Kenneth Spencer Research Library Archival Collections

Overview

The Cooper-Sheppard-Cox Family Papers are those of an African American family whose members resided in Topeka, Kansas from the late 1800s to the 1970s. The papers document the family line of W. D. (William Damascus) and Mary M. (Overton) Brinkley Cooper, and include papers of Sheppard and Cox family members who married descendants of W. D. and Mary Cooper.

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The Coordinating Committee of the Black Community scrapbook chronicles the Topeka, Kansas based organization's meetings and activities.

Overview This collection includes photographs owned by David Beard, a lifelong resident of Topeka, Kansas who worked as a porter at the Jayhawk Hotel in Topeka and later as a dining car employee for the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad. The photographs in black and white show various groups of African Americans from local Topeka organizations, including the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World (IBPOEW), St. John's African Methodist Epsicopal Church, and the Iron...

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This collection contains memorial service programs for individuals of African American descent in the Topeka, Kansas area, some of which contain biographical information. Includes services for Solon W. Patterson (died in 1956); Esther Martha Watts (1964); and Lloyd Gerald Murphy (1962).

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This album, compiled by Geneva Hall, includes photographs and some clippings depicting African American life on 15th and Quincy in Topeka, Kansas during the early part of the twentieth century.

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Harry and Bertha Dandridge were active members of the Topeka (Kansas) African American community. This collection of their papers primarily consists of material related to the service activities of Bertha Dandridge, including her contributions to the Florence Crittenton Home for Colored Girls, Topeka, as well as family records.

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The collection consists of a press booklet compiled and sent out by Exodusters Awareness, Inc. prior to the 1984 celebration held in Topeka, Kansas.

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This collection consists of papers and photographs from J. (Joseph) B. Anderson and his wife Pearl, long-time residents of Topeka, Kansas. J. B. Anderson was a popular photographer in that city from the 1940s through the 1970s.

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The Joe Thompson papers are those of a long-time Kansas resident who was highly active in scouting and worked as a social worker at both the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas and the Disciplinary Barracks at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.

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The John Mercer Wright papers are those of a longtime Kansas resident who worked for Shawnee County for over fifty years, including service as chief deputy county treasurer.

Scope and Contents

Invitation and newspaper article from the Kingsley and Regina Frey Golden Wedding. The newspaper article provides some biographical information on the Topeka, Kan. couple.

Overview

The papers of Forrest Slaughter consist of personal and professional records pertaining to his career as an African American jazz musician, music therapist, and school district administrator. Included are minutes of the Topeka Committee for Better Minority Education, which he established.

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The papers of Joe Douglas, an African American Kansan, document his career with the Topeka, Kansas Fire Department and his active civic involvement. It ranges from correspondence to newspaper clippings to certificates that Mr. Douglas has received. Also included are Douglas's many photographs of the Fire Department and of other Topeka organizations and events, as well as photographs of other Douglas family members and the damage from the 1966 tornado in Topeka.

Overview

The papers of the Shinn Family are those of an African American family from Topeka, Kansas. Though the papers are those of the Arthur M. Shinn family, the majority concern his son Michael G. Shinn's time as a University of Kansas athlete, an engineer, and an advocate of academic and professional opportunities for African Americans.

Overview

The Topeka Back Home Reunion originated in 1973 thanks to the efforts of Charles Scott, Carl Williams, and Eugene Johnson. This collection includes club information, newsletters, programs, and other materials, as well as several photo albums documenting the reunion.