Results 1 to 25 of 28
Edwin B. Jourdain Jr. Papers
The Edwin B. Jourdain Jr. Papers spans from 1900-1952. Jourdain Jr. was the first African American to be elected Alderman in Evanston, Illinois, a position he held from 1931-1947. Jourdain was also the state's first African-American Assistant State Superintendent of Public Instruction in Illinois. His father, Edwin Jourdain Sr., was a founding member of the Niagara Movement, a civil rights
Social and Civic Clubs and Organizations Collection
The Social and Civic Clubs and Organizations collection is comprised of files, compiled by Shorefront Legacy Center, documenting the history, events, and members of Illinois' North Shore, African-American clubs and organizations.
Anna Belle Frazier Papers
Anna Belle Frazier (1918-2005) was an African-American social and civic leader in Evanston, Illinois during the second half of the 20th Century. She was an active member of various organizations such as the Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Ebenezer A.M.E Church, Order of the Eastern Star, Norshore 12, and Suburbanites. The bulk of the material comprising the
William H. Twiggs Collection
William H. Twiggs (1865-1960) was a African-American printer, civic leader, and barber in Evanston, Illinois. In 1889, he was involved with the publishing the Afro-American Budget, an early periodical for the African-American community. Spanning from 1905 to 1998, the collection contains original as well as photocopied materials relating to the life, work, and legacy of William H. Twiggs.
Melvin Smith Collection
Melvin Scribner Smith was the Evanston-based publisher of The Evanston Newsette and the Concerned Citizens Commitment (CCC). The Evanston Newsette (1941-1942, 1946-1951) was concerned both with local events and the life of former Evanston residents living outside Illinois. The Concerned Citizens Commitment billed itself as "The Voice of the Black Community" and was published weekly from 1971 to 1985.
Foster School Reunion Collection
Foster School was a de facto segregated public school in Evanston, Illinois. Opened in 1905, Foster School began with a one hundred percent white student body and faculty, but demographics began to shift, and by 1945, it was nearly one hundred percent African-American. In 1976, the school was closed. The Foster School Reunion collection includes Reunion Committee meeting minutes, Foster
Obituary and Funeral Program Collection
The Obituary and Funeral Program collection is comprised of almost 1200 African American obituaries, funeral programs, funeral hymns, and thank you cards and letters from Evanston and the North Shore area. A database of the holdings is available onsite at Shorefront Legacy Center for use by researchers. The materials span from 1941 to 2012.
Henry Butler Collection
Henry Butler (1860-1957) was an African American businessman who lived most of his life in Evanston, Illinois. From 1891 to 1912 he ran the Butler Livery, a livery and teaming business. In 1912, Butler switched to automobiles and ran a fleet of taxis until his retirement in 1922. The Henry Butler collection consists of photocopied material gathered together by Shorefront
Lorraine Morton Papers
Lorraine Morton is known as an educator and the first African American Mayor in Evanston, Illinois. She worked with many non-for-profit groups to advocate for the education of Evanston residents. This collection spans from 1942-2011 and contains Morton’s personal and professional papers.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Evanston Chapter Records
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded in 1909, “to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.” After the establishment of the national organization, smaller chapters were formed to provide a sense of community and belonging to the larger entity. Founded in 1928, the Evanston
Zeta Xi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Collection
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the first intercollegiate, African-American fraternal organization for men, was formed at Cornell in 1906 to promote and defend African-American civil rights. The Zeta Xi Lambda chapter was formed in Evanston, Illinois in 1956. The Zeta Xi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Collection spans from 1942 to 1997 and contains information relating to
Pride of the North Chapter Number 61, Order of the Eastern Star Collection
On August 15, 1907, the Pride of the North Chapter No. 61, Order of the Eastern Star was granted its charter from the Eureka Grand Chapter of Illinois. The Order of the Eastern Star is the largest fraternal organization in the world with both male and female membership, with over 500,000 members. Formed in 1876, the Order of the Eastern
Alice Tregay Papers
Alice Lucille Tregay (Hicks) was born November 14, 1929 in Evanston, Illinois. She is one of three siblings; she has three children with her husband James Tregay, and has six grandchildren. She attending Evanston Township High School and later graduated from Roosevelt University. Throughout her life, Tregay was known as a political activist, advocating for civil rights issues. She worked
