories of vandalism, fights and noise occurring on campus. Story decided to create bi-weekly afterschool Teen programs where students could safely play board games, participate in cooking challenges, take Library tours, enjoy Lunch and Learn topics and more. Eventually, behavioral incidents at the school declined, prompting the school to get involved with the planning of afterschool programs. 

“We needed more involvement from the school, and I wanted it to be a positive relationship, not just passing on disciplinary requests,” Story said. “So, I started sending emails trying to get to know school staff and offering outreach ideas,” she added. 



Story believes anyone can be a hero and help teens through creative programming. She is especially grateful of the support from the Steele Creek staff and is excited about the positive progress they have made with Southwest Middle. 



 “Everyone has their own unique ways to Be A Hero (a Library culture principle) for these kids, whether it’s implementing new program ideas, helping them find a book or offering them a smile after a long day at school,” Story said. “Our relationship with Southwest Middle is still growing and evolving, requiring consistent and frequent communication with administration and teachers about ways we can support each other. It will probably always be a work in progress and creative and innovative approaches are the best way to move forward and continually improve.” 

Did you know that Charlotte Mecklenburg Library offers customers FREE access to lynda's expansive library of instructional videos?

Valued at more than $300 a year, this benefit is yours FREE just by logging in with your library card number or ONE Access account number and password.

Turn on. Log in. Get smart.

For 20 years, lynda.com has helped students, leaders, IT and design pros, project managers – anyone in any role – develop software, creative and business skills.

Become an expert in that thing you've always wanted to know more about by creating your own tutorial playlists or browsing lynda.com's "Learning Paths"—bundled tutorials designed to provide a crash course for a particular topic.

Lynda.com courses are taught by industry professionals with real-world experience and can be filtered by category, length, skill level and more to provide a personalized, reliable learning experience. Lynda.com also offers courses in five languages!

Learning on lynda.com can happen anywhere with apps for your computer, mobile device and TV, featuring enhanced navigation and faster streaming. And now that lynda.com is owned by LinkedIn, you can easily post the training you complete to your profile.

So, what's available with lynda.com?

More than 3,000 courses (and more than 130,000 videos) in popular fields like web design, web development, IT, education/instruction, media production and business. Most tutorials last several hours but are broken into multiple chapters.

• Photography: how to shoot photos that tell a story, choose the right gear, edit photos and more.
• Software: Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint; Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and more.
• Web design: Web graphics, Interactive Design, Prototyping and more.
• Social media and web publishing tools like Facebook, Twitter and Wordpress.
• Business and career skills: productivity, marketing, time management and more.
• Job Search Tools: Resume design, Searching for Positions, Working with Recruiters and more.

Course offerings on lynda.com are always being updated, so check back often for even more learning opportunities.

Don't know where to start?

Those who aren't sure what they need can browse curated playlists to get started in any subject. These playlists are like a mix tape—they're a great way to discover new topics you never knew you wanted to learn.

You can access lynda.com using your Charlotte Mecklenburg Library card or ONE Access account (CMS student or staff ID number). If you don't have a library card yet, you can apply below.

If you do have a library card, start using lynda.com today! Once you are logged in, the next step is to create a personalized account by entering a name and email address. This account can help manage your course history, playlists, bookmarks and Certificates of Completion.

What are you waiting for?

Take a closer look at lynda.com today and discover a new skill you'd like to learn—on your time!

It’s November and Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is celebrating National Family Literacy month! According to the Handbook of Family Literacy, family literacy refers to the spoken and written communication within a family, as well as the family’s efforts to improve and support a child’s literacy and language development (Van Horn, 2012). It’s no secret that reading is beneficial for children, and families reading together is a huge indicator for schooling success. But what you may not know are the many ways you can improve literacy by involving the whole family! Check out these ten activities, programs and resources available at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library to support your family literacy (Note: they are available all year, not just in November!).

