Clubs & Organizations

Collection from the files of Ron Morra, leader of the Adams Point Preservation Society (APPS), formed in 1982 to preserve single-family housing in the Adams Point neighborhood, then being redeveloped into condominium and apartment complexes. Over the years the APPS addressed a range of quality-of-life issues in the Adams Point/Lake Merritt area.  (OHC COLL 2016-1) 5 boxes (3.5 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

The Advertising Club of Oakland was founded in 1906. In 1973 It became the East Bay Advertising & Marketing Association, or Ad/Mark for short. A later version of the name is AdMARK!, the East Bay Advertising Club. (OHC COLL 2013-1) 38 folders in 3 boxes (1.2 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Dates: 1869-2008   Collection number: MS 189   Creator: African American Museum & Library at Oakland   Collection Size: 21.25 linear feet (30 boxes + 2 oversized boxes + 2 oversized drawers)   Guide to the African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) The African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph Collection consists of 1,953 photographs documenting African Americans in California between 1869-2008. The photograph collection consists of photographs donated to the African American Museum & Library at Oakland, and its predecessor the East Bay Negro Historical Society. The collection is organized into 28 series by subject, and includes photographs of significant African Americans such Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and Byron Rumford, and documents various aspects of the African American community in Oakland including athletics, business, churches, civil rights, early pioneers, entertainment, military, fraternal and women's organizations. View online items We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The African American Museum & Library at Oakland Vertical File Collection consists of programs, flyers, correspondence, posters, pamphlets, and ephemera collected by the African American Museum & Library at Oakland. The East Bay Negro Historical Society began vertical files in the late 1960s, collecting ephemera and newspaper clippings about African American history and culture. The vertical files are arranged alphabetically by subject, organization, or last name, and include correspondence, programs, flyers, and pamphlets mostly about African American organizations and cultural institutions in the Oakland and the East Bay during the mid-20th century (1940s-1970s). Dates: 1828-2017   Collection number: MS 179   Collector: African American Museum & Library at Oakland   Collection Size: 61.5 linear feet (82 boxes + 13 oversized boxes)   Guide to the African American Museum & Library at Oakland Vertical File Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Dates: 1895-1987   Collection number: MS 108   Creator: Albrier, Frances Mary, 1898-1987.   Collection Size: 7.9 linear feet (7 boxes + 2 oversized boxes)   Guide to the Frances Albrier Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) Social activist Frances Albrier (1898-1987) was born on September 21, 1898 in Mt. Vernon, New York to Lewis L. and Laura Redgray. During the late 1930s, Albrier became active in a number of different political and civil rights issues. In 1938, she became the first woman elected to the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee. The following year she became the first woman to run for the Berkeley City Council, led the Citizen’s Employment Council’s “Don’t Buy Where You Can’t Work” campaign, and organized the East Bay Women's Welfare Club, a women’s group which advocated for the hiring of black teachers in the Berkeley Unified School District. During the 1940s, she continued to be active in a number of women's, civil rights, and union organizations while serving as a first aid instructor in the American Red Cross. After her application to become a welder was denied because Black workers did not have an auxiliary union in Richmond, she garnered political pressure in the Black community forcing Kaiser Shipyards to hire her making her the first black woman welder during the war. The Frances Albrier papers include correspondence, legal and financial records, awards, photographs, records of civic organizations and women’s clubs, and assorted printed material documenting Albrier life and participation in various civic organizations and women’s clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area. We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Records of the Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee, consisting of fliers and programs for Committee events held in Berkeley, San Francisco and Oakland, California. Includes correspondence between Committee members and various entities, meeting agendas and minutes, copies of their monthly newsletter titled "On My Journey Now," and diverse research materials.    (OHC COLL 2023-3)   5 folders in 1 box (.2 linear feet)   Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Dates: 1932-1974   Collection number: MS 145   Creator: Berkeley Civic Study Club (Berkeley, Calif.).   Collection Size: .25 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Berkeley Civic Study Club Records Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) The Swastika Berkeley Civic Study Club was founded in 1924 by a group of African American women wanting to study civic issues and participate in bettering their community. According to club publications, the purpose of the Berkeley Civic Study Club was "[...]to unite its members in non-partisan, educational, and civic work; to present information, and offer for free discussion, civic and legislative problems." The Berkeley Civic Study Club Records consist of one ledger containing meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, correspondence, financial records, and rosters from 1932-1974. We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Dates: 1982-1997   Bulk Dates: (bulk 1994-1997)   Collection number: MS 152   Creator: Black Women Stirring the Waters (Oakland, Calif.)   Creator: Butler, Mary Ellen, 1940-   Collection Size: .75 linear feet (2 boxes)   Guide to the Black Women Stirring the Waters Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) Black Women Stirring the Waters is a Black women’s discussion group founded in 1984 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The group was conceived by Clara Stanton Jones, the first African American to head the public library of a major city and the first African American president of the American Library Association, and Aileen Clarke Hernandez, activist, and former President of the National Organization for Women (NOW). The group was organized with no formal structure, no taboo subjects, and no requirements for membership other than an interest in the dialog. Black Women Stirring the Waters takes its name from a quote attributed to the 19th century abolitionist, Sojourner Truth. In 1997, forty-four members of the group published a collection of autobiographical memoirs discussing ways they have dealt with obstacles and have grown in their lives and careers. The Black Women Stirring the Waters Collection includes contributing authors’ manuscripts and correspondence, history and records of the group, and audio recordings. The collection documents the creation of the organization’s 1997 publication, Black Women Stirring the Waters.  We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Lester J. Bodin was born in Alameda, California, on June 18, 1910, the eldest son of William and Ida Bodin. Bodin is listed in the 1940 census as a stock clerk for a canning company. Bodin would become president of the Cannery Workers’ Union, leadership training chairman for the Live Oak District of the Boy Scouts of America, president of the Kiwanis Club of Jack London Square, and was active in the Eastbay Radio Club. Bodin passed away in Oakland on November 28, 1993. Dates: 1904-1926   Collection number: MS 171   Collector: Bodin, Lester J.   Collection Size: .25 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Lester J. Bodin Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Dates: 1957-1980   Collection number: MS 42   Creator: California Native Daughters Club   Collection Size: .25 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the California Native Daughters Club Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) View online items The California Native Daughters Club was founded in Berkeley, California in the late 1950s. Founders included Bertha Allen, the club's first president, and Ruth Lasartemay, who also served as president later. The club joined the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs in 1959. The club was actively involved in multiple local activities such as California Negro History Week. The California Native Daughters Club Collection consists of correspondence, records, printed materials, founding documents, and artifacts related to club activities and member activities. The collection includes correspondence to and from the club and membership information for the women who were in the club and the club's relationship to outside organizations. We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Dates: 1902-1994   Collection number: MS 1   Creator: Netherland, Mary C.   Creator: Dixon, Lillian   Collection Size: 2.5 ft. (5 boxes)   Guide to the Colored Women's Clubs Associations Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) View online items The records included within this collection trace the histories of three different associations of colored women's clubs: the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs; the California State Association of Colored Women's Clubs; and the National Council of Negro Women. Records within this collection document the history, organization, and activities of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs, the California State Association of Colored Women's Clubs, and the National Council of Negro Women. We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Pamphlets, flyers, correspondence, and reports relating to the Community Chest of Oakland, Piedmont, San Leandro, and Emeryville. Most materials are requests for donations or training materials for soliciting donations.   (OHC COLL 2025-2)   20 folders in 1 box (.5 linear feet)   Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library. 

