Guide to Manuscript Collections

The guide is arranged by processing date, provides a synopsis of the individual collections, and presents links to the finding aids.

1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s

MS 2010-01
WICHITA BIBLIOPHILES COLLECTION
Materials: 8.5 linear feet
   »   The Wichita Bibliophiles Collection is comprised of invitations, meeting minutes, membership lists, photographs, correspondence, book collecting materials, papers, and ephemera involved with the history of this group. The records range from 1893 to 2014. The Wichita Bibliophiles has been in existence from 1932 to the present day.

MS 2010-02
JANET OWEN LAWS COLLECTION
Materials: 15.0 linear feet
   »   The Janet Owen Laws Collection documents the re-emergence of Native American culture throughout North America, particularly in Kansas and the Southwest, and show the flourishing art and culture of Native Americans in the last half of the twentieth century. The collection also includes the memoirs of Janet and those of her husband Leonard, Janet’s correspondence with Shirley Andrews, and images of her and Leonard’s artwork, handicrafts and sculpture. The collection is comprised of scrapbooks, images, newspaper clippings, travel guides, museum brochures, publications, and other writings.

MS 2013-01
GORDON PARKS PAPERS
Materials:133.5 linear feet
   »   The collection consists of the papers of Gordon Parks from 1878-2007. The papers, most of which were collected by Parks during his lifetime, document his professional and personal life as a successful fashion photographer, photojournalist, novelist, memoirist, poet, film director, and composer, with the bulk of the material from the 1960s to the early 2000s. The collection demonstrates Parks' wide range of literary, cinematic, and artistic endeavors.

MS 2013-02
C. A. SEWARD AND PRAIRIE PRINT MAKERS COLLECTION
Materials: 3.0 linear feet
   »   The collection consists mostly of artwork, correspondence, exhibition programs, images, publications and news clippings documenting the life and career of Wichita visual artist C. A. (Coy Avon) Seward. Also included are correspondence, artwork, membership materials, publications and news clippings documenting the formation and activities of the Prairie Print Makers. Seward was a founding member of this organization which brought together diverse artists throughout the Midwest.

MS 2013-03
COLEMAN COMPANY RECORDS
Materials: 88.5 linear feet
   »   The collection consists of the records created and used by the Coleman Company, Inc. from 1854-2011 in daily operations. The bulk of the material is from the 1940s to the 1980s. The Hydro-Carbon Light Company, which began in 1900 as a lighting rental service for rural Americans before mass electrification, evolved into the Coleman Company, Inc., a large outdoor recreation company. The collection demonstrates the rise of marketing, mass production and retail in post-World War II America.

MS 2013-04
DR. PERRY MARSHALL BELL AND ANNABEL MONTGOMERY BELL PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION
Materials: 0.25 linear feet
   »   The photograph collection of Dr. Perry Marshall Bell and Annabel Montgomery Bell consists of group professional, social, and personal photographs, Dr. Bell’s obituary, and a brief biography of Annabel Bell. The photographs include medical school, social and cultural events, and family photos, many with unidentified people. The known dates of the collection span from 1936-1956.

MS 2013-05
THE ESTHER M. ERICKSON YWCA PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION
Materials: 0.25 linear feet
   »   The Esther M. Erickson YWCA Photograph Collection consists of professional and personal photographs of Erickson during her work for the YWCA and in her leisure time as well as postcards she collected of places where she worked and visited. The photographs document YWCA programs of physical and educational activities and social and cultural events in which Erickson, her colleagues, friends, and YWCA members participated. The known dates of the collection are from 1902 to1917; however, most photographs are undated. It was during the time of Erickson’s involvement in the YWCA organization that it became a pioneer in introducing women’s health initiatives and providing basic educational skills and social and cultural enrichment for working women.

MS 2014-01
WALTER MORRIS FAMILY PAPERS
Materials: 42.5 linear feet
   »   The collection consists of records created and used by members of the Morris family and the family real estate business, Walter Morris & Son, now named Walter Morris Companies.  The majority of the material belonged to Walter Morris, Harriett Morris, and Walter Morris & Son.  The bulk of the records are from the 1950s-1990s with some material documenting the family’s life and business in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in Wichita.

