Women's History Research
Sources
The University of South Alabama Archives collects photographs, personal papers, and business, legal, and organizational records relating to the history and development of Mobile and the surrounding area, and makes them available for research purposes. The Archives has acquired many primary materials relating to the history of women in this area. We have made an effort to support these collections with secondary resources, such as master's theses, doctoral dissertations, books, and articles. Below is a listing of the Archives' major holdings relating to women's history. For a more detailed description of these collections, inquiries may be directed to the archivist using the following email link: archives@jaguar1.usouthal.edu.
Organizations American Association of University Women (1936-2003) The records of the local chapter of the AAUW contain meeting minutes (general, board, and executive board), correspondence, annual reports, treasurer's records, bank statements, yearbooks, membership lists, and topical files. Some of the topics include education, ERA, Historic Church tours, Mobile Historic Development Commission, scholarships, social studies, and writing contests. Materials are periodically added to the collection. As You Like it Club (1973-1987) This organization was founded by Mrs. Hazel Belle Inge on October 10, 1914, and is still active (2005) as a reading and study club. The collection consists of year-long programs from 1973 until 1987. The study programs have focused on a variety of topics, including culture, history, industry, and sociology. The programs also include the constitution, by-laws, and history of the organization. Downtown Servicemen's Center (1942-1945) The center was located at the St. Francis Street Methodist Church during World War II. The purpose was to provide a "home-like lounge, rooms, social and recreational activities for Service Men of the United States." Kathryn de Celle was the Hostess-Director of the center. Many local Mobile churches also contributed financially to the Servicemen's Center. An album kept by the center contains photographs, correspondence, news clippings, and programs. Forum Club (1928-2004) The Forum Club was founded by Hazel Belle (Mrs. H. T.) Inge in November 1928, and was affiliated with the Woman's Clubhouse Association. The Forum Club's purpose was "to meet and discuss the current events of the day," and to "learn to speak with force and effectiveness on topics without embarrassment." The club's records include correspondence, meeting minutes, financial records, and scrap books. The scrap books contain annual histories of the organization, news clippings, and photos of members. Junior League of Mobile (1952-1960) The Junior League of Mobile was originally founded in 1925 as the Mobile Charity League. In 1932 it was incorporated into the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI). The Junior League is committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through effective action and leadership. This small collection consists of 20 volumes (with the issues from 1954 and 1955 missing), of the Folio, the group's tri-yearly publication. League of Women Voters (1955-2001) The records of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters contains local, state, and national records, including correspondence, meeting minutes, annual reports, membership information, treasurer's reports, and newspaper clippings. It also contains information regarding a variety of topics, including elections, education, environment, health care, tax reform, welfare reform, and poverty. Materials are periodically added to the collection. Mobile British Women's Club (1964-1994) The Mobile British Women's Club was formerly The British Wives Club, and before that, The British Brides Club. The collection includes meeting notes from 1964-1994, correspondence, membership lists, community information, photographs, and newspaper clippings. See also, Martha Mercer, "British Brides, American Wives: The Immigration and Acculturation of War Brides in Mobile, Alabama, 1945-1993," (M.A. Thesis, University of South Alabama, 1992) and oral interview tapes. Mobile Female Benevolent Society (1831-1991) The Mobile Female Benevolent Society was founded in 1829 as a non-denominational organization to aid indigent widows through the donation of food, clothing, and medical supplies. In 1835, the society built and maintained several houses called "Widows' Row" at Dearborn and Warren streets. The organization later bought the Gazzam home at Government and Ann Streets to house the women. This site is known as the Murray House and is operated by the Episcopal diocese