James "Jimmie" McKee papers

James “Jimmie” Robert McKee* was born on December 16, 1912 in Laurens county, SC to John and Violet Miller McKee, his family moved to Charlotte a few years after his birth. He was the second of ten children, but was orphaned by the time he was fourteen. At that point, he left school to work and provide for his siblings. On January 13, 1939, McKee married Minnie Jackson. One of the jobs he had was as the head mail clerk with Horton Motor Lines. In addition, he also tended a bar at some of the finest night clubs and country clubs in the Charlotte area. This experience gave him the idea of starting a club for African-Americans in Charlotte, since blacks were barred from white establishments. In 1944, he bought a house on Beatties Ford Road and converted it into a club with dining and banqueting rooms, as well as a bar. In addition to serving as a place for entertainment and relaxation, the Excelsior also served as a meeting place for officials in both the Democratic and Republican parties and during the tumultuous Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, the Excelsior was a place for politicians of both races to meet as equals. His declining health forced McKee to sell the club in November of 1984, though McKee remained active with the establishment, tending the bar and serving as a business consultant for a few months after the sale. McKee’s last major activity at the Excelsior was the fortieth anniversary celebration, which took place on November 16, 1984. After starting the Excelsior in 1944, success came steadily for McKee and he eventually became not only one of Charlotte’s leading businessmen, but also one of its more generous philanthropists, giving money to Johnson C. Smith University (he established the 100 Club as a vehicle for university fund-raising), the NAACP, the Colored NC Police Association, the Democratic party, and the YMCA, to name a few. In addition, he was a leader in advancing racial progress by pressuring golf courses to open their doors to African-Americans; and also encouraging the careers of African-Americans at WGIV, a local radio station. In 1957, the Charlotte Post newspaper recognized McKee as its “Man of the Year.” During his life, he was also a Shriner, a Mason and a member of the Elks Lodge. McKee died of cancer, on July 25, 1985 at the age of 72. A portrait of Mr. McKee is on display in the periodicals section on the second floor of the J. Murrey Atkins Library, UNC Charlotte. The First Baptist Church-West, 1801 Oaklawn Avenue, Charlotte, has a portrait of Mrs. McKee.