Thomas R. Vickers NAACP papers, 1967-1971

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Vickers, Thomas R., 1917-1998
Title
Thomas R. Vickers NAACP papers
Dates
1967-1971 (inclusive)
Quantity
0.85 cubic feet, (1 legal document case; 1 flat box (13x16))
Collection Number
Coll 815
Summary
Papers, newspaper issues and clippings, photographs, and scrapbooks concerning the Portland, Oregon branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Thomas R. Vickers, who served as the branch president from 1967-1971.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Thomas R. Vickers, Jr. was born in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1917. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he moved to Portland, Oregon in the late 1940s, where he spent the rest of his life. He earned both a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Portland. He was a teacher in the Portland School District until his retirement in 1981. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, he was the president of the Portland, Oregon branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He also was a member of the Urban League, the Prince Hall Masons, and the Bethel AME Church. He married Dorothy E. Alexander in 1950, and they had a daughter, Sharon. Vickers died in April 1998.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection consists of papers, photographs, and ephemera relating to the activities of the Portland, Oregon branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and its president, Thomas R. Vickers. The collection includes correspondence sent to Vickers, newsletters and bulletins, event programs, newspaper issues and clippings, and photographs. Topics represented include civil rights protests in Portland, local responses to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Oregon governor Tom McCall's 1970 statement for Negro History Week, an event that Vickers attended. The collection also includes two scrapbooks that contain clippings, photographs, and ephemera.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

Thomas R. Vickers NAACP papers, Coll 815, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Arranged by format.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Gloria Fisher, November 2001, (Lib. Acc. 24860).

Related Materials

The bulk of the Portland, Oregon branch of the NAACP's records is designated Mss 2004, Oregon Historical Society.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1 Correspondence 1966-1970
1 2 Correspondence - Raymond Bartell 1970 April-June
1 3 Event programs and ephemera, and certificate of appreciation for Lorna Marple 1967-1970
1 4 Newsletters and bulletins 1967-1971
1 5 Newsletters, flyers, and correspondence 1968-1969
1 6 Newspaper issues: "The Oregon Advance Times;" "The Portland Observer;" "The NEWsPAPER" 1968-1970
1 7-9 Newspaper clippings 1967-1969
1 10 Statement by Tom McCall and photographs of Vickers and McCall 1970 February 5
1 11-12 Photographs circa 1967-1971
2 Scrapbook circa 1967-1971
2 Scrapbook circa 1967-1971

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • African American civil rights workers--Oregon--Portland
  • African Americans--Oregon--Portland
  • Civil rights--Oregon--Portland

Personal Names

  • Vickers, Thomas R., 1917-1998

Corporate Names

  • National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Portland Branch (Portland, Or.)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Clippings (information artifacts)
  • Correspondence
  • Scrapbooks