Whitney M. Young, Sr. papers
Abstract
The Whitney M. Young, Sr. papers (dated 1915-1975, undated; 3.44 cubic feet; 5 boxes) comprise memos, correspondence, personal documents, programs and publications, and newspaper clippings that document Young's career at the Lincoln Institute, the National Urban League, and other education and civil rights-related organizations.
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Whitney M. Young, Sr. papers
- Date
- 1915-1975, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Young, Whitney M., Sr.
- Extent
- 3.44 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Adult education -- Kentucky -- Lexington.
- African Americans -- Civil rights -- Kentucky.
- African Americans -- Segregation
- Segregation in education -- Kentucky
- Lincoln Institute (Simpsonville, Ky.)
- Young, Whitney M., Sr.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by format and subject.
- Preferred Citation
- 2021m074: [identification of item], Whitney M. Young, Sr. papers, 1915-1975, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Whitney M. Young Sr. was an educator and civil rights leader. Young was born in Paynes Depot, Kentucky to Taylor Young and Annie Henderson during 1897 (Notable Kentucky African Americans, 2019). Young was a graduate of Lincoln Institute, an all-black boarding school that operated from 1912-1966 in Shelby County, Kentucky. Young also attended Louisville Municipal College, Monrovia College, and Fisk University. After serving in the armed forces, Young married Laura E. Ray. He ultimately became the Lincoln Institute's first African-American director from 1935-1966. Young was active in, and helmed, several education and civil rights related groups and organizations. He acted as the president of the Kentucky Negro Educational Association from 1948-1956, and as assistant supervisor of the States Department of Education Negro Education division. Young was also a member of the Southern Association Accreditation Committee of Kentucky, Credentials Committee of the Kentucky Education Association, State Committee of Moral and Spiritual Values, Kentucky Bookmobile Committee, Red Cross Hospital Board, and the Board of Trustees of Lincoln Institute. Young's children were similarly active in education and civil rights. Young was the father of fellow civil rights activist, Whitney M. Young Jr, along with his other children Eleanor Young and Arnita Young Boswell, and founded the Whitney M. Young Memorial Foundation after his son's death. Both of Young's daughters became university professors, at the University of Louisville and the University of Chicago respectively.
- Sources:
- Notable Kentucky African Americans. "Young, Whitney M., Sr." Last modified August 27, 2019. http://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/477.
- "Whitney M. Young Sr." The New York Times, August 19, 1975. https://www.nytimes.com/1975/08/19/archives/whitney-m-young-sr.html.
- Scope and Content
- The Whitney M. Young, Sr. papers (dated 1915-1975, undated; 3.44 cubic feet; 5 boxes) comprise memos, correspondence, personal documents, programs and publications, and newspaper clippings that document Young's career at the Lincoln Institute, the National Urban League, and other education and civil rights-related organizations. This collection is arranged by format, including an organizational records series, a correspondence series, a personal series, a series of records pertaining to Whitney M. Young Jr., a scrapbooks and publications series, and newspaper clippings series.
- The organizational records series contains documents from Whitney M. Young Sr.'s interim as leader and member of various organizations, including the Lincoln Institute, Community Relations Council, Whitney M. Young Jr. Residential Manpower Center, and the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Memorial Foundation. These records included memos, budgets, speeches, reports, essays, meeting agendas, meeting minutes, newsletters, and correspondence.
- The correspondence series comprises correspondence among Whitney M. Young Sr. and his colleagues and associates. The organizations this series pertains to are the Kentucky Department of Education, Kentucky Vocational Training School, Kentucky State University, Louisville Urban League, as well as the United States congress. Most of the correspondence is typed; however, there are minimal handwritten letters.
- The personal series comprises autobiographical documents, including Young's certificate of honorable discharge from the United States Army, essays, prayers, Southern Baptist Seminary sermons, and ecclesiastical notes. Also included is a composition notebook that Young titled 'Bits of Wisdom', in which he compiled inspirational newspaper clippings and religious quotations.
- The Whitney M. Young, Jr. series comprises mostly of records of Young Jr.'s funeral, including memorial service programs, eulogies, a motorcade route, newspaper clippings, and a news release. The series also includes a photograph of the plane President Nixon sent to transport Whitney M. Young Jr. Additionally there are records pertaining to the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Memorial Foundation, a civil rights organization that awards fellowships, scholarships, and employment to members of underrepresented communities, and was founded after Young Jr.'s death.
- The scrapbooks and photographs series consists of whole scrapbooks, the contents of scrapbooks, and the contents of photograph albums. The scrapbooks contain mostly organizational records, primarily from the Lincoln Institute and the Whitney M. Young Jr. Memorial Foundation, such as memos, speeches, and correspondence. Other scrapbook contents include newspaper clippings, postcards, and miscellaneous documents. The photographs primarily depict Young with political leaders, such as Governor Combs, and at various social functions, primarily related to the Lincoln Institute. There are also some photographs of Young's family and friends.
- The programs and publications series consists of a variety of bound issues from different education and civil rights organizations, including the Lincoln Institute, Kentucky Negro Association, Fisk University, New York Urban League, and Berea College. These programs and publications include commencement programs, holiday and events programs, convocation programs, agendas, dinner announcements, and senior orations. There are also twenty-eight Lincoln Institute Worker quarterlies dating back to 1915.
- The newspaper clippings series comprises numerous newspaper clippings from The Sentinel News, The Courier-Journal & Times, and Louisville Times. The clippings largely pertain to news of desegregation in Kentucky, education in Kentucky, and civil rights in Kentucky. There are also newspaper clippings related to different members of Young's family, such as his son, Whitney M. Young Jr., and his wife, Laura R. Young.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Organizational records, 1951-1974, undated
Correspondence, 1939-1975, undated
Whitney M. Young, Sr. correspondence, 1953-1975, undated
Whitney M. Young, Sr. correspondence binder contents, 1939-1966, undated
Whitney M. Young, Sr. correspondence and miscellaneous binder contents, 1939-1970, undated
Personal records, 1919-1975, undated
Whitney M. Young Sr. biographical documents, 1939-1970, undated
Whitney M. Young Sr. essays, undated
"Choice Bits of Wisdom", 1946-1975, undated
Southern Baptist Seminary, 1949-1966, undated
Prayers, ecclesiastical notes, undated
Whitney M. Young, Jr., 1971-1973, undated
Scrapbooks and photographs, 1948-1974, undated
Letters scrapbook, 1955-1964, undated
Letters and newspaper clippings scrapbook, 1955-1964, undated
Family newspaper clipping scrapbook, 1955-1973, undated
Photograph and postcard scrapbook contents, 1952, undated
Photographs, undated
Whitney M. Young, Jr. Memorial Foundation and miscellaneous scrapbook contents, 1971, undated
Newspaper clippings scrapbook contents, 1950-1954, undated
Letters to Whitney M. Young Sr. scrapbook, undated
Programs and publications, 1918-1972, undated
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Table of Contents
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UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