The East Bay Negro Historical Society (EBNHS) was organized on July 2, 1965 in the home of Marcella Ford. In attendance at the first meeting were the seven founding members of the society: Marcella Ford, Jesse Ford, Eugene Lasartemay, Ruth Lasartemay, E. Harold Mason, Morrie Turner, and Madison Harvey Jr. The society’s mission was to “collect, preserve, record, and disseminate information related to the history, culture and experience, of persons of Black American and African descent, especially those in the East Bay, the State of California and throughout the West.” The East Bay Negro Historical Society Records include meeting minutes, correspondence, reports, program flyers and brochures, financial ledgers, and scrapbooks documenting the activities of the society between 1965-1986. View online items Dates: 1965-2001   Collection number: MS 32   Creator: East Bay Negro Historical Society   Collection Size: 6.75 linear feet (11 boxes + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the East Bay Negro Historical Society Records Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Ebell Society of Oakland was a prominent Oakland women's club. It was founded in 1876 with a mission to advance cultural and scientific learning among its members and to promote civic improvement in Oakland. Its namesake and inspiration was Dr. Adrian J. Ebell, a scientist whose lecture tours inspired the creation of similar clubs around the country. In early 2000 the club merged with another longstanding Oakland women's club, the Lakeview Club, to become the Ebell Lakeview Women's Club. The club disbanded in 2011.   The collection is composed primarily of scrapbooks and albums containing meeting announcements and minutes, newspaper clippings and photographs, and is organized in four parts: I. Ebell Society (1876-2000); II. Lakeview Club (1904-2000); III. Ebell Lakeview Women's Club (2000-2011); and IV. Assorted Ebell/Lakeview artifacts.   (OHC COLL 2019-5) 20 boxes (11 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

