This collection contains the letters of Helen Mercer. The letters are authored by Helen Mercer, family members and friends. These letters provide a broad snapshot of the life of a teacher whose correspondence came from Iowa, Kansas and Texas, primarily, in addition to other parts of the country.  The documents, which range from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, are a record of noteworthy moments in one American family's life. The handwritten letters come from a time in history when this kind of personal correspondence was commonplace and yet today, this type of communication in such a format is rare.

In addition to the personal letters, some official letters from attorneys are included which detail the condition of the Mercer oat crops on their farm in Iowa during the 1920s. Christmas cards, graduation announcements, postcards and some other formal documents are part of this collection.

Other messages at the end of the collection outline some details of Helen Mercer's hospital stay during her later years in Texas. The final letter is dated 1968.

Collection consists of works by the professional photographer Don Shugart. Materials reflect Shugart's 26-years as primary photographer for National Cutting Horse Association events including the Futurity, Triple Crown, Eastern Nationals and World Finals. In addition, Shugart shot horse and livestock photographs at Fort Worth Stock Shows, the Houston Livestock Show, the State Fair of Texas and at American Paint Horse Association championship shows. Derby, Jax and Super Stakes are some of the other events included in this collection.

Don Shugart was 40 when he started taking horse photographs for his daughter, who was in 4-H. He eventually upgraded to a better camera, began shooting horse shows and made what are referred to as "ranch calls." The "ranch call" work  involves visiting a client's ranch to take photographs on site. Although he has retired from some events, his work continues to be in demand since he is highly regarded in the horse photography field. This is partially due to his unique method of removing cast shadows from underneath of the horse by using outdoor flash photography and positioning the camera closer to the ground. Shugart's work has also been featured in many equine publications and he taught a class on horse photography during the 1980s in Grapevine, Texas.

The collection is composed primarily of medium format photo negatives. When photo prints or different sized negatives are included it has been noted in the detailed description. Other information such as the names of horses and the dates have been recorded as it is available. The final year for the negatives in this collection is 2001 since the Shugart's business went to the digital format afterward.

Don and his wife, Jan, ran their film photography business for over 25 years. Photo subjects include individuals, cattle, horses, publicity photos and action shots from horse events.

This collection contains the cards, writings, personal and official documents of Lieutenant Colonel Linda L. Green. Linda L. Green is a retired military officer who has membership in various societies. Among these, she has held membership or is affiliated with the United States Daughters of 1812, the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War. She served a term as president of the National Society of the United States Daughters of 1812 in the District of Columbia in 2005 (the final date mentioned in this collection is 2009). These societies have a commitment to preserving the memories of those soldiers of past conflicts through dedication ceremonies and other publicized events. These papers document much of the activities of these groups.

In addition to her work in military and veterans societies, Linda L. Green is a published author. The first draft for her book about the 8th Alabama Infantry is included with this collection. The book is entitled, "First, For the Duration." Another book mentioned in this collection, called "Logistics Engineering," is also authored by her.  She has written articles for Alabama Genealogical Society, United Daughters of the Confederacy Magazine and The Ripley County Heritage. She has also compiled agricultural census data and marriage records for many states in the south for periods throughout the 1800s.

Linda L. Green received a B.A. in History and an M.A. in History from East Carolina University. She is a graduate of many logistics courses from the Army Logistics Management Center, the Naval War College and the Army Command and General Staff College. Prior to joining the Army, she was an Assistant Professor of History at Jackson State College in Jackson, Mississippi.

Included with Green's personal correspondence are several Christmas cards and birthday cards with the letters from friends, family members and colleagues, as well as photographs.

This is a collection of papers, pamphlets, brochures, catalogs and handouts documenting Latinos in Denton, Texas. The folders are mostly comprised of Spanish language financial aid publications from schools such as Woodrow Wilson Elementary, Texas Women's University, North Central Texas College and the University of North Texas. One folder consists of examples taken from internet sources such as the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

The collection also contains a DVD-R entitled "Mexican Project of Denton" which is authored by Louis Ordonez. His essay, called "Nuestra Communidad" is included as well as "La Communidad Project," a list of Mexican owned businesses and churches in Denton.

A paper by Ashley Meredith Kelly entitled "An Account of Chicano Education in Denton, Texas in 2008" is included.

This collection contains several compact discs, DVDs, videos, photos and newspaper clippings documenting the Immigrant Rights March held in Dallas on May 1st, 2009. The authors are students from Dr. Calderón's history classes at the University of North Texas. The subject matter mentions marches throughout Texas, including those in San Antonio and Houston, as well as mentioning the effect of similar demonstrations held across the nation during this time. The marches brought greater attention to the legalization of Mexican immigrants, who are working in the North Texas area.

Several student papers are included with this collection. Ben Compton, Hope Dickens, Nicolas Escobar, Nikola Gardner, Matt Griffeth, Edward Martinez, Jai Jai Porter-Diehl, Todd Shaffer, Andrew Teeter, Brooke Vinson and Nicholas Webber wrote essays for this collection.

Many of the newspaper articles are from April of 2006.

Collection consists primarily of transcripts of radio program speeches by Judge Sarah T. Hughes and correspondence between Hughes and Gwen Graul, clerk of the 14th District Court of Texas and later secretary of Federal Judge Hughes. Also included are clippings, publications, and related printed materials.

Radio transcripts are typed radio program scripts for Judge Hughes’s weekly speeches on WRR in Dallas, from April to November, 1945. On the radio programs, Judge Hughes discussed significant issues of the day, including the formation of the United Nations; the close of World War II; and various state, national, and international events and political affairs. Correspondence consists of letters, aerograms, and postcards from Hughes to Graul (1965-1977), mostly documenting Hughes’s travels abroad to Europe and the South Pacific during Hughes’s term as a federal district judge and later as a retired senior federal judge.

The Gary Husa Radio Program Recordings Collection contains episode indexes, program logs, program listings, and advance episode schedules from radio drama series CBS Radio Mystery Theater, Sears Radio Theater, and General Mills Radio Adventure Theater. The indexes, logs, listings, and schedules display the broadcast times of the radio show, the title, and a short summary of the radio show along with cast and director.

The bulk of the collection are reel to reel tapes dated from 1930s to 1980s. Many of the radio shows are divided by genre: mystery, western, comedy, horror, suspense and crime.  The collection includes episodes recorded on reel to reel tapes of the following radio shows: Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke, Escape, The Shadow and Fibber McGee and Molly. Many of the tapes are from the CBS Radio Network, which operated CBS Radio Mystery Theater, General Mills Adventure Theater, and Sears Radio Theater.

Several of the radio shows are adaptions from famous literary authors, such as Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, Anton Chekhov, and Guy de Maupassant. Many actors and actresses showcased their talent on the radio shows such as “Hell Hath No Fury,” starring William Redfield, “Every Blossom Dies,” starring Michael Tolan, and “The Oblong Box,” starring Richard Mulligan and Grace Matthews. Many famous actors and actresses, including Andy Griffith, Vincent Price, Lorne Greene, and Cicely Tyson, hosted a radio show one night a week on the CBS Radio Network instead of acting in one. Tom Bosley, known for his role on the television program  Happy Days, hosted  the General Mills Adventure Theater. The Gary Husa Radio Program Recording collection includes biographies for each host and hostess, for the director, executive director, and composer.

Also included in the collection are correspondence, publications such as Nostalgia Book Club, and Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama Variety and Comedy SPERDVAC Radiogram, newspaper clippings, SPERDVAC bulletins, Hello Again Newsletter for Old Time Radio newsletters , issues of SPERDVAC Magazine, including one issue featuring “A Tribute to First Lady of Radio Barbara Luddy” by Olan Soule, and photographs of Hattie McDaniel.

Listed inventories of audio recordings do not necessarily reflect actual recorded contents. Special Collections staff cannot verify the content of any recording without reformatting the material at the patron’s expense.

This collection contains the following: an overall program design; management planning and research coordination; reports and notes from the Community Development Technical Review Committee and Subcommittee, Community Development Advisory Committee, and other meetings covering restructuring, new appointments and initial developments; Housing and Urban Development Projects and Housing grants from 1969-1980; Planning and Development proposals from local, state and regional planning, and plans from Albuquerque Metropolitan Transportation, Comprehensive Health, Tarrant County, Brazos River Authority Water Quality Management, Manpower, Texas Outdoor Recreation, Agriculture Conservation, Dallas Housing, and Energy Research and Development; Reports, developments and surveys about the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, air quality control, aerial photography, zoning, solid waste, potential open space, and urban area water; Agendas from the Preferred Regional Development Policy Task Force, Common Planning Standards Task Force, the Short Course Task Force, Comprehensive Planning Task Force, and the Community Involvement Task Force; materials from conferences, workshops, retreats, meetings, also including speeches, directories, and correspondence from Robert L. Wegner, Jim Parr, Dick Killinger, Gregg Young, John Carlson, Gil Mosard, Thom Shelton, Darcy Brown, Martha Nungesser, John Principe, Wendy Sprug, Clete McAlister, Tom Holloway, Daniel Chen, Bill Chipman, Martin Glenn, Eloise Hajek, Martha Hawkins, Hall Jennings, William J. Pitstick, John Hester, Beth Stark, Margorie Esman, Robert Hawkens, Jolene Loftus, Craig McMullin, the Educational Foundation, the Urban Growth Stimulation Model, and the National Service to Regional Councils.

Included are city project files for Allen, Alvarado, Arlington, Azle, Back Springs, Bedford, Blooming, Burleson, Cedar Hill, Cleburne, Carrolton, Commerce, Coppell, Corsicana, Crowley, Dallas, Dawson, Denton, De Soto, Duncanville, Eastvale, Ennis, Euless, Everman, Farmers Branch, Flower Mound, Forest Hill, Forney, Fort Worth, Frisco, Garland, Grandbury, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Greenville, Haltom, Hutchins, Irving, Kemp, Kennedale, Kernes, Kleburg, Kaufman, Lake Dallas, Lancaster, Mabank, Mansfield, McKinney, Mesquite, Mineral Wells, North Richland Hills, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett, Saginaw, Southlake, Strawn, Terrel, Wautauga, Waxahachie, Weatherford, White Settlement, Wolfe City, and Wylie. Also, Profiles of Change for the cities of Arlington, Corsicana, Dallas, Denton, Fort Worth, Garland, Grand Prairie, Irving, Mineral Wells, and Weatherford.

This collection also contains zoning, suburban, distribution, planimetric and base maps for Lancaster District, Mesquite District, Arlington, Euless, Grand Prairie, Seagoville, Irving, Alan, Carrolton, Balch Springs, Bedford, Rowlett, De Soto, Farmers Branch, Fort Worth, Dalworthington Gardens, and Cedar HIll.

The preriodicals were collected to provide information on the museum collections as well as provided resources for students to study.

American Rifleman started life in 1885 as The Rifle, an independent publication founded by Arthur Corbin Gould.  The magazine's name would change several times over the years (Shooting & Fising in 1888 and Arms and the Man in 1906). In 1916 the magazine was sold to the National Rifle Association by James A. Drain.  In 1923, the magazine changed its name to the American Rifleman.  The Historical Collection did not have a complete collection of the magazine.  The issues run roughly from the end of 1928 until 1983.  This set also contains one issue of Klein's Sporting Goods, a catalog that contains advertisements for clothing, hunting supplies, and firearms. This set also contains pages from Ace-High Magazine, an adventure pulp publication that was published between 1921 and 1933.  The pages in this collection date from 19928-1929. The set lacks covers and contains only two to four pages from any one issue.

Confederate Veteran was founded by Sumner Archiboald Cunningham in 1893 to raise money for a monument dedicated to Jefferson Davis.  The magazine was published until 1932.  A statement inside each issue stated that the magazine "Officially Represents: United Confederate Veterans, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Sons of Veterans and other Organizations, Confederated Southern Memorial Association. " It was published in Nashville, Tennessee.  The magazine was brought back in 1984.  The magazines from the Historical Collection start in 1909 and end in 1929.  It does not have every issue of the publication during those years.

