In the Jim Crow South, the “white primary” was the first line of attack to prevent Black Americans from voting. But in 1944, a Kentucky native on the Supreme Court helped end the tactic in a case called Smith v. Allwright. In the exhibit, “Black Voters, White Primaries”, UK's John G. Heyburn II Initiative explores voter suppression then and now. BONUS: Josh Douglas, elections expert in the Rosenberg College of Law, weighs in on voter suppression this election season. Don’t forget to vote!

 

 

Additional Resources Added to ExploreUK

Online and open access to archival resources is more important now than ever in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial unrest across the United States and beyond. With that in mind, SCRC is happy to announce the following collections are available on ExploreUK.

Norman Family papers

The Norman family papers (dated 1787, 1877-1899; 0.2 cubic feet; 2 folders) consist of a mathematics copybook written by Reuben Norman for his son Caleb Norman. The copybook contains significant handwritten marginalia from Caleb as well as many others. The collection also includes several letters from the late nineteenth century, including one written by L.C. Norman, president of the Old McBrayer Distilling Company in 1899.

Cassius M. Clay journal

The Cassius M. Clay journal and papers (dated 1826-1941, undated; 0.25 cubic feet; 1 box, 2 folders) primarily comprises a journal kept by abolitionist Cassius M. Clay to document financial and business transactions.

Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records bulletins and newspapers

The Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records (dated 1939-2015, bulk 1977-2011; 6.07 cubic feet and 13.7 gigabytes; 11 boxes, 2 items, and 14,228 digital files) contain administrative records, publications, bulletins, financial records, photographs, meeting minutes, committee records, ledger books, and digital files documenting the community events, activities, and operation of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass. The bulletins and newspapers have been digitized

Richard B. Isenhour architectural drawings

The Richard B. Isenhour architectural drawings (dated 1952-1989; 4 cubic feet; 14 folders) comprise design drawings for 80 residences and one medical building designed by architect Richard B. Isenhour, with most of the properties in Lexington, Kentucky, but also including structures in South Carolina, Florida, and North Carolina from 1952 to 1989.

Kentucky Negro Education Association journals

The Kentucky Negro Education Association journals (dated 1916-1952, 68 volumes) include proceedings of the organization's meetings and official publications. The organization was formed when State Superintendent of Public Instruction H. A. Henderson in 1877 when he gathered 45 Negro educators and trustees to form the State Association of Colored Teachers. In 1913 it was renamed the Kentucky Negro Educational Association (KNEA). This representative body of Kentucky's Negro educators was an influential lobbying group for education issues. Annual conferences were held in Louisville, KY. In response to desegregation, the organization was renamed the Kentucky Teachers Association, though it was still referred to in general conversation as KNEA. In 1956, KNEA was subsumed into the formerly all white Kentucky Education Association. KNEA was the predecessor to present day organizations such as the Kentucky Association of Blacks in Higher Education. 

(Description from the Notable Kentucky African Americans Database.)

Laura Clay papers

The Laura Clay papers (dated 1819-1959, bulk 1906-1920; 13.63 cubic feet; 34 boxes, 2 folders, 3 items) consists of correspondence, pamphlets, periodicals, organizational records, petitions, scrapbooks, broadsides, programs, legal documents, and suffrage pins and ribbons, which document the career of Kentucky suffragist Laura Clay. These are in addition to the Laura Clay photographs. 

WAVE television Louisville, Kentucky busing films

WAVE-TV Louisville news coverage of the 1975 federal court order to racially integrate the Jefferson County Public Schools through busing. This court order was supported and protested through a number of public demonstrations and rallies on both sides of the debate. These are the edited news footage packages that were shown during the nightly reporting of the events and issues around desegregation of the Louisville, Kentucky public school system beginning in July and running through December of 1975.

Newly Digitized Wade Hall Collections!

A selection of new collections from the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters project have been digitized and made available online! New collections include topics such as religion, romance, war, family, education, and veterinary healthcare! These collections, along with many others, were digitized as part of a National Endowment for the Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Grant, entitled "P.S. Write Again Soon": Revealing 200 years of the American Mosaic through the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters. All digitized and published Wade Hall collections can be found on ExploreUK!

F.L. Speiden to Harriet Pettus, 1900

Pettus-Speiden family papers, 2009ms132.0126 - The Pettus-Speiden family papers (dated 1891-1928, bulk 1904-1917; 1.4 cubic feet; 4 boxes) comprise letters and short writings that document the experiences of an upper class family in Louisville, Kentucky during the last decade of the nineteenth century through World War I.

Florence Weigel letters, 2009ms132.0134 - The Florence Weigel letters (dated 1898-1899; 0.08 cubic feet; 2 folders) comprises thirteen letters that document the relationship between Florence Weigel and Lester Pomeroy in Pennsylvania and New York.

