Wade Hall papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall papers
- Date
- 1876-1998, undated (inclusive)
- Extent
- 4.1 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- African Americans -- Civil rights.
- Civil rights -- Kentucky.
- Documentary films
- Drafts.
- School integration.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject and format.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms131: [identification of item], Wade Hall papers, 1876-1998, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Wade Hall was born in 1934 near Union Springs, Alabama. He earned degrees from Troy State Teachers College, University of Alabama, and the University of Illinois. He served in the United States Army in Germany during the 1950s. From 1969 until 1996 he taught and served as the Chair of the English and Humanities program at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. Throughout his life, he wrote prolifically including biographies, plays, poetry, newspaper articles, and scholarly works. He hosted the television program Wade Hall's Kentucky Desk, on KET's Louisville affiliate. Before Hall's death in 2015, he taught creative writing at a Louisville high-school. In the late 1970's he began conducting oral histories with the civil-rights leader, Lyman T. Johnson. He published the interviews in the book titled The Rest of the Dream: The Black Odyssey of Lyman Johnson in 1988. WKPC/15, Louisville adapted for Hall's book for the docu-drama Great Leaders: The Black Odyssey of Lyman Johnson premiering in 1997.
- Lyman T. Johnson was born in 1906 in Columbia, Tennessee. His father, the son of a slave, earned his education from black baptist ministers and was the principal College Hill School for black students during Lyman's childhood. Johnson followed his father in the field of education after receiving a bachelor's degree from Virginia Union University and a master's degree from the University of Michigan in 1931. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. In 1948 Johnson filed a federal lawsuit against the University of Kentucky, challenging the law prohibiting blacks and whites from attending the same school. His case was successful and Lyman briefly attended the University of Kentucky's law school. Throughout his life, he continued civil rights work, especially in issues of school desegregation and resources for underprivileged students. He served on the Jefferson County Board of Education beginning in 1978. Lyman T. Johnson returned to Tennessee in 1996 and died in 1997.
- Sources:
- "Obituaries: Wade H. Hall", Legacy.com, https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/wade-hall-obituary?pid=176157550, accessed 2019 October 9.
- "Writer, professor Wade Hall dies", Bellarmine Magazine, http://www.bellarminemagazine.com/writer-professor-wade-hall-dies/, accessed 2019 October 9.
- "L. T. Johnson, 91, Plaintiff Who Helped Integrate U. of Kentucky", The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/06/us/l-t-johnson-91-plaintiff-who-helped-integrate-u-of-kentucky.html, accessed 2019 October 9.
- Scope and Content
- 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. The research includes taped oral history interviews, ephemera, event invitations, and programs as well as books and newspaper clippings about Johnson's early life in Tennessee and activism in Kentucky education systems. Also included are photographs Wade Hall obtained of Lyman Johnson, his family, and slides from a trip to Union Springs, Tennessee. The collection also contains the drafts, manuscripts, publication records, and publicity documents for the book by Wade Hall The Rest of the Dream: The Black Odyssey of Lyman Johnson and the script, press, and production notes for the Louisville Public Broadcasting Corporation affiliate docu-drama based on Hall's research Great Leaders: The Black Odyssey of Lyman Johnson.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- 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
The Rest of the Dream: The Black Odyssey of Lyman Johnson, 1986-1990, undated
Scope and Contents
The Rest of the Dream: The Black Odyssey of Lyman Johnson series, 1986-1990, undated comprises manuscripts and publishing materials for the book by Wade Hall, which is based on oral-history interviews with Lyman T. Johnson. The series includes chapter drafts, drafts with editors' mark up, final manuscripts and the test print of the work. The series also contains correspondence and official documents for the publisher, University of Kentucky Press, book reviews and drafts of lectures by Hall about the publication.