The collection includes records pertaining to the Texas Metro publication and business, and personal records from Lester Strother and his second wife Dora Dougherty. Records from the Texas Metro publication and business include: secretary, general and other related materials such as advertising materials and mock-up ads, blank office forms, budget and salary information, subscription and subscriber information, carbon copies of response letters, projection and marketing plans, Texas Metro history, news releases and press packages; correspondence between employees, outside persons, other businesses, advertisers, freelance writers, hotels, vacation spots and many others; correspondence, photographs, pamphlets, brochures and general information from businesses, advertisers, vacation spots, event organizers, various Chambers of Commerce, and educational institutions; issues of the Texas Metro magazine from 1965-1975, and miscellaneous magazine, catalogs and books; and photographs used in the Texas Metro magazine from 1965-1972.

The personal records of Lester Strother include: letter correspondence between Strother and Dora Dougherty, Jean Strother (Strother's first wife), Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mack, Genevieve Ramos, Faye Pugh, Preston McGraw, other family members and persons, Senator Edward Kennedy, and telegraph correspondence with Huey P. Strother; Christmas and post cards; speeches given by Strother at events such as Law Day USA, Women in Aviation, Dallas Naval Air Station and other events; community theater event pamphlets attended by Strother and Dougherty during their courtship; genealogy materials; school notebooks; short stories, articles and playwrights by Strother and Dougherty; and other personal materials from Strother.

This collection contains various typed and printed documents, including brochures, student essays, license records, county histories, inventories, and small local publications from various Texas counties. Items come from the North Texas Historical Museum that existed on the UNT campus in what is now Curry Hall from 1925 until its closure in 1986.

The museum was started by the university's history department and the E.D. Criddle Society, a historical society that Professor Criddle founded. Joseph Lyman Kingsbury, a North Texas history professor from 1925-1949, was the main person responsible for gathering the collection. In 1930, the museum was named the Texas State Historical Collection by the state legislature. It held over 250,000 items from all over the world by 1952, until the mid-1960s when Kingsbury's wife retired and the collection was left with no curator.

In 1971, Barbara Butler was named the director and sought to revitalize the collection through increased funding, sponsored lectures, and public outreach. Butler was succeeded by Linda Lavendar, who ran the museum until it closed in 1986. Items in the collection were then divided out among the UNT Archives and the Denton County Historical Museum.

Series 1 of this collection includes materials related to Professor Davis’s education, various appointment resources, personal items (including but not limited to calendars), an oral history, general publicity documents, and correspondence. Additionally included are awards and honors, records of service on various boards and committees, publications and editorships, exhibitions, curatorial work and service as a juror, presentations and workshops, funded projects totaling approximately $10 million, unfunded projects, consulting experiences, involvement in professional organizations, and materials from conferences Davis attended.

Much of the material associated with his various administrative appointments remain with the respective offices and are preserved according to the records retention policy of the State of Texas. Complete archives related to the North Texas Institute for Educators on the Visual Arts (NTIEVA) —specifically the Getty Disciplined-Based Art Education project, the Transforming Education through the Arts project and the Priddy Fellowship Programs—are contained in the University of North Texas Library that are specifically dedicated to those projects.

Series 2 is comprised of publications and vertical files. This series includes a number of books on art education and artistic creativity. Publications are arranged in the UNT Library Catalog under the subject heading D. Jack Davis Art Education Collection, and are listed in the Finding Aid by title, author, the publisher, and publication date. Publications include the Pennsylvania State University papers in Art Education, booklets from the National Art Education Association (NAEA), bulletins of the Western Art Association and other similar publications. Vertical files each represent small collections of information on notable art educators.

Dr. Roland Vela is an Emeritus Professor of Microbiology at UNT, having retired in spring of 2000 after 35 years of service to the Department of Biological Sciences, as well as the greater community.  He was the first Latino professor awarded tenure at UNT.  Vela led his field in the study of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and his research in bacterial physiology was recognized both nationally and abroad.  Dr. Vela’s contributions to research and scholarship were numerous: during his career at UNT, Dr. Vela supervised over 45 master’s and 19 doctoral students. He also published 75 scientific papers, a textbook and an accompanying lab manual.  In 1991, the University established an award in his name to be granted to individuals or groups making significant contributions to the education of Hispanics.

Dr. Vela was also highly respected for his contributions to the surrounding community. Vela was the first Hispanic elected to Denton City Council in 1979.  Vela also served on the board of the Texas Municipal Power Agency (TMPA) for eleven years, from 1980-1991.  For his high regard by his colleagues, as well as his professional standing, personal accomplishments and leadership, Vela served as the 1987 Summer Commencement Speaker.

In August of 2012, the Denton chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens lobbied City Council to name a planned soccer complex at North Lakes Park after Dr. Vela in honor of his numerous contributions to the community and its citizens. He was recently named one of the top 100 Texas Latinos of the 20th century in the millennium edition of Latino Monthly magazine.

The collection contains committee work, correspondence, professional organizations, student dissertations and correspondence and technical reports and processes, as well as his many professional and scholarly contributions.

This collection contains documentation of the political campaign of Guadalupe “Lupe” Arriola for the Ft. Worth City Council in 2009.  It includes campaign materials, campaign walk data, campaign maps, correspondence, financial records, receipts, news articles, a photograph, and books on political campaigns.  It also includes two over-sized campaign posters that documents her list of supporters.

The collection includes Tarrant County Precinct information designated by a four digit number, followed by A, B or C, as well as the number of households per Precinct, designated as a numeral followed by the letters "HH" (households).  There are a total of 22 Precincts inventoried in this collection.

This collection consists primarily of speech notes on note cards and note paper handwritten by Judge Sarah T. Hughes. The notes cover speeches heard as well as delivered by Judge Hughes. Notable speech topics include the United Nations and world peace through common international law; American penal reform; dissent and civil disobedience; and women’s rights and the status of women in America.

Other textual and print materials include Judge Hughes's handwritten notes on her travels in Europe in the late 1950s and early 1960s; newspaper clippings; organization membership cards belonging to Judge Hughes; and other textual materials related to Judge Hughes.

Additionally, the collection contains a small number of photographs, copies and originals, of Judge Hughes.

Cutter Bill, Dash for Cash and Depth Charge are just some of the well-known horses Ray Bankston and his company, Dalco, has photographed over the years. He regularly took photographs of horses at the Oklahoma State Fair, the Texas State Fair, Louisiana State Fair, Colorado State Fair, as well as fairs in Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico and Illinois. Ray Bankston even photographed youth shows, such as the National Youth Congress, and he was the official photographer for the 4-H shows until his retirement in 2005.

Photographs of Jerry Wells, Matlock Rose, Dale Livingston and Chip Knost are included in this collection, as well, which are familiar names to those associated with horse breeding, cutting horses, and quarter horses. Bankston also worked with Rex Cauble, a wealthy, controversial Texan and owner of the famous horse, Cutter Bill. Bankston took many photographs of Cauble and the Cauble Ranch. Several black and white images from the 1960s are featured of Cauble and later images depict the Cauble Ranch in a color format.

Bankston took images of paintings by Orren Mixer, too, who was a popular equine artist. Some large format color negatives of his work are part of this collection.

In addition to his horse-related photographs, Bankston photographed some celebrities throughout his career, such as Clint Eastwood, Paul Brinegar, Ken Curtis and Milburn Stone. Curtis, who played Festus, and Stone, who played Doc, on the television series, Gunsmoke, were often seen at horse shows during the 1960s.

Unlike some horse photography, Ray Bankston's photos have never been altered from their original state even though some of his clients have asked for enhancements to their images.

Events or other names are often abbreviated throughout this collection. Some examples of this include 4-H Finals (4-H F.), Appaloosa (App. or pluralized, Apps.) referring to the horse breed, the American Quarter Horse Association (A.Q.H.A.), the Athens Summer Jubilee (A.S.J.), Britannia Farm (B.F.), Britannia Farm Winter Classic (B.F.W.C.), Britannia Farm Spring Celebration (B.F.S.C.), Britannia Farm Santa Classic (B.F.S.C.), Britannia Farm Summer Classic (B.F.S.C.), Colorado State Fair (C.S.F.), Circuit (Cir.), Greater Houston Quarter Horse Show (G.H.Q.H.S.), Guadalupe Valley Horse Breeders Association (G.V.H.B.A.), Guadalupe Valley Quarter Horse Show (G.V.Q.H.S.), Heart O' Texas (H.O.T.), Jerry Wells Show (J.W.S.), Kansas State Fair (K.S.F.), Louisiana State Fair (L.S.F.), Louisiana State University (L.S.U.), National Cutting Horse Association (N.C.H.A.), National Cutting Horse Association Championship (N.C.H.A.C.), National Cutting Horse Futurity (N.C.H.F.), National Reining Horse Association (N.R.H.A.), National Reining Horse Futurity (N.R.H.F.), National Youth Horse Congress (N.Y.H.C.), Oklahoma State Fair (O.S.F.), Pony of America (P.O.A.), Piney Woods (P.W.), Quarter Horse (Q.H.), Quarter Horse Show (Q.H.S.), Two Ring Circuit (T.R.C.), Texas Reining Horse Association (T.R.H.A.), Texas State Fair (T.S.F.), Tri-State Fair (T.S.F.), Trinity Valley Exposition (T.V.E.), World Championship Finals (W.C.F.), West Central Texas Finals (W.C.T.F.) and Youth Show (Y.S.). These abbreviations do not always refer to actual names, but rather, they are names which Bankston has assigned.

The boxes contain 8x10 black and white photo prints and color photo prints mixed in with envelopes of black and white negatives, as well as color negatives. In many cases, there are anywhere from 5-50 negative envelopes per folder. For the majority of the collection, each envelope includes 12 negatives, and items with less than this are noted in the description. The boxes are arranged by date, but they do not necessarily go in chronological order by year.

The John H. Carper WWI Collection consists of materials collected by Carper from his time overseas in World War I, items which detail a military friendship which was cultivated during and endured after the war, as well as materials from the time period after his service overseas. These materials include photographs, postcards, military documents, scrapbook and scrapbook pages, a souvenir album, and correspondence.

The contents of the John H. Carper collection include photographs of Company “C” of the 108^th field signal battalion; a photo of the Texas A&M class of 1924; postcards from Carper’s deployment overseas; a booklet of Soldiers and Sailors which outlines their accomplishments overseas; a post card album which shows the structural damage of Verdun after the German’s bombardment; a page from a scrapbook album that includes a damaged pay record book, a picture of a French soldier, a letter from John J. Pershing, and a medal certificate; a certificate of John H. Carper’s promotion to the rank of Sergeant; a souvenir album of Diekrich and Luxembourg which includes a letter to Carper’s wife on the reverse of the last picture in the album; a history of the Third platoon, Company “C” from departure from Camp Logan to withdrawal from Europe which was compiled by Bt. Sgt. W.O. Cooper; an account of the 33^rd division from the Chicago Daily News; John H. Carper’s honorable discharge; a certificate of thanks  from Pres. Gerald R. Ford; a discharge from the Illinois National Guard for John H. Carper which details his discharge when he was mustered into the Army; a correspondence to John H. Carper from J.S. Bourdin of Paris, France; and a scrapbook  kept by Carper’s wife while John H. Carper was in Europe.

The Texas Daily Newspaper Association Records showcases ninety-one years of Texas newspaper publishing history including member newspaper information, personnel files, judicial hearings, Pulitzer Prize winners, and newspaper from the World War II era. The collection also contains photographs from Texas Daily Newspaper Association events with notable individuals including George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Dan Rather, and Jerry Jones. The collection materials include documents, newspapers, and photographs.