The Eunomic 13 Club, an African American men’s social organization, was created on September 15, 1933. The Eunomic Club Collection include photographs, administrative documents, ephemera, newspaper and magazine clippings, and letters from between 1933-1994. Dates: 1933-1994   Collection number: MS182   Creator: Eunomic Club (San Francisco, Calif.)   Collection Size: 1.5 linear ft. (1 box)   Guide to the Eunomic Club Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Established in Oakland, California on November 20, 1918 by the Northern Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, the Fannie Wall Children’s Home and Day Nursery, Inc. was created to “care for homeless, dependent, neglected children from broken homes, and to provide day care for children of working parents.” The Fannie Wall Children’s Home and Day Nursery, Inc. Records consist of correspondence, reports, meeting and fundraising programs, and newspaper clippings that document the management of the children’s home. View online items Dates: 1933-1983   Collection number: MS 162   Collection Size: .25 linear feet (1 box) Guide to the Fannie Wall Children’s Home and Day Nursery, Inc. Records   Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Francis Marion Smith, better known as "Borax" Smith, was born in Richmond, Wisconsin, in 1846, and made his fortune mining a large borax deposit he discovered in the Mojave Desert in 1872. His "20 Mule Team Borax" became a household brand and made him a millionaire many times over. In 1881 he and his wife Mary settled in Oakland, California, and soon began work on their large estate, Arbor Villa, and eventually the grand central home "Oak Hall." Smith was a civic leader in Oakland, creating the Realty Syndicate, which developed many of Oakland’s neighborhoods, and the Key System, a streetcar and ferry system providing transportation in the East Bay and across the bay to San Francisco. Through his United Properties Co. of California Smith also led early efforts to consolidate water services in the Oakland area. Smith and his wife were also active philanthropists, funding hospitals, holding charity fundraisers, and founding the Mary R. Smith Trust for orphaned girls in 1901 which cared for girls in cottages built on the estate. Following Mary's death in 1905, Smith eventually remarried in 1907 to Evelyn Ellis and the couple had four children. After losing and regaining his fortune and following several strokes, Smith stepped down from his companies in 1928 and he and Evelyn left Oak Hall and Arbor Villa, moving to a smaller home near Lake Merritt. Francis Marion Smith died at Oakland's Fabiola Hospital in 1931 and is buried in nearby Mountain View Cemetery.   (OHC MSS SMITH) 16 folders, .5 linear feet Arranged in three series. Series 1. Corporate records, 1910-1923 -- Series 2. Personal papers, 1888, circa 1900-1931-- Series 3. Mary R. Smith Trust, 1902-1944. Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.    Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

  Primarily meeting minutes of the Glenview Woman's Club (sometimes called Glenview Women's Club), first organized on May 14, 1914. Meeting minutes were kept in their original order with most folders in direct chronological order and a few in reverse order. Between 1926 and 1953 meeting minutes include the Corporation minutes as well as those of the club as a whole. Other materials include letters relating to the sale of the clubhouse in 1989, a photograph of the club's founding members, and a club history, "A book of memories," compiled by J. Edith MacNaughton in 1952 which features short historical narratives from many of the club's past presidents. The clippings books also contain club handbooks, which include member directories and treasurer's reports, for the 1926-27 and 1929-30 club years.   (OHC COLL 2017-3) 4 boxes, 1.2 linear feet Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

The Hickerson Family Papers includes photographs, newspaper clippings, cards, programs, certificates, and musical scores related to the Hickerson and Swayzee families and their friends. The papers also document the Hickerson Family's involvement with the Oakland, CA First African Methodist Episcopal (First A.M.E.) Church and other Christian and civic organizations. The papers are arranged in five series: Dorothy Harris Hickerson, Joseph W. Hickerson, Religious Activities, Assorted Print Material and Publications. The photographs are arranged in four subseries: Dorothy Hickerson Harris, Family Portraits, First African Methodist Episcopal (1st AME) Church, and Assorted. Dates: circa 1920-2005 Collection number: MS 167   Creator: Harris, Dorothy Hickerson.   Creator: Hickerson, Joseph William.   Collection Size: 2.5 linear feet (3 boxes + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the Hickerson Family Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

