Manuscripts Index
African American Heritage in the Ozarks Collection, 2021-2023 (SP0078)
31 oral history interviews
The African American Heritage in the Ozarks Collection contains oral history interviews, transcriptions, and photographs related to the African American Heritage in the Ozarks project coordinated by the State Historical Society of Missouri from November 2021 to November 2022. The interviews cover a wide range of topics related to the African American experience in the Ozarks including family, community, education, religion, travel and leisure, labor, and military service.
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African Americans in St. Louis Collection, 1920-1991 (S0036)
0.5 cubic foot, 21 folders
The African Americans in St. Louis Collection is an artificial collection containing histories, unpublished manuscripts, programs, directories, reports, pamphlets, and articles documenting St. Louis's African American Community from 1920 to 1991.
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African-American Healing Arts and Lore Collection, 1996 (S0749)
0.5 cubic foot, 5 folders, 2 audio cassettes
The records of the African-American Healing Arts and Lore Collection documents methods of natural healing passed down from generation to generation through interviews and public discussions. Additionally, the collection contains correspondence, grant proposals, meeting minutes, and budget narratives. Included in this collection are two cassette tapes with audio recordings. The first recording is a group discussion and performance about the relationship between song and healing arts; the second recording is of a group interview discussing various natural remedies for common ailments.
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African-American Pioneers in Journalism Collection, 1920-1980 (S0624)
1 cubic foot, 15 cassette tapes, 15 folders with transcripts
The African American Pioneers in Journalism and Broadcasting Oral History Collection contains photographs, cassette tapes, and oral history transcripts on journalists and broadcasters from the St. Louis African-American community. Subjects of interest include Bernie Hayes and Gloria Pritchard.
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Albert Wenzlick Real Estate Company Report, 1926 (S0026)
0.01 cubic foot, 1 folder, 36 pages
This collection contains an unpublished 36-page report titled "Studies and Analyses Covering a Proposed Colored Amusement and Building Project to be Located in Saint Louis, Mo." In the report, the Albert Wenzlick Real Estate Company proposes the erection of an entertainment and residential complex containing a theater, dance hall, five retail stores, a bowling alley, and 28 efficiency apartments for African Americans in St. Louis.
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Alpha Kappa Alpha, Career Achievements Among Black Women in St. Louis, Missouri Collection, 1974 (S0101)
0.01 cubic foot, 1 folder
The Alpha Kappa Alpha Collection contains material that documents the display Career Achievements Among Black Women In St. Louis, which was exhibited in branches of the St. Louis Public Library in 1974. The collection contains brief biographies of 23 Black career women of St. Louis, Missouri, along with their photographs. Also included are the original exhibit labels.
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Henrietta Ambrose Papers, 1887-1999 (S0698)
3.5 cubic feet, 96 folders, 3 oversize folders, 666 photographs, 7 volumes
The Henrietta Ambrose Papers includes correspondence, newspaper clippings, awards, memorial service programs, scrapbooks, graduation programs, meeting minutes, and photographs. Together they chronicle Henrietta Ambrose's interest in the public life of Webster Groves, Missouri.
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Anniversary Club Records, 1915-1978 (S0388)
0 .4 cubic feet
The Anniversary Club is the oldest continuing black men's social organization in St. Louis. Members, who are from business and the professions, meet once a month to socialize and to hear talks on issues of concern to African Americans. The collection includes bylaws, meeting minutes, and two attendance books.
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Antioch Baptist Church Souvenir Program, 1979 (S0418)
0.01 cubic foot, 1 folder
A souvenir program and history for the 100th Anniversary Celebration of a prominent African American St. Louis church.
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Auroran Club, Phyllis Wheatley Branch, YWCA Scrapbooks, 1958-1981 (S0391)
0.25 cubic feet
The Auroran Club, Phyllis Wheatley Branch, YWCA Scrapbooks collection contains programs, histories, photographs, newspaper clippings, and invitations of the Auroran Club of the Phyllis Wheatley Branch of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) Metro St. Louis.
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Charles Bannister Photograph Collection, 1940s-1950s (S0583)
0.01 cubic foot, 1 folder, 31 photographs
Charles Bannister worked as a photographer in his native St. Louis, Missouri. The collection contains thirty images documenting African Americans in St. Louis, civil rights activists, prominent entertainers, nightlife, and the Lamb’s Club on Delmar.
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Chuck Berry Project Research Papers, 1958-1984 (S0196)
0.04 cubic feet, 13 folders, 2 microfilm rolls
The Chuck Berry Research Project Collection contains newspaper clippings, research papers, and oral histories chronicling Kenn Thomas and George Lipsitz’s effort to document the life and career of singer and songwriter, Chuck Berry.