MS 2014-02
KU KLUX KLAN COLLECTION
Materials: 0.25 linear feet
   »   The Ku Klux Klan Collection documents the involvement of George C. McCarron, an Imperial Representative of the Klan, in the organization during its peak years of 1923 to 1924. The bulk of this collection consists of memos McCarron sent to Klan members in the Realm of Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska with content about the organization, its doctrine, memberships, and other administrative information. Also included in this collection are an invitation and a program from Klan meetings and photographs of unidentified individuals. Of note are the memos documenting the Klan’s reaction to William J. Simmon’s creation of the Knights Kamellia, a women’s group not sanctioned by the Klan, which led to Simmon’s banishment.

MS 2014-03
GERALD D. AND RACHEL N. NORWOOD COLLECTION ON SLAVERY, ANTI-SLAVERY AND EMANICIPATION
Materials: 0.25 linear feet
   »   This collection is comprised of artifacts, financial documents, legal records, magazines, and newspapers documenting the practice of slavery as it evolved in the American colonies and the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries. Of note are the legal records detailing contracts for the sale of slaves, inventories of slaves, and an emancipation deed. Also of note is the South Carolina revenue bond scrip from the Reconstruction Era printed with images of slaves and former slaves working in the fields and serving their masters.

MS 2014-04
CLIF MAJOR AND KATHY ROUSH COLLECTION
Materials: 8.25 linear feet
   »   The bulk of this collection houses the business records for C Major Guitars, Clif Major’s personal papers, business and personal correspondence, posters and flyers for performances at regional venues, photographs and photographic albums, and information on Major’s bands and other performers.

MS 2014-05
LLOYD FOLTZ COLLECTION
Materials: 4.5 linear feet
   »   This collection houses many pieces of art by Lloyd Foltz including lithographs, graphite sketches, ink drawings, aquatints, etchings, watercolors, reproductions, and block prints. Also present are a scrapbook, press clippings, correspondence, negatives of two of Foltz's Christmas cards, and work by other artists.

MS 2014-06
KANSAS PRINTMAKERS COLLECTION
Materials: 2.5 linear feet
   »   Includes block prints, lithographs, etchings, and reproductions by Kansas printmakers Richard Bergen, Charles Capps, Sue Jean Covacevich, William Dickerson, Glenn Golton, John F. Helm, Jr., Clarence Hotvedt, Herschel Logan, Birger Sandzén and Margaret Whittemore.

MS 2015-01
DWANE AND VELMA WALLACE COLLECTION
Materials: 42.0 linear feet
   »   The collection consists of records documenting the business activities of the Cessna Aircraft Company and papers documenting the professional and public lives of Dwane and Velma Wallace. Inclusive dates span the years 1908 to 2012, with the bulk dates from 1934 to 1981. The records provide a history of both Cessna and the general aviation industry in Wichita and document Dwane Wallace's career with the company.

MS 2016-01
RALPH HARMON PAPERS
Materials: 2.5 linear feet
   »   This collection documents Ralph Harmon's career as an engineer and executive with various general aviation companies, as well as his efforts during the late 1980s and early 1990s to call for tort reform with respect to product liability. The collection is notable for records pertaining to the Cessna Model 620. It includes recordings of interviews Harmon conducted with former employees of aviation companies such as Beech, Mooney, Cessna and Stearman as well as presentations he delivered to aviation clubs.

MS 2016-02
SANDOR "ALEX" KVASSAY PAPERS
Materials: 4.5 linear feet
   »   This collection contains papers preserved by Sandor "Alex" Kvassay which document his Hungarian ancestry, immigration to the United States following World War II, and career in aviation as a salesman of business jets within the international community. Items include certificates of birth and baptism, ID cards and passports, citizenship records, military service documents, educational transcripts and diplomas, letters of recommendation, job applications, resumes, news and magazine clippings, writings, a pilot log and pilot license, scrapbooks of foreign travels, and photographs of aircraft and persons involved in aviation manufacturing and marketing. Notable items include material relating to Kvassay's Hungarian upbringing and post-World War II activities in Budapest and Istanbul, as well as correspondence, business records, published articles, and images reflecting his considerable travel and skill as a marketer for Beech and Learjet. The bulk of material extends from 1941 to 2014.