2340 Muhammad Ali Boulevard, undated
An iconoclast in the classroom, undated
As a teacher, undated
As teacher, undated
At home in Kentucky, undated
Black colleges, undated
Black culture, black society and the classes, undated
Black heroes, undated
Black in north and south, undated
Black is Beautiful, undated
Black Pride, undated
Black problems, undated
Blacks and poor whites, undated
Blacks at work, undated
Civil Rights, undated
Civil Rights work, undated
College, undated
Conclusion, undated
Dark days in Columbia, undated
Draft fragments, undated
Draft pages, undated
From the Fort to the Future: A history of education in Kentucky by the people who lived it chapter, 1986
Heroes, undated
Indexes, undated
Interpretation and philosophy of history, undated
Introduction matter, undated
Jacket and catalog notes, undated
Jim Crow days, undated
Lifting bales and other black vocations, undated
Louisville, undated
Militant pacifist, undated
Muhammad Ali Boulevard, undated
Navy and philosophy on war, undated
Notes, undated
Open of Louisville, undated
Political activities, undated
Politics, undated
Preface, 1988
Preface, undated
Race relations, undated
Race relations today, undated
Religion, undated
Running for office and school board, undated
Segregation and discrimination, undated
Slavery, undated
Teacher pay, undated
The battle is not over, undated
Title page and first page, undated
Title: The Rest of the Dream, undated
Wife, undated
Draft pages: 1-38, undated
Draft pages: 1-49, undated
Draft pages: 1-49, undated
Draft pages: 1-51, undated
Draft pages: 1-59, undated
Draft pages: 1-153, undated
Draft pages: 23-55, undated
Draft pages: 60-357, undated
Draft pages: 192-315, undated
Draft pages: 274-277, undated
Draft pages: 358-575, undated
Draft pages: 370-584, undated
Draft pages: 385-575, undated
Draft pages: 547-721, undated
Draft pages: 585-675, undated
Draft pages: 697-721, undated
Manuscript, undated
Manuscript, final copy, undated
Author's statement of sales and royalty earned, 1990 March 23
Book review in Oral History Review, vol. 18 no.1, 1990
Book review in The Filson Club History Quarterly, vol. 63, no. 4, 1989 October
Lectures on Lyman Johnson and The Rest of the Dream, 1989, undated
Lyman T. Johnson manuscript approval, 1988 April 22
Reader's reports and notes, undated
Review list, undated
Transcript, page 6 and page 7, undated
University Press of Kentucky contract, 1988 June 17
University Press of Kentucky letters to Wade Hall, 1988-1989
Test press, undated
Alternative titles, undated
Application for summer stipend to complete Lyman T. Johnson oral autobiography, Bellarmine, 1982 February 26
"Bellarmine professor Wade Hall received award on Dec. 10", The New Voice, 1989 December 20
Book jacket, 1989
"Book Paths", Louisville Free Public Library catalogue highlights, 1989 June/July
Book review session, Jefferson Community College, announcement, 1989 February 7
Book reviews (copies), 1988-1990
Friends of the Library Annual Meeting, Louisville Free Public Library book discussion, 1988 March 5
Interview transcripts, undated
Joseph-Beth Booksellers black history month celebration program, 1989
Kentucky Book Fair, 1988 November 18-19
Lexington Public Library newsletter, Central Library Grand Opening Week, Lyman Johnson speaker, 1989 May/June
Louisville and Jefferson County Human Relations Commission autograph party, 1988 December 8
Manuscript agreement signed by Johnson Hall, 1988 April 22
Reception invitation, Martin Luther King, Jr. Cultural Center, University of Kentucky, 1989 February 24
The Journal of Southern History including book review, 1990 August
The University Press of Kentucky author's statement, 1989
The University Press of Kentucky catalogue, 1988-1991
Great Leaders featuring The Black Odyssey of Lyman Johnson, WKPC-TV, 1995-1997, undated
Scope and Contents
The Great Leaders featuring The Black Odyssey of Lyman Johnson, WKPC-TV series contains promotional materials like station programs and newspaper clippings, receipts, and script drafts for the docu-drama based on the life of Lyman T. Johnson described in the oral-history interviews conducted by Wade Hall. Also included is the short draft script about the making of the film by Channel 15, WKPC-TV, a Public Broadcasting Service affiliate based in Louisville, Kentucky.
Expense receipts, 1995
Kentucky Humanities Council documentary grant proposal, 1995 May 12
On Fifteen member's program guide and fliers, 1997 February-March
Press clipping, 1996 October 21
Press clipping, 1997 January 21
Press release, 1996
Production notes, undated
Script, undated
Script draft, undated
The making of the rest of the dream script draft, undated
Solicitation for funding from Ashland Oil Foundation, 1989-1990
Speech by Wade Hall for the premiere, undated
Wade Hall letter to Channel 15 supporters, 1996 September 16
Papers, ephemera and artifact, 1876-1998, undated
Scope and Contents
The Papers, ephemera, and artifact series, 1876-1997, undated includes short writings by Wade Hall, greetng cards and a letter sent to Wade Hall, and event invitations and programs. It also includes books and books excerpts related to the history of Maury County and Columbia, Tennessee. Notable items include the 1934-1935 Central High School yearbook depicting Lyman T. Johnson and his senior class and a report of the Louisville Board of Education from 1937. The series includes one artifact, and a Johnson family t-shirt with the image of Lyman T. Johnson.
