Creator(s): Primm, Gerald C. 1911-2011
Date(s): 1881-2007, predominant 1956-2007
Extent: 25.25 cubic feet
Biographical Note: Gerald C. Primm was a well-known Southern Baptist pastor from North Carolina. Born in 1911 in Sanford, North Carolina, Primm grew up in central and eastern North Carolina. Before the outbreak of World War Two, he began attending North Carolina State University, but would leave school to join the Army after the United States entered the War. Primm served in the Army Air Corps and saw heavy combat during the war, most of which was while serving as a fighter escort for long-range bombing missions over Europe. He earned several medals and commendations for his courage and service.
Following World War Two, Primm finished his education, splitting time between the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Baylor University (Waco, Texas). In 1949 he was ordained to the ministry, and served as the pastor of numerous churches around North Carolina in Lee, Chatham, Guilford, and Wake counties. He was known for his speaking abilities, as well as his commitment to Biblical doctrines and real-life applications of those doctrines. During the peak of the Civil Rights Movement, while pastoring a church in Raleigh, North Carolina, Primm openly rebuked church members who attempted to prevent African-American visitors from attending a worship service. Primm resigned as pastor of that church in protest over the behavior of his congregants. Primm was also committed to conservative interpretation of the Scripture and was part of the vanguard of North Carolina preachers who helped usher in the conservative resurgence at the State Convention level. On the national level, Primm served as a trustee of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Primm remained a fixture in the North Carolina Baptist Convention and North Carolina pulpits until his death in 2011.
Scope and Contents: This collection spans the years 1966 to 2007 and contains correspondence, sermon notes, material related to Primm's church, associational, and denominational service, and research material related to Primm's involvement in the publishing of Baptist periodicals. Many of the materials are related to the growth of conservatism within the Southern Baptist Convention in the years leading up to and during the "Conservative Resurgence."
Language(s): English
Conditions Governing Access: This collection is open for research.
Processing History: The original collection was arranged and described by Charles Haley, Archives Assistant, October 2018. A large addition of 20 cubic feet was donated by John Primm in September of 2022 and was retrieved from the former home of Gerald C. Primm at the same time. This new addition was combined with the former collection and arranged and described by Drew Dickerson, Assistant Archivist, in April of 2024.
Preferred Citation: Gerald C. Primm papers, Archives and Special Collections, Library at Southeastern, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC.
Repository: Archives and Special Collections, Library at Southeastern, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC
Resource Identifier: ARC 012
Subjects and Access Points:
North Carolina Baptists
North Carolina State Baptist Convention
Conservative Resurgence
Campbell University
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southern Baptist Convention
