Contents
- Descriptive Summary
- Biographical note
- Arrangement note
- Scope and Contents note
- Related Archival Materials note
- Conditions Governing Access note
- Processing Information note
- Preferred Citation note
- Indexed Terms
- Inventory
Collection Access
Virginia Julien papers
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Virginia Julien papers
- Identifier
- BMRC.DUSABLE.JULIEN
- Repository
- DuSable Museum of African American History
- Language
- English
- Size
- 24.5 Linear feet
- Predominant Dates
- Bulk, 1971-1985
- Dates
- 1902-2006
- Abstract
- Virginia Wilson Julien (1916-2007) was a Chicago Public School teacher and Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable scholar. Her research and activism regarding DuSable, the founder of Chicago, helped reestablish his place in Chicago and American history. The papers primarily relate to DuSable and include extensive historical research and original writings by Julien. The papers also provide insight into the efforts of the Chicago Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable League.
Biographical note
Virginia Wilson Julien (1916-2007) was a Chicago Public School teacher and historian whose research and activism regarding Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, the founder of Chicago, helped reestablish his place in Chicago and American history. Julien was born in Chicago on December 22, 1916 and remained there with her husband, Archie Julien, and their five children, her entire life. She was appointed to Mayor Richard J. Daley’s Committee for a Pointe Sable Monument from 1969 to 1973. Julien attended the Chicago Teacher’s College and earned her B.S. in Education from Governor’s State University in 1970. She then received her master’s from Northeastern Illinois University, Center for Inner City Studies in 1972 upon the completion of her thesis: “A Critical Re-Evaluation of the Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable Story.” After teaching for twenty-five years, Julien retired in 1976 to focus on her research of DuSable. Julien served as Chairman of Research for the Chicago Jean Pointe DuSable League, which was instrumental in designating DuSable’s home site (401 N. Michigan, Chicago, IL) as a National Historic Landmark in 1977. She presented papers based on her research of DuSable at the Newberry Library in Chicago, Trinity College in Dublin, and Laval University in Quebec. In 1979, Julien cofounded the Afro-American Association of History and Genealogy at the DuSable Museum of African American History. Julien was also active during the 1980s in organizing the fiscal enhancement of Chicago Public Schools by maximizing the income of the real estate of schools downtown.
Arrangement note
The Virginia Julien papers are arranged in five series, one of the which have been further arranged in subseries:
Series 1, Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, 1970-2003 Subseries 1, Activism, 1975-2003 Subseries 2, Writings, 1970-1992 Subseries 3, Research, 1970-1980
Series 2, Chicago Public Schools, 1971-1991
Series 3, Correspondence, 1964-2006
Series 4, Personal, 1902-2006.
Series 5, Photographs, undated
Scope and Contents note
The Virginia Julien papers spans from 1902-2006, with the bulk of material from 1971-1985. The majority of the papers document Julien’s interest in Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, the founder of Chicago. The papers include extensive historical research, and provide insight into the efforts of Julien and other activists in Chicago who succeeded in reconstructing DuSable’s place in American history. The papers also include material related to the Chicago Public School system in areas of finance and real estate during the 1980s, correspondence between Julien and family and friends, and some personal material.
Conditions Governing Access note
Access to the archival collections housed at the DuSable Museum is restricted; please contact the museum archivist at 773-947-0600 for more information. 2015 October 5 CAB
Processing Information note
Processed by CLIR funded Black Metropolis Research Consortium “Color Curtain Processing Project.” Processors: T.J. Szafranski and Elise Zerega
Preferred Citation note
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Virginia Julien papers, [Box #, Folder #], DuSable Museum of African American History, Chicago, Illinois
Indexed Terms
- DuSable, Jean Baptiste Point, before 1750-1818
- Julien, Virginia
- Passovoy, Lorraine
- Chicago Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable League
Inventory
The Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable series is arranged into three subseries: 1. Activism, 1975-2003. 2. Writings, 1970-1992. 3. Research, 1970-1980.
The Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, series includes material related to Julien’s research and activism surrounding Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable.
The Activism subseries includes material documenting the efforts of Chicago organizations to secure local and national recognition of Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable’s place in history. The documents primarily originate from the Chicago Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable League, where Julien served as Chairman of Research. The Chicago Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable League distributed material throughout Chicago to raise awareness of DuSable, and was instrumental in acquiring the National Historical Landmark status for the Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable home site at 401 N. Michigan, in Chicago. The subseries includes flyers, handouts, meeting briefs, articles, and conference papers. Note: Box 46 contains an oversized binder and folder of material.
- Title
- Activism,
- Dates
- 1975-2003
- Title
- Activism,
- Dates
- 1975-2003
The Writing subseries includes material from Julien’s time as a student at Northeastern Illinois University and as Chairman of Research for the Chicago Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable League. Compositions within the series focus on Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable’s role in the American Revolutionary War and the founding of Chicago. It includes handwritten notes, typed drafts, published articles, partial drafts of Julien’s thesis, “A Critical Re-interpretation of the Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable Story,” and the “Bicentennial Statement of the Chicago DuSable League,” written by Julien and read into the Congressional Record by Chicago Congressman Ralph Metcalf.
- Title
- Writings,
- Dates
- 1970-1992
The Research subseries is comprised of extensive material attained and synthesized by Julien while she researched and wrote about Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable. It includes photocopies of original documents from various national and international archives, including maps, scholarly articles about Jean Baptiste Point DuSable’s contemporaries and American History during the 18th and 19th centuries, correspondence, and handwritten notes. Note: Box 47 contains unfoldered, oversized material.
- Title
- Research,
- Dates
- circa 1970-1980
- Title
- Research,
- Dates
- circa 1970-1980
The Chicago Public Schools series reflects Julien’s interest and activism in the Chicago Public School system. She served on the “Ad Hoc Committee to Stop the Plunder of the School’s Valuable Downtown Lands,” and supported the enhancement of the school system through the leveraging of income available from the schools’ valuable downtown real estate. Though Julien taught in the Chicago Public School system from 1951-1976, her time as a teacher is not well represented in this series. Documents include flyers, reports from the Chicago School Finance Authority, and correspondence. Note: Box 46 contains oversized material.
- Title
- Chicago Public Schools,
- Dates
- 1971-1991
- Title
- Chicago Public Schools,
- Dates
- 1971-1991
The Correspondence series is primarily personal in nature and contains letters, invitations, and greeting cards from Julien’s friends and family.
- Title
- Correspondence,
The Personal series contains personal and financial documents of Julien and her family, including military papers of her husband Archie, and a binder of his research on air purification. Also included are letters and army papers of Julien’s father, Arthur Wilson.
- Title
- Personal,
- Dates
- undated
The Photographs series contains unlabelled photographs and negatives. Many of the photographs capture Chicago buildings, landscapes, and attractions.
- Title
- Photographs,
- Dates
- undated