The majority of the information presented in the Texas Daily Newspaper Association Records involves member newspaper records and history as well as personnel photos and information. Also included are historical records and ledgers as well as amicus briefs highlighting the Texas Daily Newspaper Association’s role in media and publishing laws within Texas.

The collection contains materials donated by and relating to individuals working to support AIDS causes and equal rights in the LGBT community.  Organizational leaders such as John Thomas, Don Baker, Bill Nelson, Terry Tebedo, William Waybourn, and Mike Richards contributed papers, court cases, and personal artifacts. These materials provide a personal perspective of the individuals impacted by AIDS in the 1980s and 1990sand the effect those experiences had on friends, family, and the community. The collection also contains organizational contributions from notable LGBT activists such as Dianne Hardy-Garcia, Louise Young, Vivienne Armstrong and Jamie Schield. Also included are documents relating to Dallas Gay Alliance vs. Dallas County (1989), a case in which Ron Woodroof, Alliance leadership, and attorneys representing the Dallas Gay Alliance filed suit for discriminatory practices against AIDS patients at Parkland Memorial Hospital.

This collection contains a variety of documents and multimedia objects: personal papers, awards, artifacts, periodicals, newspapers, office files, newsletters, medical information, videotapes, cassette tapes, compact discs, DVDs, photographs, slides, and court documents. Included in the collection are publications such as The Advocate, Christopher Street, Out, T.W.I.T. (This Week In Texas), Dallas Voice, Curve, Genre, POZ, Lesbian Connection, and others featuring articles on sexuality, entertainment, local events, politics, biographies, health, and other matters concerning the LGBT community.  Due to the nature of the Resource Center and its primary goal, HIV and AIDS-related publications also embody a significant share of the collection. The collection also includes various materials and artifacts representing several LGBT events, including t-shirts, buttons, banners and other items from the Tanquery’s Texas AIDS Ride, Lone Star Ride, Black Tie Dinner, Gay Games, Razzle Dazzle Dallas, March on Washington, and National Coming Out Day. These materials reflect the contributions of organizations operating on local and national levels such as Team Dallas, Stonewall, Turtle Creek Chorale, Texas Gay Rodeo Association, Cathedral of Hope, and the Dallas Gay Pride Association.

Published materials

The collection contains various published books by and about the Sons of the American Revolution, including histories of chapters and societies, rosters, annuals, books on various aspects of the Revolutionary War, and other patriotic subjects.

Additionally, the collection contains many individual issues of chapter, state, and national newsletters, but no complete run of any title. Most, if not all, of these newsletters are not recorded in other collections, and no copies are preserved in other libraries or archives to be available to future researchers. We are actively seeking missing issues, and will gratefully accept donations for the TXSSAR Archives.

Scrapbooks

The collection holds over 50 scrapbooks assembled by the State Historian and by members from various chapters and groups. Scrapbooks contain original photographs of members and events, letters, artwork, newsletters, clippings, documents, etc. Each is a unique item recording the activities of TXSSAR and its chapters and groups.

Papers

Correspondence, e-mails, reports, minutes of meetings, and the files of a number of officers and chapters are preserved in the TXSSAR Archives. Examples of specific holdings include the files of the Hill Country Chapter, the files of Frank A. Gibson, files from the Plano Chapter, and files from the Liberty Chapter.

The Archives holds microfilm copies of the early membership applications, as well as 33 bound volumes of the original and supplemental applications.

Signed proclamations, original charters for closed chapters, research on chapter histories and on TXSSAR founding member Ira Hobart Evans, and materials from the collection of Past President General Clovis Brakebill are also part of the holdings of the TXSSAR Archives.

Photographs

Albums of photographs, as well as groups of photos of events are included in the collection. The bulk of the photographs date from between 1985 and 2001.

Artifacts

Plaques, trophies, medals, badges, flags, flag streamers, and other objects relating to the history and activities of the Texas Society, Sons of the American Revolution and to the Sons of the American Revolution are an important part of the TXSSAR Archives

This collection can be broken down into four segments, each of which contain different materials that illuminate the actions and events of the Dallas Metroplex Chapter of the NAMES Project. The paper materials in the collection include, correspondence, chapter guidelines and information, various HIV/AIDS informational handouts and programs, materials related to the AIDS Memorial Quilt, newsletters, educational documents, national conference binders, and membership records. The Dallas and Fort Worth Chapters of the NAMES Project Foundation were integral in keeping the issue of HIV/AIDS at the forefront of public attention, particularly in the late 1980s-early 2000s; these materials give insight to exactly what the Dallas Metroplex Chapter stands for and how they spread their message.

Artifacts in the collection provide a tangible resource for tactile and visual researchers. Awards, certificates, t-shirts, hats, quilt panels, buttons and pins, coffee mugs, keychains, magnets, NAMES Project banners, stickers, postcards, and stationary all convey a very personal side to the collection. Media and photographs in the collection provide a deeper look into the affect the AIDS Memorial Quilt had on the nation. Photos of quilt panels, Dallas Metroplex chapter members, outreach events, and quilt displays allow researchers to put lives and faces to the names of individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. With an epidemic that has continuously reduced people to statistics, this collection provides an outlet for remembrance and compassion as well as a reminder that while HIV/AIDS affects millions worldwide, there are communities fighting back.

The Byrd Williams family photography collection documents four generations of Texas photographers with the earliest images from this collection dating back to the 1880s and with the most recent work coming from Byrd Williams IV.  All four generations of photographers in the Williams family have been known as Byrd Moore Williams.

The Williams family's interest in photography started with Byrd, Sr., in the form of family portrait photography. Byrd Williams, Sr. operated a hardware store in Gainesville which sold cameras. Early prints were developed in a darkroom in the family's home. Byrd, Jr., known as Byrd II, who studied at the University of Texas (1905-1907), worked as an engineer, expanding on the family tradition by incorporating imagery in forms other than portraiture, which included landscapes and city scenery.

Byrd Williams III (1913-1986), continuing the family's legacy, became the first to delve into a full-time photography profession when he opened Byrd Photo in Fort Worth in the 1950s. Prior to this, Byrd Williams III worked for Kodak and several other photography companies in addition to being involved in lense manufacturing. The Williams family photography business also included a portrait studio. Along with these studio portraits, customers could have a photograph painted over in oils, giving it the appearance of a painting - or oil paintings, based on these photographs, would be created by Byrd's wife, Doris Williams. Charles Williams, Byrd's brother, was also affiliated with the company.

Byrd Williams III also explored photography on his own terms as a fine art. Through his images, he documented street scenes and the people of Fort Worth, which was developing rapidly in the mid-20th century.  Many of his black and white images during the 1930s and 1940s are rich narratives of varied subject matter, showing a confidence both in approach to composition and emotive content. With the work of Byrd Williams III, we see photography develop into a unique way of making a personal statement. This is carried on in another way through the work of his son, Byrd Williams IV.

In the photographs of Byrd Williams IV (1951-    ), we see the work of an artist. Mr. Williams, a prolific, exhibiting photographer, who has shown in the United States and abroad, is the first in his family to seriously pursue a career aside from the commercial aspect of photography.  Williams, a Collin County College professor, also shares his ideas and knowledge of photography to show others its purpose and application as a fine art medium.  Fort Worth's Legendary Landmarks is one of many publications in which the work of Byrd Williams IV has appeared.  He is a frequent contributor to D Magazine, in addition to having work appearing in exhibition catalogs such as Ortsbeschreibungen and Focus Trier.

Contains county and city ledgers related to financial matters, board minutes, registrations, convict labour, the criminal and civil dockets, property records, tax rolls, and mortgage records.

Part of the Cooke County Ledgers are comprised of Convict Labor Records from 1879 to 1891; Criminal Docket Records from 1857 to 1908; Minute Books from the District and Criminal Courts, 1880 to1904; the Sherriff's Fee Book from 1873 to 1874; Records from the Justice of the Peace inquests, 1888 to 1919; Fugitive Records from the District Court, 1865 to 1908; the Jail Register from 1897 to 1910; and Pauper Records from 1895 to 1905.

John Addison Stryker (1883-1974) was born in Rockford, Illinois on September 1st. He was a prolific photographer of rodeos, where he also worked as an announcer and a producer. Stryker and his wife moved to Fort Worth in 1940. Stryker was also a handwriting expert, graduating from the Franklin Academy and the Zanerian Art College of Penmanship where he specialized in Spencerian handwriting. He later taught classes on penmanship at the Kearney Normal School beginning in 1909. Publicity work through the school led Stryker to purchase a camera in 1919, which marked the beginning of his photography career.

This collection contains eleven color and black and white photographs by John Stryker, taken at rodeos during his days in Fort Worth. Stryker lived in Fort Worth for the remainder of his life. He specialized in captivating action photography which set the standard for the horse industry for many years. A man of many talents, Stryker was even known to ride horses at these events. In 1977, a book entitled The Rodeo of John Addison Stryker with an introduction written by Ron Tyler was published by Encino Press in Austin.

Opening up any box is an adventure. There are boxes within boxes. And within a few of these boxes within boxes, there are boxes filled with artifacts – shards of doll’s faces, flatware from the 1800s, old bottles of cure all, old pipes, many different colors of shards of glass, and shards of pottery. All these tidbits of history housed in one box within a box.

Alexander M. Troup grew up in Dallas and witnessed firsthand the transformation the city underwent to become what it is today – an ever-changing metro-plex. But one thing about Dallas and its insatiable appetite for growth is that many times valuable pieces of history become cannibalized in the process. This is where Mr. Troup saw a need for the city’s history which was being torn down and buried for the next luxury high-rise apartment building or the next strip mall. Mr. Troup is a preservationist. His process begins by identifying a demolition site or an area. He sets up sites and begins to excavate and preserve items by meticulously packing them in boxes. He documents the site and documents the artifacts he has collected after intensive research. His collection contains an abundant amount of artifacts, but also boxes and boxes of resources on material culture, archaeology, and Dallas History.

Not only a historian, and material culture preservationist, but Mr. Troup is an artist whose works echo his assemblages of artifacts. The Troup Family is steeped in the art history of Dallas. The family owned a gallery, Gallery Trohafole, which showcased items made by Dallas Artists and many pieces of folk art. The folk art is mainly whirly gigs – whose characters and themes are wholly Texan. One whirly gig is an oil well complete with a tall steel derrick. Another is made of egg beaters. Other pieces of the Folk Art include pottery from Dallas potters, rare penny dolls, a Hispanic wooden box, a bronze cast of an animal’s skull, and African American sculptures.

With all of this inspiration at his fingertips, it’s no wonder Mr. Troup became an artist. His work includes a piece with wall paper found on a dig site combined with found china, an assemblage of found magazine clippings and wood honoring railroad baron Jay Gould, a canvas to which a found door was attached which can be opened to reveal a women (this piece is inspired by a recluse who lived in her attic), as well as a handmade newspaper clipping box filled with clippings and old fashion magazine excerpts. There are also boxes within boxes that are filled with items that were once memories – small bottles, trinkets, charms, found marbles or stones. The collection, itself, is a piece created with intent. It is an art installation, but also a historic collection designed for Dallas History and the socio-cultural climate to be preserved and remembered. The collection has over twenty series which detail the material culture history of African Americans, Hispanics as well as history of many different neighborhoods in Dallas such as Deep Elm, Laws St., Camp St, and San Jacinto.

The collection’s multitudes of items are items that were once memories – small bottles, trinkets, charms, found marbles or stones as well as shards of glass and ceramics. Each item resonates with these memories, a history of people and places that are long gone, that are now covered by concrete.

This collection contains media created, acquired, and broadcast by NBC-5 (previously KXAS and WBAP-TV). The bulk of the collection consists of daily television news footage recorded on 16 mm film and a variety of videotape formats including 2" and 2" tape, 3/4" UMatic, Betacam, DVCPro, and DigiBeta. Although the station began broadcasting in 1948, the earliest known surviving daily news film is from 1951.

