Don Leak papers

Abstract

The Donald A. Leak Papers (dated 1949-1967; 2 cubic feet, 6 boxes) comprise correspondence, newspaper clippings, periodicals, flyers, and conference materials that document several religious organizations on the University of Kentucky's campus, most prominently the YMCA and YWCA.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Don Leak papers
Date
1949-1967 (inclusive)
Creator
Leak, Don
Extent
2 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Student organizations -- Kentucky -- Lexington.
Student activities -- Kentucky -- Lexington
Religious institutions -- Kentucky -- Lexington.
College students -- Religious life -- United States
Universities and colleges -- United States -- Religion
Arrangement
Arranged into 3 series by subject: UK Student Organizations, National Organizations, and Subject Files. Within each series, organized alphabetically by organization or event name.
Finding Aid Author
Matthew Thornton, Ruth Bryan
Preferred Citation
0000ua102 : [identification of item], Don Leak Papers, 1949-1967, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
Donald A. Leak was born in Brownsburg, Indiana, in 1935. He was director of the University of Kentucky (UK) Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and the Coordinator of Religious Affairs from 1961-1966. Leak was an ordained minister of the Disciples of Christ, and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University (IU) in 1957 and a Bachelor of Divinity degree from the University of Chicago's Chicago Theological Seminary in 1961. At Seminary he received the National Council Fellowship and the John R. Mott Fellowship. He was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. As an undergraduate student at IU Leak worked as Youth Director for the Central YMCA of Indianapolis. While attending Seminary, Leak was Assistant Director of Camp Duncan, a camp sponsored by the Chicago YMCA and was Associate Program Secretary of the University of Illinois YMCA.
Leak began working at the University of Kentucky in 1961 as director of the campus YMCA. Shortly after he began working at UK, his position was expanded to include the role of Religious Coordinator. In this role, Leak continued to work as YMCA director and also coordinated religious activities on campus among different religious groups. Leak was involved in organizing UK students to participate in the construction of a school in Lima, Peru, funded by the national YMCA office. In 1965 Leak lead another student group from UK to build another school in Bogota, Columbia. The following year, a second UK group returned to Bogota but Leak did not join them.
In February 1966, Leak resigned his position at the University of Kentucky in order to accept a position with the Southern Area Council of the YMCA in Atlanta, Georgia.
Source: "Leak, Don," University Archives Faculty/Staff General Reference Files, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Scope and Content
The Donald A. Leak papers (dated 1949-1967; 2 cubic feet; 6 boxes) comprise correspondence, administrative notes, newspaper clippings, periodicals, flyers, meeting minutes, and conference materials that document the activities and concerns of several student religious organizations on the University of Kentucky's (UK) campus and in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, most prominently the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). Other local organizations represented in the collection include the Newman Club and Pitkin Club (both of which were student Christian missionary organizations) and Town Girls (an organization for female students living off campus). National organizations represented include World University Service, National Council of Christians and Jews, University Christian Movement, National Student Christian Federation, and the Religious Education Association. Activities and concerns of these student organizations included promoting religious life at colleges, encouraging the moral development of college students, promoting religious identity, and pursuing charity and mission work. A number of these organizations also participated in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, focusing on getting white students involved.
The collection also includes correspondence, organizational notes, programs, and flyers relating to UK-organized events for students in the early 1960s, including the Hanging of the Greens (an event held at Christmas time that involved hanging holiday decorations and putting up a Christmas tree in the student center as well as singing and Biblical scripture readings); Religious Orientation (an overview of campus religious programs held in the fall for entering first year students); Freshman Camp (an event similarly intended to help freshman students adjust to college life and encourage them to be involved in religious life on campus); and summer school programs (social events such as picnics held for students taking summer classes). The records were created or acquired by Leak in the course of his work as Head of the UK YMCA and Coordinator of Religious Affairs.

Restrictions on Access and Use

Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Use Restrictions
Property rights reside with the University of Kentucky. The University of Kentucky holds the copyright for materials created in the course of business by University of Kentucky employees. Copyright for all other materials has not been assigned to the University of Kentucky. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Special Collections Research Center.

