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Boston Daniels photographs

 Collection
Call Number: RH PH 85

Overview

Boston Daniels served as Chief of Police of Kansas City, Kansas during the 1970s. This collection of photographs documents his experiences in that capacity.

Dates

  • Creation: 1968 - 1972

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

No access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Spencer Library staff may determine use restrictions dependent on the physical condition of manuscript materials.

Biography of Boston Daniels (1905-1997)

Boston Daniels was born in Foreman, Arkansas in 1905. His father, a Baptist preacher and farmer, died when he was 12 years old. Daniels helped out on the family farm before attending Arkansas A & M, where he studied agriculture and tailoring.

Daniels moved to Kansas City, Kansas (KCK) in 1928 and held a variety of positions, including building Army planes during World War II. In 1945 he joined the KCK Police Department. He rose through the ranks until he was promoted to chief of police in 1970.

Daniels was particularly good at catching shoplifters, training his observational skills and memory to remember faces and names. He only fired his gun once during an incident in all his time in the police, and his progressive ideas regarding police work--focused on strong communication and supporting vulnerable citizens in order to reduce crime--were credited with deescalating racial tensions in Kansas City in the 1960s.

After retiring from the police in 1971, Daniels worked in security for Brotherhood Bank. His wife Rosemary taught cosmetology, first at Sumner High School and later at an area vocational technical school. Boston Daniels died on May 11, 1997.

[Information from findagrave.com and Kansas City, Kansas Public Library, "Kansas City, Kansas Black History - Boston Daniels."]

Extent

.25 Linear Feet (11 photographs in 1 document case)

Language of Materials

English

Physical Location

RH PH 85

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift, Rosemary Daniels, 1986.

Title
Guide to the Boston Daniels Collection
Subtitle
Boston Daniels photographs
Author
Finding aid prepared by rw, 2008. Finding aid encoded by rw 2008. Finding aid revised by mwh, 2021.
Date
2008
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Finding aid written in English.
Finding aid permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/10407/9488054657
Preferred citation
Boston Daniels photograph collection, RH PH 85, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas

Repository Details

Part of the University of Kansas. Kenneth Spencer Research Library Repository

Contact:
1450 Poplar Lane
Lawrence KS 66045-7616 United States
785-864-4334