During the early 1950s, a day's broadcast for The Texas News consisted of a small number of stories that focused on events relevant to the Dallas-Fort Worth region including local politics, crime, and human interest stories. As the station continued broadcasting in the 1960s through the mid-1970s, the number of stories created and broadcast by the station increased, resulting in a larger number of materials from this time period. Many of the film reels contained in this collection are partially silent due to the practice of a news anchor reading a broadcast script on-air. Material includes full stories or news packages as well as b-roll, raw footage, and outtakes.

The station used material from the daily news reels to create special Year In Review programming that featured highlights from that year's news. This practice was sometimes documented with a label on the original film reel and it is sometimes indicated where the material was relocated to (e.g. "Diving Tiger in X-Mas 1961" or "LBJ Out"). Because of this practice, some stories were removed from their original broadcast reels and never returned. Some of this extracted footage appears in designated "Year In Review" reels.

During the 1970s, the station expanded its programming to include two television news magazine programs, "Inside Area 5" (IA-5) and "Texas '70s," both contained in this collection. Texas '70s was a monthly 30-minute program that featured reporters and camera operators traveling across the state of Texas to film stories about people and events unique to the state of Texas.This collection contains only production elements from the Texas '70s program, including A-Roll, B-Roll, soundtracks, credits, and outtakes. No known completed prints exist in the collection.

In 1976 - 1979, the station recorded news on both film and videotape. After that time,the station recorded news exclusively on videotape. This transition from film to videotape resulted in a larger number of stories and broadcasts. In the 1970s - 1980s, geographical coverage expanded beyond the immediate Dallas-Fort Worth area but remained largely focused on events and people from the state of Texas. As videotape and broadcast technology evolved in the 1990s and 2000s, the station began to broadcast more national and international news coverage. Videotaped materials include full stories or news packages as well as b-roll, raw footage, and outtakes.

This collection also includes station promotions and specials, local business commercials, and public service announcements. Athletic films include high school, college, and professional football as well as coverage of the Colonial National Invitation golf tournaments. A portion of this collection remains unprocessed including 2" and 1" videotape and sound recordings. Some materials not listed here have been temporarily removed due to advanced deterioration.

The Jack Evans and George H. Harris Collection consists primarily of materials that document agendas, meetings, and events of The Dallas Way. Both Jack Evans and George H. Harris, founders of The Dallas Way, are vested in the documentation of Dallas GLBT history and the creation of organizations such as The Dallas Way serve as a vehicle for voices that would otherwise be lost to time. The mission statement of the Dallas Way echoes this sentiment by noting that "gathering, organizing, storing, and presenting" the history of Dallas GLBT history is of high importance. And through the use of many mediums, narratives of the Dallas GLBT community detail may different viewpoints: legal, social, religious, the arts, health, politics, the Latino community, fund-raising efforts, business, rural, personal, and area icons.  (The Dallas Way Conceptual Organization Chart, {Jack Evans and George H. Harris Collection (The Dallas Way)}, University of North Texas Special Collections).

Also, this collection includes materials recounting the IGRA (International Gay Rodeo Association) and TGRA history; publications such as newspaper clippings spotlighting Jack Evans and George H. Harris as well as articles about GLBT causes, brochures from GLBT events and organizations, the Affirmation and Affirmation News newsletters, as well as several issues of the Dallas Voice; a framed puzzle; and two cassette tapes on AIDS Caregiving. Materials in accretions include additional organizational papers from The Dallas Way, correspondence, clippings, photographs, and publications.

Gustine Weaver collected all forms of materials including dolls, manuscripts, pop-up books, miniature books, journals, newspaper clippings, and “Heidi” materials, among other things, including some artifacts. Mrs. Weaver also created scrapbooks of her own life as well as the many subjects she was interested in.

Included in this collection are the Te Ata scrapbooks, which have original photographs and clippings of the famous Native American. A scrapbook of Dickie Jones, the voice of Pinocchio, and scrapbooks on fabrics are also included with these materials. The remaining scrapbooks in this collection are in a bound format and are titled “Dolls,” “Heidi,” “Illustrators,” with additional titles arranged according to subject matter.

The collection includes the Weaver family photo album with photographs of Gustine Weaver’s father, John Courson, her sister, Olive Courson, and many of their cousins and other relatives. The album dates back to the late 1800s and includes primarily cartes de visites and cabinet cards.

The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) Collection comprises the entire history of the organization, from its beginnings in 1978 at founder Curtis L. King's dining room table to the present. This includes documentation of thirty six seasons of theatrical and concert performances, visual art exhibits, guest lecturers, and community events, as well as the history of the organization, its different locations, and its search for funding from the City of Dallas.

Particular highlights of the collection include its annual tribute to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., entitled Black Music and the Civil Rights Movement, which has featured headliners such as Eartha Kitt, Jennifer Holliday, Erykah Badu, Fantasia, Ruben Studdard, and CeCe Winans. Materials also describe TBAAL's engagement with Dallas K-12 students through its Youth Summer Arts program. The collection also documents other recurring events, such as Jazz at the Muse, Comedy at the Muse, Symphony in Black, and a number of events featuring gospel singers. There are also materials documenting the 1993 retrospective on the March on Washington, entitled I Remember..., musical tributes to Michael Jackson and Aretha Franklin, and an evening with Ambassadors from Africa and the Caribbean.

Types of media include posters, flyers, and other promotional items for TBAAL's performances; news clippings documenting TBAAL's activities; architectural plans for its current facility in the Dallas Civic Center; Dallas City Council meeting minutes; press releases, grant applications, and correspondence with supporters and celebrities; photographs of performances, lectures, after-parties, and other events; and an extensive collection of audio/visual recordings of TBAAL productions.

The Byrd Williams Student Work and Documentary Collection features the photography of students of Byrd Williams IV at Collin County Community College.  The bulk of the collection focuses on development in and around Collin County.  This includes research done on historical houses in the McKinney area, as well as those in Denton Counties and surrounding areas.  Photographs document day to day life around the areas, too, with emphasis placed on a team of firefighters, “formal bar portraits,” landscapes, street scenes, buildings, interior views, and family portraits.

The collection includes photographs by Richard Alexander, W.T. Bailey, Dena Barnes, D. Baybato, Kim Benzine, G. Bishop, Bobbie A. Blain, Carolyn Blakey, Jeff Bloomberg, Cirrus Bonneau, Jaz Boudard, Kevin Bough, Candice Boyd, Iris Brawley, Michael Brennen, Cynthia Buntain, David W. Bushland, Kayla Cage, Karen L. Camp, Cecelia Carter, Rachel Caudle, Utpal Chalise, Elta Chandler, Leah Clausen, Rick Coke, Greg Cox, Emily Crochet, Brad Collins, Greg Cox, Kimberly D. Cox, L. Davis, Michelle A. Dickerman, Ron DiDonato, Craig Engle, Benji Feehan, Rachael Foster, Crystal Free, Samantha Friedman, Anna Fritzel, Bonnie Fry, Melanie Fuller, Robin Germany, Rachel Haas, Kelli Hatchette, Amanda Hawkins, Jerrod Hess, Gina Hill, Brittany Holder, Heather Holmes, Ryan Howard, Jayne Irby, Gretchen Jensen, Jean Jipp, Michelle Johnson, Michelle K. Jones, E. William Karvonen, Shannon B. Kennedy, Peter Knudsen, David Kuehn, Lee Laird, Jennifer Lakowsky, Natalie Levesque, M. Levin,Jennifer Markoe, Cliff Marlon, Nikki Mason, Sean Mathis, Helen McDonough, Terry McMillon, Kellie McNeir, Erin Miller, Kristi Miller, Alex Mittelman, Brigitta Mossler, Michael Murphy, Sharon K. Murray, M. Nagel, Thi Nguyen, Christi Nielsen, Frank Novak, J. Novelen, Brooke Opie, Roy Pecaut, Edward R. Price III, Maria Ramirez, Katie R. Richards, Patricia Richards, Lilia Rico, Richard Rippamonti, Emily Ritchie, Laura Robinson, Kelly Rogers, Seann Russell, Nabila Saleem, Albert Salinas, Isabelle Shaver, Alison Shepard, Kris Ann Short, Linda Sikes, James Simpson, Courtney Smith, Dianne Smith, Delores Smith, James Stephens, Summer Stevens, Mary Sticken, Dina Stoffregen, Cathy Strong, Nick Tavarez, Tonja Taylor, Ryan Thompson, Stanley Tongai, Jennie Tran, Kellie McNeir Ulrich, Nikkota Vod, Joe Wang, Howard Wellsman, Bob Werling, Donna West, Janice Wheatley, Jessica Whitby, James L. White, Donna Wilmeth, Bryan Wing, Linda Winski, Gretchen Withers, Mark Wolens, Peter Wu, Nick Young, Robert Yu, Rosalee A. Zentner.

The Documenting the History of the Civil Rights Movement in Dallas County, Texas Oral History Collection archives the influential individuals who were integral to the local civil rights movement. Each interview focuses on the interviewee’s family and educational history, organizational involvement, and career or personal milestones which affected the local Civil Rights movement.  Additionally, the interview transcriptions traces the interviewee’s educational background into career assignments; spotlights specific involvement or leadership of Civil Rights organizations; and underscores emphasis of milestones in the Civil rights movement – stressing the significance of people, places, events, elections, board or court decisions, local or federal laws, and the integration of said decisions or laws relevant to the Dallas and national Civil rights movement.

Individual descriptions and memories of the movement, as well as banter between interviewer and interviewee, highlight the Dallas area during this momentous time in socio-cultural history.

Transcriptions of the interviews are pending upload to the Portal to Texas History.

This collections contains the photography, writing and research of Diane Williams. Counties included as part of the Blackland Prairie are the Bell, Ellis, Milam, Navarro, Tarrant, Travis and Williamson areas.  Williams documented these places through her photography and research as a historian. The photographs and writing reveal stories of counties, people, and the uses of buildings at a time when agriculture, as well as a different way of life, was more prominent in these areas. The soil in the Blackland Prairie was and continues to be rich for farming, particularly from cotton crops, but as more jobs became available in the twentieth century, people from the areas moved further into the cities, abandoning this lifestyle.

The gelatin silver prints contained within this collection were exhibited at UNT on the Square from June 16^th-July 19^th, 2014 in Denton, Texas for the Blackland Prairie Project. The images were shown alongside the works of Ray Bankston and Don Shugart in the Horse Country Photography Exhibit. UNT on the Square is a gallery affiliated with the University of North Texas. Photographs of fifteen buildings of historical significance to the project are included along with two landscape images.

An essay with text along with text from the exhibit is included as part of the papers in this collection. A bibliography complete with a list of references is also included.

Excerpt from text by Diane Williams which accompanies these materials:

THE BLACKLAND PRAIRIE OF TEXAS

In western civilization, maps embody a sense of time and place and delineate the political demarcations that define our sense of geography. But geography defies political boundaries, as illustrated by migrations, settlement patterns, cultural heritage, armed conflicts, soil composition and climate. On the map of the United States, Texas occupies a south central position and covers a large area of land and water totaling 268,581 square miles. This land mass encompasses 254 counties and a diverse geography that includes densely vegetated woodlands, low-elevation prairies, high plains, rugged mountains, limestone outcrops, the famous Edwards Plateau, river valleys, semi-tropical areas and Chihuahuan desert. Hollywood films promote a largely one-note view of the Texas and its landscape by focusing on stereotypical, dry-land western settings, even when filming non-western stories. Many Texas writers present regional tales, recalling life ways of the eastern piney woods, the western high plains and the gulf coast regions. The Alamo often occupies center stage in historical discussions and, along with oil and cattle ranching, is one of the most identifiable aspects of Texas history. But there is a more diverse and layered history created by people from many cultures, a history not of nearly instant, momentous change created by events such as the Alamo or the discovery of oil, but of communities built over time by steady labor as illustrated by those of the Texas Blackland Prairie.