49th Annual Meeting Dinner and Lyman T. Johnson Distinguished Leadership Awards Presentation sponsored by Louisville Central Community Center, Inc. program, 1998 January 29
"A Friend's Farewell to Lyman Tefft Johnson" draft, undated
A Historical Sketch of Maury County, read at the Centennial Celebration in Columbia, Tennessee, 1876 July 4
Bellarmine College and National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Black Caucus African American Read-In schedule, 1994 February 7
Black Classic Press article, 1996
Christmas card and envelope from Lyman T. Johnson to Wade Hall, 1992-1993
Governor's Distinguished Service Medallion program, signed by Lyman Johnson, 1995 November 29
History of Maury County Tennessee, author and publisher William Bruce Turner, 1955
Honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters to Lyman T. Johnson, Bellarmine commencement program, 1987 May 10
Honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters to Lyman T. Johnson press release, UKNews, 1979 April 3
Illustration of Roger Williams University, Nashville, Tennessee from Our Baptist Ministers and Schools by A.W. Pegues, 1892 (copy), undated
"Lyman Johnson and Black Education in Kentucky" essay, undated
Lyman Johnson and the American Black Experience: A Jefferson County Public Schools Celebration program, undated
Lyman T. Johnson Middle School dedication invitation and program, 1980 December 7
Lyman T. Johnson to Wade Hall greeting card, 1997 February 16
Mount Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church, Columbia, Tennessee bulletin, 1995 October 22
"My last visit to Lyman" essay, undated
Pam Spaulding to Wade Hall, undated
Short essay on Lyman Johnson, undated
The Current Annual, The Senior Classes of Central High School yearbook, 1934-1935
"Twenty-Sixth Report of the Board of Education of Louisville, KY.", 1937 September 1
Western Branch Library Grand Re-Opening invitation, 1994 March 22
Family of Lyman T. Johnson t-shirt, undated
A Friend's Farewell to Dr. Lyman Tefft Johnson by Wade Hall, 1997
A Tribute to Dr. Lyman Johnson by Wade Hall, undated
African American History Month Cultural events calendar, Louisville, 1997 February
African-American Cultural Tour of Louisville, Kentucky brochures, 1991
Afro-American Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies and Dinner, University of Louisville, program, 1997 October 11
Centralian, Central High School, Louisville yearbook, 1966
Florence Yvonne Johnson Hutchins memorial service at Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, Louisville announcement, program, 1991 July
Jefferson County Government Celebrates Black History Month ceremony program, 1989 February 10
Kentucky Center for the Arts public forum series flier including Lyman Johnson, undated
Letters to Wade Hall, 1988
Letters to Wade Hall, 1989
Letters to Wade Hall, 1990
Letters to Wade Hall, undated
Louisville Central Community Centers, Inc. 41st Annual Meeting Dinner program, 1990 January 18
Lyman Johnson and the American Black Experience, Jefferson County Public Schools program, undated
Lyman T. Johnson memorial service at Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, Louisville announcement, program, 1997 October
Lyman T. Johnson to Wade Hall letters, 1982-1991
Lyman T. Johnson to Wade Hall letters, 1994-1997
The Current Annual, Central Colored High School, Louisville yearbook, 1924-1925
The Current Annual, Central Colored High School, Louisville yearbook, 1928-1929
Imar Hutchins, Lyman Johnson's grandson to Wade Hall, 2000 February 11
Photographs, slides, and film, 1915-1997, undated
Scope and Contents
The Photographs, slides and film series contains images of Lyman Johnson throughout his life, from the set of the film about his life, and slides from some of Wade Hall's vacations. The series also includes a digital copy of two episodes from the public television show Wade Hall hosted in the early 1990s.
