ohy_mss2004.xml Guide to the NAACP of Portland, Oregon records 1942-1989 NAACP of Portland, Oregon records Lindsey Benjamin Oregon Historical Society, Davies Family Research Library 2019
1200 SW Park Ave. Portland, OR 97205 libreference@ohs.org https://www.ohs.org/research-and-library/
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2019-06-28. Finding aid is written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition. English Oregon Historical Society, Davies Family Research Library
1200 SW Park Ave. Portland, OR 97205 libreference@ohs.org https://www.ohs.org/research-and-library/
NAACP of Portland, Oregon records National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Portland Branch (Portland, Or.) Mss 2004 6.21 cubic feet 10 legal document cases, 1 legal slim document case, 1 oversize flat box (18 x 20) 1942-1989 1959-1989 Founded in 1914, the Portland, Oregon, branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) works to empower and engage people of color in the Portland area. The collection demonstrates organizational activities related to important topics in the Portland area, such as housing, education and labor. A majority of the collection consists of publications from 1959 through 1989, with a smaller quantity of topical administrative materials, correspondence, meeting minutes, and documents related to general civil rights activities in Portland.

The Portland Branch (#1120B) of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was established in 1914, in order to uphold civil rights for the African American community and people of color in Portland, Oregon. Dr. J. N. Merriman served as its first president, and Beatrice Morrow Cannady as its secretary. It is one of the oldest chartered branches west of the Mississippi River.

Early in the organization's history, members worked to directly confront the exclusion laws in the Oregon State Constitution, some of which were repealed in 1926 and 1927. Throughout its existence, the Portland branch has continuously worked with labor unions and companies to establish a framework for equal treatment in hiring and pay compensation. Of particular note, when World War II brought thousands of African Americans to work in Oregon's shipyards, the Portland branch of the NAACP helped to abolish the practice of denying promotions to these workers. NAACP members were deeply involved in Oregon's 1953 Public Accommodations Act, a civil rights bill that made discrimination in public places illegal. The branch was also active in working to repeal real estate codes and civic housing policies that restricted African Americans to living in the Albina community.

Bolstered by the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education, African American communities throughout the United States began to directly challenge school segregation. In Portland, the NAACP was vocal in calling on Public Portland Schools to end this practice. Dueling reports between the national NAACP and Portland Public Schools found persistent racial discrimination and inequality in Portland, yet offered different approaches to solving the problem. Mayfield Webb, president of the Portland branch from 1963-1964, was a vocal critic of Portland Public Schools' failure to desegregate schools in the 1960s. The branch continued to actively fight segregation in Portland schools into the 1980s and beyond.

Series 1, Administrative, includes materials that document the daily functions of the Portland branch staff, primarily in the 1960s and 1980s. It includes correspondence, articles, pamphlets and ephemera, related to specific NAACP individuals and topics. A small number of materials document membership and financial activities. Lorna Marple, president of the Portland branch (1955-1956) and long-time chairman of the Political Action Committee, is a frequent figure in this series as the collection donar. A majority of the records in the series are organized by topic, and were collected by NAACP individuals in the course of their work for the organization.

There are substantial gaps in the records, with a majority of the branch records being donated to the University of Oregon in 1978 by Lorna Marple.

Series 2, Committees, includes materials related to specific Portland branch committees. Making up a small portion of the collection, the series contains meeting minutes, correspondence, and other working documents related to committee activities primarily from 1964-1967. As the chairman of the Political Action Committee and collection donor, Lorna Marple is again strongly represented in this series.

Series 3, Meetings and conventions, documents NAACP and non-NAACP events. It includes meeting minutes and event materials for the Portland branch, as well as items gathered at national and regional NAACP conventions during the 1960s and in 1985. A significant portion of the series is made up of materials from non-NAACP events, such as schedules, minutes and other ephemera from conventions and formal meetings. These are often from civil rights related organizations.

Series 4, Publications and publicity, includes both NAACP and non-NAACP articles, ephemera, books, and newspaper. Making up a majority of the collection, it includes published materials created by the local and national NAACP, as well as other organizations from the 1960s to 1980s. NAACP materials include Portland branch resolutions, membership brochures, and administrative guides in regard to specific civil rights activities. Non-NAACP materials comprise articles, journals, magazines, books, and newsletters from a wide variety of civil-rights-related organizations. Also included are newspaper clippings from a range of publications. While a majority of the clippings are from local Portland newspapers, some are from national publications.

Collection is open for research.

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.