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Black Jack Project Records, 1968-1976 (S1227)
0.5 cubic foot
This collection contains a timeline, research on housing by the Inter-Religious Council, and newspaper articles on Black Jack, Missouri, compiled by the Parkview Heights Corporation.
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Black Jack, Missouri, Housing Controversy Collection, 1973-1976 (S0007)
0.05 cubic foot, 13 folders
The collection contains court documents, memorandum, newspaper clippings, and a University of Missouri-St. Louis student paper regarding the city of Black Jack, Missouri's attempt to prevent the Park View Heights Corporation from building an integrated housing complex within its borders.
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Black Pages Collection, 1984-2010 (S0578)
0.4 cubic foot, 9 folders
This collection contains issues of Black Pages, a telephone directory of African-American businesses in the St. Louis area. Publisher Melvin Jones began Black Pages in 1984 and publishes the directory annually.
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Abner Blize Papers, 1830 (R0579)
0.01 cubic foot (1 folder)
The Abner Blize Papers consist of an agreement between Abner Blize and Nathaniel Bacon of St. Louis County, Missouri, regarding the control of the bondage of Charles, an enslaved person in the estate of John Bacon.
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Anita Lyons Bond Papers, 1964-1995 (S0656)
0.2 cubic foot, 4 folders
The Anita Lyons Bond papers document her life and career as a civil rights activist, her involvement in Missouri politics, and her presidential appointment to the Missouri Citizens Advisory Committee to the United States Civil Rights Commission. The collection contains correspondence writings, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and pamphlets.
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Book Lovers Club Program, 1978-1979 (S0354)
0.01 cubic foot
Booklovers Club. Literary Club for Black women. 1978-1979 program guide.
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William Clark Breckenridge Papers, 1752-1927 (C1036)
4.75 cubic feet (117 folders, 21 volumes), 1 card file, 3 rolls of microfilm
The papers of the St. Louis businessman, writer, and historian contain correspondence, scrapbooks, book sale announcements, and miscellaneous materials, with an emphasis on St. Louis and Missouri history.
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John Davis Buckner Papers, 1875-1981 (S0468)
2 cubic feet, 121 folders, 14 photographs
John D. Buckner was a St. Louis-area educator and civic leader. Throughout his career as an educator, Buckner served in various position in St. Louis City Public Schools: Sumner High School Faculty (1943-1960, 1964-1968); Sumner principal (1968-1971); Supervisor of secondary education, St. Louis Public Schools (1960-1964); and curriculum specialist for city schools (1971-1977). The papers contain minutes, reports, financial statements, high school yearbooks, and photographs documenting Buckner's activities in educational, civic, and fraternal organizations.
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John Buckner Papers, 1891-1995 (S1114)
6 cubic feet, 267 folders, 119 photographs
The John Buckner Papers contain correspondence, reports, photographs, yearbooks, and scrapbooks pertaining to John Buckner's career as an educator in the St. Louis Public Schools system. The collection also contains materials on Julia Davis and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
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Charles E. Burgess Papers, 1972-1987 (S1183)
27 cubic feet
This collection contains the working files of Charles Burgess, the education writer of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, from 1976 to 1986. The files include newspaper clippings, briefs, court orders, and reports on the St. Louis Desegregation Case.
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Charles Burgess Papers, 1967-1988 (S0856)
27 cubic feet
Burgess worked as an education writer for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. He collected many documents on school desegregation in St. Louis. The collection includes the most significant federal court cases and notable dissertations on the topic.
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James T. Bush Real Estate Records, 1909-1966 (S0658)
2.75 cubic foot, 101 folders, 22 oversize folders
James T. Bush Sr. Real Estate Records contain closing statements, correspondence, appraisals, statements, property titles and information, certificates of title, deeds of trust, and ledgers that document real estate holdings in St. Louis City from 1909 to 1966. James T. Bush Sr. began working in the real estate business in the 1920s and was instrumental in establishing the Real Estate Brokers Association of St. Louis in 1946. Throughout his career, he worked to maintain records pertaining to landlord rental properties in St. Louis.
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DeVerne Calloway Papers, 1929-1986 (S0012)
18.2 cubic feet, 430 folders, 604 photographs, 5 volumes, 4 items
The DeVerne Calloway Papers contain correspondence, meeting meetings, newspaper clippings, photographs, posters, and scrapbooks chronicling her personal life and career as the first African American woman elected to the Missouri legislature. As the Missouri State Representative from the 70th District (1962-1981), Calloway focused on assisting welfare recipients and prisoners, which is reflected in her correspondence.