MS 2016-03
19th CENTURY LITHOGRAPHS OF NATIVE AMERICANS
Materials: 6.0 linear feet
   »  This collection contains fourteen lithographs of 19th century Native Americans which were initially published during the 1830s and 1840s. The images mainly represent prominent members of the Cherokee, Chippewa (also spelled Chippeway and Ojibwa), Menominee, Fox, Sauk, and Seneca tribes.

MS 2016-04
DENICE BRUCE COLLECTION
Materials: 0.5 linear feet
   »  This collection contains correspondence, press clippings, speeches, interview transcripts, academic and professional reports, and corporate publications collected by WSU graduate student Denice Bruce during the research and writing of her master’s thesis. The material largely deals with the Dow Chemical Company’s manufacture of Agent Orange and napalm, both of which were used by the American military during the Vietnam War. Various items in the collection also show the evolution of Dow’s public relations approach within this era and during the 1980s.

MS 2016-05
LESLIE BLOOM COLLECTION
Materials: 2.0 linear feet
   »  This collection contains material written and collected by WSU alumnus Leslie Robert Bloom with respect to his unfinished master's thesis on the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and its presence in early 20th century Kansas. Items include drafts of Bloom's thesis, correspondence, copies of academic publications and IWW literature, press clippings, an interview transcript, federal agency and bureau reports, and assorted research notes. Inclusive dates are from 1910 to 1992.

MS 2016-06
H. EDWARD FLENTJE PAPERS
Materials: 17.0 linear feet
   »  This collection mainly documents the career of Dr. H. Edward Flentje in higher education and in Kansas state government. Some records also provide information on Wichita politics from the late 19th through the early 21st centuries, and water issues affecting local and state economic and public policies. Record types include academic transcripts and papers, personal and professional correspondence, government reports, speeches and conference materials, photographs, news clippings, public opinion poll research, biographical reports, subject files, and ephemera. Inclusive dates range from 1917 to 2014, with bulk dates being between 1964 and 1991.

MS 2016-07
JOHN DEAN COLLECTION
Materials: 0.25 linear feet
   »  This collection consists of manuscripts, press clippings, correspondence, and publicity material created or collected by John Dean of Nickerson, Kansas. The bulk of the material is concerned with Dean’s writings, correspondence and accumulated research material on Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), space exploration, and extraterrestrial life. Also present are some promotional items from Dean’s career as an author and lecturer.

MS 2016-08
NATIVE AMERICAN IMAGES
Materials: 0.25 linear feet
   »  This collection consists of sixteen images of Native Americans taken during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Most pictures are studio portraits while others portray funeral scenes and tribal encampments. Image formats include postcards, cabinet cards, stereographs, and tintypes.

MS 2016-09
ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INC. COLLECTION
Materials: 9.5 linear feet
   »  This collection contains material primarily relating to the Beta Kappa Omega (BKΩ) Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), the first Greek-lettered sorority founded by African-American women. Record types include meeting minutes, budget reports, magazines, photographs, notes, ephemera, audiovisual material, and artifacts. Bulk dates are from 1944-2015.

MS 2016-10
THOMAS MERTON COLLECTION
Materials: 2.0 linear feet
   »  This collection consists of writings by Catholic priest and Trappist monk Thomas Merton, who became well known for his publications on religion and spirituality, as well as his pacifism, social activism, and promotion of interfaith dialogue. Record types include manuscripts and correspondence on the above topics, and material related to Merton’s life and the monastery where he resided and worked.

MS 2016-11
MADISON AND MELVINA WEST COLLECTION
Materials: 3.0 linear feet
   »  This collection contains material documenting the professional roles and personal activities of Wichita journalist Madison West and his wife, Melvina, who worked with local school boards during the mid-1960s when integration became a controversial educational issue in Wichita. Record types include meeting minutes, newspapers, correspondence, administrative policies, professional manuals, artwork, and artifacts.

MS 2016-12
ALONZO THOMAS COLLECTION
Materials: 3.0 linear feet
   »  The Alonzo Thomas collection consists of images, press clippings, scrapbooks, correspondence, and ephemera which document the personal life and professional career of Alonzo Thomas, a Topeka-based watch manufacturer and jeweler.