of the Central Gulf Coast under the auspices of the Mobile Female Benevolent Society. The collection contains the 1831, 1937, and 1951 constitutions, articles of incorporation (1841), inmate policies and legal agreements, miscellaneous correspondence and financial records, resident lists (1873-1960), and minutes from 1860-64, 1886-92, 1897-98, 1953-54, 1982-83, and 1988-89. Non-Partisan Voters League (1956-1987) The Non-Partisan Voters League was organized in Mobile in 1956, the same time that the Alabama Attorney General banned the NAACP. The NPVL continued the civil rights activism in Mobile while the NAACP was outlawed and after it resumed. The collection contains records which span thirty years (1956-1987), with the bulk of materials between 1961 and 1975. As the records of this collection reveal, the NPVL demanded the hiring of more black municipal employees, sued to force desegregation of the Mobile school system, filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Justice to open public accommodations to all, launched massive voter registration campaigns , and challenged the constitutionality of Mobile's commission form of municipal government. This collection includes discrimination suits involving women. See online guide at www.southalabama.edu/archives/html/manuscript/npvlguide.htm See also Keith Nicholls, "The Non-Partisan Voters League of Mobile, Alabama" (vertical file). Schumann Club (1894-present) The Schumann Club, previously known as the Clara Schumann Music Club, was organized by a group of educated, middle and upper class women with the goal to maintain a high musical standard in their own work and to promote the culture of musical art in the Mobile area. The club regularly presented piano and vocal scholarships to high school students. In 1984, the group changed its name to reflect the decision to admit men. The organization is the earliest music club in the state. The collection includes scrapbooks, constitution and by-laws, membership applications, meeting minutes, correspondence, financial records, performers, programs, historian's reports, publications, news clippings, and newsletters. Wilmer Hall (1864-65, 1941) Wilmer Hall, originally called The Episcopal Church Home for orphaned children, was founded in 1864 in Tuscaloosa under the second Bishop of Alabama, Bishop Wilmer. When Wilmer moved to Mobile in 1867, he also moved the home Mobile. For much of the time, Episcopal nuns operated the home and school, particularly following Wilmer's death in 1900. Two particular items of interest include the following: Alice Blassingame, "A Study of the Episcopal Church Home in Mobile, AL" (M.A. Thesis, Tulane University, 1941); and the diary of Sister Harriet, 1864-65, the second head deaconess at the home. Wistaria Study Club (1941-2002) The records of the Wistaria Study Club consist of club minutes and correspondence, as well as information on the scholarship program. In addition, the collection has ten scrapbooks that relate to Wistaria Study Club activities and contain programs, newsclippings, and photographs, among other material. The goal of the club was to "encourage educational betterment and stimulate intellectual and liberal culture." One of the club's most far-reaching efforts to aid education was its nursing scholarship program, which the group sponsored from 1940 to 1965. In addition to the nursing program, the Wistaria Study Club supported various local, state, and national charities or groups such as Murphy High School, the Miss Alabama Scholarship Fund, and the Creek Indian Fund. A guide to the collection is available on this web site. Women's Christian Union of Chickasaw (1927-1933) This collection consists of one minute book which contains the organization's constitution and by-laws as well as membership and attendance records. The organization's objective was to enlist women of Chickasaw in active Christian service and for the betterment of civic and social conditions. Some of the topics discussed included giving money to families in need, helping people who were ill, widowed, or orphaned, as well as entertainment. Woman's Clubhouse Association
(1930-2004) The purpose of this association was to "create and maintain an organized center of thought and activity among the women of Mobile; to aid in the promotion of their mutual interests in the advancement of science, education, civics, patriotism, literature, art, community service; and to provide a place of meeting for the comfort and convenience of its members." The collection includes scrapbooks, 1931-2003; minutes, 1930-1970; programs, correspondence, and songbooks. YWCA (1904-1962) (microfilmed) The YWCA album contains information regarding the local
