Clementine Martin family papers
Overview
Clementine (Phelps) Martin (1910-1995), was an active resident of Topeka, Kansas, serving the Topeka and broader Northeast Kansas communities for many years. Her community service and involvement included membership in the Kansas Association of Colored Womens Clubs, Ne Plus Ultra Literary Club, and many other organizations. Martin's papers consist of the records of clubs and other organizations with which she was involved and personal papers, including those of her husband and daughter.
Dates
- Creation: 1918 - 2021
Creator
- Martin, Clementine, 1910-1995 (Person)
Biography of Clementine Martin (1910-1995)
Clementine Prim Phelps was born Sept 7, 1910 at Newton, Kansas to Eva (Bradshaw) and C. James Phelps. She had two siblings, including clinical psychologist C. Kermit Phelps.
Clementine Phelps married Eugene "Billy" Martin on August 25, 1939. He worked as a Radio Patrolman, one of the few African Americans to serve the Topeka Police Department, before beginning two years of service in the United States Navy Radio Patrol. Eugene Martin died November 21, 1949, at the age of 37. Their daughter Eva Martin was born a few months later in January 1950.
A longtime resident of Topeka, Kansas, Clementine Martin was an active member of the community. She was involved with the Kansas Association of Colored Women's Clubs, having held the office of President, as well as the Ne Plus Ultra Literary Club, and other community and civil rights organizations throughout the Northeast Kansas region.
Martin was a professional cook and caterer who worked in the Kansas Governor's Mansion during the Docking administration. She passed away on July 14, 1995. Her legacy has been remembered by the Topeka community through the Clementine "Prim" Martin community service award, given annually.
Extent
6.5 Linear Feet (13 boxes, 3 oversize boxes, 13 audio cassette tapes)
Language of Materials
English
Scope and Contents
The Clementine Martin collection is divided into six series: Kansas Association of Colored Womens Clubs (KACWC), Organizations, Personal Papers, Audio Cassette Recordings, Newsletters and Newspaper Clippings, and Photographs.
The Kansas Association of Colored Womens Clubs series includes club records, financial records, minutes, announcements and other assorted materials from the 1950s-1990s.
The Organizations series includes announcements, correspondence and assorted material from various community and civil rights organizations, 1920s-1990s.
The Personal Papers series is comprised of Martin's day planners, correspondence, clippings and miscellaneous material, 1920s-1990s, along with her daughter Eva Martin Blythe's papers, 1974 - 2021, and materials regarding Martin's husband Eugene Martin.
The Audio cassette recordings series includes tape recordings of executive board meetings, most likely of the KACWC, during the 1980s.
Newsletters and Newspaper Clippings consists primarily of a collection of local and regional publications of interest, dating from the late 1960s through the 1980s, along with her daughter's clippings, 1990s - 2010s.
A small group of photographs depicting diverse subjects makes up the final series. Materials from later additions were added to the existing series but may be located at other call numbers. Oversize materials and audiovisual materials were also physically separated and are described throughout this finding aid.
Physical Location
RH MS 632
Physical Location
RH MS 1251
Physical Location
RH MS-P 632
Physical Location
RH Cassette Tape 23, RH Cassette Tape 55
Physical Location
RH MS Q122, RH MS Q350, RH MS Q405
Physical Location
RH MS R317
Physical Location
RH MS 1372
Physical Location
RH MS-P 1372
Physical Location
RH MS-P 1372(f)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gifts, Eva Martin Blythe, 1995, 2010, 2014, 2021.
Separated Materials
Issues of the Topeka Ebony Times included in this collection have been catalogued separately at RH Ser G1.
Source
- Blythe, Eva Martin (Donor, Person)
Subject
- Kansas Association of Colored Women (Organization)
- Ne Plus Ultra Art and Literary Club (Topeka, Kan.) (Organization)
- Kansas Association of Colored Women (Organization)
- Title
- Guide to the Clementine Martin Collection
- Subtitle
- Clementine Martin family papers
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by bkm, 2006. Finding aid encoded by bkm, 2006. Finding aid revised by mbw, 2010, 2012; awo, 2015; eje, 2022.
- Date
- 2006
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Sponsor
- Support for the processing of this Collection was provided by the Dana and Sue Anderson African American Collecting Program Endowment Fund.
- Finding aid permalink
- http://hdl.handle.net/10407/2730375447
- Preferred citation
-
Clementine Martin family papers, Kansas Collection, RH MS 632, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas
Repository Details
Part of the University of Kansas. Kenneth Spencer Research Library Repository