Article, Handbook of Texas Online, 2012
Scope and Contents
There are three distinct components to this collection. First, there are materials from three African American Masonic organizations (Dawn of Light Lodge no.79, Heroines of Jericho, White Swan Court no.148, and Order of the Eastern Star, Annie Jones Chapter no.114) and Camp no.71 of the American Woodmen of the World. Check receipt books, relief receipts, membership ledgers, minute books, dues payments, member correspondence, photographs, several broadsides, and other documents describe each group’s finances, governance and membership. All four fraternal organization used the same meetinghouse in Lufkin, Texas. Four blueprints in the collection show the building’s architecture and design.
Possibly the most significant subset of the collection are the one hundred issues of newsletters published by the state chapters of each of the three African American Masonic organizations. There are fifty-seven issues of the Texas Prince Hall “Masonic Quarterly” (1927-1996), thirty-six issues of the Texas Prince Hall “Heroines Quarterly” (1940-1989, bulk 1978-1989), and seven issues of the “Eastern Star” newsletter (1955-1961, 1972). These publications offer a unique perspective on black fraternal organizations in the mid-twentieth century. Many of the earlier newsletters are newsprint and not in very good condition.
The collection also has articles, biographical information, correspondence, and photographs articles about Reverend Bettie Kennedy and her ex-husband Oscar Kennedy. Most of these materials pertain to Bettie Kennedy’s community service and volunteer projects.
Researchers investigating African American history, fraternal organizations and Freemasonry may find this collection useful. Scholars interested in the intersection of politics and race in Texas politics may want to look at Box 4, Folder 21, Items 3-6. This set of documents come from Harry M. Wurzbach’s campaign against R. B. Creager for control of the Texas Republican Party in 1928.
Written by Kyle Ainsworth
Dates
- Creation: 2012
Conditions Governing Access
Open for research.
Extent
From the Collection: 9.00 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
Repository Details
Part of the East Texas Research Center Repository
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