Bryant Family Papers
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8sn0dbn No online items Guide to the Bryant Family Papers Carl Schmitz African American Museum & Library at Oakland 659 14th Street Oakland, California 94612 Phone: (510) 637-0198 Fax: (510) 637-0204 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/locations/african-american-museum-library-oakland © 2013 African American Museum & Library at Oakland. All rights reserved. Guide to the Bryant Family MS 164 1 Papers Guide to the Bryant Family Papers Collection number: MS 164 African American Museum & Library at Oakland Oakland, California Processed by: Carl Schmitz Date Completed: April 14, 2015 Encoded by: Carl Schmitz © 2015 African American Museum & Library at Oakland. All rights reserved. Descriptive Summary Title: Bryant Family papers Dates: 1916-2017 (bulk 1916-1990) Bulk Dates: 1916-1990 Collection number: MS 164 Creator: Smith, Jackie Bryant Collection Size: 5.6 linear feet(5 boxes + 3 oversized boxes + 8 artworks) Repository: African American Museum & Library at Oakland (Oakland, Calif.) Oakland, CA 94612 Abstract: The Bryant Family Papers include correspondence, records, realia, publications, photographs, and artwork that document aspects of the family's work life, social life, and political activities. The papers are organized into six series: James J. Bryant, Florence Bryant, Jackie Bryant Smith, Photographs, NAACP, and Printed Material. Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English Access No access restrictions. Collection is open to the public. Access Restrictions Materials are for use in-library only, non-circulating. Publication Rights Permission to publish from the Bryant Family Papers must be obtained from the African American Museum & Library at Oakland. Preferred Citation Bryant Family papers, MS 164, African American Museum & Library at Oakland, Oakland Public Library. Oakland, California. Acquisition Information The collection was donated by Jackie Bryant Smith to the African American Museum & Library at Oakland in 2009.Accession 2017-018 was donated by Jackie Bryant Smith on December 1, 2016.Accession 2018-024 was donated by Jackie Bryant Smith on April 19, 2018. Processing Information Processed by Carl Schmitz, April 14, 2015.Finding aid updated to add Accession #2017-018 by Sean Heyliger on October 26, 2017.Finding aid updated to add Accession #2018-024 by Sean Heyliger on November 2, 2018. Biography / Administrative History James J. Bryant was born to George and Addie Bryant in Perry, Kansas, on January 16, 1888, the second son among five brothers. Florence Bryant was born to Henry and Liza Stevens in Linn Creek, Missouri, on January 21, 1894, the youngest of six children. The Bryants were married in Wichita, Kansas, on June 28, 1916 and moved to Oakland in 1938. James was a long-time sleeping car porter for the Pullman Company and active in the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Florence was named Oakland’s inaugural Mother of the Year in 1954 and was active in organizations such as the March of Dimes. James J. Bryant passed away on March 27, 1976, and Florence Bryant passed away on August 29, 1985. Jackie Bryant Smith, one Guide to the Bryant Family MS 164 2 Papers of five daughters of James J. and Florence Bryant, was born on June 5, 1941, in Oakland and was active with the NAACP. Scope and Content of Collection The Bryant Family Papers include correspondence, records, realia, publications, photographs, and artworks that document aspects of the family's work life, social life, and political activities. The papers are organized into seven series: James J. Bryant, Florence Bryant, Jackie Bryant Smith, Photographs, NAACP, Printed Material. and Artworks. James J. Bryant worked as a porter for the Pullman Company and was active with the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Thorough his correspondence, employee records, and paystubs, the working life of a Pullman porter is uniquely documented. As shown in photographs included in the papers, the Bryants regularly attended area events when special guests included figures such as A. Philip Randolph and C. L. Dellums. Of particular interest within James J. Bryant's series are a number of Pullman Company porter name cards and a Pullman Company porter hat. Florence Bryant was active in social and charitable organizations such as the Oakland Festival of Roses' Mother of the Year award and the March of Dimes. Both Florence Bryant and her daughter Jackie Bryant Smith were active in the NAACP. Jackie Bryant Smith became a colleague to local politicians John J. Miller and Warren Widener. Jackie Bryant Smith has also done extensive family history work and the