Manuscript Collections | Margaret Walker Center

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Adams-Johnson, Frankye. Black Panther Party—Collection. ca. 1975-1995.
Extent: 20 linear feet
Donated by Mrs. Frankye Adams-Johnson, a former member of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, the collection consists of correspondence, books, videotapes, posters, records, and albums created or collected during her involvement in the Black Panther Party.

Adrienne, Alberta—Collection. Extent: 1 linear foot
This collection consists of printed materials, newspapers, and magazines detailing the events that took place during the 1970s at Jackson State College. It also contains humanities course teaching material.

Alexander, Margaret Walker—Personal Papers. 1929-1998.
Extent: 110 linear feet
These papers consist of materials dating from 1929-1998 that Alexander created, received, and collected during her lifetime (1915-1998). The materials include correspondence; journals; creative works by Alexander and others; subject files; printed material; financial and legal documents; serials; scrapbooks; clippings; video recordings; photographic materials; books by and about African Americans; plaques; and framed items.

Anonymous Collection. 1970. Extent: 1 linear foot
This collection consists of printed materials, newspapers and magazines detailing the events that took place during the 1970s at Jackson State College and in surrounding areas.

Armstrong, Thomas A.—Collection. 1984. Extent: 0.42 linear feet
Armstrong was a distinguished champion of civil rights. Since 1959, he worked with Johnson Publishing Company to disseminate the words and photographs of African Americans. These papers consist of a single legal document.

Bates, Gladys Noel—Scrapbook. 1911-1996. Extent: 0.42 linear feet
Presented by Gladys Noel Bates of Denver, Colorado, her collection consists of correspondence, scrapbooks with photographs, newspapers clippings of her and her family, and the Mississippi Journal.

Calbert, Wayne Floyd—Collection. 1960s-1983. Extent: 2 linear feet
This papers were collected during a Mississippi statewide survey of African-American records in the 1990s. They include photographs, programs, clippings, certificates, correspondence, ledger sheets, bank statements, deposit slips, receipt books, cancelled checks, money certificates, annual financial reports, insurance policies, and financial statements of the Wesley Foundation.

Chambliss, J. R.—Collection. Extent: 2 linear feet
Jessie R. Chambliss was the fifth of twelve children born in a crude log cabin to Marcus and Susan Claiborne Chambliss on July 6, 1885, near rural Tillman, Mississippi, in Claiborne County. His father, Marcus, was an ex-slave who sent his children to school in Port Gibson, Mississippi, and to Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi. His son, Jessie, graduated as valedictorian of his class at Alcorn State University.

Jessie Chambliss opened a shoe shop in Jackson in 1905, and, while working there, he joined the Pearl Street AME Church. On May 30, 1917, he married Norah Robinson, a regular church attendant and choir member. Their home was at 624 Rose Street, where their six children—five sons and one daughter—were born. In addition to being an ardent churchman, Chambliss was a pioneer Boy Scout leader in Mississippi. He organized the first Boy Scout Troop for African Americans in Mississippi at Pearl Street AME Church in 1932, and he continued to actively promote that troop for forty years. In 1954, Chambliss was presented the Silver Beaver Award, the highest award given in scouting for volunteer services. The collection contains programs and printed material documenting the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Pearl Street AME Church, and African-American participation in the Boy Scouts of America.

Coney, Melvene L.—Collection. Unprocessed.
Coney was the assistant secretary of the state board of directors for the National Council of Negro Women; a life-member and recording secretary of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; an active member of New Hope Baptist Church; and a member of the board for the Margaret Walker Alexander National Research Center. She died August 9, 2003, after a long bout with cancer. This collection includes memorabilia documenting her life and work.

Cook Funeral Home—Photograph Collection. 1994. Extent: 0.2 linear feet
The collection consists of 10 photographs taken inside the funeral home.

Dansby, B. Baldwin—Collection.
A graduate of Morehouse College, Dr. B. Baldwin Dansby was the first University Faculty member to become president of Jackson State University. This collection includes correspondence; financial and legal documents; printed materials; and miscellaneous subject files, books, and journals by and about African Americans.

Dawson, James—Photograph Collection.
Dawson was a JSU graduate. These photographs and subject files document his role at JSU in the 1930s.

Foster, E. C.—Collection (Select). 1970-1995. Extent: 3 linear feet
Foster was a professor of history at Jackson State University and later Dean of the Graduate School. He also served as president of the Jackson City Council. This collection includes correspondence, financial documents, programs, and miscellaneous records of his many years as an educator, administrator, and city councilman.