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Ernest Calloway Papers, 1932-1989 (S0011)
18.6 cubic feet, 712 photographs, 1 volume, 8 reel-to-reel tapes
The Ernest Calloway Papers contain correspondence, speeches, public statements, reports, campaign materials, newspapers, and photographs documenting Calloway's activities as president of the St. Louis NAACP, political analyst for Teamsters' Local 688, political activist in St. Louis, and lecturer on urban affairs for St. Louis University.
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Caring Communities Records, 1989-2023 (S0731)
1.4 cubic feet (23 folders)
The Caring Communities Records contain bylaws, correspondence, meeting minutes, program booklets, reports, and photographs chronicling the organization's mission to provide comprehensive health and social services to children and families in St. Louis City. Khatib Waheed founded the organization as the Walbridge Caring Communities Program in 1989 in the Walnut Park neighborhood of St. Louis. The program expanded to twenty sites in St. Louis throughout its history. Social service organizations throughout Missouri adopted the Caring Communities program model in the 1990s and 2000s.
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Carper Casket Company History, 1975 (S0027)
0.01 cubic foot, 1 folder
This collection contains a handwritten history of the Carper Casket Company, an African American-owned casket firm founded by George A. Carper in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1932.
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Civil Rights Movement in St. Louis Manuscript , 1980 (S0187)
0.15 cubic feet
The Civil Rights Movement in St. Louis Manuscript consists of a thesis written by Gina L. Henderson titled The Civil Rights Movement in St. Louis, 1954-1970: A Socio-Historical Perspective. The author argues that Black St. Louisans were at the forefront of the Civil Rights movement despite popular notions that the city’s African-American population was complacent.
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Coalition for Information on School Desegregation Records, 1954-1984 (S0448)
4 cubic feet, 325 folders
The Coalition for Information on School Desegregation was founded in 1981 to provide information on school desegregation in the St. Louis metropolitan area through a speakers' bureau, resource center, and newsletter. This collection includes reports, meeting minutes, newsletters, news clippings, and court documents on school desegregation cases.
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Margaret and Irvin Dagen "History of St. Louis CORE" Collection, 1941-2000 (S0661)
1 cubic foot, 35 folders, 18 cassettes, 9 photographs
This collection was compiled for a book entitled “Victory without Violence: The First Ten Years of the St. Louis Committee of Racial Equality (CORE), 1947-1957” by Mary Kimbrough and Margaret Dagen, published by University of Missouri Press in 2000. It includes correspondence, oral history tapes, transcripts, and photographs pertaining to CORE's history, political activities, and service to the community.
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George Davis Family Papers, 1856-1997 (S0606)
0.4 cubic foot, 16 folders
The Davis family has resided in Kirkwood, MO, for nine generations. Papers include emancipation and Civil War papers; a letter from Thomas Hart Benton Jr., license and information about the city of Kirkwood, Booker T. Washington School, Olive Chapel AME, Unity Baptist Church, baseball player Al Smith, and the James A. Mitchell family. The papers of the George Davis Family contain photocopies of correspondence, emancipation and Union Army papers, and photographs documenting the lives of this African-American family in Kirkwood, Missouri.
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Julia Davis Papers, 1917-1988 (S0142)
0.4 cubic feet, 21 folders
The Julia Davis Papers are a research collection compiled by African-American educator and activist Julia Davis, documenting the educational and cultural activities of the black community in St. Louis between 1917 and 1988. The papers include articles, reports, lesson plans, programs, and literature from black educational institutions, as well as biographical material and tributes to black educators.
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Down Memory Lane Manuscript, 1976 (S0020)
0.01 cubic foot
The Down Memory Lane Manuscript is a 50th-anniversary celebration history of the Charles Sumner High School, originally published in June 1959 for the 1909 graduating class, St. Louis, Missouri.
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Herman Dreer Papers, 1925-1977 (S0167)
1 cubic foot, 35 folders, 1 roll microfilm
The Herman Dreer Papers contain correspondence, newspaper clippings, plays, and articles written by Dreer, pertaining to his life and career as an author, historian, educator, and minister. Included in this collection are handwritten notes from Dreer's interview he conducted for his Ph.D. dissertation, "Negro Leadership in St. Louis: A Study in Race Relations."
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Kay Drey Civil Rights Subject Files Collection, 1960-2000 (S0840)
6 cubic foot, 44 folders
The Kay Drey Civil Rights Subject Files Collection consists of topics on University City public schools, University City Residential Service, racism in St. Louis City, and O.J. Simpson.
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Mary Lou Martin Drosten Papers, 1936-1941 (S0720)
0.4 cubic feet
The Mary Lou Martin Drosten Papers contain correspondence, photographs, and newspaper clippings documenting her work with the National Youth Administration in St. Louis, Missouri. The collection includes a scrapbook chronicling her work with African American children in the Webster Groves and Kinloch communities.
