Joseph D. Bibb papers

Descriptive Summary

Repository: Chicago History Museum

Research Center

1601 North Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60614-6038
Creator: Joseph D. Bibb
Bib number: 00066149
Title: Joseph D. Bibb papers
Dates: 1919-1966
Quantity: 5.5 linear feet (4 boxes, 4 OS folders, 1 Vol)
Call number: MSS Lot B
Call number: x.3492.2010.1 PCLF
Call number: MSS Oversize B
Language: English

Terms governing use

Copyright may be retained by the creators of items, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law, unless otherwise noted.

Provenance statement

Gift of Mrs. Joseph D. Bibb (accession #: x.3492.2010.1).

Please cite this collection as

Joseph D. Bibb papers (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description, date, and box/folder number of a specific item.

Collection Summary

Correspondence, political statements, newspaper clippings, four scrapbooks, and other materials of Joseph D. Bibb, a Chicago lawyer and newspaper columnist, an African American activist for equal rights and economic opportunity, and a state law enforcement official. Materials relate to the Republican Party, state corrections policies, and Bibb's work against racial discrimination. Scrapbooks contain articles Bibb wrote for the Pittsburgh Courier; articles about Bibb's activities, including his work as an editor of the Chicago Whip (1919-1932) and leader of the "Don't Spend Money Where You Can't Work" campaign; and his appointment to the cabinet of Governor William Stratton as Illinois Director of Public Safety (1953); his service on the board of directors of the Chicago Public Library (1944) and as a trustee of Provident Hospital. Collection includes a few issues of the Cincinnati Union (newspaper, ca. 1943-1950).

Biographical/historical note

As Director of Public Safety, Mr. Bibb was the first African American appointed to statewide office in Illinois government. Prior to being selected as Director of Public Safety, Mr. Bibb was active as a lawyer, a member of the Republican Party, and a social activist as well as a newspaper columnist. He also worked as an editor of the Chicago Whip newspaper from 1919 to 1932. Mr. Bibb died in December 1966.

Separated material

Separated materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include some original issues of the Chicago Whip (ca. 1925-1932) that were transferred to the library.

Processing Note

This collection was reprocessed in 2016. Due to rehousing of materials, some box and folder numbers have changed. Boxes 1 and 2 are now combined into Box 1; folders from the former box 2 are numbered 18-29. The scrapbooks formerly housed in Box 3 are now housed in Boxes 2, 3, and as a wrapped volume. The photographic materials remain with the manuscript collection.

Other Finding Aids

Finding aid also submitted to Explore Chicago Collections portal.

Indexed Terms

Organization and Arrangement of Collection

The collection is arranged in two series.

Series 1. Personal papers (Box 1-3, 1 vol, 4 OS folders)

This series contains correspondence, political statements, newspapers and clippings, scrapbooks, and other materials of Joseph D. Bibb.

Materials include copies of statements by Mr. Bibb, primarily about the work of the Illinois Department of Public Safety, copies of columns Bibb wrote for the Pittsburgh Courier between 1940 and 1953, and copies of handbills that advertise events at which Mr. Bibb was the keynote speaker. One such handbill spells out, “Don't shop where you can't work,” calling on African Americans to avoid spending money in stores and businesses that discriminated in hiring.

The four scrapbooks cover the period 1940-1956 and consist mainly of photocopies of columns written by Bibb for the Pittsburgh Courier between 1940 and 1946, and of newspaper articles about Mr. Bibb between 1952 and 1956. Other items include an original letter to Mr. Bibb from General Eisenhower dated December 29, 1952; invitations, programs, ribbons, and other memorabilia.

Series 2. Photographs (Box 4, 1 folder)

This series contains photographs of and owned by Joseph D. Bibb.

Detailed list of contents of the collection

Series 1. Joseph Bibb personal papers and photographs

1919-1966

Box 1

Title: Correspondence, published materials, and handbills
Dates: 1919-1966

Folder 1

Title: Acquisition notes

Folder 2

Title: Biography

Folder 3

Title: Ebony, January 1956 (pp. 47-51, biography)

Folder 4

Title: Correspondence, citations, memos, 1930-1948

Folder 5

Title: Correspondence, citations, memos, 1950-1956

Folder 6

Title: Correspondence, citations, memos, 1957

Folder 7

Title: Correspondence, citations, memos, 1958-1959

Folder 8

Title: Correspondence, citations, memos, 1960-1961

Folder 9

Title: Pittsburgh Courier columns by Bibb, 1940-1942 (photocopies)

Folder 10

Title: Pittsburgh Courier columns by Bibb, 1949-1950 (originals)

Folder 11

Title: Pittsburgh Courier columns by Bibb, 1951 (originals)

Folder 12

Title: Pittsburgh Courier columns by Bibb, 1952-1953 (originals)

Folder 14

Title: Newspaper articles by Joseph D. Bibb, 1942, 1950

Folder 15

Title: Menard Times, article by Joseph D. Bibb, Sept. 30, 1956

Folder 16

Title: Statements by Joseph D. Bibb, 1957

Folder 17

Title: Statements by Joseph D. Bibb (ca. 1960, 1961)

Folder 18

Title: Newspaper clippings about Bibb, 1940 and undated

Folder 19

Title: Newspaper clippings about Bibb, 1952-1953

Folder 20

Title: Newspaper clippings about Bibb, 1954

Folder 21

Title: Newspaper clippings about Bibb, 1955

Folder 22

Title: Newspaper clippings about Bibb, 1956

Folder 23

Title: Newspaper clippings about Bibb, 1957

Folder 24

Title: Newspaper clippings about Bibb, 1958

Folder 25

Title: Newspaper clippings about Bibb, 1959

Folder 26

Title: Newspaper clippings about Bibb, 1960-1966

Folder 27

Title: Handbills (original): Chicago, 1939; Denver, Co., 1940; Leavenworth, KS, 1940

Folder 28

Title: Chicago Whip (undated), handbill and typescript (original and negative)

Folder 29

Title: Photocopies of handbills

Oversize-folder 1

Title: Published materials

Oversize-folder 2

Title: Published materials

Oversize-folder 3

Title: Published materials

Oversize-folder 4

Title: Correspondence, published materials, and handbills

Box 2

Title: Scrapbooks
Dates: 1940-1956

Volume 1

Title: Scrapbook with black cover

Volume 2

Title: Scrapbook with green cover

Box 3

Title: Scrapbook
Dates: 1942-1946