In 1903 a group of prominent Oakland women under the leadership of Mary R. Smith organized the Home Club to serve as a social center for Smith’s orphanage for girls, and as a general venue for notable speakers and artists. The Home Club building, completed in 1904, was located on land shared with the residential cottages of the orphanage. The Home Club/orphanage complex adjoined the grand estate, Arbor Villa, where Mary R. Smith and her husband Francis Marion “Borax” Smith resided. In the early 1920s the orphanage closed, and in 1926 financial difficulties led the Home Club to vacate the Home Club building and move to other venues. The Home Club continued on until 2015, mainly as a members-only social club for dances and parties. Its final venue was the Piedmont Veterans’ Memorial Building.   The collection includes histories, administrative records, announcement bulletins, scrapbooks/photo albums, and photographs.   (OHC COLL 2019-4) 11 boxes (5 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

The Home for Aged and Infirm Colored People of California was established on September 26, 1892 in Oakland, California and was the first institution to provide elderly care and housing for African Americans in California. The organization was created by Mary E.A. Cole, Ann S. Purnell, Elenora Amos, Areminto Stanford, Mary Goodman, Rosa H. Lockett, Mary C. Washington, Ellen Whiting, Harriet E. Smith, Mary J. Humphrey, and Anna Williams to “sustain a home for the aged and infirm who may be from any cause, incapacitated from taking care of themselves, and such others as the Board of Directors or trustees may think entitled to its benefits.” The Home for the Aged and Infirm Colored People of California Records consists of articles of incorporation, constitution and by-laws, correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, programs, and newspaper clippings documenting the history of the home from its creation in 1892 through its dissolution in 1940. View online items Dates: 1892-1940   Collection number: MS 122   Creator: Home for Aged and Infirm Colored People of California (Oakland, Calif.).   Collection Size: 1.25 linear feet (2 boxes)   Guide to the Home for Aged and Infirm Colored People of California Records Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Newsletters, scrapbooks, correspondence, and other materials relating to the Ina Coolbrith Circle, a California poetry society established in 1919 in honor of Ina Coolbrith, California's first poet laureate. It holds meetings and poetry contests, and publishes anthologies. (OHC COLL 2015-10) 1 box (1.1 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Phillip Eugene Jenkins (1917-1993) was born on August 9, 1917 in Sacramento, California to Aaron Arthur Jenkins and Grace Evelyn Grubbs Jenkins. Jenkins interest in music began at an early age and music was encouraged by his parents. Beginning in 1968, Jenkins became active in jazz preservation with the establishment of the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society. He was active in the society’s activities and in the creation of the Sacramento Dixieland Jubilee, an international jazz festival held in Sacramento, California beginning in 1974. He was an active volunteer for the Jubilee over the next twenty years, and was eventually inducted into the Jubilee Hall of Fame in 1987 and served as the Jubilee’s Emperor of Jazz in 1991. His knowledge of jazz and personal collection of jazz recording led him to a radio career beginning in 1974, when he began a weekly jazz radio program, “Sacramento Classic Jazz” on the California State University radio station KXPR and subsequently on the university’s new jazz station KXJZ. The Phillip E. Jenkins papers include photographs, educational materials, military records, and organizational records of the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society. The collection is arranged into six series: musical activities, State of California, Department of Employment, military service, education, photographs, and assorted printed material. Dates: 1930-1953   Bulk Dates: 1948-1953   Collection number: MS 11   Collector: Jenkins, Harold, 1890-1967   Creator: Joseph, E. J.   Collection Size: .25 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Phillip E. Jenkins Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

(OHC COLL 2021-2) 2 boxes (1.5 linear feet) Browse a detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.   The Ladies' Relief Society of Oakland, California was incorporated in 1872 to provide relief to destitute women and children. The society organized annual festivals to raise funds and attract donors, and over the years established a home for aged women, and children's home and nursery. Renamed the Ladies' Home Society in 1956, the society disbanded in 2007. The focus of the collection is the society's children's home, and includes a logbook  documenting admissions to the children's home from 1890 to 1913. Also included in the collection is a children's home visitors register (1883-1909) and a scrapbook of newspaper clippings about the Ladies' Relief Society (1915-1932, 1955-1972).  