From the time of settlement by people of European ancestry in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and until the mid-twentieth century, agriculture was the mainstay of the Texas economy. In some areas of the state, agriculture took the form of ranching, in other areas, farming, and in some regions, landowners combined the two. By the late nineteenth century, cattle, cotton, corn, and feed grains were the most important agricultural products. But as the state industrialized following the discovery of oil in the early twentieth century, and as the impacts of the Great Depression, soil depletion and insect infestation made themselves felt, many families and individuals left rural lands for more predicable—and  often higher paying—work in cities and in the oil fields. However, farming and ranching remain important components of the Texas economy, and cotton, a star performer throughout much of the state—and especially in the Blackland Prairie—continues to be widely grown.

The Blackland Prairie is one of the richest agricultural regions in Texas, and its soils and climate support cotton, corn, milo maize, hay, truck crops and livestock, and an energetic mix of people from diverse backgrounds. But this area is not documented in any cohesive way, despite its rich cultural and agricultural history. The Blackland occupies three relatively narrow bands in the east central portion of the state that continue north into Oklahoma. Prior to cultivation and livestock grazing, the Blackland was a tall grass prairie where the western-most portions of the dense forests of the southeastern United States finally end. In the Blackland, trees are not the dominant landscape element. Instead, they are scattered about the prairie, prominent along rivers and creeks, and found around farmsteads, where they were planted as wind breaks and to provide shade.

The rich soils and relatively moderate climate of the Blackland attracted a diverse group of agriculturally oriented immigrants. Sparsely populated until the mid-to-late nineteenth century, the region experienced a settlement boom when statehood fostered better protection and road systems, and railroads brought thousands of new residents and provided fast, reliable transportation to market centers for crops, livestock and related products. Settlers of German, Czech, Moravian, Russian and Swedish ancestry, among others, joined Anglo-Celtic Americans, African-Americans, and Mexican-Americans on the Blackland. All sought new opportunity in the region’s rich, black clay.

Some immigrants settled in or near established towns. Others formed new communities on the prairie. In some cases, new towns reflected the heritage of the founding population in names such as New Sweden and Westphalia. In other places, newly arrived European settlers drew on their traditions to form social institutions. Congregations often named their churches in keeping with their heritage, included cultural iconography in building details, and offered services in their native languages. Ethnic-specific social and religious organizations offered support and recreational opportunities for immigrants, and those established by settlers from Bohemia and Moravia are especially prominent. Community halls were built in towns and on major roads convenient to the many scattered farm families. By the end of the nineteenth century, the influx of new settlers made Texas culturally rich and ethnically mixed, with English, Spanish, German, and Czech-Moravian the most widely spoken languages. The Blackland’s growing cultural diversity was reflected in the homes, business buildings, schools, churches and cemeteries, fraternal and social centers and in the farmsteads built by the region’s population. Many examples remain to enrich the landscape, providing a window into the life, values, traditions and experience of these communities and their residents. Other examples have fallen into disuse as the region has depopulated or, in some cases, experienced new growth.

During the 1920s, oil expanded the region’s economy and except for a dip during the Great Depression, the towns, communities and farms of the Blackland prospered from the early 1870s until the 1960s. After 1960, state-wide economic changes and full mechanization of farming in Texas accelerated migration to cities. For those who remain in the region, ranching is an important component of the Blackland economy, but cotton, milo maize and hay continue to be grown in quantity. Cotton keeps several Blackland gins busy at harvest time, and when the rains are favorable, the russet-gold seed heads of mature milo maize contrast dramatically with the black soil, tree-lined creeks and wide, blue skies.

Within the Blackland region a network of federal, state and county roads connect towns, communities and rural areas; rail lines provide freight and passenger service.  Buildings and landscapes that interpret a bit of the Blackland’s history are found in county seats, smaller towns and communities, as well as along the region’s rural roads. The Blackland includes all or portions of more than forty Texas counties, but buildings included in this project are located in just seven—Bell, Ellis, Milam, Navarro, Tarrant, Travis and Williamson—areas relatively close to the major cities of Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth. Nearly all the buildings and landscapes included in this body of work are east of Interstate 35 and west of Interstate 45. These two highways are located at natural boundaries between bio-regions west and east of the Blackland. Interstate 35 follows a rough boundary through Central Texas between the rich Blackland Prairie and the drier, rocky Hill Country to the west, while Interstate 45 slices through the western portion of the Post-Oak Prairie and Piney Woods regions of wetter East Texas, connecting Houston and Dallas. Blackland towns and communities represented in this project are Bartlett, Cameron, Holland, Mansfield, Maypearl, New Sweden, Rice, Taylor and Thorndale. Although many important buildings exist throughout the area, documentation was restricted by funding, time and access.

During the past twenty years, economic and population growth in Fort Worth, Dallas and Austin pushed city boundaries into rural areas of the Blackland prairie. This trend continues, and new housing, highways, highway-oriented businesses, and large, modern schools impose on traditional small town life and the visual experience of the prairie. Many important features of traditional nineteenth- and early-twentieth century rural life in the Blackland—farmhouses, barns, cotton gins, churches, stores, banks and schools—sit empty, and more than a few will disappear in the coming decades.

The survival of communities and their buildings is largely driven by social, cultural and economic conditions and as these evolve, some buildings become economically or socially obsolete. However, diminished need does not lessen cultural value. Although not all of the buildings documented in this project will survive another fifty to 100 years or more, this project records their existence and tells something of their birth and of the life of the people who used them.  While three project buildings have been lost since beginning the project, two buildings achieved landmark status. It is my hope that this project will inspire communities and individuals to expand historical research and preservation efforts for the conservation of their historic legacy.

METHODS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This project grew from my interest in the communities and farmsteads of the Blackland Prairie of Texas and from the understanding that many historic buildings in the region will disappear within the next twenty to thirty years due to deterioration or development pressure. Photography and historical research combine to create portraits of individual places that were, or remain, important within their communities. Many trips into the Blackland identified farmsteads, properties and landscapes of interest. Documented buildings were selected based on a high level of integrity of exterior design and materials, their ability to represent aspects of the primary life ways and economy of the region in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, and the absence, at the time of recording, of a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL) designation or an individual listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The project is not comprehensive, as funding and time were limited, but rather provides a sampling of the region’s history told through a variety of surviving buildings. Although the setting around some has changed, their historic appearance remains largely intact and those who lived, worked, or worshiped within would recognize them today. These buildings tell us something of the life and values of their users, and of the broader social culture of time and place. They are a venerable, and vulnerable, legacy.

Most of the photography occurred between 2000 and 2006; some buildings were recorded in different seasons. Landscape views also were made. Archival research with land records, census materials, county and community histories, newspapers, informal conversations, cemetery records and family histories provided background for the images. Simultaneously with writing and image printing were on-going photographic documentation and archival research. Each aspect of the project was rewarding, but most satisfying was bringing the pieces together to tell a small part of the important Blackland story.

I received financial support from the Texas State Historical Association, which honored the project with a grant in 2002 under the Cecilia Steinfeldt Fellowship for Research in the Arts and Material Culture. The project also benefitted from the thoughtful input of colleagues and friends. Heartfelt thanks to the Texas State Historical Association, and to Claire Maxwell, Billie Wied, Joy Graham, Mark and Cindy Sweet, Jerry and Denise Herring, and Giles Summerlin. For their encouragement, appreciation to Bruce Jensen and Anthony Maddaloni. Thanks to David Johndrow and Gabe Holton for printing some of the images, and to Karen Ellis and Betty Thompson at the Taylor Public Library, Theresa Stockton at the Tienart Public Library in Bartlett, Michelle Mears, former librarian at the Texas Historical Commission, and Bob Brinkman, Coordinator, Historical Markers Program at the Texas Historical Commission, among many others. Gratitude to the University of North Texas for sponsoring an exhibition of the images in 2014 at UNT on the Square and for accepting the photographs, negatives and text as a donation to the UNT Libraries research collections.

© 2013 Diane Elizabeth Williams; all rights reserved.

This collection documents the activities of Dr. J. Don Vann, a University of North Texas Professor Emeritus in English and noted Dickens enthusiast. Included within the collection are materials pertaining to Dr. Vann's professional activities as a researcher, writer, and editor specializing in Victorian periodical research including manuscripts, correspondence, and notes for numerous scholarly articles and the book publications Victorian periodicals: a guide to research; Victorian novels in serial; and Periodicals of Queen Victoria's Empire: an exploration. His academic career as a University of North Texas Professor Emeritus in English and involvement with the Friends of the North Texas State University Libraries are documented through correspondence, clippings, syllabi, travel vouchers, and programs.

Also included within the collection are materials related to Dr. Vann's lifelong passion for Charles Dickens. His involvement with the Dickens Fellowship-including his founding of the Denton chapter-is reflected through correspondence, newsletters, program calendars, clippings, brochures, membership cards, and other materials. Other Dickens related materials not associated with the Dickens Fellowship are also contained including correspondence, memorabilia, brochures, clippings, and flyers.

John Thomas Milam, known as "Big Ben Milam" by his friends at UNT, graduated in 1908.  He married in 1912, in Canton, Texas and became a school teacher that taught in many places in Texas including DeSoto, Mesquite, and Dallas County. John Thomas Milam, eventually left teaching and moved his family to the city of Dallas, where he found work in a Ford motorcar factory. However, the Crash of 1929 resulted in the Great Depression, John Thomas Milam started his own laundry business and later delivered food to work crews for a living.

The collection contains photograph prints of John Thomas Milam, his senior class, his family, printed material of a program for the Van Zandt County Teachers' Institute and "The Yucca" yearbook of 1909.

This collection of prints from Robert B. Toulouse was given to the University of North Texas College of Visual Arts and Design. Some prints are reproductions by commercial printing companies. Engravings based on the images of Hogarth are featured along with other images which appear to be from lithographs. Hogarth images include those from the Industry and Idleness series of works. A series of animal prints by B. Waterhouse Hawkins are also included along with this set of images.

Fine art prints in the form of engavings or etchings by printers such as Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) and Luigi Rossini (1790-1857) are also part of this collection. These prints are either original or they are prints which were hand pulled directly from the original plates using printer's ink. The recessed impression from the plate is visible on the paper.

Leon D. Sparkman, Jr., or L.D. Sparkman (1927-2012), as he was commonly called, was an art teacher who worked with the Fort Worth Independent School District. Prior to, or during his teaching position, Sparkman was also a dancer who performed in The Dreams of Jacob as part of the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in 1949. Photographs in a scrapbook from this period of time document Mr. Sparkman’s stay at the dance school as well as the other dance and/or theater shows he performed in. At the Jacob's Pillow School, Sparkman was in the company of several well-known dancers, including Ruth St. Denis, Hugh Laing, Ted Shawn, Swen Swenson, Karoun Tootikian, Tom Two Arrows (Thomas J. Dorsey), the choreographer Antony Tudor and Jocelyn Vollmar. He was also a member of the North Texas State College Modern Dance Group during the 1950s and he served in the Korean War with the Army Air Force.

Sparkman traveled to Arizona, California, Canada, Colorado, Germany, Mexico, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Philadelphia, San Antonio and Switzerland. Records of his travels, which comprise the bulk of the collection, are in slide format, including glass slides and some stereoscope images. Photographs, which reveal more about the Sparkman family history are also included with images of Sparkman's mother, Lela, his father, Leon Sparkman, Sr., his cousin, Maurine Monk, their friends, Juanita Sanders Owen and E.T. Sanders along with other relatives.

The Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS (2001-2013) was an event that took place in Dallas, Fort Worth and surrounding areas in September of every year in order to raise funds for AIDS awareness, services and research. The Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS was formed from the Tanqueray’s Texas AIDS Ride (1999-2000) through efforts from Larry Townsend, Janie Bush, Mike McKay and Don Maison. Funding for the Tanqueray's AIDS Ride became increasingly difficult due to the nature of the bike course (Dallas to Houston), along with other factors such as promotions for the event itself. The Lone Star Ride is composed of a series of programs and programming where cyclists ride across Dallas and Fort Worth to areas designated on the maps given to each rider. The Graham and Carolyn Holloway Family Foundation sponsored the event while Janie Bush was the event manager (2001-2006) for the riders. David Minehart (2007-2010) and Jerry Calumn (2011-2012) proceeded Bush as event managers. Bush, Minehart and Calumn have documented the ride over this time with video, papers and photographs which are contained in this collection. Organizations benefitting from this event included the Resource Center (formerly the Resource Center Dallas and the AIDS Resource Center), AIDS Services of Dallas and the AIDS Outreach Center of Tarrant County. The event was discontinued in 2013.

Materials in this collection date back to 2001 and into 2011. Photographs with written information illustrate the story behind the ride, planning, as well as the people involved.

The Stonewall Democrats of Dallas is an LGBT Democratic political organization that arose from large donations to Republican candidates from the Log Cabin Republicans. The Stonewall Democrats of Dallas was created by Christy Kinsler, Gary Fitzsimmons, Michael Milliken, Al Daniels, Billy Fry, and Sunny Erwin in 1996. Since the club’s inception, its members have worked hard to organize and fund campaigns for LGBT-friendly Democrats in Dallas County and nationally. They conduct fund raisers, are active in lobbying, and have become the third largest chapter of the Stonewall Democrats in the nation.

This collections contains the organization’s documents from the years 1996-2008. During this time, Al Daniels served as an integral member of the club along with Michael Milliken, where they both served on the cabinet for four years as Treasurer and President, respectively.

The collection contains materials owned by E.A Parker, donated by Clella Parker Jackson and her sister. E.A Parker was from Ivanhoe, Texas. He read and wrote poetry. In 1892 he earned a trustees commission certificate to be a school trustee of a school in district 98 in Fannin County for one year.

The collection contains materials such as letters, account books, poems, and newspaper clippings.

Paul Rogers Harris (1933-2019), was a Dallas native who studied at North Texas State College (University of North Texas), earning a bachelors and a masters degree during the early 1950s, with a minor in education. Harris taught elementary level and high school art classes from 1954-1960. He pursued graduate work at New York University in 1965 where he also lectured at the Museum of Modern art from 1966-1968. Eventually, he worked with Claus Oldenberg for his solo exhibition at the museum in 1969. Harris then led exhibition programs as curator and later, independent curator in addition to his work in education.

Throughout his curatorial career, Harris has brought attention to the work of many artists in the Dallas Fort Worth metro area as well as the state of Texas. Some of the exhibitions Harris curated are The Texas Printmakers (1940-1965) at the Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University and  Breaking into the Mainstream: Texas African-American Artists at the Irving Arts Center in 1996. A catalog of the Irving Arts Center exhibit is included along with clippings, papers and photographs which document media coverage and planning for the exhibit. This collection of materials focuses primarily on African-American artists and their impact on the art world since 1966.

This collection consists primarily of bound court reports concerning the desegregation of public schools in the Dallas Independent School District  as set forth in Tasby v. Estes (N.D. Tex. 1976). In addition to the court documents, there are materials from NAACP public meetings aimed to increase parental involvement in improving Dallas public schools. This includes six VHS recordings of the meetings.

The materials span a twenty-seven year period from 1976-2003, with the bulk of the materials falling during the implementation of the bussing program, 1994-2003.

This collection contains the slide photography of Mildred Schaeffer Zichner (1910-2008) as a record of travels with her husband, Walter Zichner (1907-1991), family and friends across the globe. The Zichners traveled to Canada, South Africa, South America, Egypt, Iran, Russia, China, Turkey, Greece, Italy, England, Ireland and many destinations within the United States during a 30-40 year period. Some of their travels were aboard a sailing vessel named "Polaris," which is referred to in a series of boxes. An estimated 40,000 images are part of this unique collection of travel imagery.

The slides are all 35mm color images, which are organized alphabetically, then by date, as well as numerically, by Roman numeral. Each slide box contains an estimated 200 color images. Materials are arranged by travel series, which will include anywhere from 1-7 boxes. When the name of a place is not used, the name of the vacation or method of travel is stated instead. In each set, thousands of images are numbered and identified by subject.

The Bell Helicopter Records document seventy-one years of aviation history, including aircraft development and testing, military contracts, civil aviation, corporate life, and the growth of the Hurst-Euless-Bedford area of Dallas-Fort Worth. The majority of the collection is composed on audio-visual recordings and photographic negatives. The collection also contains office records such as memoranda, press releases, ad scripts, reports, and presentation text, many of these created by former executives of Bell Helicopter. The collection also contains a reference library of aircraft specifications, maintenance and user manuals, and promotional material that had been built and maintained by Bell Helicopter over several decades for the use of its employees.

The bulk of the helicopter information in these records concerns Bell’s military aircraft, though there is also significant coverage of its civilian craft, particularly the Model 47 (the first commercial helicopter certified by the FAA), the Bell 222 twin-engine light helicopter, the 206 family (including TwinRanger, LongRanger, and JetRanger variants), the 214 and 214ST medium lift helicopters, and the four-blade Bell 407 frequently used by law enforcement and news organizations.

A particular area of focus for this collection is the UH-1, or Huey, helicopter. A staple of the Vietnam War, over 7,000 Hueys were built at the Hurst, TX facility for use in Vietnam from 1962 to 1975. The collection documents the development and rollout of the experimental YH-40 model, the UH-1D and UH-1H troop transport models, the UH-1C attack helicopter, the UH-1E Marine Corps variant, and the twin-engine UH-1N, as well as other models in the Huey family.

Other military helicopters documented in this collection include the H-13 Sioux light observation helicopter (used during the Korean War), the Bell 207 Sioux Scout, the AH-1 Cobra and SuperCobra attack helicopters, and the OH58 Kiowa and OH-58D Kiowa Warrior observation helicopters.

Much of the collection covers Bell Helicopter’s role in the development of tiltrotor aircraft. This coverage includes early test flights of the XV-3 in the 1950s, the development and testing of the XV-15 in the 1970s and 1980s, and the rollout of the V-22 Osprey in 1989. The V-22 is extensively documented in photographs, promotional material, and press releases about the development of the aircraft.

This collection contains early court cases, photographs, negatives, correspondence and clippings related to the Dallas Gay Alliance. Cases defended by Donald Maison include incidents where gay men were being targeted by the Dallas Police Department for lewd behavior at clubs. Later, the Dallas Gay Alliance vs. the City of Dallas (Parkland Hospital) case, also presented by Maison, was fought, where allegations were brought to the court's attention that AIDS patients were not being provided adequate care by Parkland Hospital. Participants in the case included members of the Dallas Gay Alliance and Ron Woodroof.

In the case of Schwiderski v. The State of Texas, Richard Schwiderski was arrested for public lewdness on October 24^th, 1979 in the Village Station bar in Dallas by undercover members of the Dallas Police Department Vice Squad for allegedly having illicit contact with another man while dancing. For the next five years, Schwiderski, along with attorney Donald J. Maison, fought a lengthy appeals process for Schwiderski’s conviction. Though there were five other men arrested that night besides Schwiderski, his case received the most media attention because of his decision to appeal and fight the conviction. Throughout the collection we see testimony from Donald J. Maison, the arresting officers of the Dallas Police Department Vice Squad, character witnesses for Richard Schwiderski, as well as colored photographs of Village Station, police records and arrest reports for Schwiderski and the five other men arrested at the same time.

This collection contains the photography and personal papers of Jimmye Elizabeth Kimmey. A significant portion of the photographs were part of an exhibit in the University of North Texas Union Gallery, which ran from October 5th-23rd, 2009. The black and white photographs are images of museums and architecture from around the country, as well as several shots of the University of North Texas campus buildings. Color photography is also included from the 2007 and 2008 period, while some photographs were originally shot during the 1969-1972 and 1977 periods but were included here as reprints.

Additional photographs from beyond the exhibit are also included, similarly of landscapes and architecture in New York City, Texas, and beyond, as well as negatives and photo scrapbooks. Some include her shooting notes of how she technically achieved her shots. All photos are in black and white unless otherwise noted. Within Kimmey's papers are personal notes, religious documents and research related to her position as an Episcopal priest, correspondence, notebooks, and doucments related to some of her family, like her father, John.

The World Dance Alliance Americas is an organization focused on the conservation of the world’s dance heritage and the encouragement of the art of dance. Founded in 1990 during an international dance conference in Hong Kong, the WDA serves as a principal spokesperson for the study and appreciation of dance. The primary goals include: opening its membership to all dance organizations of any discipline; establishing a base for dance organizations to exchange information, expertise and resources through the publication of directories and newsletters; increasing awareness of dance as art by identifying and promoting international dance traditions; preserving identified dance traditions in notation and media; coordinating global assemblies and meetings to discuss relevant topics in contemporary dance as well as enjoy performances from various disciplines or traditions; facilitating communication between dancers of any discipline or tradition to revitalize education in dance communities; and building a balanced, positive environment in which dance affects the globe socio-culturally.

The collection is comprised of organizational records – board meetings, minutes, membership records, and correspondence; subject files; publications – organizational newsletters and publications collected during board meetings and global assemblies; as well as photographs and media.

The NBC 5/KXAS Photograph Collection contains negatives and slides accumulated by NBC 5/KXAS, formerly WBAP, between the years 1948 – 1976. The collection contains negatives from backstage, on set, head shots, advertisements, as well as many images of the equipment and machinery used for production. The negatives also include many images of noteworthy individuals including: Bobby Peters, Bobbie Wygant, Dean Raymond, Ann B. Davis, Bob Hope, David McCallum, Harold Taft, Wolfman Jack, Jerry Lewis, Price Daniels, Johnny Hay, Margaret McDonald and Sonny Barger.

The slides in this collection are of varied points of interest in the state of Texas, which range from: churches, city signs, colleges, courthouses, dams, stadiums, train depots, and universities. The slides also include images of the Dallas Council, the T. Cullen Davis Murder Trial, as well as general pictures of the outdoors and different vehicles.

Audio recordings of the Turtle Creek Chorale, an American men's chorus based in Dallas, Texas.

Full catalog records for the 38 items in this collection can be found in the University of North Texas Libraries online catalog, www.library.unt.edu.

The Black Tie Dinner Collection showcases the socio-cultural impact the Black Tie Dinner, Inc. has had and continues to have on the DFW and national GLBT communities. It is a compilation of event invitations, Black Tie Dinner publications, Black Tie Dinner Journals, and media.

'Inside Black Tie: The 2005 Black Tie Dinner,' {The Black Tie Dinner Collection}, University of North Texas Special Collections

A collection that records the student lives of Wayne Harbert and his younger sister Vada Harbert. The bulk of the collection documents Wayne Harbert's senior year at the North Texas State Teachers College Demonstration School in 1944. Vada Harber's senior year is documented in the student newspaper, "The Q.M".

Wayne Allan Harbert, a native of Denton, Texas was born January 27, 1928. He lived in Rancho Cordova, California for the last fifty years of his life and died in 2009. His sister Vada Marie Harbert Pickle was born November 13, 1930 and died on August 8, 1977.

The collection contains materials such as photographs, a program of the Demonstration School Senior Banquet of May 12, 1944, a High School Textbook Card for Wayne Harbert for grade 11, a diploma  from the North Texas State Teachers College for the Demonstration High School, a 1944 NTSTC High School Ring, and two issues of "The Q.M., Semi Monthly Publication of the Student of the Teachers College High School at Denton Texas".