1. Check out our curated reading lists by grade level and place books on hold to pick up at your local branch location! All Library locations are now open with expanded services, meaning your family can visit the Library to browse and check out books in person too.
2. Utilize our digital e-book resources (hoopla, NC Kids Digital Library and OverDrive to name a few) to read on a screen with distant family members in a video chat session. (We do this daily through our Reading Buddies program.)
3. Create pictures or puppets to bring stories you have read to life! Involving the whole family in retelling stories helps children understand how stories are developed and understand character responses.
4. Visit five parks in Mecklenburg County and enjoy a StoryWalk ®.  StoryWalks® are opportunities for children and families to enjoy two great things - reading and outdoor spaces - at the same time. A StoryWalk® is literally taking apart a picture book, placing each laminated page in a weather-protected frame, and placing these frames in an outdoor space so that children and families can enjoy books in an outdoor setting. Get the whole family involved with special questions that are placed along the path for you to discuss as well!
5. Utilize Active Reading to keep your reader engaged and to improve language, comprehension and vocabulary skills. Not sure how to use the practice of Active Reading? Sign up to take an Active Reading Training today.
6. Text is all around if you look for it – on items of mail, newspaper articles, road signs, board game directions and more! Have younger readers go on a letter hunt for specific letters or letter sounds and invite older readers to read the text aloud and discuss the author’s purpose for writing the text.
7. Use recipes for a tasty family literacy activity! Read recipes with your child and practice following directions as you complete each step. Check out these family recipe books if you need inspiration.
8. Round up the whole family and participate in a virtual program with our Charlotte Mecklenburg Library staff! Story Explorers, Storytimes, and more are available on the calendar each week for you to register and receive a Zoom link to participate.
9. Remember, literacy does not only involve reading, but also writing! Write a story about a special event that happened in your family or interview a family member about something that happened in the past and record responses. You may even want to create a family journal where the family can respond in writing to each other!
10. We’ve saved the best for last! You are invited to Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s inaugural Virtual Family Literacy Night on November 17, 2020 at 6 p.m. The whole family will enjoy singing, dancing, puppeteers and a few literacy tips along the way. All children that attend will receive a free coupon for a book and Frosty from Wendy’s! Sign up and learn with us.

Great literacy practices begin at home. When children see a parent or caregiver reading and writing, they are more inclined to place importance in reading and writing as well. We invite you to make Charlotte Mecklenburg Library an extended member of your family as we champion family literacy!

Did you know that you can continue to stay connected to the Library while staying home? How would you like to participate in a virtual storytime with your family or receive resume help all from the comfort of your couch? Join Charlotte Mecklenburg Library every week for a wide range of virtual programming for children, teens and adults. See a complete listing of this upcoming programming for the week of 11/2/2020 below. Click the corresponding links for more information and register for programs where applicable.

Learn more about online programming by clicking here

Monday 11/2

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  learn more

Book a Librarian - Nonprofit Services – 11 a.m. (Adult programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 11 a.m. (Children’s programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 12 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Mindful Mondays - Guided Relaxation and Meditation – 12 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 1 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2 p.m. (Children’s programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 2 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Book a Librarian – Technology – 2 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 3 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 4 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 4 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

Stronger Together: Support for your Job Search – 4 p.m.  (Adult programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 5 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 5 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 6 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 6 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

True Crime Podcast Discussion Club – 7 p.m.  (Adult programming)  register

Tuesday 11/3        

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  learn more

Book a Librarian - Business Research – 11 a.m. (Adult programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m.  (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 11 a.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 12 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Career Development Intensive Coaching – 12 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Career Development Intensive Coaching – 12:30 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 1 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 2 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

Book a Librarian - Technology – 2 p.m.   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 4 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 4 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 5 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 5 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 6 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 6 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

Sparking Creativity for Teens – 6 p.m.  (Teen programming)  register

Wednesday 11/4

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  learn more

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 11 a.m. (Children’s programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 12 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 1 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2 p.m. (Children’s programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 2 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Book a Librarian – Technology – 2 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 4 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 4 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 5 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 5 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 6 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 6 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Thursday 11/5

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  learn more

Book a Librarian - Business Research – 11 a.m. (Adult programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m.  (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 11 a.m. (Children's programming)   register

Career Development Intensive Coaching – 12 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Career Development Intensive Coaching – 12:30 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Parent Lunch & Learn: Bullet Journaling for Parents – 12 p.m.  (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 12 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 1 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 2 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Book a Librarian - Technology – 2 p.m. (Adult programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2 p.m. (Children's programming) register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 4 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 4 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 5 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 5 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 6 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 6 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

Teens Live on Instagram: Career Conversation with Jonathan Reyes – 6 p.m.  (Teen programming)  register

Friday 11/6

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m.  (Children's programming)  learn more

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 11 a.m. (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 12 a.m. (Children's programming)   register

Mindful Friday- Meditation for Wellness – 12 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 1 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 2 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Acing the Interview Process: What to do before, during, and after the interview – 2 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Book a Librarian - Technology – 2 p.m.   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3:30 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Saturday 11/7

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m.  (Children's programming)  learn more

Virtual Reading Buddies – 10 a.m.  (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m.  (Children's programming)   register

In 1935, Harding High School opened on Irwin Avenue. Its namesake was strongly against the use of his name, as he believed school buildings should not be named for living superintendents. However, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) prevailed, and the school was named to honor Harry Patrick Harding (1874-1959) who served as the Charlotte School Superintendent from 1913-1949.  