NAACP of Portland, Oregon records, Mss 2004, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

The collection is arranged into 4 series: Series 1. Administrative, 1942-1989 (bulk 1963-1989). The series is divided into three subseries: Individuals (1.1); Membership and fundraising (1.2); and Subjects (1.3). All subseries are arranged alphabetically.

Series 2. Committees, 1961-1984 (bulk 1964-1967), is arranged alphabetically by committee name.

Series 3. Meetings and conventions, 1963-1989. The series is subdivided into three subseries: Local NAACP meetings and events (3.1); National and regional NAACP conventions (3.2); and Non-NAACP events (3.3). All subseries are arranged chronologically by date.

Series 4, Publications and publicity, 1949-1988 (bulk 1959-1988). The series is subdivided into three subseries: NAACP publications (4.1) organized alphabetically by title; Non-NAACP publications (4.2) arranged alphabetically by author or organization; and newsprint articles (4.3) organized chronologically by year. For subseries 4.2, Non-NAACP publications, author can be an organization or an individual, depending on the publication.

Gift of Lorna Marple, 1973 (accession 12586) and circa 1990 (accession 20090).

Other collections at this repository related to the Portland branch NAACP include: Lorna Marple photographic collection, Org. Lot 721; Lorna Marple collection on the Democratic Party of Oregon, Mss 6042; Tom Vickers NAACP of Portland, Oregon records, Coll 815; NAACP Scrapbooks, Coll 816; NAACP of Portland, Oregon records (copy of materials held at Library of Congress), Microfilm 195.

Collections at other repositories related to the Portland branch NAACP include: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Portland Branch records, 1950-1970, Coll 295, University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives; Lorna Marple Papers, 1942-1961, Coll 0411 (Accession No. 0411-001), University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections; Marple family papers, 1783-2002, Coll 5174, University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Region I, records, 1942-1986 (bulk 1945-1977), BANC MSS 78/180 c, University of California, Berkeley, Bancroft Library.

