MFM-18

Minnie Peterson Papers
1949-1978, 1 reel

Collection includes scrapbooks, correspondence and photographs of a well-known African-American civil rights activist in Dayton.

Subject Area(s): African-Americans

MFM-6

Register of Black and Mulatto Persons Records
1804-1856, 1 reel

Records of freed blacks from Greene, Logan, Miami, and Montgomery counties. Information usually includes name, age, birthdate, place and date of freedom, name of former owner, and a short physical description.

Subject Area(s): African-Americans

MS-248

Matthews-Howard Family Papers
1908-1992, 4 lin. ft.

Graduates of Wilberforce University, Rev. Wesley Matthews and his wife, Ruth "Pat" Matthews, were active in civil rights, church work, and community organizing in the Dayton, Yellow Springs, and Urbana, Ohio areas. After Rev. Matthews died in 1978, Pat Matthews remarried Wendell Howard, a Springfield pharmacist. Papers in this collection include business and personal correspondence from both families, records from a depression-era WPA education program in Clark County, family photographs, a scrapbook and correspondence from Tuskegee Institute, a Tuskegee Airmen yearbook, and materials pertaining to the Matthews' various civic involvements.

Subject Area(s): African-Americans, Family and Personal Papers

MS-267

Charles M. Austin Collection
1873-2003, .75 lin. ft.

The Charles M. Austin Collection documents the results of Mr. Austin’s extensive research on African-American history in the Miami Valley, and particularly in Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio. His papers include recorded speeches, interviews and articles.

Subject Area(s): African-Americans

MS-282

Neal V. Loving Collection
1930-1990s, 9 lin. ft.

Neal Loving, recognized as one of the "African American Pioneers in Aviation", was a renowned airplane designer and an aerospace engineer at the Flight Dynamics Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), Dayton, Ohio. The collection contains papers, photographs, and blueprints of Loving's designs, including his WR-1 midget racer named "Loving's Love".

Subject Area(s): Aviation, African-Americans

MS-295

Ann Cooper Collection
early 1900s-2002, 50 lin. ft.

Ann Cooper is a prolific author with over 600 published magazine articles and ten books on aviation notables to her credit. The research collection is an excellent source of information on women aviators such as Jessie Woods, Patty Wagstaff, Edna Gardner Whyte, Dorothy S. Lewis, and Nancy Hopkins Tier, as well as African American aviators including the Tuskegee Airmen

Subject Area(s): Aviation, African-Americans, Women

MS-299

Kent Organ Dayton School Desegregation Papers
1977-2004, .25 lin. ft.

The Kent Organ Dayton School Desegregation Papers consist primarily of the final report of the Ad Hoc Committee to the Dayton Citizens Advisory Board on the Dayton School Desegregation Plan. The report was submitted to Judge Carl B. Rubin in August 1977 after being approved by the Dayton Citizens Advisory Board. Kent Organ was chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee.

Subject Area(s): African-Americans, Education and Local Schools

MS-308

Gladys Turner Finney Papers
1957-2000, 3 lin. ft.

Contains autobiographical articles, brochures, correspondence, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings and reports that document Gladys Finney’s career in social work in the Dayton, Ohio area. Also contains materials concerning her private life, her involvement with her church and personal interests, as well as material relating to her husband, Frederick Marshall Finney.

Subject Area(s): Family and Personal Papers, Women, African-Americans

MS-322

James H. McGee Papers
1930-1980, 2.5 lin. ft.

James Howell McGee was the first African-American mayor of Dayton, Ohio and one of the first African-American mayors of a major U.S. city. He practiced law in the Miami Valley and was involved in civil rights and Dayton city politics. His papers include speeches, correspondence, and photographs.

Subject Area(s): African-Americans, Politics

MS-332

Don L. Crawford Papers
1918-2003, 2.5 lin. ft.