MS 2017-01
CHRIS CHERCHES PAPERS
Materials: 24.5 linear feet
   »  The collection contains the professional and personal papers of long-time Wichita City Manager Chris Cherches, who also acted in the same capacity for other municipalities in Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Montana, and Nevada from 1960 through 1985. Record types include correspondence, budget reports, press clippings, speeches, academic studies, periodicals, newsletters, professional and corporate publications, audiovisual material, and ephemera. Bulk dates are from 1972-2004.

MS 2017-02
WILLIAM P. BUCHANAN PAPERS
Materials: 4.25 linear feet
   »  This collection contains correspondence and related material pertaining to longtime Sedgwick County Manager William P. Buchanan's career in local government. Pertinent topics include law enforcement, economic development, finance, education, land use, solid waste management, health care, the privatizing of county services, partnerships with Wichita city government, and transportation needs.

MS 2017-03
SANDRA REDDISH COLLECTION OF WOMEN ENGINEERS ORAL HISTORIES
Materials: 1.0 linear feet
   »  This collection consists of interviews conducted in 2000 and 2001 by WSU graduate student Sandra Reddish (M.A., 2003) for an oral history project. The interviews document the academic and professional experiences of women engineers in the aerospace industry during the late 20th century, and note the challenges concerning the academic and professional promotion of engineering to young women in secondary and higher education.

MS 2017-04
ARTHUR W. HALL PAPERS
Materials: 1.0 linear feet
   »  This collection contains personal records, clippings, correspondence, images, artwork, and research material relating to the life and career of artist Arthur W. Hall. Some material documents the life and work of his first wife, Norma Bassett Hall, as well as art communities in Kansas and New Mexico during the 20th century.

MS 2017-05
DR. JUDITH JOHNSON COLLECTION OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN ORAL HISTORIES
Materials: 1.0 linear feet
   »This collection consists of interviews conducted by retired WSU professor Dr. Judith Johnson with African Americans who lived in Wichita during the mid-to-late 20th century. Topics include personal history, integration in schools, social and political activism, religion, employment in Wichita, and the consequences of urban renewal on African-American neighborhoods.

MS 2017-06
EARLY WICHITA DRAWINGS COLLECTION
Materials: 0.25 linear feet
   »  This collection contains the earliest known depictions of the area that would become the city of Wichita drawn by the noted illustrator James E. Taylor (1839-1901). The images show Native Americans hunting and in their encampment, early trader settlements and ranches, a view of a wooded Arkansas River, and William "Dutch Bill" Greiffenstein, one of the founders of Wichita.

MS 2017-07
CIVIL WAR JOURNAL OF WILLIAM B. TIBBITS
Materials: 0.25 linear feet
   »  This collection consists of an autograph copy and typed transcription of Brevet Major General William B. Tibbits's 1875 journal, which recounts his service in the Union Army as an infantry and cavalry officer during the Civil War.

MS 2017-08
CIVIL WAR DIARIES OF WILLIAM PENN FLENNER
Materials: 0.25 linear feet
   »  This collection consists of transcribed copies of William Penn Flenner's diaries, which recount his daily life as a Union Army soldier in 1864 and 1865. Topics of interest include Flenner's participation in Sherman's March to the Sea during the fall of 1864, the Union's depredation of Southern towns and farms, the hardships of weather and illness, religious faith during wartime, and Flenner's reunions with family during and after his service.

MS 2017-09
AARON BECK COLLECTION OF CIVIL WAR LETTERS
Materials: 0.25 linear feet
   »  This collection consists of 18 letters received by Illinois resident Aaron S. Beck from his friends and relatives, almost all of whom served in the Union army between 1863 and 1865. Topics include daily military life, skirmishes with Confederate forces, weather, women, the creation of Negro regiments, and Copperheads.

MS 2017-10
STRONG HINMAN PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION
Materials: 0.25 linear feet
   »  This collection contains photographs and newspaper clippings documenting Strong Hinman's role as director of physical education for the Fort Dodge, Iowa, and Wichita, Kansas, public schools. Also included in this collection are pictures of track, football, and baseball teams coached by Hinman, as well as images of a Lions Club baseball trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas.

MS 2017-11
MARVIN J. "JERRY" GORDON PAPERS
Materials: 3.5 linear feet
   »  This collection contains the papers of aeronautical engineer Marvin J. "Jerry" Gordon, who worked primarily at Beech and Boeing from 1940 through 1982. Record types include correspondence, technical reports, notes, press clippings, promotional material, corporate publications, and images.