Harrington, Oliver—Collection. Extent: 2 linear feet
Harrington was born in Valhalla, New York, on February 14, 1912. After being educated at the Yale School of Fine Arts and the National Academy of Design, he contributed cartoons to newspapers in Harlem.

In 1935 Harrington was recruited by the Amsterdam News. It was while working for this paper that he created Bootsie, a heavy-set, bald man from Harlem. It was the first black comic strip to receive national recognition. Harrington later wrote about the birth of Bootsie: “I simply recorded the almost unbelievable but hilarious chaos around me and came up with a character. I was more surprised than anyone when Brother Bootsie became a Harlem celebrity.”

During the 1930s Harrington became the first African American to establish an international reputation in cartooning. Harrington’s work appeared in the Chicago Defender, the People’s Voice and the Pittsburgh Courier. After the war Harrington also worked for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Harrington’s cartoons often dealt with the subject of racism. He was particularly concerned about what he believed was government apathy toward legislation against lynching.

In 1950, Harrington’s political opinions brought him to the attention of the FBI and Joseph McCarthy. He decided to leave the country and went to live in Paris. Later he moved to East Berlin but continued to send cartoons to papers in the United States. Harrington also wrote articles for American periodicals. Edited by Thomas Inge, a collection of these, Why I Left America: And Other Essays, was published in 1993. The same year saw the appearance of a selection of his best cartoons, Dark Laughter. Oliver Harrington died in East Berlin on November 2, 1995.

Institute for the Study of the History, Life, and Culture of Black People—Administrative Records (Select). 1968-1979. Extent: 152 linear feet
These records consist of correspondence, general office files, financial records, projects, conference programs, printed materials, subject files, scrapbooks, and newspaper clippings while Margaret Walker Alexander was director of the Institute of History, Life, and Culture of Black People, which is now named for her.

Jackson, John W., Sr.—Collection. 1950s-1990s. Extent: 7.5 linear feet
John W. Jackson (1948-1990) was born and raised in West Point, Mississippi, and educated at Kentucky State University. He was a businessman and community leader. His papers primarily document his personal business and social activities, including materials relevant to Mary Holmes College, the Clay County Development Program, the Tombigbee Council on Human Relations, the Freedom Information Service, the Freedom Vote Project, and the Boy Scouts of America.

Jones, Lillie Bell Walker—Collection. 1925-1994. Extent: 2 linear feet
A graduate of Jackson College, Walker first worked at Jim Hill for eight years. She further studied at the University of Chicago and the University of Connecticut. She was employed at the YWCA for thirty years and was also instrumental in the building of the $250, 000 facility on Farish Street in 1965. This collection consists of materials dating from 1925 to 1994 explaining Walker’s career as a teacher and administrator. It includes correspondence, personal papers, administrative records, and photographs.

Lamson, William—Collection. Extent: 58 boxes
William D. Lamson was an architect/planner and demographic analyst for court cases dealing with school desegregation, voting rights, housing discrimination, and judicial redistricting. The collection consists of case files and maps related to these cases.

Lane, Peter C.—Collection. Extent: 1 linear foot
Peter C. Lane was an associate professor in the Biology Department and director of the Botanical Garden program at Jackson State College. He was a native of Hartford, Connecticut, where he received his early education. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia, and further studied at South Carolina State College.

This collection contains Lane’s personal correspondence, photographs, newspapers, and ephemera chronicling his career and Jackson State University’s growth from 1954-1974.

Lynch Street Corridor Historical Survey Project. Extent: 2.5 linear feet
The Lynch Street Corridor Historical Survey Project of the Margaret Walker Alexander National Research Center focused on documenting and researching the Lynch Street Corridor. The Lynch Street Corridor is the area encompassed by Dalton Street as a western boundary, the Metro Parkway as a northern boundary, Terry Road as an eastern boundary, and J.R. Lynch Street as its southern boundary. This area is a historically African-American community of notable significance during the civil rights movement as well as the early twentieth century. By identifying persons and locations relevant to the community, it is possible to create an image of the early civil rights movement in Mississippi and of the growth and development of a distinctive African-American community in Mississippi.

Lyons, James Earl, Sr.—Memorabilia (Select). 1992-1999. Extent: 5 linear feet
James E. Lyons, Sr., was the former President of Jackson State University. Presented by Lyons, the collection primarily consists of plaques, photographs, books, posters, and VHS tapes. These items reflect the many positions he held in the Mississippi State Institutions of Higher Learning and at Jackson State University.