Lake Merritt Institute (LMI), founded in 1992, is a non-profit public interest organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of Lake Merritt in Oakland, California. The collection contains the files of R. Dean Galloway, LMI Board of Directors member in the 1990s. The files include executive committee minutes, governance policies, bylaws, financial information, newsletters and material on LMI activities. (OHC COLL 2015-14) 6 folders in 2 boxes (.65 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

The Lasartemay family papers include correspondence, essays, funeral and theater programs, invitations, résumés, and newspapers clippings documenting mostly the family’s participation in various civic organizations. The papers are organized in to three series: Eugene P. Lasartemay (1903-1993), Ruth Hackett Lasartemay (1902-1991), and Elena R. Lasartemay. The bulk of the papers relate to Eugene P. Lasartemay’s participation in various Oakland area civic organizations including the East Bay Negro Historical Society, Northern California Council of Camera Clubs, and the Boy Scouts. Also included is a copy of Eugene P. Lasartemay’s book For Love of Jack London: His Life with Jennie Prentiss – a true love Story and court documents related to Exie McDonald’s probate court hearing, where Lasartemay served as the estate’s executor. The biographical subseries includes Eugene P. Lasartemay’s résumés, funeral programs from his memorial service, and assorted newspaper clippings related to his involvement in the East Bay Negro Historical Society. Dates: 1946-1995   Collection number: MS 95   Creator: Lasartemay, Eugene P.   Collector: East Bay Negro Historical Society.   Collection Size: .5 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Lasartemay Family Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Dates: 1941-1975   Collection number: MS 12   Creator: Leisure Arts Club   Collection Size: .2 linear feet (1 oversized volume)   Guide to the Leisure Arts Club Scrapbook Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) The Leisure Arts Club was founded on January 31, 1941 at the home of Althea Clark. Its purpose, as outlined in its constitution, was to develop self culture, to study the arts, to do charitable work, and to cooperate with groups interested in racial betterment.   The collection consists of one scrapbook which documents the club's activities between 1941 and 1962. It includes a copy of the club's constitution and by-laws, as ratified in 1947, as well as minutes from the first few meetings after its formation in 1941. In addition, the scrapbook encompasses guest registers and invitations, correspondence, clippings, and programs documenting the club's work with charities, its musical and social events, and its affiliation with the California State Association of Colored Women's Clubs. We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