MS 2017-12
LOUISE BROOKS COLLECTION
Materials: 20.0 linear feet
   »   The Louise Brooks Collection consists of diaries, correspondence, notebooks, photographs, press clippings, books, pamphlets, periodicals, interview transcripts, and ephemera concerning the legendary film actress and cult figure. The material documents her personal life and respective occupations as a dancer, actress, and writer. Also included are records pertaining to the administration of her estate as well as correspondence and interview transcripts created by Barry Paris while researching and writing his biography on Brooks.

MS 2018-01
WICHITA AFRICAN AMERICAN BUSINESS HISTORY PROJECT
Materials: 4.0 linear feet (4 boxes and 1 OS folder)
   »   This collection chiefly consists of interviews conducted from 2011 to 2014 by Wichita State University history professor Dr. Robert E. Weems, Jr., with 32 African Americans from Wichita recognized as entrepreneurs. Record types include oral history recordings and transcripts, release forms for interviews, biographical materials, newspaper clippings, other publications, an artifact and images.

MS 2018-02
GAY PULP FICTION COLLECTION
Materials: 13.0 linear feet (13 boxes)
   »   This collection of gay pulp fiction spans five decades (1940s-1980s), and includes the works of several prominent gay writers. Among these are James Barr (Quatrefoil) and Phil Andros (The Greek Way). Publishers represented within the collection include Greenleaf, Phenix, Spade Classics, Blueboy, Eros, Gay Parisian Press, Star Distributors, Surrey and Traveler's Companion. The bulk of the collection consists of gay pulps, paperback books printed using wood pulp paper. Also included are manuscripts and a bibliography. The content of the works and the cover art of the pulps depict gay lifestyles and experiences in diverse settings.

MS 2018-03
ENGLISH LEGAL DOCUMENT COLLECTION
Materials: 1 oversized folder
   »   This collection consists of an English manuscript legal document executed by hand in black ink on vellum. The document, dated September 7, 1720, is embellished with a large engraved heading showing a seal with the motto "Honi soit qui mal y pense" and the phrase "This Indenture Tripartite," meaning the agreement involves three parties, namely Francis Scott, John Wheatley and Johanna Cook.

MS 2018-04
EUNICE SCHWEITER NIXON PAPERS
Materials: 2.5 linear feet
   »   This collection contains the personal papers of Eunice Schweiter Nixon. Materials include photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, genealogical research, compiled background research, and memorabilia relating to the Schweiter and Schmid families, early Wichita pioneers, World War II and Dwight Eisenhower.

MS 2018-05
CESSNA FAMILY COLLECTION
Materials: 7.5 linear feet
   »   This collection from Janice Cessna Clarke contains the personal papers of the Cessna family as well as materials from the Cessna Aircraft Company, the Cessna Exhibition Company and the Cessna Aeroplane Company. Materials include photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, magazines, advertisements, financial records, the writings of several members of the Cessna family, awards given to Clyde and Eldon Cessna, materials from clubs to which Cessna family members belonged, aircraft design books, blueprints for Cessna aircraft, books for pilots, aircraft parts catalogs, and documents from air races.

MS 2019-01
DOLE AIR RACE COLLECTION, 1927-1977
Materials: 0.25 linear feet
   »   This collection contains photographs of planes on the ground prior to takeoff at the Dole Air Race on August 16, 1927 and a newspaper article looking back on the race fifty years later.

MS 2019-02
WICHITA PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2000 BOND ISSUE COLLECTION
Materials: 1.0 linear foot
   »  This collection contains records from Wichita State University Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. James Rhatigan, who was a member of CARE (Citizens Alliance for Responsible Education) and worked to pass a USD 259 bond issue in 2000. Records include correspondence, bond specifics, volunteer information and promotional materials.

MS 2019-03
BRUCE MOORE PAPERS
Materials: 37.25 linear feet
   »   This collection from the Wichita Center for the Arts (now Mark Arts) contains the personal papers of artist Bruce Moore and his wife, Aly. Materials include correspondence, photographs and design sketches for Moore's artwork, newspaper and magazine clippings, reference materials for studying art, writings by Moore and his wife, advertisements for art supplies and services, materials from clubs to which Moore belonged, family photos and memorabilia, financial records, and records from the Wichita Center for the Arts regarding the collection.