 Marple, Lorna, 1910-1992 Webb, Mayfield Kelvin, 1927-1996 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Portland Branch (Portland, Or.) African Americans--Civil rights Discrimination in education--Oregon--Portland Discrimination in housing--Oregon--Portland Discrimination in employment--Oregon--Portland Political activists--Oregon--Portland Voter registration Civil rights--West (U.S.) African Americans--Oregon--Portland Civil rights--Oregon--Portland Oregon Portland Civil Rights Administrative Series 1 1942-1989 1963-1989 Individuals Subseries 1.1 Clyde White, memorial resolution circa 1985 1 1 Grady Brown, correspondence 1965 1 2 Grady Brown, speech 1965 1 3 Harry Ward, correspondence 1966 1 4 Hazel Hayes, correspondence 1982-1983 1 5 Lorna Marple, general and personal materials 1961, 1982 1 6 Lorna Marple, correspondence 1963-1989 1 7 Lorna Marple, Oregon State Grange 1967 1 8 Lorna Marple, speech to Portland Public School Board 1965 1 9 Mayfield Webb, correspondence 1963 1 10 Ora Nunley, correspondence 1985-1986 1 11 Phil Reynolds, name card circa 1988 1 12 Ruth Haefner, correspondence 1964-1970 1 13 Miscellaneous correspondence 1963-1964 1 14 Miscellaneous notes circa 1965-1988 1 15 Membership and fundraising Subseries 1.2 Finances, general 1942-1965 1 16 Membership campaign 1964 1 17 Membership, general circa 1964, 1982-1983 1 18 Membership roster 1983-1984 1 19 Prospective members, organizations 1965-1966 1 20 Seal sale 1983-1984 1 21 Subjects Subseries 1.3 Afro-Academic Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics 1982-1986 1 22 Boilermakers Union 1975 1 23 Candidates for office, Oregon 1966 1 24 Child Welfare 1966 1 25 Churches 1968, 1983-1986 1 26 Civil Rights Bill 1964 1 27 Civil rights, general circa 1965 1 28 Civil rights, legislation in Congress 1963-1964 1 29 Civil rights, national 1963-1965 1 30 Civil rights, Portland circa 1963 1 31 Clackamas County planning commission, hearing 1967 1 32 Colorado Fair Housing Act 1959 1 33 Education, general 1965-1968 2 1 Education, Portland 1961-1962 12 1 Elections, California 1966 2 2 Elections, Democratic Convention 1964 2 3 Elections, Portland 1964-1966 2 4 Employment, general circa 1966 2 5 Energy issues 1980 2 6 Goldwater 1964 2 7 Goldwater, civil rights 1964 2 8 Homeowners Real Estate Property Tax Relief Bill 1968 2 9 House Bill 1167, Oregon 1967 2 10 House Bill 1481, Oregon 1967 2 11 House Bill 1508, Oregon 1967 2 12 House Bill 1549, Oregon 1967 2 13 House of Representatives, Bill 13712 1966 2 14 Housing 1959-1968 2 15 Hurtful publicity for NAACP 1963-1964 2 16 Labor, Oregon State Apprenticeship Council circa 1965 2 17 Labor, policies circa 1965 2 18 Legal redress, Justine Justus Okot 1983 February 11 2 19 Legal redress, membership in region I 1978 2 20 Legal redress, Oregon issues 1978, 1985 2 21 L.I.F.E. (Low Income Family Economics), Sacramento branch NAACP 1964 2 22 Multnomah County, voting candidates 1962 2 23 Office, general circa 1965 2 24 Office, letterhead 1955, circa 1965 2 25 Office, mailing labels of members and community contacts circa 1985 2 26 Policy positions circa 1965 2 27 Portland branch, presidents 1949-1988 2 28 Portland Branch School 1965 2 29 Portland "model school" program 1964-1965 2 30 Portland Police 1981, 1986 2 31 Portland School Board 1964 2 32 Portland State College, sociology course 1968 2 33 Poverty law 1964 2 34 Racism, general 1970 3 1 Religion circa 1968 3 2 Segregation and desegregation 1963 3 3 School desegregation circa 1964-1965 3 4 Senate Bill 420, Oregon 1967 3 5 Senate Fair Housing Bill 1968 3 6 Special survey of unemployed youth circa 1964 3 7 TV Spectacular, ballot party 1964 May 14 3 8 TV Spectacular, correspondence 1964 3 9 TV Spectacular, Portland Civic Auditorium 1964 May 4 3 10 12 2 TV Spectacular, Portland finances 1964 3 11 TV Spectacular, publicity in Northwest 1964 3 12 TV Spectacular, talent 1964 3 13 TV Spectacular, tickets 1964 3 14 Urban Development Act 1966 3 15 Volunteers 1983 3 16 Voter registration 1964, 1966 3 17 12 3 Watts and allied matters 1965 August 3 18 Welfare 1968 3 19 Committees Series 2 1961-1989 1964-1967 Committees, general 1980-1989 3 20 AIC Advisory Committee 1968 3 21 Civil Rights Committee 1964-1965 3 22 Executive Committee 1963-1965, 1968 3 23 Finance Committee 1983 3 24 Labor Committee 1961-1966, 1983-1984 3 25 Legislation Committee 1965 3 26 National Youth Work Committee 1978 3 27 Political Action Committee 1965-1967, 1984 4 1 Race Relations Committee 1963 October 14 4 2 Social Action Committee circa 1967 4 3 Voter Registration Committee 1964 4 4 Meetings and conventions Series 3 1963-1989 Local NAACP meetings and events Subseries 3.1 Seattle branch meeting 1964-1965 4 5 Portland branch meetings 1964-1966, 1978, 1982-1987 4 6 Portland branch, anniversary celebrations 1964-1989 4 7 Northwest area conference, Bremerton 1965 