A collection of primary materials on the organization, membership and activities of the Lions Club of Oakland, chartered Dec. 10, 1917. (OHC COLL 2015-23) 4 boxes (3.3 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Dates: 1885-1964   Collection number: MS 59   Creator: Magruder, Sylvia Anna.   Collection Size: .25 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Sylvia Anna Magruder Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) Sylvia Anna Magruder (née Duncan) was born on July 1, 1880 in New Orleans, Louisiana the youngest daughter of Rev. Stephen Duncan and Sylvia Duncan. She graduated from New Orleans University and worked as a teacher and matron for ten years before marrying Rev. E.J. Magruder in 1908. The couple moved to California the following year, and in 1926 E.J. Magruder was appointed as the pastor at the First A.M.E. Church in San Francisco, California. Sylvia Anna Magruder served various civic and religious organizations in the San Francisco area, including the Y' Women of the San Francisco Buchanan St. YWCA and Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Society of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. She also worked for African American civil rights and advocated the hiring of the city’s first African American railway conductor, police officer, and social worker. The Sylvia Anna Magruder Papers include correspondence, certificates, funeral and musical programs, newspaper clippings, and photographs documenting the life and volunteer activities of Sylvia Anna Magruder. The papers are arranged into two series: biographical material and photographs. Biographical material include correspondence from politicians and civic organizations thanking Magruder for her volunteer work, certificates from the Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Society of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, funeral and musical programs, and assorted newspaper clippings. Photographs in the collection are mostly portraits of Sylvia Anna Magruder and members of the Duncan family, photographs taken at Sylvia Anna Magruder’s birthday celebrations, and photographs related to Magruder's participation in the YWCA and Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Society of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Men of Tomorrow, Inc. was a male African American civic and professional organization started in Oakland, California in 1954. Founded by Jefferson Beaver, Richard A.G. Foster, Aramis Fouche, Theodore R. Hardeman, H. Solomon Hill, L. Sylvester Odom, Kenneth F. Smith, and George R. Vaughns, the group eventually grew to include over 300 members including many notable judges and politicians, including Evelio Grillo, Lionel Wilson, and Allen Broussard, and would eventually establish additional chapters in San Francisco, Richmond, Sacramento, and Los Angeles. The Men of Tomorrow, Inc Oakland Chapter records document meetings, conferences, and the administration of the organization between 1959-1985. Dates: 1959-1985   Collection number: MS 3   Collection Size: 1.25 linear feet (3 boxes)   Guide to the Men of Tomorrow, Inc. Oakland Chapter Records Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Letters to and from Minnie Knox, mostly discussing the publication of her poetry, as well as programs, bulletins, and speeches relating to her involvement in several local clubs, articles, short stories, poetry, speeches and address by Minnie Knox, and some photographs of her, including portraits and images from Poets' Dinners and other events. California Writers' Club materials are primarily issues of their monthly Bulletin while those of the College Women's Club relate primarily to addresses she gave at their 30th and 50th anniversary dinners. The Poets' Dinner materials consist primarily of place cards, place card rhymes, and typescript copies of the "coronation" speeches given by Minnie Knox over the years. Several of the speeches and addresses relate to her involvement with the American Legion and Daughters of the American Revolution. Poet Minnie Faegre Knox was born on April 20, 1886, in Flandreau, South Dakota, and received her post-secondary education at the University of Minnesota (graduating in 1908). She married Walter K. Knox 1909 and they eventually settled in Oakland, California, where she wrote poems and plays and joined clubs in the area. Minnie Knox was an editor of the California Writers' Club and a member of the College Woman's Club of Berkeley and the Daughters of the American Revolution, among other organizations. She died on December 12, 1980, at age ninety-four and is buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California.   (OHC COLL 2026-28) 10 folders (.3 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Collection includes newsletters, brochures, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, convention programs, ephemera, scrapbooks, and records created by national, regional, and local California branches of the NAACP. The collection is organized into five series: West Coast Regional Office records, California regional and local branch records, NAACP publications, 2nd Annual Youth Conference scrapbook, and newspaper clippings. Dates: 1912-2002   Collection number: MS 87   Creator: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.   Collector: East Bay Negro Historical Society.   Collection Size: 1.5 linear feet (3 boxes + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Northern California Black Chamber of Commerce (NCBCC) was established in Oakland, California in 1978 by the members of the United Men of Action, Inc. to promote and support black businesses and black tourism in Northern California. The Northern California Black Chamber of Commerce records consist of constitution and bylaws, meeting minutes, brochures, newsletters, and photographs of the organization and assorted conference programs and flyers related to black business. Dates: 1979-1998   Collection number: MS 158   Creator: Coffey, Oscar J. Jr.   Creator: Northern California Black Chamber of Commerce   Collection Size: 1.5 linear feet (3 boxes + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the Northern California Black Chamber of Commerce Records Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Oakland Black Cowboy Association Records consist of administrative records, flyers, posters, videocassette recordings, clothing, and photographs documenting mostly the Oakland Black Cowboy Parade between 1976-2014. Dates: 1967-2018   Collection number: MS 190   Creator: Oakland Black Cowboy Association   Collection Size: 6.75 linear feet (6 boxes + 2 oversized boxes)   Guide to the Oakland Black Cowboy Association Records Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Articles, ephemera and other material focusing on Oakland Black Panther Party leaders, programs and activities beginning with the founding of the party in 1966. (OHC COLL 2012-11) 3 boxes (1.3 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

The Oakland chapter of the Junior Chamber of Commerce (also called the Oakland Jaycees) was founded in 1929. Members were men between the ages of 21 and 35. Chapter presidents, elected annually, planned and oversaw meetings, events and programs for the year. Events and programs were evaluated by judges at the California statewide level. Assorted records dealing with events and programs are the core of the collection. Coverage begins in 1935 and ends in 1978; records for 1936-1939 and 1975-1976 are lacking.   The events and programs described in the collection reflect the social and cultural currents of the times, and range widely between recurring events (e.g., the Oakland Miss America pageant and the Oakland Mother of the Year contest) and individual programs on an array of topics including juvenile delinquency, urban renewal and building investment portfolios. A notable 1953 event coordinated with National Guard Day included U.S. army troops in mock battles at Lake Merritt.   (OHC COLL 2021-1)   31 boxes (17 linear feet)   Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