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Early Years of Black YWCA Chapter, Wheatley Branch Paper, 1979 (S0345)
0.01 cubic foot
1 article, 44 pages. "Vespers and Vacation Lots: the Early Years of the St. Louis Phyllis Wheatley Branch YWCA," by Jeanne Mongold, UMSL, 1979.
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Ida Early Papers, 1986-2008 (S0366)
1.8 cubic feet
The Ida Early papers contain meeting minutes, correspondence, program booklets, and reports primarily chronicling her time as President of the Junior League of St. Louis from 1996 to 1998. Other topics of interest include Dance St. Louis and the St. Louis Crisis Nursery.
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Eastern Missouri Collection, 1858-2009 (S1135)
5 cubic feet, 1 reel of 16mm film, 1 reel of microfilm, 50 oversize items
The Eastern Missouri Collection is an artificial collection combining miscellaneous small acquisitions related to Missouri places, individuals, organizations, and events. The Eastern Missouri Collection continues to have material added to it. New additions are added at the end of the collection. Researchers should browse the index and container lists to locate pertinent material.
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Elmwood Park Photograph Collection, 1926-1960 (S0584)
0.01 cubic foot
The Elmwood Park photograph collection consists of photographs of an African-American community in St. Louis County, featuring images of dance recitals, school children, and the First Baptist Church of Elmwood Park.
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Oscar Farmer Collection, 1940-2005 (S0585)
0.5 cubic feet, 1 tape, 37 photographs
The Oscar Farmer Collection documents Farmer’s career working for the Saint Louis Police Department. It also contains an oral history interview and photographs related to his work at Club Riviera, a supper club that hosted prominent entertainers and served as a base for local politician Jordan Chambers.
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Father Dickson Cemetery Burial Books, 1904-1983 (S0337)
3 microfilm rolls
Founded in 1903 by the Twelve Knights and Daughters of Tabor, a black philanthropic organization. The 13-acre cemetery served African Americans from Webster Groves and Kirkwood. It fell into disrepair in the 1960s. The Friends of Father Dickson Cemetery organized in 1988 to restore the cemetery and promote its heritage.
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Fern Leaf Study Club History, 1976 (S0104)
0.01 cubic foot
The collection includes a one-page history of the Fern Leaf Study Club, a St. Louis-area African American women’s club, written by Lillie Robinson, the club’s secretary.
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Chauncey Ives Filley Letter, 1915 (C1881)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)
To Krekel Dillon Wilbanks, Mt. Vernon, IL, from St. Louis, MO, Jan. 13, 1915.
Letter about an article in the ST. LOUIS REPUBLIC on Filley's reminiscences of emancipation in Missouri. Article contained several errors of fact on the Missouri Convention of 1861-1863, which Wilbanks had pointed out.
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First African Baptist Church History, 1976 (S0006)
0.01 cubic foot, 1 folder
The First African Baptist Church History contains a four-page document that briefly describes the history of African-Americans in St. Louis as well as the First African Baptist Church in St. Louis. The church was founded in 1827 by Reverend John Berry Meachum and is the oldest African-American church west of the Mississippi River. Many of the original congregation consisted of slaves, who were permitted by their owners to attend. A physical church was built two years following the organization’s inception and went through two other location changes to accommodate the rapid growth of the church’s congregation.
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First Boatmen's Church, St. Louis Collection, 1854 (S0382)
0.01 cubic foot
This collection contains a fourth anniversary sermon, three tracts, and lithograph of First Boatmen's Church of St. Louis.
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Alfred J. Ford Papers, 1945-1980 (S0659)
0.25 cubic foot, 7 folders
Alfred J. Ford was a well-known civic leader and entrepreneur, who owned Ford Brothers Insurance Brokers and served as vice-president of General Insurers, Inc. This collection contains pamphlets, programs, meeting of businesses, boards, and organizations to which he belonged.
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Freedman's Savings and Trust Company (St. Louis, Mo.) Depositers' Signatures, 1869 (C2984)
1 roll of microfilm
The collection contains signatures and personal identification data about depositors in the St. Louis branch of the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company. Includes accounts 223-366, dated 6 April-8 October 1869.
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Anita Frost Papers, 1953-1984 (S0154)
0.01 cubic foot
The papers of Anita Frost contain photographs and military history of the first St. Louis African-American woman in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. She joined the St. Louis Marine Reserves on July 17, 1953, was discharged a year later and re-enlisted into the regular Marine Corps on September 17, 1954. She retired July 31, 1975, as a gunnery sergeant (E-7).