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Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park's collection consists of the items located in the Research Library and a one of the dolls used in the Kenneth and Mamie Clark doll experiments which were crucial evidence for the case. Other physical items are limited mainly to documents which are of public record or held in private collections.
Additional External Resources
One of our Volunteers, Lynn Ward, has compiled an expansive list of research materials below that are available through several different sources to aid anyone researching the backstory, context and history of the Brown v. Board decision:
Primary resources at the Kenneth Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas Available online: Exhibit: Education: The Mightiest Weapon, by Deborah Dandridge Archival resources/Finding aids: RH MS 876 Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research Records Dates 1970-2017 The records in this collection are those of the Topeka, Kansas-based Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence, and Research, established in 1988 as a tribute to the 1954 Brown v. Topeka Board of Education case and its plaintiffs and participants. These records include general information on the foundation and related subjects and events. RH MS 746 Paul Wilson papers Dates 1962-1995 Paul Wilson was a Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Kansas, who, prior to his University service, participated in the Brown v. Board of Education case on behalf of the State of Kansas. This collection contains research and notes on Wilson's book, A Time to Lose: Representing Kansas in Brown v. Board of Education. UA RG 67/754 Paul Wilson’s oral interview with the Endacott Society (retired KU faculty, staff, and spouses) UA RG 44/1 (cassette tape 0329) Paul Wilson’s oral interview about Brown v. Board of Education RH MS 1145 Charles S. Scott papers Dates 1918-1989 The Charles S. Scott Papers are those of a prominent native Topeka, Kansas lawyer who focused on civil rights and was one of the plaintiff's lawyers in the landmark Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas case. RH MS 1291 Records of the Topeka Back Home Reunion Dates 1975-2010 The Topeka Back Home Reunion originated in 1973 thanks to the efforts of Charles Scott, Carl Williams, and Eugene Johnson. The purpose of the Reunion was to bring together those who attended the four elementary schools in Topeka, Kansas designated for African American students (Buchanan, McKinley, Monroe, and Washington) before the 1954 Brown v. Board U.S. Supreme Court decision, and later, African Americans who attended Topeka schools after 1954. The Reunion took place triennially, supplemented by regular meetings and newsletters. The final reunion took place in 2010. RH PH P16 State Street Elementary School photograph Date approximately 1944 This collection contains one photograph of a 5th grade classroom at the State Street Elementary School in Topeka, Kansas. The print shows teacher Louise Becker helping her class with a penmanship lesson; student Ruth Lassiter-Snell stands in front of the teacher. RH PH 151 Topeka Public Schools Class Photographs Date 1892 This collection contains class portraits from the public schools in Topeka, Kansas in 1892. RH MS 623 Jesse Milan papers Dates 1931-2012 Jesse Milan, a longtime resident of northeast Kansas, was the first African American teacher to serve in the integrated Lawrence Unified School District #497. An active community leader, he was involved in the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education commemoration and other Brown v. Board of Education projects. He later became an Assistant Professor of Education at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas. RH MS 1190 Cheryl Brown Henderson campaign papers Dates 1968-1979; 1989-1998 This collection contains the papers of Henderson’s political campaigns. Cheryl Brown was born in 1950 to Oliver L. and Leola (Williams) Brown. Following her family's involvement in the landmark Brown v. Topeka, Kansas Board of Education, Brown attended public schools in Topeka, Kansas and Springfield, Missouri. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baker University (Baldwin, Kansas) and a Master of Science degree in Counseling from Emporia State University. In 1972, Cheryl Brown married Larry Henderson. She worked as a classroom teacher and, from 1979 to 1994, as a consultant to the Kansas State Board of Education. In 1988 she co-founded the Brown Foundation for Educational Equality, Excellence, and Research and served as its Executive Director. In 2010 Henderson served as the Superintendent of the Brown v. Board National Historic Site. RH MS 1460 Nathaniel Sawyer family papers Dates approximately 1880-2012 (bulk 1950s-1990s) Nathaniel Sawyer was an active opponent to the expansion of segregation in Kansas schools, helping to defeat a 1918 legislative bill that would have allowed communities with as few as 2,000 people to segregate their public schools. Sawyer’s family were prominent in Topeka. They were involved in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and had some involvement with the Brown v. Board