Lyman T. Johnson and two unidentified persons, Knoxville College, 1925
Four stores owned by Uncle John W. Johnson, one block from city square, Maury, TN, circa 1955
Lyman Johnson and Wade Hall at Kentucky Book Fair, 1988
Lyman T. Johnson and unidentified woman at Humana Foundation Children's Library, undated
Graduate students, University of Michigan ALPHA PHI ALPH fraternity, 1930-1932
Lyman T. Johnson and wife, Juanita Morrell Johnson at Top Hat Night Club, Old Walnut Street, Louisville, circa 1946
Lyman Johnson, unidentified student at Lyman Johnson Middle School, Louisville, 1978
Lyman Johnson's boyhood home, Columbia, Tennessee, with niece, nephew and pastor, 1995 October
Niece, nephew and minister at Dyer family home, Columbia, Tennessee, 1995 October
Dyer Johnson 1815-1871, Suliat Johnson 1820-1848, Elizabeth Johnson 1820-1891 headstone, 1995 October
Cameraman and niece in cemetary, Columbia, Tennessee, 1995 October
Mount Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church historic marker, Columbia, Tennessee, 1995 October
Mount Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church, Columbia, Tennessee, 1995 October
Niece in cemetary and television camera, Columbia, Tennessee, 1995 October
Unidentified persons with television camera, Columbia, Tennessee, 1995 October
Man with television camera, Columbia, Tennessee, 1995 October
WEB Dubois statue, Columbia, Tennessee
Lyman Johnson at banquet, 1995 November
John William Johnson 1862-1955, Graves Johnson 1860-1950, Mary Johnson (Williams) circa 1858-1943, circa 1910-1915
Second Grade, College Hill School, teacher Queenie Moore (Lyman T. Johnson is 9 from left, second row), 1915
Neill C. Johnson 1900-1966, Mary E. Johnson (Johnston) 1909-1979, Charles D. Johnson 1903-1920, Lyman T. Johnson with pony, James, in 2-wheel cart on road in front of barn on rainy day, circa 1915
College Hill School graduation, Columbia, Tennessee, 1924 June
L.T. Johnson and Russell Lawson, US Navy, Great Lakes Naval Illinois Center, 1944
Lyman T. Johnson, US Navy portrait, 1944-1945
Lyman Johnson and three men, Alpha Lambda, AΦA, Dinner-Dance honoring wives and Alpha man of the year, Lyman T. Johnson, Louisville, 1950
Central High School football coaches and manager: William L. Kean, E.Q. Adams, A.L. Johnson, Victor K. Perry, Daniel White, Lyman T. Johnson, circa 1952
Juanita Morrell Johnson 1906-1977, Lyman Morrell Johnson born 1945, Yvonne Johnson (Hutchins) born 1937, Lyman T. Johnson, circa 1953
Blue Boar Cafeteria sit-in protest, Louisville, 1961
Demonstrators protest segregation laws, 4th and Chestnut streets, Louisville, 1961
Protesters waiting for service at restaurant, Louisville, 1961
NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Region III Conference, Louisville, Senator Leroy Johnson is third from left, circa 1974
New members of Board of Education swearing in: Dr. Anthony Gamboa (L.), Michael Wooden, Lyman T. Johnson, and Scott Dobrick, 1978 January 3
Ms. Angela Davis with Lyman T. Johnson at home of John H. Johnson, Louisville, circa 1980
NCCJ (National Conference for Community and Justice) Dinner honorees, 1981 September 24
Steve Beshear, Lyman Johnson and unidentified person, signed "Lyman - It was an honor to co-chair the 75th Anniversary Dinner of the NAACP with you - Steve Beshear, Lt. Gov."", 1984
Lyman T. Johnson and Wade Hall, undated
Lyman T. Johnson at Central High School, undated
Lyman T. Johnson at Louisville Galleria, undated
Lyman T. Johnson at Lyman T. Johnson Middle School, undated
Lyman T. Johnson at The Brown Hotel, undated
Lyman Johnson at teacher's desk, undated
Lyman T. Johnson in front of house, undated
Unidentified person shaking Lyman Johnson's hand, undated
Sale of slave named Betty to Dyer Johnson, a free man, by Nancy White receipt, 1852 May 10, undated
Lyman T. Johnson holding award trophy, undated
Mark Stevenson as Keets, Sam Davis home in Tennessee. and Shawnee, Illinois (26 slides), 1987 November
Wade Hall interviews with Paul Willis and William J. Marshall about University of Kentucky Libraries, Kentucky Desk with Wade Hall, WKPC-TV Channel 15 (57 minutes), 1992 March 31
Newspaper clippings, 1979-1998
Scope and Contents
The Newspaper series, 1979-1998, consists primarily of clippings about Lyman T. Johnson and his civil rights efforts and accolades in Louisville newspapers. Some of the clippings focus on other civil rights leaders, like Septima Clark, and efforts for prison reforms in Alabama.