Henry Heyburn postcard to parents, 1943

Henry Heyburn family letters, 2009ms132.0284 - The Henry Heyburn family letters (dated 1908-1992, bulk 1938-1948; 1.8 cubic feet; 4 boxes) comprise letters, papers, and clippings that document the life of Henry Heyburn as a soldier and his family in Louisville, Kentucky during and post-World War II.

Ivan Heft to his mother, 1911

Ivan Heft papers, 2009ms132.0303 - The Ivan Heft papers (dated 1903-1961, undated; 0.9 cubic feet; 2 boxes) comprise letters, essays, and notebooks that primarily documents the education and early pastoral career of Ivan Heft in New Jersey, Ohio, Montana, Colorado, New York, and Kentucky in the first half of the twentieth century.

Grand Army of the Republic records, 2009ms132.0358 - The Grand Army of the Republic records (dated 1895-1896; 1.03 cubic feet; 1 box, 4 items) primarily consist of letters, telegram notes, and other correspondence kept and organized by William Cornwell Jr., General Secretary of the citizens committee of the Grand Army of the Republic's 29th National Encampment in Louisville, Kentucky.

Zoology project by Winston A. Thompson

Winston A. Thompson papers, 2009ms132.0547 - The Winston A. Thompson papers (dated 1943-1964, undated; 0.22 cubic feet; 11 folders) comprise printed materials, publications, school records and assignments, and a memory book that document the life of Winston Thompson while attending Central High School in Louisville, Kentucky in the 1950s.

Letter to Monna detailing a friend's second assault, 1942

Monna Rogers letters, 2009ms132.0560 - The Monna Rogers letters (dated 1910-1955, undated; 0.27 cubic feet; 6 folders) comprise letters that document the personal and religious life of Monna Rogers and other family members in Ohio in the first half of the twentieth century.

Equine veterinarian log book, 2009ms132.0568 - The Equine veterinarian log book (dated 1900; 0.05 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises a log book of veterinarian Dr. Plaskett and his two voyages transporting horses from Montreal, Canada to Port Elizabeth, South Africa for the British during the Boer War.

German soldier to parents, 1941

German World War II soldiers letters, 2009ms132.0573 - The German World War II soldiers letters (dated 1941-19444; 0.05 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise nine letters from German soldiers to their families while serving during World War II.

What do Tenochtitlan, Jean Thomas, Lexington Pride Fest, and Whiskey Manufacturing Have in Common?

Resources related to Tenochtitlan, Jean Thomas, Lexington Pride Fest, and Whiskey Manufacturing, and more have been digitized and added to ExploreUK!


Description of the O.F.C., Carlisle, and J.S. Taylor distilleries, and process of whiskey manufacture applied therein 1886

The Tape Recordings series and the Films series from the A.B. "Happy" Chandler papers

Temistitan (map of Tenochtitlan), circa 1572

Jean Thomas The Life and the Legend scrapbook ,1943-1984, consists of a scrapbook concerning the life of Kentucky folklorist Jean Thomas, which was compiled by University of Kentucky student, Jerry Groce.

Several Pride Fest programs were added to Pride Community Services Organization publications

A WWI scrapbook was added to the John Jacob Niles papers

United Brothers of Friendship and Sisters of the Mysterious Ten

Journal of the Annual Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic Department of Kentucky, 1896-1907

Recently Digitized University Archives Resources Now on ExploreUK

A wealth of UK-related materials has been digitized and added to ExploreUK! 

Learn more about one of the leaders of desegregating UK in the Wade Hall papers (dated 1876-1998, undated; 4.1 cubic feet; 9 boxes) comprise the research collected and writings by Bellarmine University professor Wade Hall about civil rights leader Lyman T. Johnson. Photographs, slides, and other visual materials related to Lyman T. Johnson were digitized.

Ms. Angela Davis with Lyman T. Johnson at home of John H. Johnson, Louisville, circa 1980

UK daily news, events, and more are captured in the The Kentucky Kernel. The 1971-2008 issues were recently digitized and added to the 1915-1920 issues already online. Don't forget the Kernel's two preceding titles: The State College Cadet and The Idea.

The Terrence Fox University of Kentucky student protest film comprises two digital copies of what was probably an 8mm amateur, silent, color film of a protest by University of Kentucky students on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, May 5-7, 1970. Mechanical engineering doctoral student and later president of the Help Prevent Campus Violence/Student Coalition group Terrence "Terry" Fox filmed the protest. In addition to scenes of students gathering and marching at various campus, downtown Lexington, and Transylvania University locations with local and Kentucky state police and National Guard present (May 5-7), there are also scenes of the Tuesday night (May 5) fire and fire fighters at the Euclid Avenue Building/Air Force ROTC Building as well as scenes of the National Guard using tear gas on student protesters gathered around the UK Student Center on Thursday (May 7).

Still from the Terrence Fox UK student protest film

The University of Kentucky campus maps and guidebooks collection shows what campus looked like over time. It's incredible to see how the university changes and improves each and every year!

·        University of Kentucky College of Nursing publications include 21 publications from the past two decades that discuss changes in practice and new developments in research.