of Education case. Kenneth Spencer Research Library is open to everyone. To view the materials, please see their website. Primary resources located at the Kansas Historical Society Archives, Topeka, Kansas Available online: Correspondence: Lucinda Todd to Walter White, August 29, 1950 Charles E. Bledsoe to the NAACP Legal Department, September 5, 1950 NAACP Legal Defense Fund to Charles Bledsoe, September 18, 1950 Harold R. Fatzer to J. Lindsay Almond Jr., July 13, 1951 Robert Carter to Herbert Bell, September 14, 1951 Attorney Robert Carter to McKinley Burnett, September 14, 1951 Airmail Special Letter: Robert Carter to McKinley Burnett, March 31, 1953 Paul E. Wilson to T. Justin Moore, June 10, 1953 J. W. Cummings to Harold Fatzer, November 27, 1953 Harold Fatzer to Chief Justice Earl Warren, May 20, 1954 Esther Means to Governor Fred Hall, February 15, 1956 Videos: Silent film Spirit of Washington, Washington School, Topeka, Kansas, between 1939-1941 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka: The case of the century, 2004 Brown v. Board of Education Mural in the Kansas State Capitol building Interviews: Jack Alexander, separate but equal in Topeka: a personal oral history, 2014 Charles I. Baston interview, 1992 Judge Robert Lee Carter interview, 1992 Maurita Davis interview, 1994 Chris Hansen interview, 1992 Christina Jackson interview, 1991 Jean Price interview, 1992 Fred Rausch Jr. interview, 1994 Vivian Scales interview, 1991 Manuscripts and documents: William Reynolds vs. The Board of Education of the City of Topeka, proceeding in mandamus, 1902 William Reynolds v. The Board of Education of the City of Topeka, original proceeding in mandamus, 1903 Citizens Committee on Civil Rights: The People, Fight Back, 1948 Daniel Sawyer’s Letter to the Topeka Board of Education, September 13, 1948 Coming Walter White flyer, 1949 Lucinda Todd: handwritten draft of the background of the Brown case, 1950 Lucinda Todd’s For the Negro Press: Suit Hits Separate Schools in Kansas, 1951 Lucinda Todd’s Speech, Des Moines, Iowa, 1953 Newspaper article “Negroes to mark court victory Tuesday night,” May 17, 1954 Newspaper article “School segregation banned,” May 17, 1954 Photographs: Monroe School in Topeka, Kansas, between 1927-1929 Walter Augustus Huxman, between 1939-1959 Alvin and Lucinda Todd family in Topeka, Kansas, 1946 Second grade students at Monroe School, Topeka, 1949 Elisha J. Scott, between 1950-1959 Sumner Grade School, Topeka, between 1950-1969 Nancy Jane Todd Noches, 1950 Nancy Jane Todd Noches, 1951 Wendell Godwin, between 1951 and 1961 First grade class at State Street School, Topeka, January 27-28, 1955 Archival resources/Finding aids: 194479 Brown v Board of Education, U. S. District Court, Topeka, Kansas, Civil Case T-316 Dates 1951-1955 This microfilm contains documents from the case Oliver Brown, et al vs. Board of Education, Topeka, Kansas, as filed in U. S. District Court. These are federal records; the originals are held by the National Archives Central Plains Region (Kansas City, MO). Includes original complaint, orders, motions, briefs, and other court documents as well as some transcripts of proceedings, exhibits (including a map and other records related to Topeka school districts and boundaries, news articles, and Board of Education minutes), and two Supreme Court decisions. 40251 Brown V Topeka Board of Education oral history collection at the Kansas State Historical Society Audio tapes and transcripts of interviews conducted by Jean Van Delinder, Ralph Crowder and Cheryl Brown Henderson with individuals involved with or affected by the school desegregation cases Belton v. Gebhart (Delaware); Bolling, et al., v. Sharpe (District of Columbia); Brown, et al., v. Board of Education of Topeka, et al. (Kansas); Briggs v. Elliott (South Carolina); and Davis, et al., v. Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors (Virginia) and decided by the U. S. Supreme Court in 1954. This collection provides a look at the background surrounding the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka from those who, in one way or another, were involved with the cases before they reached the Supreme Court, or who were involved in or affected by the ruling in some way (i.e., victims, plaintiff, and beneficiaries). Those interviewed included: former students, community leaders and activists, attorneys, judges, and others affected by the outcome of the case. This collection also contains information on the following topics: segregation; discrimination; the Topeka school system; history of Topeka’s African American community; Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway; U. S. military; and World War II. 47303 Mrs. Lucinda Todd papers Dates 1922-2007 The Lucinda Todd papers document her activities during the civil rights movement, including her involvement with Brown v. Board of Education and information about Martin Luther King, Jr. The papers include clippings from the Kansas City Star, Topeka Daily Capital, and other papers concerning Brown v. Board and segregation, academic records such as diplomas and transcripts, correspondence to Milton Tailor concerning his portrayal of Harrison Caldwell and herself, correspondence with Walter Francis White regarding segregation and the activities of the NAACP, correspondence with individuals concerning racism and segregation in Topeka public schools, records of Todd's involvement with the NAACP, and clippings and correspondence documenting early desegregation efforts. Records dated post 1960s are reflective in nature, including family histories, articles discussing the impact of Brown v. Board, and recognitions from the NAACP and other groups. The photographs of Todd include her first day of class at Edison School, Joplin, Missouri, 1922, as well as other photographs of classes she taught. 