Contents of the Collection

UK Student Organizations, 1949-1967

Freshman Camp, 1963-1964

  • Box 1, folder 1
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Hanging of the Greens, 1955-1965

  • Box 1, folder 2-3
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Newman Club, 1960-1962

  • Box 1, folder 4
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Nexus, 1966-1967

  • Box 1, folder 5
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Pitkin Club, 1961

  • Box 1, folder 6
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Religious Orientation, 1963

  • Box 1, folder 7
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Religion on Campus, 1964

  • Box 1, folder 8
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Seminar on Sex, 1963

  • Box 1, folder 9
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Summer School Program, 1956-1961

  • Box 1, folder 10
To top

Town Girls, 1961-1966

  • Box 1, folder 11
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UK Graduate Ministerial Students, 1965-1966

  • Box 1, folder 12
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Womens Web, 1966

  • Box 1, folder 13
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World University Service (Don Leak Files), 1961-1963

  • Box 1, folder 14-15
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World University Service (Kentucky Kernel Articles), 1964

  • Box 1, folder 16
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World University Service (UK Records), 1949-1967

  • Box 1, folder 17
To top

National Organizations, 1945-1967

National Council of Christians and Jews, 1962-1964

  • Box 2, folder 1
To top

National Student Christian Federation, 1960-1964

  • Box 2, folder 2
To top

National Student YWCA, 1956-1963

  • Box 2, folder 3-4
To top

National YWCA, 1964-1967

  • Box 2, folder 5-7
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Pacific School of Religion, 1963

  • Box 2, folder 8
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Religious Education Association, 1958-1965

  • Box 2, folder 9
To top

Rockefeller Brothers Fund, 1965

  • Box 2, folder 10
To top

Rockefeller Foundation, 1955-1962

  • Box 2, folder 11
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Students for a Democratic Society, 1966-1968

  • Box 2, folder 12
To top

Vanderbilt Divinity, 1965-1968

  • Box 2, folder 13
To top

Vanderbilt Seminary Bulletins, 1964

  • Box 2, folder 14
To top

University Christian Movement, 1966-1968

  • Box 3, folder 1-2
To top

World Student Christian Fedration, 1965

  • Box 3, folder 3
To top

World University Service (YMCA Files), 1956-1967

  • Box 3, folder 4-6
To top

World YMCA, 1959-1962

  • Box 3, folder 7
To top

YWCA Annual Reports, 1950-1964

  • Box 3, folder 8
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YWCA National Board, 1955-1962

  • Box 3, folder 9
To top

YWCA National Student Assembly, 1966-1967

  • Box 3, folder 10-12
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YWCA Newsletter (Southern Regional), 1945-1960

  • Box 4, folder 1-2
To top

YMCA Southern Regional Council, 1951-1961

  • Box 4, folder 4-9
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YWCA Southern Regional Education Board, 1952-1958

  • Box 4, folder 10
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Subject Files, 1948-1967

AZUWUR, 1961-1962

  • Box 4, folder 11
To top

Group Dynamics Conference, 1964

  • Box 4, folder 12
To top

Leadership Materials, 1956-1964

  • Box 4, folder 13-15
  • Box 5, folder 1-2
To top

Program Resources, 1948-1964

  • Box 5, folder 3-5
To top

Public Affairs, 1958-1964

  • Box 5, folder 6
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Public Relations Materials, 1956-1959

  • Box 5, folder 7
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Religious Counselling of College Students, 1963

  • Box 5, folder 8
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Religion in Higher Education, 1956-1964

  • Box 5, folder 9-11
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Seminary Correspondence, 1961-1962

  • Box 6, folder 1
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Seminary Recruitment, 1965

  • Box 6, folder 2
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Senior Citizens and Aging, 1958

  • Box 6, folder 3
To top

Social and Religious Concepts Inventory, 1957

  • Box 6, folder 4
To top

Student Voice, 1964

  • Box 6, folder 5
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Universal Day of Prayer, 1961-1964

  • Box 6, folder 6
To top

Washington Seminar, 1964-1965

  • Box 6, folder 7
To top

Worldview Journal, 1960-1961

  • Box 6, folder 8
To top

YWCA Break Barriers Project, 1963

  • Box 6, folder 9
To top

YWCA Human Relations Materials, 1965-1967

  • Box 6, folder 10-12
To top

YMCA Southern Regional Council (Race Relations Group), 1951-1961

  • Box 6, folder 13-14
To top

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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.

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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.