4 8 Political action meeting 1965 December 4 4 9 Summer picnic 1965 4 10 Northwest area NAACP conference, Portland 1966 January 4 11 Spring tea 1967 April 17 4 12 Northwest area conference, Corvallis 1978 4 13 Reunion 1985 4 14 National and regional NAACP conventions Subseries 3.2 West Coast regional biennial conference 1963 4 15 National convention, Washington, D.C. 1964 June 4 16 Administrative workshop, NAACP Washington circa 1964 4 17 National convention, Denver, Colorado 1965 June-July 4 18-19 12 4 West Coast region biennial conference, Asilomar 1965 September 4 20 West Coast region conference, San Francisco 1966, February 4 21 National convention, Los Angeles 1966 July 4 22 National convention, Dallas 1985 June 4 23 Non-NAACP events Subseries 3.3 Human Events Political Action Conference 1962 December 2 4 24 Conference of Business Men and Clergy, Cleveland 1965 January 7 4 25 American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) national convention 1965 4 26 Key Women Incorporated, luncheon for Rosa L. Parks 1965 November 7 4 27 Oregon Council for New Politics, annual convention circa 1965 4 28 Child Welfare League of America, convention 1966 4 29 Lane Bryant 1966 4 30 Portland State College, History of the American Negro, course 1966 4 31 Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Southern Regional Conference 1966 4 32 Friends of Race Relations, national conference, North Carolina 1967 July 4 33 Multnomah monthly meeting 1968 June 4 34 Dynamics of Diversity, Unitarian Universalist Association, general assembly, Seattle 1970 4 35 Leadership Conference on Civil Rights 1983 4 36 John Lewis Speech 1989 4 37 Publications and publicity Series 4 1949-1988 1959-1988 NAACP publications Subseries 4.1 An American Organization 1965 5 1 Civil Rights Act, equal employment action guide 1965 June 5 2 The Crisis 1963-1964, 1973 5 3 Fair Housing Bill 1968 5 4 Freedom fighters, Death in the Night 1966 May 5 5 Freedom fighter protection law 1962 5 6 General NAACP pamphlets circa 1966-1970 5 7 Hints for Better Branch Administration 1985 January 5 8 Integrated School Books 1966 5 9 Integration in the Portland School System 1965 5 10 Labor apprentices in Portland 1966 February 12 5 11 March on Washington 1963 5 12 Mississippi State, volunteers 1964 5 13 Model School Program, Portland 1966 January 20 5 14 NAACP pilgrimage to Arlington National Cemetery 1964 5 15 No Harvest for the Reaper circa 1965 5 16 Portland branch, calendar 1984 5 17 Portland branch, newsletters 1946, 1966-1968, 1988 5 18 Portland branch, press releases 1983-1986 5 19 Portland branch, resolutions 1965, 1981-1985 5 20 Portland branch, urgent action announcements 1963, 1987 5 21 Presidential election 1964 5 22 Senate Fair Housing Bill 1968 5 23 Special Contribution Fund 1968 5 24 The Street Where You Live, comic 1960 5 25 Washington Bureau, monthly report 1963 December 6 5 26 West coast regional office, news 1966 July 22 5 27 Non-NAACP publications Subseries 4.2 Albina Art Center 1966 5 28 American Council of the Blind 1965 5 29 American Federationist 1965 June 5 30 American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations 1966 March 5 31 American Friends Service Committee 1959 5 32 American Jewish Committee, Commentary 1962 December 5 33 Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith 1968-1969 5 34 A. Philip Randolph Educational Fund circa 1968 5 35 Baynard Rustin, "A Word to Black Students" circa 1968 5 36 Black Affairs Council circa 1968 5 37 Business Week 1968 5 38 The Carolina Israelite 1964 5 39 Center for Urban Education 1980 5 40 Central Methodist Church 1968 5 41 Charles Zinn, "How Our Laws Are Made" 1963 5 42 The Christian Century 1968, 1973 6 1 Clergymen's Emergency Committee 1965 6 2 Combined Federal Campaign of the Portland-Vancouver Area 1986-1987 6 3 Commentary 1959-1968 6 4 Committee of Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam 1968 6 5 Committee on Political Education 1968 April 29 6 6 Common Sense 1965 April 1 6 7 Community Church, New York 1963 6 8 Community Relations Conference of Southern California 1966 April 6 9 Congressional Record 1963 6 10 Congress of the United States of America, Our American Government 1963 6 11 Denver Public Schools, Emily Griffith Opportunity School circa 1966 6 12 Don L. Lee, "For Black People (And Negroes too)" 1968 6 13 East Central Church Community Action Program circa 1966 6 14 East Shore Unitarian Church 1964 May 26 6 15 Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 1964 6 16 Edith Green, Congress of the United States 1968 6 17 Education Development Center, "Black and White, Six Stories for a Troubled Time" 1968 6 18 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 1964 6 19 Erick S. Hansh, candidacy 1966 6 20 The Fellowship of Reconciliation 1983 6 21 The Fifth Estate 1968 May 6 22 First Unitarian