The building remained a high school until 1961, when the Irwin Avenue building was designated a junior high school. The high school was moved to Alleghany Street, and was named Harding University High School the same year. The Irwin Avenue building later became an elementary school, and finally a Head Start Center. By the late 1980s, the building was demolished, except for the auditorium and gymnasium, and another structure was built to accommodate the Irwin Avenue Open Elementary School. 

Harry Patrick Harding, 1940 

Born in Aurora, North Carolina, on August 14, 1874 to Confederate Army Major Henry H. and Susan Elizabeth Sugg Harding, Harry Patrick Harding was known for most of his life as “Harry” or “H.P.” He was one of eight children, although two died in infancy. Major Harding was a farmer and a delegate to the state House of Representatives during Harry’s early years. In 1885, the family moved to Greenville, where Major Harding became a teacher, and eventually spent four years as superintendent of the schools. Harry was educated at Greenville Male Academy and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where he graduated in 1899. In 1931, he received his Master of Arts degree from Columbia University, and an honorary doctorate from Davidson College in 1951. 

Courtesy of The Charlotte Observer, c1957 

After graduating from UNC, Harding became principal of New Bern High School. He left to organize the Oxford schools in 1901, but returned to New Bern as superintendent in 1902, and remained for two years. Then in 1904, Alexander Graham, superintendent of the Charlotte school system, recruited Harding to become principal of one of the graded schools. In 1912, Harding was appointed assistant superintendent, a position he held until succeeding Graham as superintendent the following year. Harding stayed in this position for 26 years, retiring in 1949. Following his retirement, he continued to maintain an office and visited schools as superintendent emeritus. 

Harding made great changes to the Charlotte school system during his tenure. He cared deeply about the students under his charge and was more interested in building the character and personality of a child, than teaching hard facts. Some of the strides Harding involved himself in included streamlining teaching in the high school by having teachers specialize in one subject; overseeing the first junior high school in North Carolina in 1923; adding elective courses to the curriculum to encourage and interest students in completing their educations; and persuading voters to approve special taxes and bonds in order to build better schools, supplement teachers’ salaries, and improve children's health. One of Harding’s most difficult challenges came in 1933-1934, when the state legislature annulled the charters that allowed cities to levy special taxes for the schools, which created huge deficits in the budget, loss of teachers, and reduction in instruction time. Harding was eventually able to get voters back on board in 1935, after approaching local businessmen to obtain their support.  

Dorothy Counts-Scoggins, first black student at Harding High School, 1957 

Despite the many positive contributions Harding made to CMS, he led a segregated system. CMS was segregated until 1957, when Dorothy Counts became the first black student to attend the all-white Harding High School. CMS largely continued to be segregated even after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling in May 1954. Until 1957, no black students attempted to attend an all-white school. Delores Huntley (one year at Alexander Graham Junior High), Girvaud Roberts (two years at Piedmont Junior High), Gus Roberts (graduated from Central High School in 1959), and Dorothy Counts (one year at Harding High School) all changed that in 1957 when they decided to enroll at white schools.  

By 1964, CMS had 88 segregated schools (57 white, 31 black), which ultimately led to one of the most significant court cases in our region’s history—Swann v. the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. After many years of rulings, in 1970 Federal Judge James B. McManus ruled the CMS was not desegregated and demanded total integration.  

Harding High School, The Acorn, 1957 

In addition to his work as superintendent, Harding also served as a trustee of UNC, and was president of the North Carolina Association of City School Superintendents, of the South Piedmont Teachers Association, and of the North Carolina Education Association. He spent two summers teaching at UNC, served on the North Carolina High School Textbook Commission, and was a member of the Ninety-Six Club, which consisted of two superintendents from each state. Locally, he was a member of the Rotary Club, the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, and the Executives Club.  

In his private life, Harding was a husband and father. He married Lucia Ella Ives (1876-1963) of New Bern in 1903. They had two children, Lucia Elizabeth (1908-1987), and a son, Harry P. Harding (1910-1911), who died in 1911 of ileocolitis, today known as Crohn’s disease, at just over a year old. The remaining five of Harding’s seven siblings held estimable positions as well. William Frederick Harding lived in Charlotte and was a Superior Court Judge, Fordyce C. Harding was a lawyer serving in the North Carolina Senate from 1915-1920, Jarvis B. Harding built roads in Mexico as a civil engineer, and their sisters, Sudie Harding Latham and Mary Elizabeth Harding, were teachers. 

Harry P. Harding died on July 13, 1959 of hypertensive cardiovascular disease. He is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Charlotte, North Carolina.   

The Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room houses the Harry P. Harding Papers (1917-1962), which are only available for virtual research due to the COVID-19 crisis. Contact the Carolina Room’s Archivist for more information on how to access this collection: (704) 416-0150 or [email protected].