The Civil Rights History Project: Survey of Collections and Repositories

Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters records

Repository: Library of Congress. Manuscript Division

Collection Description (Extant): The records of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters span the years 1920-1968, with the bulk of the items dated 1950-1968. The collection is arranged into two parts and includes series related to the brotherhood and its officers.

Part I of the records spans the years 1937-1968, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1950-1968. The records are organized into three series: General Correspondence, Subject File, and A. Philip Randolph Papers.

Acquired at a later date, Part II of the records of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters spans the years 1920-1968, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1950-1968. This portion of the records is organized into the Benjamin F. McLaurin Papers, the A. Philip Randolph Papers, the Ashley L. Totten Papers, Subject File, Financial Papers, and Miscellany.

Origin Info: The records of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters were given to the Library of Congress in 1971 by A. Philip Randolph and the brotherhood and in 1981 by the Chicago Historical Society.

Access Copy Note: The records of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.

Date(s): 1920-1968

Existing IDs: MSS48439

Extent: 41,000 items ; 144 containers ; 70 linear feet

Finding Aid URL: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms000016

Language: English

Related Archival Items: In 1983, the Library received a separate collection of the papers of A. Philip Randolph. Other records of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters can be found in the Bancroft Library of the University of California at Berkeley and at the Chicago Historical Society.

Rights (Extant): The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).

Subjects:

African American labor leaders
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
Labor movement
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Washington, D.C., 1963
Pullman porters
Randolph, A. Philip (Asa Philip), 1889-1979

Genres:

Manuscripts
Speeches
Transcripts