included scrapbooks document her family tree from Florence (Stevens) Bryant's grandparents through the current generation, with research as recent as 2012. Arrangement Series I. James J. Bryant Series II. Florence Bryant Series III. Jackie Bryant Smith Series IV. Photographs Series V. NAACP Series VI. Printed Material Series VII. Artworks Indexing Terms The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog. Bryant, James J. Bryant, Florence Stevens. Smith, Jackie Bryant. African Americans--California--History. Pullman porters--Labor unions--United States. NAACP (Organization). March of Dimes. Oakland (Calif.) -- History. Berkeley (Calif.) -- History. Other Finding Aids Fannie Wall Children’s Home and Day Nursery, Inc., African American Museum & Library at Oakland, Oakland Public Library. James J. Bryant Physical Description: 10 folders, 1 oversize folder, 1 small box Series Scope and Content Summary Contains material related to James J. Bryant's career as a railroad porter, including correspondence, employee records, paystubs, train passes, Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters records, Retired Railroad Men's Club programs, 77 Pullman Company porter name cards (3 of the listed porters have multiple cards included), and a Pullman Company porter hat. Arrangement Arranged by subject and then by format. Pullman Company Records Correspondence Box 1:1 Registered mail envelope sent to J. J. Bryant January 23, 1937 Box 1:1 Vacation period notice November 20, 1952 Box 1:1 U.S. Savings Bonds memorandum January 22, 1957 Box 1:1 J.J. Bryant carbon letter regarding a passenger incident May 10, 1957 Guide to the Bryant Family MS 164 3 Papers James J. Bryant Pullman Company Records Box 1:1 Safety meeting announcement February 27, 1959 Box 1:1 Transistor radio memorandum May 18, 1962 Box 1:1 Name card display memorandum August 21, 1964 Box 1:1 Cleaning memorandum June 8, 1965 Box 1:1 Spreading of blankets memorandum June 21, 1965 Box 1:1 Envelope addressed to James J. Bryant, Wichita, Kansas undated Employee Records Employee Benefits Box 1:2 Death benefits policy October 15, 1922 Box 1:2 Pension plan booklet effective January 1, 1914 as amended December 1, 1926 1926 Box 1:2 Life insurance policy August 7, 1937 Box 1:2 Disability insurance policy August 7, 1937 Box 1:2 Injury insurance policy August 7, 1937 Box 1:2 Employee agreement manual effective January 1, 1953 1953 Paystubs Box 1:3 1941-1966 Box OM 20 1967 Box 1:4 Train Passes 1948-1968 Box 1:5 Printed Material 1946-1961 Realia Box 4 Jesse W. Ford photograph badge undated Box 4 Pullman Company porter hat undated Box 4 Pullman Company soap bar undated Box 4 Pullman Company 35th anniversary pin undated Pullman Company porter name cards Box 3 Alexander, A. [C-001] undated Box 3 Austin, E. E. [C-002] undated Box 3 Baker, C. [C-003] undated Box 3 Barnes, S. A. [C-004] undated Box 3 Bates, William S. [C-005] undated Box 3 Bell, H. H. [C-006] undated Box 3 Bennett, R. [C-007] undated Box 3 Bishop, A. L. [C-008] undated Box 3 Bookman, Norman E. [C-009] undated Box 3 Bryant, J. J. [C-010] undated Box 3 Bryant, J. J. [C-011] undated Box 3 Bryant, J. J. [C-012] undated Box 3 Burke, A. J. [C-013] undated Box 3 Burns, James W. [C-014] undated Box 3 Burroughs, L. A. [C-015] undated Box 3 Calloway, J. D. [C-016] undated Box 3 Cannon, E. E. [C-017] undated Box 3 Carter, Jas. R. [C-018] undated Box 3 Clark, Wm. J. [C-019] undated Box 3 Daniels, C. R. [C-020] undated Box 3 Flournoy, L. T. [C-021] undated Box 3 Gamble, James O. [C-022] undated Box 3 Garrett, M. M. [C-023] undated Box 3 Gideon, W. A. [C-024] undated Box 3 Gilford, J. H. [C-025] undated Box 3 Glass, Clarence [C-026] undated Box 3 Gordon, C. T. [C-027] undated Box 3 Greenwood, T. J. [C-028] undated Box 3 Grigsby, B. W. [C-029] undated Box 3 Hairston, S. [C-030] undated Box 3 Hamilton, Wm. [C-031] undated Box 3 Harris, Archie Leroy [C-032] undated Guide to the Bryant Family MS 164 4 Papers James J. Bryant Pullman Company Records Box 3 Hodges, D. [C-033] undated Box 3 Hughes, Joseph E. [C-034] undated Box 3 Ingram, D. M. [C-035] undated Box 3 Jackson, O. W. [C-036] undated Box 3 Johnson, Bennie [C-037] undated Box 3 Johnson, J. [C-038] undated Box 3 Johnson, Thomas [C-039] undated Box 3 Johnson, W. [C-040] undated Box 3 Jones, C. [C-041] undated Box 3 Jones, Jiles B. [C-042] undated Box 3 Kelly, Francis [C-043] undated Box 3 Lennox, S. [C-044] undated Box 3 Letcher, W. P. [C-045] undated Box 3 Livingston, Otha [C-046] undated Box 3 Lowe, Jos. Odell [C-047] undated Box 3 McLaughlin, J. T. [C-048] undated Box 3 Mitchell, Armogene [C-049] undated Box 3 Moore, Willie A. [C-050] undated Box 3 Norman, W. [C-051] undated Box 3 Pickard, Jerome G.