"Chain gangs", by Fob James, Jr., Union Springs Herald, 1995 August 30
"City to honor Lyman Johnson", Regional Roundup edited by Wayne Wells, The Courier-Journal, 1988 January 9
"Civil-rights leader honored", The Couier-Journal, 1996 June 16
"Eminent black scholar C.H. Wesley, a native of Louisville, is dead at 95", The Courier-Journal, 1987 September 3
"His Place of Honor", staff photo by Keith Williams, The Courier-Journal, 1993 July 11
"Honorary UK degree is particulary sweet to civil-rights leader", by Peggy Caldwell, Louisville Times, 1979 April 4
"Integration's champion", The Courier-Journal, 1996 June 28
"Let's Talk: People flock to Selma's Tale Tellin' Festival to listen, swap stories or just 'pull up a chair'", by Sue Hite, Alabama Living, 1995 September
"Lyman Johnson deserves a marker", by Doriane Alford, The Courier-Journal, 1998 March 11
"Septima Clark, 89, Active in Civil Rights In South Since 1918", Obituaries, The New York Times, 1987 December 17
"Septima Clark, civil-rights pioneer, dies", The Courier-Journal, 1987 December 17
"The Chain Gang Show", by Brent Staples, The New York Times Magazine, 1995 September 17
"A champion of dignity", by Wade Hall, The Courier-Journal Magazine, 1979 May 13
"Welcome to historic Maury County", The Daily Herald, 1984 October 7
"Public broadcasting station to tell the story of Lyman Johnson", Louisville Defender, 1995 July 27
"Living here has been a challenge", introduction by Wade Hall, The Courier-Journal Magazine, 1988 November 6
"It'll be a long time before we can produce another King", Lexington Herald-Leader, 1997 January 20
"7 in a million", The Courier-Journal, 1995 October 15
"Lyman Johnson biography doesn't shy away from controversy", by Ira Simmons, The Courier-Journal, 1988 November 6
"Louisville civil-rights leader bids farewell", by Sheldon S. Shafer, The Courier-Journal, 1995 December 2
"Black-history markers to go up soon across Jefferson County", by Michael Jennings, The Courier-Journal, 1996 May 29
"Lyman Johnson, civil-rights icon, dies at 91", The Courier-Journal, 1997 October 4
"Lyman T. Johnson: a celebration of his life", by Wade Hall, The Courier-Journal, 1997 October 5
"Crusader's effort praised, though some question goal", by Camille Diana Barbee, The Courier-Journal, 1997 October 5
Newspaper clippings, 1982-1989
Newspaper clippings, 1990-1996
"A Courtly Crusader" by Jean Nance, Louisville Magazine, 1979 June
"Dyer Johnson's House" by Jill K. Garrett The Daily Herald Columbia, Tennessee, 1974 July 27
"Lyman Johnson had it all figured out when he left" by Fletcher Martin Louisville Defender, 1949 June 25
Lyman T. Johnson article input text Louisville Courier-Journal, undated
Newspaper clippings, 1988-1999
"UK names fellowships after first black student" by Michael L. Jones, Kentucky Kernel, undated
Interviews with Lyman T. Johnson, 1979 February-June
Scope and Contents
The Lyman T. Johnson interviews series contains 26 cassette tapes of question and answer sessions with Johnson conducted by Wade Hall. The interviews started on February 27, 1979 and completed on June 20, 1979. The series also includes two other interviews with Lyman Johnson in the early 1990's. The interviews are digitized and available on the Nunn Oral History Center's SPOKE database.
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
No. 7
No. 8
No. 9
No. 10
No. 11
No. 12
No. 13
No. 14
No. 15
No. 16
No. 17
No. 18
No. 19
No. 20
No. 21
No. 22
No. 23
No. 24
No. 25
No. 26
Lyman Johnson at Western Branch of Louisville Free Public Library, 1993 February 2
Lyman Johnson WRPK-FM, 1994 February 1
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.
Table of Contents
- Abstract
- Descriptive Summary
- Collection Overview
- Preferred Citation
- Restrictions on Access and Use
- Contents of the Collection
- The Rest of the Dream: The Black Odyssey of Lyman Johnson, 1986-1990, undated
- Great Leaders featuring The Black Odyssey of Lyman Johnson, WKPC-TV, 1995-1997, undated
- Papers, ephemera and artifact, 1876-1998, undated
- Photographs, slides, and film, 1915-1997, undated
- Newspaper clippings, 1979-1998
- Interviews with Lyman T. Johnson, 1979 February-June
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.
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.