white women's organization and contains correspondence, programs, news clippings, and
photos. Individuals Barton Scrapbook (1919) This collection consists of one scrapbook from Barton
Academy which belonged to Lillian Crowley containing news clippings, ephemera, and notes
from classmates. Elizabeth Whitfield Croom Bellamy was born April 17, 1837, in Quincy, Florida. As a daughter of a wealthy family, Elizabeth attended Reverend Thomas Bog Slade's school for girls in Columbus, Georgia, and later studied at Spingler Institute, a female academy, in New York. In 1858, she married a cousin, Dr. Charles Edward Bellamy who joined the Confederate Army in July 1862. Her husband and two young children died during the war. Following these deaths, Elizabeth returned to live with her parents in Eutaw, Alabama, where she taught at the Mesopotamia Female Seminary. In 1867, Bellamy became a nationally known author when her first novel, Four Oaks was published under the pseudonym, Kamba Thorpe. Her novels and short stories appeared in book form and were published in national magazines such as Appleton's, The Cycle, Atlantic Monthly, Youth's Companion, Black Cat, Lippincott's and Ladies Home Journal. Between 1868 and 1877, Bellamy taught in Gainesville, Alabama and then moved to Mobile to live with her brother, Stephens Croom, and his family. She continued to write and teach until her death on April 13, 1900. The papers in this collection include school essays, correspondence, lectures, published and unpublished writings. They also contain her financial records, receipts, contracts, and royalty accounts. Additional biographical information and box inventories are available online. See also, dissertation by Dorothy M. MacInerny, listed below. Katharine Crampton Cochrane (1902-1965) Katharine Cochrane was a lifelong resident of Mobile as well as a community leader and arts patron. She was also a charter member of the Clara Schumann Club and performed for the club. Katharine was the second wife of John Taylor Cochrane and step-sister of Guy Chester Crampton. The collection contains notices and reviews of Katharine's performances as well as correspondence with her step-brother and John Cochrane, Sr., before and after marriage. Additionally, the collection contains newsclippings, scrapbooks, diplomas, pencil drawings, and family history. Additional biographical information and box inventories are available online. Mary McNeill Fenollosa (ca. 1963) Fenollosa was a Mobile writer during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. She lived in Kagoshima, Japan for a brief time. These materials are part of the Caldwell Delaney Papers and include Delaney's correspondence with the Fenollosa Society of Japan, his 1963 published work on Mary Fenollosa, and excerpts from her diary, as well as articles and poetry that she wrote. Virginia Greer (1942-1997 [Bulk 1960-1968]) Another writer from Mobile, Greer was also a journalist
with the local newspaper. Her collection consists of short stories, newspaper articles,
manuscripts, and correspondence. The collection
also contains subject files on events and on various other local authors, as well as
research notes and photographs. In addition, the
papers are comprised of miscellaneous printed materials relating to Mobile General
Hospital and the United States Department of State. A finding aid to the collection is available on this web
site. Interviews of people who worked alongside or knew John LeFlore well. The following women are interviewees in this project: Janet LeFlore (Tapes LF-10 through LF-18) is John LeFlore's daughter-in-law and assisted him in Non Partisan Voters League activities; Geraldine Clark (Tapes LF-29 through LF-31) worked for the Mobile Beacon and Alabama Citizen, was a secretary for John LeFlore in the 1960s, and participated in the "test-ins" which the NPVL initiated to press for desegregation of public facilities; Lancie Thomas (Tapes LF-32 through LF-34) is the owner and
editor emeritus of the Mobile Beacon and Alabama Citizen, an African-American
newspaper. She and her husband, Frank Thomas, started the paper in 1943 and later moved it
to Mobile. Her interview reflects her work and knowledge about the NPVL, of which her