The Oakland Oratorio Society was organized in the mid 1980s and disbanded in early 1990. This collection includes bylaws, membership rosters, meeting minutes, and other organizational paperwork.  (OHC COLL 2019-2) 2 pressboard binders in box (.21 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Concert programs for the Orpheus Society of Oakland, California. Concerts from 1907 to 1909 were held in Ye Liberty Theatre. All other concerts were held in first the Oakland Auditorium Opera House, then the Oakland Auditorium Theater. (OHC COLL 2015-1) 86 items in 1 box (.5 linear feet) Arranged chronologically.   Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Dates: 1922-2005   Bulk Dates: 1963-1996   Collection number: MS 169   Creator: Oakland post.   Collection Size: 56 linear feet (116 boxes + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the Oakland Post Photograph Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) The Oakland Post Photograph Collection consists of 11,000 photographs appearing in the Oakland Post newspaper between 1963-2005. A majority of the photographs are portraits of African American politicians, business and community leaders, entertainers, athletes, and community and social groups from Oakland, California. The collection documents significant social and political events in Oakland, California, including social protest movements during the 1960s-1980s, festivals and sporting events, visits to Oakland, California by notable figures such as Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton, and activities of Oakland politicians. We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Oakland Rotary Club rosters include thumbnail portraits of club members. Collection includes rosters for the years 1927-1928, 1931-1934, 1936-1937, 1939-1941, 1944-1947, 1954, 1956-1957, and 1959.   (OHC COLL 2013-23) 23 rosters in box (.3 linear feet) Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.      

The Oakland World Trade Club was established in 1928 to promote foreign trade with Oakland, California. The collection chiefly consists of correspondence, reports, scrapbooks, and membership rosters created by Oakland World Trade Club (OWTC) officeholders relating to their activities spanning from 1938-1978.    (OHC COLL 2025-5)   10 boxes (6.3 linear feet)   Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library. 

In 1975, Oakland City Council passed a resolution approving the formation of Oakland-Africa Sister Cities Program. Oakland was joined to Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. Oakland-Africa Sister Cities International (OASCI) was formed in 1976. Oakland-Africa Sister-Cities International was a non-profit corporation dedicated to international understanding and good will, through cultural, economic and educational exchange between the people of Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana, and the people of Oakland, California, U.S.A. OASCI activities included school and community affiliated programs and events which served to increase individuals' interest and awareness in African-American history and current events. OASCI was headed by Ahlerman Van Lewis (1931-2001). Records in this collection relate to Oakland-Africa Sister Cities International, its founder Ahlerman Van Lewis, and other affiliated organizations.  (OHC COLL 2023-1) 24 folders in 2 boxes (.4 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Primarily invitations, membership directories, meeting minutes, programs and photographs from the Pan American Association of the East Bay. Founded in Oakland by Mrs. Frank Colbourn in 1941 to foster interest in Latin America, the association held annual dinners and other programs until it disbanded in the late 1970s.   (OHC COLL 2018-7) 12 folders and 1 album in 4 boxes (1.75 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Dates: 1935-1995   Collection number: MS 147   Creator: Phyllis Wheatley Club of the East Bay   Collection Size: 2.5 linear feet (3 boxes + 1 oversized)   Guide to the Phyllis Wheatley Club of the East Bay Records Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) Named after African American poet Phillis Wheatley (c.1754 – 1784), the Phyllis Wheatley Club of the East Bay was founded in 1914 by Mrs. Fred Williams and Hettie B. Tilghman. The original intent of the club was to cultivate young black women and encourage their contributions to the community. Over the next two decades, it quickly became a charitable organization focused on fundraising efforts that supported local organizations, community services, and programs in the East Bay. The Phyllis Wheatley Club of the East Bay Collection includes administrative records, correspondence, event invitations and programs. Administrative records consist of the club’s constitution and by-laws, meeting minutes and financial ledgers. We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

History, directory calendars, and other materials from the Rockridge Woman's Club, founded in 1911 in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland. Initially the club was a women's auxiliary to the men-only Vernon-Rockridge Improvement Club. Its first clubhouse, on Keith Avenue, was demolished in the 1960s to make way for freeway construction, and was replaced by a second clubhouse on Chabot Road. The club disbanded in the early 2000s.   (OHC COLL 2015-22) 3 boxes (1.1 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