This is a collection of prints collected by bookseller Emerich P. Korecz and donated to the University of North Texas by Jeane Dixon. A number of printmaking processes are reprsented in this collection, primarly etching, engraving, and lithography.

Most of the prints have been indivdually described in this finding aid by students of AEAH 4844/5844: History of Prints, Spring 2015 under the direction fo Dr. Kelly Donahue-Wallace at the University of North Texas. Descriptive elements identified by the students include the title and date of the print, dimensions of the sheet and the image (in centimeters); the designer, printmaker, and printer and/or publisher of each print (including nationality, dates of activity, and location); the prinkmaking process used; any signature and/or inscription present in the image; and a brief statement about its condition. Not all elements will be present for each print.

AEAH 4844/5844, Spring 2015 students: Jessie Kathleen Barnes, Annavittoria Conner, Kevin Contreras, Lisa Ariana Cruz, Deanna Lanae Dodd, Ari B Edwards, Eileen Rae Fritz, Janice Leigh Garcia, Jessica Haley Gengenbach, Connor Dallas Gillaspia, Fransuel Guerrero, Natalya Christeen Hutchinson, Christopher William Johnson, Andrew K Johnston, Xiao Lu Liu, Ryan L Melott, Alana Lynn Miller, Colton Brady Robertson, Kayla Seedig, Brandon Lynn Sparks, Hannah M Taylor, Melody Miranda Vaughan, David Joshua Villegas, and Kelcey Christine Williams

Scrapbook photo albums of "The Experience," a project founded by John Briggs, which is associated with the training of gays and lesbians are included as well as scrapbooks which document the life of Briggs and his friends in Dallas. Records of travel, as well as time spent with friends and family members are documented in these scrapbooks. A total of 11 scrapbook photo albums are grouped according to date and subject.

The scrapbooks contains mostly color photography as well as some black and white photos along with notes, postcards and other items. The earliest scrapbook dates back to 1945, although some images in the collection were most likely taken prior to this date.

The Texas Brigade, Society of the Descendants of Washington's Army at Valley Forge Papers is a collection which highlights the society’s main purpose: to preserve the identities of the soldiers who fought at Valley Forge, PA. In 1976, the organization submitted an application with the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration; marking the Society as an authorized Bicentennial Project. Descendants, both men and women, of the soldiers who fought at Valley Forge were welcome to apply for membership to the society. Members gathered officially, on October 23, 1976, for their first meeting in General Washington’s headquarters.

Soon after the first meeting, the Society’s members gathered to compile objectives for the organization. The objectives, including the aforementioned main purpose, includes: to mirror the loyal spirit of General Washington’s army - soldiers who encountered great adversity while ensuring the success of the American Revolution; to advocate the ideals of general Washington’s loyal soldiers; to resist ideology contradictory to the character of these men; to create a roll of all soldiers at the Historic encampment to honor the fallen soldiers; and to research and publish the incidents which took place at the Historic encampment.

Following the mission statement set forth by the national society, the Texas Brigade was chartered in May of 1990. At the brigade’s first meeting in July on 1990, charter members were recognized, officers were selected, and a meeting schedule was solidified. Texas descendants of those who fell at Valley Forge continue to honor their ancestors by upholding the values of General Washington’s loyal army and of the Society.

Contents of materials in the collection include papers documenting the history of the national society and the Texas Brigade; organizational bylaws; meetings and minutes of the Texas Brigade; scholarship information about awards available to members and students; as well as photographs from the meeting and minutes sleeves.

The Lorene Jackson Western Art and Illustration Collection showcases Lorene Jackson’s admiration for the West in art and literature. It is a manuscript collection of correspondence between Jackson and Southern Methodist University's De Golyer Library regarding the Library of Texas, publications which include articles and clippings, subject files which include research on Texas Ranger Leander McNelly and illustrator J.M. Wong, posters of movie stills from Sand and Smoky, prints with reproductions of Will James' artwork including greeting cards, stationery, and oversize prints.

The collection's focus is on Will James who was an author and artist of the American West and the legend of the Cowboy. James wrote and illustrated many novels and short stories during his career including Smoky the Cowhorse, Sand, Lone Cowboy, and The Three Mustangs. Five feature films were made from works created by James: Dymka, Shoot Out, Smoky, Sand, and Lone Cowboy. The collection highlights the prolific career of Will James with its inclusion of articles about the American West in the papers series as well as the many illustrations showcased in the prints series.

The manuscript materials are part of a larger collection of Western books donated by Lorene Jackson’s son, Marc Jackson. Both the book and manuscript collections celebrate the iconic American West and how it has inspired many authors, illustrators, and photographers to capture and document its allegorical nature. Throughout many of the works included in the collection, the American West is itself a character in its own right, as well as the idea of freedom. In this landscape, which exemplifies the dualism of creation and ruin, the legend of the Cowboy, as well as the legend of animals such as Smoky the Cowhorse, is built upon a delicate relationship with the West; shaping characters to echo the transformations seen in the land.

Several of Will James titles are included in Jackson’s Texana collection: The dark horse (1939); The drifting cowboy (1925); Horses I’ve Known (1940); Lone Cowboy; my life story (1930); Sand (1929); Scorpion, a good bad horse (1936); Smoky, the Cowhorse (1929, 1957); Sun up: tales of the cow camps (1931); and The three mustangers (1933).

These are titles written about Will James: Ride for the high points: the real story of Will James (1987); Will James, The Gilt Edged Cowboy (1930); Will James: the life and works of a lone cowboy (1987); and Will James: the spirit of the cowboy (1985).

Jackson was a member of the Will James Society – a society founded in 1992 dedicated to preserving the memory of Will James – and also collected the society’s periodical, Cowboys north and south. Issues from Fall 1993 to Spring 2010 are included in Jackson’s Texana Collection.

Other titles pertinent to the manuscript collection contents include: The Alamo story: from early history to current conflicts (2000); Leander McNelly: Texas Ranger: he just kept on keepin’ on (1998); The log of a cowboy: a narrative of the old trail days (1964, 1996); Old ranches of the Texas Plains: an exhibit of paintings (2001); Powder River; let ‘er buck (1938); Songs of the cowboys (1921); Taming the Nueces Strip; the story of McNelly’s rangers (1962); The West: a treasury of art and literature (1994); The west that was; from Texas to Montana (1958); Western Words: a dictionary of the American West (1968). Titles from the De Golyer Library and William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies: The Diary of William Fairfax Gray: from Virginia to Texas, 1835-1837 (1997); Narrative of the Texan Santa Fe expedition comprising a description of a tour through Texas and across the great Southwestern prairies, the Camanche and Caygua hunting grounds, with an account of the sufferings from the want of food, losses from hostile Indians, and final capture of the Texans and their march, as prisoners, to the city of Mexico (2004); and North America, particularly Texas, in the year 1849: a travel account: a book for emigrants, especially for persons enthusiastic about emigration (1999).

The collection contains a variety of materials related to Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico donated by Anita Nanez Martinez. Anita Nanez Martinez was born in Dallas, Texas on December 8,1925. She is a fifth generation Texan Mexican-American, born to Jose and Anita Nanez. She lived in Dallas Mexican community, known as "Little Mexico".

She was approached to run for Dallas City Council. Anita Nanez Martinez accepted and became the first female Mexican-American member of the City Council of Dallas, Texas. Elected in 1969, Anita served the city council for four years. The West Dallas area had been a neglected area of the city, one change Anita wanted to change was a lack of a recreation center.

In 1975, a recreation center was built in West side of Dallas. This center was the birthplace of the Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico (ANMBF). In 1990, ANMBF produced its first season of professional dances employing dancers trained in Mexico. The recreation Center and the Ballet Folklorico are still around today. ANMBF is considered the largest professional Ballet Folklorico Company in the United States.

The collection includes posters, tickets, programs for exhibit, an archival interview of Anita N. Martinez on DVD, a mug, and a Latino calendar.

This collection covers events and activism leading up to Denton's November 2014 vote to ban hydraulic fracturing, otherwise known as "fracking." UNT Special Collections collected the materials to document the significant political debate and subsequent vote that resulted in Denton becoming the first Texas city to ban fracking.

Series 1 offers physical examples of posters, bulletins, and newsletters from created by groups on both sides of the issue. Series 2 is composed of born digital audio files of oral histories conducted by students in Dr. Priscilla S. Ybarra's English 4650 class in Fall 2015. Transcripts of these oral histories, in a born digital text format, were created by UNT Special Collections staff. Series 3 provides links to news articles and opinions written in regard to the ban that were captured in a web crawl by UNT Libraries in Fall 2015. Series 2 and 3 link to digital resources available in the UNT Digital Library.

This collection includes the personal and professional correspondence of artist Carl Benton Compton. Additionally, Compton's personal journal entries, articles both authored by Compton and about him, and scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings on other art types and artists that influenced Carl Compton's work are included.

Radio segment scripts by Compton and his notes while traveling through Europe in the late 1920s provide insight to the prominent art theories and intricacies of both Compton and artists such as Robert Henri, Salvador Dali, Van Gogh, Cezanne, and Renoir, among others.

This collection includes four WAFB media reels that contain fifteen commercials of David Duke’s 1991 gubernatorial campaign in Louisiana. Within the clips, David Duke lays out his basic running platform, describes his disagreements with the state of welfare in Louisiana, and his disapproval of opposing candidates Buddy Roemer and Edwin Edwards. Each clip runs approximately 45 seconds each, with 30 seconds of David Duke speaking.

Researchers may locate and watch the content of this collection digitally on The Portal to Texas History.

This collection consists of business correspondence regarding J. Overton Parr and his partners. Their firm was dissolved in 1898; the collection contains the following documents: Suit-claim deed (1898), Notice of Dissolution (of partnership, May 1, 1898), Bill of Sale (1898), and a Shipping Book.

The collection also contains a letter regarding a revenue fine. D.A. Murchison of the county of Lampasas was paid $150 by J.E. Smith of the county of Fayette, State of TX. The fine for revenue dates back to April 22 1881,and was settled on Oct. 21, 1887 in Montague County.

Record of deed in Book A on Page 2. - W.A. Williams Clerk of County. The letter contains an official Texas seal. The letter contains an official State of Texas witness form; signed by D.C. Thomas, county clerk of the city of Lampasas, dated: Jan. 13, 1879. The collection also contains checks from the C.W. Hammond City Bank, notebooks on expenses and personal letters from J.O. Parr.

Collection contains the photography of John Rogers and Georgette de Bruchard. Black and white, as well as color photo prints of varying sizes are included along with color negatives, color positives, black and white negatives and black and white positives. Images consist primarily of people, architecture (office buildings, interiors, exteriors, houses) and advertising. Photographs of political events, businessmen, and family members are included. The materials range from 1920-1992, with most of it coming from the 1945-1991 timeline. The materials focus primarily on the Dallas and Fort Worth region, particularly on Dallas development and work with stores such as Neiman-Marcus. Rogers' work also includes photography for such publications as Architectural Digest, Better Homes and Garden and Southern Living. Work with companies such as AT&T, DP&L (Dallas Power and Light), Jarvis-Putty-Jarvis (buildings and architectural models), Southland Life, Southwest Airmotive, Southwestern Bell, Texas Utilities and many others form a large portion of this collection. John Rogers' photography from years spent at the Art Center School in Los Angeles and time spent in World War II is also included. Noteworthy architecture includes the Rio Grande Hotel, the Southland Life Building, One Main Place, the Kirby Building, Richardson Public Library, Fountain Place, KPMG Centre, Thanksgiving Square, Statler Hilton, Bank of America Plaza, One Dallas Centre and numerous others.