North Shore Illinois Chapter of The Links, Incorporated Collection
The Links, Incorporated is an African American professional women's organization founded in 1946 with chapters throughout the United States. The North Shore Illinois Chapter of the Links, Inc. was established in 1972, encompassing members in Chicago's suburban northern and northwest suburbs. The collection was assembled by Shorefront Legacy Center with the majority of the collection coming from North Shore Links
Emerson Street YMCA Collection
Between 1909 and 1969, the Emerson Street YMCA served Evanston’s African-American community. The Emerson Street YMCA Collection was intentionally assembled by Shorefront Legacy Center in an effort to represent the history of the YMCA. Some original photos and documents exist, but the collection primarily contains photocopied items that detail the YMCA’s history. The collection spans from 1900 to 2010, with
Northwestern University African American Publications Collection
Founded in 1851 in Evanston, Illinois, Northwestern University is a private research university. Through pioneering research and a collaborative work environment, Northwestern offers its diverse student body an array of academic and cultural opportunities. The Northwestern University African American Publications collection documents the history of African Americans at the university as detailed in the school's own publications. It includes pamphlets,
Norshore Music Collection
The Norshore music collection includes music by Evanston, Illinois musicians who recorded music from 1947-2009. The music collection consists of commercially successful artists, such as Patti Drew, as well as local up and coming artists, such a MC Longshot (a.k.a. Chad Helsup). The music includes a variety of genres.
Harper Family Collection
Eunice Harper Winston married William Harper and had three daughters, Effie, Carrie, and Sarah, before moving to Evanston, IL. Effie married Fred Brooks and had two sons, Fred Jr. and Lawrence (Larry). The Harper Family Collection consists of correspondence, figure drawings, photographs, wedding invitations, memorial folders, a beauty culturist license, business cards, a book of parables, and several yearbooks.
Shorefront Legacy Center Research Files Collection
The Shorefront Legacy Center Research Files collection consists of material gathered on a variety of subjects relating to the African American experience, especially in Evanston, Illinois and its surrounding suburbs. The collection spans from 1880-2011 and includes writings, newspaper clippings, church bulletins, notes, exhibit material, photographs, and oral histories relating to African Americans in the Greater-Chicago area.
Harry Jackson Jr. Papers
Harry Jackson Jr. was a resident and postal worker in Evanston, Illinois. Jackson was a member of the 10 Pinners League, a local bowling league. This collection contains Jackson’s professional and personal papers, and personal library; which were donated by his wife after his death in 2012.
Horace S. Graves, Jr. Papers
The Horace S. Graves, Jr. (1897-1981) papers are comprised of materials documenting Horace S. Graves, Jr., who was an African-American funeral director, real estate agent, and insurance salesman in Evanston, Illinois. He was an active member of several organizations including: Ebenezer A.M.E. Church, Norshore Twelve, Inc., and the American Legion. The collection material dates from 1923 to 1981 and focuses
Lun Ye Crimm Barefield Collection
Lun Ye Crimm Barefield was the College and Career Center Coordinator at Evanston Township High School from 1977 to 2000. Her husband, Morris Barefield, was a math teacher and was the first African-American teacher at New Trier High School. The Lun Ye Crimm Barefield Collection spans from the 1940’s to 2005, and consists of newspaper clippings, historical memorabilia, photographs, and
Berniece Ball Perry Papers
Berniece Ball Perry (1915-1995) was an African-American women's labor leader who lived and worked in Evanston, Illinois. She was an active member of a number of social and civic clubs and organizations and worked to ensure fair treatment of African-Americans in the workplace. The Berniece Ball Perry papers span from 1922 to 1997 and cover Perry's personal and professional life's
North Shore Basketball Camp Records
The North Shore Basketball Camp was started in the mid-1980s in Evanston, Illinois in order to offer area youth an athletic outlet. The camp was conducted quarterly in northern-Illinois suburban areas. The North Shore Basketball Camp records span from 1911 to 2008, but the bulk of the material covers the 2001-2008 camp activities.
Ebenezer A.M.E Church Records
The Ebenezer A.M.E. Church was the first African-American church established in Evanston, Illinois. The collection includes meeting minutes, publications, newspapers clippings, reports, ledgers, photographs, and audio-visual recordings. Although not complete, the collection is especially strong in holdings documenting the Ebenezer A.M.E. Church Gospel Choir.