husband was a leading member. See also, vertical file: "Johnson, Marietta, and her Organic School" and "Johnson, Marietta, School of Organic Education, 'Trouble in Educational Paradise'" listed below. Myrt Jones (1976-2005) Myrt Jones was President of Mobile Bay Audubon Society from 1976 to 2001. Her papers contain articles about Jones and her participation in MBAS, an interview with her, an article by Jones entitled "Planning Paradise," as well as a manuscript by her entitled, "A Gadfly's Memoirs." Information about Jones can also be found in the Mobile Bay Audubon Society Records (55 cu. ft., Accession 91-08-236), which has a cross-referenced index. May Jordan (diary, 1912-1914) May Jordan lived with her seven siblings and parents on a farm in Washington County, Alabama. Her father was a fur trader, and May accompanied him on his fur trips during two hunting seasons. Her diary records details of their travels and about life on the frontier in Alabama. The collection contains photographs, negatives, and Jordan's original diary. See also, Where the Wild Animals is Plentiful,
listed in book section. Maygarden was the Woman's Editor at the Mobile Press Register for seven years and at the paper's General Editorial desk for two years. The interviewees include two women: Emily Staples Hearin and Paulette Horton. Emily Staples Hearin, a writer, volunteer, speaker, and columnist, was honored by the City of Mobile and the state of Alabama for her many civic contributions. She has written several books about Mardi Gras. (Interview: March 3, 1994) Paulette Horton is the author of The Avenue and several other local history books. (Interviews: August 3 and 9, 1994) Martha Mercer Oral History interviews (1992-1993) Martha Mercer interviewed eight women as part of her Master's thesis research. The collection includes photos and transcripts of the interviews which are on three audio tapes. Montevallo (scrapbook, 1918-1919) This scrapbook belonged to Lucille Rhodes. It contains photographs and notes about her experiences at Alabama Girls Technical Institute in Montevallo, Alabama. She graduated in May 1919. Frances Eugenie Bowers Toulmin (ca. 1850) A collection of poems written by Frances Toulmin,
wife of Edmund Pendelton Toulmin, about her children and the death of loved ones. This scrapbook belonged to Mrs. Hattie Trousdale, a member of St. Francis Street United Methodist Church. The scrapbook contains news clippings, postcards, correspondence. Most of the materials relate to Christianity, church activities, and the Women's Society of Christian Service. Alice A. Williams (1902-1903, 1924-1951,
correspondence) This weekly publication for employees of the Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company contains many articles about women workers there during WWII. Blacksher, Menefee, and Stein (ca. 1960-1990) This collection contains lawsuits involving women. The law firm handled several major civil rights cases during the 1980s, including Birdie Mae Davis, et. al. v. Mobile County School Board. It also represented female faculty members in Martin v. University of South Alabama, and handled numerous other employment discrimination cases involving women. The case files include petitions, depositions, exhibits, and other trial materials. The law firm disbanded in 1990. Mobile County Circuit Court Records (ca. 1814-ca. 1917) These records include divorces, petitions, and other
cases involving women. The divorce cases have been microfilmed. Photograph Collections Researchers will find numerous photos of women filed
under the following subject categories: Recreation, Mardi Gras, Workers, Identified
Adults, Families, and Education. Theses, Dissertations, Articles, and Books Teresa Barham Bowers, "From the Pews to the Polls: Protestants and Prohibition in Mobile, Alabama, 1880-1910" (M.A. Thesis, University of South Alabama, 1995). William J. Breen, "The State and Workplace Reform in the South: War Manpower Commission Initiatives and Employer Resistance on the Gulf Coast in World War II," Gulf South Historical Review 18 (2): 6-37. Lois Virginia Meacham Gould, "In Full Enjoyment of their Liberty: The Free Women of Color of the Gulf Ports of New Orleans, Mobile, and Pensacola, 1769-1860," (Ph.D. Dissertation, Emory University, 1991). Floy Ethel Grimmett, "Mary McNeill Fenollosa: A Sketch of Her Life and Work" (M.S. Thesis, Alabama Polytechnic Institute, 1939). Patricia G. Harrison, "Riveters, Volunteers and WACS:
Women in Mobile During World War II," Gulf Coast Historical Review 1(2):
33-54. Rebecca Keeler, "Alva Belmont: Exacting Benefactor for Women's Rights" (M.A. Thesis, University of South Alabama, 1987). Dorothy M. MacInerny, "Elizabeth Whitfield Croom
Bellamy: The Life and Works of a Southern Bell" (Ph.D. diss., University of Texas at
Austin, 1996). Mary Martha Thomas, Riveting and Rationing in Dixie: Alabama Women and the Second World War (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1987). Mary Martha Thomas, "The Mobile Homefront During the Second World War," Gulf Coast Historical Review 1(2): 55-74.
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