Meier, August—Farish Street Photograph Collection. 1947. Extent: 0.2 linear feet
August Meier was a professor of African-American history at Kent State University. His most famous book Negro Thought in America, 1880-1915 explored the ideas of late-19th Century and early 20th Century black leaders like W.E.B. DuBois. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Meier died in 2003 at the age of 79. His photograph collection was donated to the Margaret Walker Center in 2000, and includes 13 photographs of the Farish Street Historic District taken by C. Moseley on March 15, 1947. One of the largest and most vibrant African-American neighborhoods in the country, Farish Street was home to churches, schools, clubs, restaurants, and number of other businesses, including the first office of Mississippi NAACP Field Secretary Medgar Evers, who was assassinated by Byron de la Beckwith in 1963.

McCalip, Amanda—Collection. n.d. Extent: 1 linear foot
This collection consists of a scrapbook of quotes from McCalip’s grandmother. It was donated to the Alexander Center by McCalip after a class project in December 1996.

Oxford Development Association Collection. 1970s-’90s. Extent: 0.42 linear feet
This collection chronicling the Oxford Development Association from the 1970s to the 1990s was donated by Della Davidson. This Association is made up of a working community of citizens dedicated to the ideas of self-improvement. It is located in a six-room house on 411 North 5th Street. The house is the headquarters for the Oxford Consumer Co-operative Store; a tutorial program by the Hampton and Clark Library; The Soul Force, a community newspaper; and a pre-school program. The collection consists of photographs, printed materials, newsletters and miscellany related to the activities of the Oxford Development Association.

Paige, Roderick R.—Collection. Extent: 65 linear feet
A native of Monticello, Mississippi, and a graduate of Jackson State University, Roderick R. Paige served as an educator, football coach, school superintendent, and United States Secretary of Education (2001-2005). His collection consists of correspondence, memoranda, notes, printed materials, reports, scrapbooks, speeches, and other papers reflecting his role in the Cabinet of United States President George W. Bush.

Patton, Howard and Bennie—Collection. Extent: 0.84 linear feet
Howard and Bennie Mae Patton married shortly before World War and Mr. Howard Patton spent the last years of the war, 1944-1945 stationed primarily in the Pacific Theater. After the war, the couple settled in Dayton, Ohio.

Posner, Rabbi Philip—Collection. 1961-1963, 1974, 1987, 2002, and 2011. Extent: 1.42 linear Feet
Personal Papers of Rabbi Philip Posner who was a Freedom Rider in 1961, arrested on July 29, 1961 at the Jackson train station and held for a night at the Hinds County Jail and 39 days at the Parchman Penitentiary.

Powell, Freida and John—Collection. 1949-1990s. Extent: 17.92 linear feet
The papers of the Powell family consist of materials dated from 1949 to the 1990s, including correspondence, personal records, subject files, programs, newspaper clippings, legal documents, serials, plaques, and photographs.

Rowan, Levi J.—Photograph Collection. 1890s-1950s. Extent: 1 linear foot
Levi J. Rowan was the first Alcorn graduate selected to be president of Alcorn College. He spent twelve years as an English instructor, served twenty-five years as president, and presided over the most ambitious expansion of facilities and student body growth in the early history of Alcorn College. He died June 28, 1934. This collection includes black-and-white photographs depicting individuals, families, groups, office scenes, and special programs and events.

Sims, Selena—Collection.
This is a small compilation of religious records that were collected by Selena H. Sims and donated to the Alexander Center by Dr. James Anderson of Jackson, Mississippi, on June 24, 1997.

SonEdna Foundation, Inc.—Collection.
The SonEdna Foundation celebrated and promoted the literary arts and writers of all genres and backgrounds in the Delta, in Mississippi, and the world. Its programs and residencies supported the development and creativity of diverse, divergent, and emerging writers. SonEdna championed the essential value of literature by providing a rich artistic and stimulating intellectual environment for writers and the public. The SonEdna Writer-in-Residence program offered invited writers, of all genres, a peaceful, supportive setting to concentrate research and write. In exchange, the writers were asked to present a program to the community. This collection includes governance records, programs and financial records, digital images, 5 GB of digital records containing photographs, websites, and Facebook pages via Google Drive.

Thompson, Cleopatra D. and Hazeal M. (H.M.)—Collection. 1920s-1990s. Extent: 12.5 linear feet
Dr. Cleopatra Davenport Thompson’s professional career included service as a teacher, professor, supervisor, and administrator in schools, colleges, and universities in Mississippi, New York, and Liberia, West Africa. Institutions where she was employed included Walthall County Training School, Okolona College, Jackson State University, Alcorn State University, Tougaloo College, Meridian Residence Center, Cornell University, and the University of Liberia.