The Joshua Rose Papers document Joshua Rose's (1906-1987) life and contributions to the Oakland community as an executive for the Oakland YMCA and as a member of the Oakland Recreation Commission and the first African American to serve on the Oakland City Council. Dates: 1924-1987   Collection number: MS 8   Creator: Rose, Joshua   Collection Size: 1 linear foot (2 boxes + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the Joshua Rose Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Hadwick A. Thompson (1919-2002) was born on November 17, 1919 the son of Hadwick and Edna Thompson of Willows, California and the grandson of California pioneer Alvin Aaron Coffey. In 1947, Thompson and Clarence Williams became the first African American police officers to join the Oakland Police Department. Thompson was as a police officer with the Oakland Police Department for over twenty five years, working as a specialist in the community affairs department and supervising youth programs until his retirement in 1973. After his retirement, he continued to work as a police officer with the Bay Area Rapid Transit police force and as a fraud investigator with the Bank of California before retiring in 1992.  Thompson was also active in a many civic and service organizations. He serviced as the president of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Oakland Chinatown Lions Club, and was a national director for the U.S. Navy League and was an active member of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, Commonwealth Club, California Pioneer Society, and Men of Tomorrow, Inc. The Hadwick Thompson papers consist of twenty photographs, correspondence, business cards, and a funeral program that document the life and activities of Hadwick Thompson as the first African American police officer to join the Oakland Police Department. Dates: 1901-2002   Collection number: MS 45   Creator: Thompson, Hadwick.   Collection Size: .15 linear feet (1 box + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the Hadwick Thompson Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Royal E. Towns (1899-1990) was born February 10, 1899 in Oakland, California to William and Elizabeth Scott Towns. Towns was raised in West Oakland and attended West Oakland Free Kindergarten and married Lucille Dennis in 1920. He worked for a short time as dining car waiter before joining the Oakland Fire Department as a hoseman at Engine No. 22 in 1927. In 1941, Towns became the first African American to be appointed as the fire department’s chief operator, and eventually was promoted to lieutenant, a position he would hold until his retirement in 1962. The Royal E. Towns Papers consists of photographs, correspondence, publications, financial and legal records, and ephemera that document Towns’ work as a City of Oakland firefighter, photographer, director of public relations for Free and Accepted Masons of California, and as an amateur historian. View online items Dates: 1857-1990   Collection number: MS 26   Creator: Royal E. Towns   Collection Size: 17.8 linear feet (30 boxes + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the Royal E. Towns Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Oakland Heritage Alliance files related to the development of the Uptown area of Oakland, California. Files principally concern the designation of the “Uptown Retail and Rehabilitation Area,” of the Central District Urban Renewal Plan, and subsequent development proposals. Materials include city documents, development proposals, including for the Fox Theater, correspondence, including from merchants and Uptown Business Association; and newspaper clippings. Also includes planning documents for a tour of Uptown (2001-2002).   (OHC COLL 2024-1)   7 folders in 1 box (.4 linear feet)   Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library. 

Primarily incoming letters and photographs relating to McCracken's eight years as Mayor of Oakland, California. The letters are mostly congratulatory or thankful in nature and the photographs are mostly of ribbon cuttings, banquets, and other ceremonial events. Also contains one folder of programs and campaign material, including programs for the opening ceremonies of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, and the groundbreaking of the Broadway Low Level Tunnel in 1934. Of particular note in the collection are photographs documenting the goodwill visit of the German cruiser Karlsruhe in March, 1935, including images of the parade which show the German Nazi flag flying on Broadway and in front of Oakland City Hall, a banquet honoring Amelia Earhart, the opening of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan and his airplane, Oakland Pride Club activities, and the Presidential dinner with Franklin Delano Roosevelt commemorating the groundbreaking for the Golden Gate International Exhibition. (OHC COLL 2026-29) 9 folders (.3 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Dates: 1919-1977   Creator: East Bay Negro Historical Society.   Collection Size: .25 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Young Women's Christian Association Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) View online items The Young Women's Christian Association Collection consists of correspondence, event invitations and programs, meeting minutes, constitution and by-laws, and publications of the Young Women's Christian Association of Oakland collected by the East Bay Negro Historical Society. The collection is organized into two series: YWCA of Oakland and Assorted national YWCA publications. The bulk of the YWCA of Oakland series is administrative records of the Linden St. and Market St. branches of the YWCA of Oakland, the two black branches of the YWCA in Oakland, California. The administrative records include the Linden St. branch constitution and by-laws, meeting minutes, and programs and invitation to events held at the Linden St. branch. Publications include a transcript of a 1934 speech delivered by Ernestine Bryant, “The architectural mode of life” and YWCA of Oakland reports and newsletters. The assorted national YWCA publications series includes a March 1960 edition of the The Phyllis Wheatley Reporter newsletter and a 1949 YWCA pamphlet, Interracial policies of the Young Women’s Christian Associations of the United States of America. We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.