The Civil Rights History Project: Survey of Collections and Repositories

Joseph T. Taylor papers

Repository: Indiana Historical Society. William H. Smith Memorial Library

Collection Description (CRHP): Taylor's personal reflections (CT 1509-1519) cover a range of experiences with racism and discrimination in Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky, etc. Detailed summaries are available in the collection guide (attached).

CT 1520-1563 are interviews conducted with Crispus Attucks High School teachers, administrators, and students.

Collection Description (Extant): Joseph T. Taylor was Director of Program Development at Flanner House in the 1950s; sociology professor at Indiana University, Indianapolis where he had a distinguished career. He became the first Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and later special Assistant to the Chancellor.

Contents: The collection consists of manuscripts, published materials, cassette tapes, and photographs. Though there are some materials that relate to Taylor's work at several historically black colleges and universities prior to his coming to Indiana, they primarily originated from Taylor's years in Indianapolis, from 1957 until his death. Included is correspondence to and from educators, community leaders, job seekers, and friends and acquaintances. Many relate to social issues in which he was strongly interested. Also included are published and unpublished papers and some vignettes on race relations. Cassette tapes relate to reflections on his career. His involvement in many civic organizations is documented by memos, bulletins, and letters. His lifelong interest in race relations and his involvement in the Indianapolis Public Schools desegregation case is reflected in papers and correspondence.

[...] Tapes CT 1509 through CT 1519 contain reflections on his career and his concerns. His reminiscences provide highlights of his many activities. When noted on the tapes, titles are listed in the collection guide. The processor has provided brief descriptions of the contents of each tape.

Date(s): 1922-2000

Digital Status: No

Existing IDs: M 0825; CT 1520-1563

Extent: 33 document cases; 4 boxes containing 75 cassette tapes; 10 folders of photographs

Finding Aid URL: http://www.indianahistory.org/our-collections/collection-guides/joseph-t-taylor-papers-1922-2000.pdf

Language: English

Related Archival Items: See Joseph Taylor Collection ("The Negro in America" radio series); M 0350, CT 761-770.

Interviewees: Joseph T. Taylor, Cornelius White, Rozelle Boyd, David Mitchum, Jacqueline Suggs, Russell Lane, Ernest Maye, Nolcox, Lyles Station, Spears, Newsome, Alexander Moore, Hardeman, N. Gore, Doris Bradford, Frances Stout, Mrs. B.
Ferguson, Harry Pettrie, L. Alridge Lewis, James Dabner, John Southern, M. Martin, Alice Brokenburr Ray, James Mullins, John M. Finney, Irven Armstrong, R. Myers, L. B. Meriwether, Hortense (Posey) Shelton, Nancy Powell, Nancy Powell, Guy Russell, Albert Ferguson, Louis Hill, Stanley Warren, Robert Jewell, Henry Taylor, Donald Carpenter, Solomon Edwards, Andrew Foster, Effie (Young) Armstead, Charles De Bow, Robert Williams, Lenora McGavoc, John Moore, Bill Myers

Rights (Extant): Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Indiana Historical Society.

Subjects:

African Americans--Civil rights--Indiana
Crispus Attucks High School (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Indiana--Race relations
School integration--Indiana--Indianapolis

Genres:

Autobiographies
Interviews
Photographs
Sound recordings