James Rhea Preston was born in Washington County, Virginia, on January 22, 1853, the son of Colonel James T. Preston and Fannie Rhea. Preston attended Georgetown University and Emory and Henry College. He taught one year in Tennessee, one year in Indiana, and then in Okolona, Mississippi, from 1875 to 1878. During the latter stint, he was admitted to the Mississippi bar. He then taught for three years at Center Point, Mississippi, and four and a half years at Water Valley, Mississippi. In 1885, Preston was elected state superintendent of education of Mississippi, an office he held until 1896. He then studied in Edinburgh, Scotland. Upon returning to Mississippi, he organized Stanton College, Natchez, to educate young women. In 1901, Preston married Bessie Vaughan of Kingston, Adams County, Mississippi. In 1904, Preston bought Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi, after its president died. For a few years, he was president of both colleges, shuttling by train from Natchez to Jackson. Then he sold Stanton College and concentrated his efforts on Belhaven College. In 1911, Preston retired from college administration to manage his plantation near Kingston in Adams County. In 1920, he returned to Jackson with his family. Preston died in Jackson on April 3, 1922.

As state superintendent of education, Preston worked to reform teaching methods and increase public interest in education. As president and owner of Stanton College and Belhaven College, he worked to maintain a high standard for women's education. Preston was a member of the board of trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History from its creation in 1902 until his death. He was also president of the Mississippi Historical Society for several years.

The nine volumes consist of eight letterbooks and one order book containing carbon copies of letters and a few originals. The contents of the first four letterbooks pertain largely to the business of running Belhaven College: requesting payment for overdue tuition; requesting loan extensions from creditors; recruiting new faculty and students. A few of the letters concern Preston's personal matters. The other four volumes contain a mixture of personal and professional correspondence. The order book contains a few letters similar to those mentioned above, but most of the correspondence involves ordering books, art supplies, sheet music, musical instruments, and music supplies. One folder contains carbon copies of personal correspondence regarding Preston's finances at Kingston.

This collection will be especially useful to historians of music and higher education and to researchers interested in the history of Belhaven College.

1. Letterbooks. 1907-1921. 8 bound volumes.

   [Volume 1], March 1-September 21, 1907
   [Volume 2], August 1-November 9, 1908

   Box 1, folders 1-2

   [Volume 3], November 10, 1908-July 27, 1909
   [Volume 4], May 3-October 15, 1910

   Box 2, folders 1-2

   [Volume 5], September 25, 1907-July 31, 1908 (restricted)
   [Volume 6], July 27, 1909-May 1, 1910 (restricted)
   [Volume 7], October 17, 1910-June 18, 1914 (restricted)

   Box 7, folders 1-3 (see boxes 4-6 for reference photocopies)

   [Volume 8], January 15, 1918-March 23, 1921

   Box 3, folder 1

   [Volume 5], September 25, 1907-July 31, 1908 (reference photocopy)

   Box 4

   [Volume 6], July 27, 1909-May 1, 1910 (reference photocopy)

   Box 5

   [Volume 7], October 17, 1910-June 18, 1914 (reference photocopy)

   Box 6

2. Order Book. September 21, 1910-June 2, 1911. 1 bound volume.

   Box 3, folder 2

3. Correspondence. June-July 1914. 1 folder.

   Box 3, folder 3