Police

Police

Blackburn (Maxine and Roy C.) Papers

The Maxine and Roy C. Blackburn Papers include clippings, correspondence, certificates, photographs, and programs relating to the lives and careers of Maxine Blackburn and her brother, Roy C. Blackburn. Maxine's accomplishments as a pianist, organist, and choral director are documented in clippings and programs about various local concerts she participated in or organized. Roy's civic activities as a member of the Republican party and as a member of the Oakland Police Department are documented in newspaper clippings and pamphlets. The papers include correspondence received from Roland Hayes while he worked as his Pacific Coast Manager. Newspaper clippings also document Roy's role as Director of Negro Publicity for the 1939 World's Fair and as a clerk for the State Relief Administration in the late 1930s. A majority of the photographs are family and friends of the Blackburn family. Dates: 1915-1979   Collection number: MS 13   Collection Size: .25 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Maxine and Roy C. Blackburn 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.

Brooks (John Edward) Papers

The John Edward Brooks papers includes correspondence, certificates, photographs, printed material, employment records related to Brooks' military service, employment as a police officer, and disability and equal employment claims. The papers are arranged into four series: biographical, employment records, printed material, and photographs. The bulk of the papers documents Brooks’ employment history, including his military service at Fort Lewis and in Germany, and also includes his applications for disability and equal employment claims. Dates: circa 1924-1988   Collection number: MS 34   Creator: Brooks, John Edward.   Collection Size: 1 linear foot (2 boxes)   Guide to the John Edward Brooks 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.

John H. Sutter collection, 1967-1981

The material in this collection documents John Sutter's work on three policy fronts: conserving the East Bay shoreline, in particular protecting San Leandro Bay in the face of Oakland International Airport expansion (late 1960s); creating an Oakland Arts Council to promote the visual and performing arts in Oakland (1973-1981); and establishing an Oakland citizens’ complaint board to review police conduct (1979-1981). The collection consists of reports, memoranda, newspaper articles and other ephemera. (OHC COLL 2014-19) 22 folders in 2 boxes (2.2 linear feet)   Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Thompson (Hadwick) Papers

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.

A-Z Collections Index