Hazeal McFarland Thompson’s professional experiences were extensive. He taught mathematics at Harris High School in Meridian; Lanier High School in Jackson; Okolona Junior College; Alcorn State University; the University of Liberia; and Jackson State University. He also served as a visiting professor at Southern University (Louisiana), the University of Southern Mississippi, and Tougaloo College and acted as a consultant to Mississippi State University and Cuttington College (West Africa).

H.M. Thompson was the recipient of some forty civic, educational, religious, social, and fraternal awards. He also served as Grand Master of the M.W. Stringer Grand Lodge and Grand Joshua of the John L. Webb Grand High Court of Mississippi, P.H.A.; Lieutenant Commander of the United Supreme Counsel, Southern Jurisdiction A.A.S.R., U.S.A.; vice-chairman of the Mississippi Council on Aging; Treasurer of the State Mutual Federal Savings and Loan Association; co-chairman of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce Education Task Force; member of the Mississippi Association of Private Colleges; member of the Board of Trustees of Tougaloo College; and member of the Arts-Center Planetarium Commission for the City of Jackson.

The collection contains correspondence, reports, photographs, notes, pamphlets, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, notebooks, minutes, membership lists and other papers primarily documenting the political and social activities of the Thompsons. Noted are materials related to the Mississippi Association of Educators, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, American Church Institute for Negroes, Farish Street Baptist Church, Atlanta University, Tougaloo College, Alcorn State University, Jackson State University, Cornell University, and Liberia.

Thompson, Julius—Collection. Extent: 155 boxes
Dr. Julius E. Thompson was professor of history and director of the Black Studies Program at the University of Missouri at Columbia. Born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on July 15, 1946, Thompson attended elementary and high school in Natchez, Mississippi, and received his BA in history from Alcorn State University (1969). He subsequently earned his MA (1971) and PhD (1973) in American history at Princeton University where his adviser was James M. McPherson.

Beginning with his PhD dissertation on Hiram R. Revels, Thompson’s writings included several works related to Mississippi. Besides his work on Revels, published in 1982, other works included The Black Press in Mississippi, 1865–1985: A Directory (1988), The Black Press in Mississippi, 1865–1985 (1993), and Percy Greene and the Jackson Advocate: The Life and Times of a Radical Conservative Black Newspaperman, 1897–1977 (1994). Thompson’s other books related to the African-American experience in the Mississippi were Black Life in Mississippi: Essays on Political, Social, and Cultural Studies in a Deep South State (2001) and Lynching in Mississippi: A History, 1865–1965 (2006).

Turner, Maggie Little—Collection. 1901-1992. Extent: 2 linear feet
Turner was affiliated with many civic and community organizations. She was an active member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.; the League of Women Voters; Church Women United; Mary Church Terrell Literary Club; the Metropolitan Mississippi and National Retired Teachers’ Associations; the American Association of Retired Persons; the State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs; and the National Baptist Convention, USA. She was a lifetime member of the Alcorn State University National Alumni Association. The papers of Maggie Little Turner span the years 1901-1992, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the years 1969-1989.

Vincent, Edwin Tyrone—Scrapbook. 1972-1995. Extent: 1 linear foot
This scrapbook includes certificates, programs, photographs, fliers, and newspaper clippings, documenting the many performances and awards received by Edwin Tyrone Vincent from Jackson, Mississippi.

Walton, Serena—Photograph Collection. 1920s. Extent: 0.42 linear feet
This collection consists of photographs of William H. Walton when he was a student at Jackson College and when he sang with a quartet in the 1920s. William Walton was also a well-known teacher, and, after his sudden death in July 1958, an elementary school was named in his honor: William Walton Elementary School, Bailey Avenue, Jackson, Mississippi.

Womanpower Unlimited—Collection. 1946-1976. Extent: 0.42 linear feet
This collection consists of photocopies of correspondence, newsletters, written papers, and fliers of the organization.

Woodard, Eva Y.—Collection. 1958-1964. Extent: 0.42 linear feet
The museum collection covers the educational activities of Eva Yancy Woodard. Items include an article from the Journal of Home Economics and twenty photographs with students from her home economics classroom.

Woodard, Melita A. W.—Collection. 1927-1987. Extent: 0.63 linear feet
This collection consists of materials created and received by Woodard in 1927, 1933, 1972, and 1987. The materials include obituaries, certificates, and photographs.

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Recent Acquisitions
Location: Secondary Vault
Access: Restricted until processing is completed

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Margaret Walker Center
College of Liberal Arts
Jackson State University
Ayer Hall
1400 J.R. Lynch Street
P.O. Box 17008
Jackson, MS 39217

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