Church, Portland 1968 6 23 First Unitarian-Universalist Church 1968 6 24 For My People 1973 May 12 5 Friendship House, community 1970 6 25 Governor's Commission on the Los Angeles Riots 1965 December 2 6 26 The Guardian 1970, 1973 6 27 Hard Times 1970 February-March 6 28 Harvard University, The University and the City circa 1969 6 29 Herbert Hill and Jack Greenberg, "Citizen's Guide to De-Segregation" 1955 6 30 Highlander Reports 1972 6 31 House of Representatives, Congressional Record 1964 June 8 6 32 Institute for American Democracy, Homefront 1973 May 7 1 International Affairs Coordinating Council for Greater Portland 1983 7 2 James H. Robertson, "Love of This Land" 1956 7 3 James Reichley, "The Art of Government" 1959 7 4 Job Corps circa 1968 7 5 Joint Strategy and Action Committee 1973 February 7 6 Judge Harlow F. Lennon, campaign circa 1965 7 7 Leadership Conference on Civil Rights 1967, 1985-1986 7 8 League for Industrial Democracy 1965 7 9 League of Women Voters of the United States 1966 February 7 10 Legislative Counsel Committee, Weekly Cumulative Index to Legislative Measures 1967 7 11 The Liberian Age 1964 November 23 12 6 Library of Urban Affairs 1965 7 12 The Listener Daily 1964 November 18 12 7 The Little Black Book 1977-1978 7 13 Longshore Jobs Defense Committee circa 1965 7 14 Malcom Boyd, You Can't Kill the Dream 1968 7 15 Martin Luther King, On Assassination, quotes 1964 July 7 16 Massachusetts Political Action for Peace 1965 7 17 McCall for Secretary of State Committee circa 1965 7 18 Methodist Federation for Social Action 1968 June 7 19 Michigan-Ohio Regional Educational Laboratory, The Rightness of Whiteness 1969 7 20 Mid-Peninsula Community House 1968 7 21 Midstream 1968 7 22 Multnomah County Library circa 1965 7 23 Mutual Real Estate Investment Trust 1966 7 24 The Nation 1964 February 24 7 25 National Educational Television and Radio Center 1963 7 26 National Scene 1983 March 7 27 Negro History Bulletin 1965, 1969 7 28 Neighborhood Youth Corps circa 1985 7 29 New Republic 1963-1965, 1968 7 30 Newsweek 1967 November 20 7 31 New World Review 1968 8 1 The New York Review 1970 February 12 8 2 Northwest Defender 1964-1965 12 8 Office of Economic Opportunity 1965, 1969 8 3 Office of Policy Planning and Research, United States Department of Labor 1965 8 4 The Oregon Advance Times 1968 12 9-12 Oregon Democrat 1973 May 8 5 Oregonian newspaper, general circa 1965 8 6 Oregon Legislative Assembly, legislative calendar 1967 8 7-9 Oregon Social Welfare Association 1966 February 11 8 10 Outsider's Newsletter 1964 April 7 8 11 Peace Corps 1964 January-February 8 12 People Against Racism 1968 8 13 The Petal Paper 1964 May 9 1 Poetry Quarterly 1968 March 9 2 Portland City Club, Bulletin 1964, 1966 9 3 Portland Continuation Center 1964 9 4 Portland Scribe 1973 May 12-18 12 13 Portland State College, calendar 1964 October 9 5 Potomac Institute 1965 March 9 6 The Progressive 1963 9 7 Racial Equality Bulletin 1964-1966 9 8 Readers Digest, Racism in White America Circa 1969 9 9 Redbook 1969 July 9 10 Reed College, black studies 1969 July 9 11 The Reporter 1965 March 25 9 12 Robert Kendall, White Teacher in a Black School 1964 9 13 San Francisco Examiner 1965 October 31 9 14 Sarah Patton Boyle, Are Rights Demonstrations Right? circa 1964 9 15 Sunday Review 1966 January 8 9 16 Senator Morse Reports 1964 February 26 9 17 Southern Christian Leadership Conference 1963-1964 9 18 Southern Conference Educational Fund circa 1964 9 19 Southern School News 1964 July 12 14 State of Oregon, voter's pamphlet 1964 November 3 9 20 Technology Review 1968 9 21 Time Magazine 1967-1968 9 22 Unitarian Universalist Association circa 1968 9 23 United Automobile, Aircraft, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America circa 1965 9 24 United States Civil Service Commission 1964 May 9 25 United States Commission on Civil Rights 1959, 1966 9 26-27 United States Commission on Civil Rights, with Liberty and Justice For All 1959 10 1 United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, We The Black People of the United States 1969 10 2 United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare 1965 10 3 United States Office of Economic Opportunity 1965 10 4 Urban League of Portland 1961-1966 10 5 Volunteers in Service to America circa 1966 10 6 Vote "Yes" November 3 Committee circa 1964 10 7 Washington Calling, Maurine Neuberger 1963 November-December 10 8 Westminster Presbyterian Church 1964-1966 10 9 West Oakland Christian Parish, seminar with Paul Alinsky 1965, 1968 10 10 WIN Magazine circa 1965 10 11 Women's International League for Peace and Freedom circa 1968 10 12 Worker's Defense League 1966 10 13 Young Democratic Club of Oregon 1964 November 10 14 Miscellaneous, book brochures circa 1963-1968 10 15 Newsprint articles Subseries 4.3 Newsprint Articles 1945, 1960-1970, 1985 11 1-15