Georgette de Bruchard photographs include images from France (her home country), the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at SMU, the Dallas Theater Center, Dallas Zoo, Six Flags and people such as Pat Boone, Maria Callas, Bobby Darin, Alice Faye, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Paul Kletzki, Ann-Margret, Jack Nance, Richard Nixon and Charlie Pride.

This collection includes brochures, photographs, news articles, correspondence, and handmade miniature book examples (known here as keepsakes). The materials housed in this collection span decades and borders; from California to Virginia, Canada, and even Glasgow, Scotland.

Many of the materials in series 1 depict the schedules and events for each Grand Conclave and illuminate what it was like to attend the conferences. The keepsakes and artifacts associated with the conclaves are excellent examples of ingenuity and creativity in the book-making field. From books made of buttons with accordian-style pages to minuscule scrolls that require a magnifying glass to read, this collection offers a wide variety of miniature book samples and appreciations.

Contains the papers, photographs, newsletters, articles and clippings of Louise Young and Vivienne Armstrong. The range of materials reflect time in the Dallas Gay Political Caucus, the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance, as well as the Lesbian/Gay Political Coalition of Dallas. Campaign brochures, questionnaire information or interviews with candidates during the elections are included. The collection also contains articles from various publications during the 1980s and early 1990s concerning LGBT issues.

Photographs of Don Baker, Dick Peeples, and Steve Wilkins as early members of the Dallas Gay Political Caucus are included, as well as photographs of Phil Johnson and Chance West. Photographs of Louise Young and Vivienne Armstrong with former Texas Governor Ann Richards are among the images from 1993, along with rare photographs from the 1977 Anita Bryant protest in Houston.

The collection contains materials of L.P. Floyd, donated by his daughter, Hazel Floyd. L.P Floyd was an Associate Professor at North Texas State Normal College.He taught in the departments of mathematics, training school, and chemistry. Mr. L.P Floyd along with another professional published a scholar text for Chemistry. Mr. L.P Floyd retired in the summer 1951. He received his degree from University of Chicago.

The collection contains various teacher's registers of L.P. Floyd from 1914-1951 along with class roll books, and programs for musical events at North Texas State Normal College.

This collection documents the Church Synagogue Library Association (CSLA) from its founding in 1967 to the dissolution of the national organization in 2017. The collection includes minutes from the executive board, committees' meetings, chapter reports, financial materials and correspondence from board members, handbooks, manuals, clippings, reports, publications and born digital materials. The collection also includes records the documentation of the annual CSLA conferences, starting with first conference held in Philadelphia in 1968, to the final, 50th conference, held in Rochester, New York in 2017. The collection includes photo documentation of members at various events such as programs, workshops and conferences organized by CSLA. Also held in the collection is photo documentation sent in as part of applications submitted by members for consideration as recipient of one the awards given out by CSLA, such as the Pat Tabler Memorial Scholarship Award, The Helen Keating Ott Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children's Literature, and the awards for Outstanding Congregational Library, Outstanding Congregational Librarian, and Outstanding Contribution to Congregational Libraries.

Publications in the collection include many of the aids for church and synagogue librarians published by CSLA, including guides, brochures and bibliographies. Examples include: Guide No. 3: Workshop Planning, Basic Book List; and Know Your Neighbor's Faith. The collection also has the CSLA's newsletter, Church and Synagogue Libraries (1967-2006), later named Congregational Libraries Today (2006-2017, lacking 2016) in both paper and microfilm (1986-2000). The issues from 2010-2017 are available digitally. There are also issues of newletters from established chapters, such as the Center Ohio Chapter News.

The collection includes papers of founding member Joyce L. White that document her work in CSLA. The papers include pamphlets, brochures, correspondence, conference materials and activities in which White was involved.

The MPH Papers contain papers, letters, photographs, extensive notes, and official documents depicting the life of MPH. The collection is organized first by series of which there are 5: Photos, Biographical, Educational, Historical, and Landscape.

For the most part, items within each series are organized second by type (Correspondence, official document, news clippings), and lastly, chronologically.  The Photographic series is organized into 4 boxes: Personal, Historical and Genealogical, and Sides and Postcards, and Postcards (and Conferences). Each of these boxes is organized chronologically.

The second series, Educational, contains materials from schooling and study as both student and teacher for MPH, MPH's mother Ianna Hays, and her sister Estelle. The Education series is organized into 3 boxes: Conferences (and Postcards continued), Educational Materials and Notes, and Formal Educational Publications (and Genealogy).

Third, the series Biographical is divided into 9 boxes: Educational publications (and genealogy as continued), Family Correspondence and BIographical, Personal Correspondence, Personal Publications, Travel Publications (Box 1-4[genealogy]), and Personal News Clippings. Within each of these boxes, the material is organized chronologically.

The fourth series is historical, divided into 4 boxes of Historical Publications, Internal Notes, Official Correspondence, and News Clippings (and internal notes continued). Within each of these boxes, the material is for the most part organized chronologically.

Lastly, the fifth series is Landscape, arranged into one box, Misc. due to the size and shape of these documents. Documents here are arranged as close to their original order as possible in accordance to this finding aid.

The original intention of the collection was maintained as closely as possible, and unusual groupings of items within folders are annotated on each folder respectively.

The collection includes pieces from her mother, Ianna (Jones) Hays through her death, ranging from 1850 to 2008. Items that were collected by MPH but originally belonged to her mother or sister Estelle (Wallace) Hays are annotated as such.

This collection contains the photography of James Standifer, the director of recreation at the Cactus Ordance Works in Cactus, Texas from 1947-1952. The collection consists primarily of medium format negatives housed in brown paper envelopes. Additional materials include medium format photo prints, 35mm negatives, 5x7 photo prints, and 8x10 photo prints.

Most of the collection stems from Standifer’s time as the recreation director for the Cactus Ordnance Works in Cactus, Texas. Through his hobby as an amateur photographer, Standifer documented the plant’s grounds, personnel, and sports teams as well as people, groups, and events in Cactus and nearby Dumas, Texas. Although Standifer worked at the Cactus plant from 1947 to 1952, the photographs of Cactus in this collection date from 1947 to 1949.

The collection also includes photographs and negatives of James Standifer and his family in Beaumont, Lillian Lela Hill Standifer's family in Hallettsville and Marble Falls, and Standifer's time at Lamar University and Texas A&M University.

Materials related to Frederick H. Minor and his wife, Katherine Louise Minor.  Materials related to Frederick H. Minor include: correspondence, photographs, law school material, memorabilia, Denton Kiwanis Club, Denton County Democratic Executive Committee material, Denton City Commissioner material, political papers, Texas Liquor Control Board material, speeches and resource material, law firm material, publications.

Materials related to Katherine Louise Minor include programs and playbills, travel related materials, bulletins and records of the Denton Ariel Club and the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs, personal correspondence and clippings.

Also includes materials related to the family of Katherine Louise (Johnson) Minor, including financial material and clippings about her father, J. H. Johnson.

This collection documents the activities of Alvin M. Owsley; his wife, Lucy Ball Owsley; and their children, Alvin Jr., Constance, and David. The extensive collection includes photographs, correspondence, clippings, memorabilia, scrapbooks, transcripts, financial records, artifacts, posters, printed material, 16mm film reels and VHS tapes, and an audio cassette. These materials document all aspects of Owsley’s professional activities including his experiences as a soldier in World War I; his election as National Commander of the American Legion in 1922 and subsequent lifelong association with the American Legion; his ambassadorships to Romania, the Irish Free State, and Denmark during the 1930s; his involvement in political campaigns, speechmaking, and radio and television programs; and his practice as a Dallas attorney. Photographs, correspondence, records, and scrapbooks also document Alvin M. Owsley’s early years as a student at the Virginia Military Institute and as a boy growing up in Denton, Texas.

The collection also contains extensive materials documenting the activities of Lucy Ball Owsley including diaries, correspondence, photographs, scrapbooks, records, film reels, club memberships, and other materials. Lucy Ball Owsley’s father, Frank C. Ball, and his company, the Ball Corporation, are also represented within the collection through photographs, correspondence, clippings, records, publications, and other printed material.

The personal lives of Alvin M. and Lucy Ball Owsley are represented through photographs, scrapbooks, correspondence, and home movies documenting their family life and travels. Genealogical records, publications, and correspondence for both the Owsley and Ball families are also included.

This collection consists of materials documenting the legal, political, judicial, and activist career of Sarah Tilghman Hughes (1896-1985) (see Collection Historical Note below for further biographical information).

The contents of the materials in the collection represent significant topics and events in Judge Hughes's career and lifetime, including her three terms (1931-1935) in the Texas House of Representatives (one of the first women elected to the state legislature following the passage of the 19th Amendment); her appointment in 1935 to the 14th District Court of Texas in Dallas (as the first female state district judge in Texas); her membership in and term (1950-1952) as President of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs; her appointment in 1961 to the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Texas (as the first female federal district judge in Texas); the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and subsequent swearing-in of Lyndon B. Johnson as President (conducted by Judge Hughes); and Judge Hughes's involvement in various other issues including human rights, treatment of prisoners, women's rights, and female equality.

It should be noted that the bulk of the collection consists of files - including correspondence, minutes, notes, reports, publications, and other printed materials - documenting Judge Hughes's involvement in various organizations including the International, National, and Texas federations of the Business and Professional Women's Clubs, the Dallas Bar Association, the Dallas United Nations Association, the United Nations, and the World Peace Through Law Center.

The materials in the collection are largely textual, including correspondence, memoranda,  typescripts, publications, speeches, court case papers, legal documents, notes, reports, travel itineraries, appointment books, meeting minutes and agendas, clippings, and related printed materials. Ephemera such as pamphlets, brochures, flyers, and certificates are also included. The collection contains several boxes of assorted photographs and portraits of Judge Hughes and other political figures, as well as photograph albums.

This collection consists of documents and news clippings collected by individuals involved with the creation of the Denton Day Laborers Site (commonly refereed to as El Sitio.). Documents including correspondence and incorporation documents for the Denton Humanitarian Association, have been collected and scanned into a 114-page PDF file which is attached. The collection also includes photographs of the 2006 protest demonstration at the site taken by Dr. Roberto Calderon, as well as photos of the presentation of the documents to the archive in 2009.

In 1996 the Denton Day Labor site at 221 West Collins Street, Denton, Texas, was approved by the Denton City Council in agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation. Under this agreement all costs for the construction, operation and maintenance were assumed by the Denton Humanitarian Association.

Photographs and publications document the activities and exhibits of the Rare Book Room from 1976 to the early 1990s.

The Rare Book Room was founded in 1981. Its initial collection consisted of books and other rare or unique items that were already in the collection of the UNT Libraries. The holdings of the Rare Book and Texana Collection grew to include 4,000 year old tablets as wellas  artist's books produced in the last year.  The collection includes maps, scrolls, original artworks, artifacts, games, printing equipment, photographs, postcards, currency, and palm-leaf books.  Rare Book Collections concentrates on works in 18th century, travel and exploration, fashion and costume history, literature, women's studies, Texana, and county histories.

In 2007, the University Archives and the Rare Books Department were combined into one administrative unit that is now known as Special Collections. In 2012,  the departments were merged into one space when the 4th floor of Willis Library was renovated. They now share the the public service point of the Judge Sarah T. Huges Reading Room.

The heads of the Rare Book Room were: Dr. Kenneth Lavender and Mary Durio.  Today  Morgan Gieringer is head of the Special Collections.

This collection covers reviews by Sustainable Communities, newsletters, brochures, bulletins, manuals for specific health care related programs, photographs and negatives documenting the Center for Public Service projects, records of the Denton Housing Authority, and a wide range of magnetic media that corresponds to projects in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Though this collection was created for records retention for a University of North Texas department, its true significance is illuminated by its extensive documentation of altruistic programs created and supported by the Center for Public Service. The entire subject matter of this collection focuses on how to support and improve communities through increased health knowledge and charitable activities.