This collection includes newspaper clippings, magazine articles, scrapbooks, correspondence, speech notes and publicity, photographs, certificates, and campaign literature. Most items are by or about Don L. Crawford, Jr., one of Dayton’s best-known African American leaders of the 1960s-1980s. A few items in the collection relate to other Crawford family members Don L., Sr., Agatha Crawford Payne, and Donella Crawford

Subject Area(s): African-Americans, Politics

MS-38

Dayton Urban League Records
1947-1968, 18.5 lin. ft.

The Dayton Urban League was chartered in 1947. In conjunction with a nation-wide League Network, the Dayton Urban League made an important contribution to the general welfare of the local community through its services to African-Americans in Dayton. The League attempted to improve employment opportunities, accelerate guidance programs for young people, initiate greater participation of Blacks in the activities of other welfare agencies and civic organizations, and to improve the climate of race relations in Dayton. Includes Board of Directors' minutes, annual reports, financial records, extensive correspondence, committee reports, subject files, news releases, and other related materials.

Subject Area(s): African-Americans, Civic Organizations

MS-39

Springfield Urban League Records
1960-1970, 14 lin. ft.

Includes constitution and by-laws, Board of Director's minutes, reports, correspondence, financial records, subject files, news releases, and clippings for the Springfield, Ohio, chapter of the Urban League.

Subject Area(s): African-Americans, Civic Organizations

SC-103

"Who Knows?" by Paul Laurence Dunbar
1915, 1 folder

Sheet music and RCA phonograph recording of "Who Knows" located in oversize collection materials.

Subject Area(s): Paul Laurence Dunbar Materials, Arts, African-Americans

SC-149

Paul Laurence Dunbar Newspaper Clippings
1934, 1 folder

Two Dunbar poems and newspaper articles concerning the death and funeral of Dunbar and his mother.

Subject Area(s): Paul Laurence Dunbar Materials, African-Americans

SC-168

Paul Laurence Dunbar Poem, "To Anna C."
ca. 1900, 1 folder

Original handwritten and typed version of a poem, "To Anna C." written by Paul Laurence Dunbar, dating between 1900 and 1906.

Subject Area(s): Paul Laurence Dunbar Materials, African-Americans, Arts

SC-216

Charles M. Austin, Travelin' in th' Footsteps: The Dayton Youth Movement 1937-1938
2008, 1 folder

Booklet written by Charles M. Austin concerning the Dayton Youth Movement of the 1930s. See also, MS-267.

Subject Area(s): African-Americans

SC-262

Leo Lucas Oral History Interview
1975, 1 folder

This collection contains a cassette tape of an oral history interview of Leo Lucas. Lucas was a member of the Dayton School Board during the battle over bussing students for desegregation.

Subject Area(s): Education and Local Schools, African-Americans, Oral History Collections

SC-30

Unidentified World War I Soldier's Letter
1919, 1 folder

The collection contains a postcard of a transport ship and a letter from a World War I soldier to his brother while enroute home. The letter provides insight on race relations in a segregated army.

Subject Area(s): Family and Personal Papers, World War I, African-Americans

SC-71

Yellow Springs Civil Rights Demonstration Photographs
1964, 1 folder

Contains photographs relating to a demonstration that occurred in Yellow Springs, Ohio, in 1964. Also includes copies of court cases that arose from the demonstration.

Subject Area(s): African-Americans, Photographic Collections

SC-75

Bessie Coleman Photographs
ca. 1920s, 1 folder

Photocopy of portion of book about Bessie Coleman and copies of several photographs of Bessie Coleman.

Subject Area(s): Aviation, Women, African-Americans

SC-8

Paul Laurence Dunbar Papers
1872-1906, 1 folder

Contains several items pertaining to Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Subject Area(s): African-Americans, Paul Laurence Dunbar Materials

SC-82

C.J. McLin Jr. Autobiography
1998, 1 folder

Transcript of an autobiography by C.J. McLin, Jr. Also available in published form in the Archives and the Libraries collections.

Subject Area(s): Family and Personal Papers, African-Americans

SC-86

"My Little Black Lamb" by Paul Laurence Dunbar
1922, 1 folder

Original voice and piano score for song written by Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Subject Area(s): African-Americans, Arts, Paul Laurence Dunbar Materials