48500 Papers of the NAACP Dates 1913-1965 Microfilm of papers pertaining to the NAACP's legal battle to achieve unrestricted access to the best available education. Reproduced in their entirety are the complete files pertaining to the American Fund for Public Service (the Garland Fund); teacher-salary, university-admission, and local-school cases; and general-education subjects. The Campaign for Educational Equality documents the NAACP's systematic assault on segregated education that culminated in Brown v. Board of Education. The Kansas Historical Society archives are open to everyone. To view the materials, please see their website. Primary resources located at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, Abilene, Kansas Available online: Manuscripts and documents: Document, Complaint against Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, February 26, 1951 Court order, Oliver Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, March 1, 1951 Memorandum, Dwight D. Eisenhower to Secretary of Defense regarding Segregation in Schools on Army Posts, March 20, 1953 Supreme Court opinion, May 31, 1955 Letter, Texas Governor Allan Shivers to Dwight D. Eisenhower regarding school segregation, July 16, 1953 Letter, Dwight D. Eisenhower to Texas Governor Allan Shivers regarding school segregation, July 21, 1953 Letter, Dwight D. Eisenhower to South Carolina Governor James Byrnes stating his views on school segregation, August 14, 1953 Letter, Louisiana Governor Robert Kennon to Dwight D. Eisenhower, November 20, 1953 Letter, South Carolina Governor James Byrnes to Dwight D. Eisenhower, November 20, 1953 Letter, Dwight D. Eisenhower to Louisiana Governor Robert Kennon, November 30, 1953 Letter, Dwight D. Eisenhower to South Carolina Governor James Byrnes, December 1, 1953 Letter, Dwight D. Eisenhower to Swede Hazlett, boyhood friend, Captain, United States Navy, October 23, 1954 Letter, Dwight D. Eisenhower to Swede Hazlett, boyhood friend, Captain, United States Navy, July 22, 1957 Photographs: Dwight D. Eisenhower says a few words of greeting to a meeting of the NAACP, March 10, 1954 Mamie Eisenhower receives students of the Robert L. Vanna High School in Ahaskie, North Carolina. The meeting took place on the White House Lawn, May 4, 1954. Archival resources/Finding aids: A Guide to Historical Holdings in the Eisenhower Library Civil Rights Studies: https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/research/subject-guides/pdf/civil-rights-guide-to-studies.pdf Oral history interviews: OH-414 Peter Caldwell Date 1970 Attorney for the Board of Education in Topeka, Kansas, who helped prepare a brief for the Brown v. Board of Education case.
Date 1970 Attorney working with the NAACP on the Brown v. Board of Education case. OH-418 Paul Wilson Date 1970 Lawyer with Attorney General's office in Kansas who helped prepare and present brief for Brown v. Board of Education case. The Eisenhower Presidential Library is open to everyone. To view the materials, please see their website. Books Available Online: Brown Henderson, Cheryl; Dandridge, Deborah; Tidwell, John Edgar; Canady, Darren; Omni, Vincent. Recovering Untold Stories: An Enduring Legacy of the Brown v. Board of Education Decision, University of Kansas Libraries, a project of the Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research, 2018. Many good books are available at public libraries. A few suggested titles are: Brady, Paul L. A Certain Blindness: A Black Family’s Quest for the Promise of America. Atlanta: ALP Publishing. 1990. Friedman, Leon, ed. Argument: The Oral Argument Before the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 1952-1955. New York: Chelsea House, 1969. Greenberg, Jack. Crusaders in the Courts: How a Dedicated Band of Lawyers Fought for the Civil Rights Revolution. New York: Basic Books, A Division of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1994. Schopler, Ernest H., ed. Cases Argued and Decided in the Supreme Court of the United States, October Term, 1953. Book 98, Lawyer’s Edition. Rochester, New York: The Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Company, 1954. Speer, Hugh. The Case of the Century: A Historical and Social Perspective on Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, With Present and Future Implications. Kansas City: University of Missouri-Kansas City, 1968. Wilson, Paul E. A Time to Lose: Representing Kansas in Brown v. Board of Education. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1993. |
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Last updated: May 24, 2023