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  Krusich, George, collection, 1948-1974

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of survey maps of Crawford and Cherokee Counties; residential blueprints; correspondence for mining pensions; Kansas legislature regarding building permits; mining wage cards and injury reports; and highway system maps.

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  Kunstler, Jane, collection, 1961-1971

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of magazines and newspapers regarding John and Robert Kennedy, their lives, political careers, and assassinations. John F. Kennedy, a Massachusetts senator (democrat), was elected the 35^th President of the United States in 1960. The Kennedy Administration’s domestic policy pushed for action among the people, notably in civil rights. As for foreign policy, the administration heavily focused on the Cold War and communism. Robert Kennedy acted as Attorney General under President Kennedy. He oversaw the CIA during the failed Cuban Bay of Pigs Invasion, and developing a strategy to blockade Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. President Kennedy was assassinated November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas during a parade. The Warren Commission, appointed by President Lyndon Johnson to investigate the assassination, concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald was the assassin and had acted alone. Robert Kennedy went on to become senator (democrat) of New York until his assassination in 1968 during his campaign for president. Robert Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian militant, in Los Angeles while celebrating his victory in the California primary. There is also some material relating to Jacqueline Kennedy, the First Lady and widow of President John F. Kennedy.

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  Lafferty family collection, 1886-1976

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  This collection includes correspondence, newspapers, newspaper clippings, certificates, Sunday school lessons, photography, miscellaneous materials related members of the Lafferty, Jenkins and Massingill families.

  The materials in this collection are largely centered on the Lafferty, Jenkins, & Massingill families. Common names among the materials include, Dr. Harry Earle Jenkins, James Jerome Lafferty, and William Massingill. Dr. H. E. Jenkins (b.1899 - d. 1983) was president of Tyler Junior College from 1946-1980. Prior to his going to Tyler, Texas, Dr. Jenkins, a Pittsburg, Kansas native, graduated from the Kansas Teachers College of Pittsburg (today’s Pittsburg State University) taught school in McCune, Kansas and was superintendent of the Girard, Kansas public schools. It is unknown how these families relate to each other.

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  Laine and Buset family collection, 1916-1937

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  The Laine-Buset Family Collection consists of 13 photographs, two news articles, a leather bound Little Blue Book, and an Abraham Lincoln pamphlet. Several hundred Little Blue Books, published in Girard, Kansas by Emanuel Haldeman-Julius, were also donated and added to the library’s Little Blue Book Collection.

  Frank E. Laine (1909 - 1999) and Della Buset (1910 - 1992) grew up in the mining communities in Crawford County, Kansas, attending schools in Arma, Kansas. In 1938 they married. Della worked as a teacher in Crawford County schools, after attending what is now Pittsburg State University.

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  Lance, John, collection, 1858-1984

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  The John Lance Collection contains items pertaining to John Lance, who was the basketball coach at Pittsburg State University, 1923-1964, including both personal and professional correspondence; student papers of Lance,.sports information and memorabilia; publications; yell cards from Kansas State College of Pittsburg; various handwritten notes; and photographs and sixty years’ worth of news articles. The news articles are from different newspapers with the majority coming from The Collegio, the campus newspaper of Pittsburg State University. The dates included in the collection range from the 1910s through 1984.

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  Larkin, Ethel Estella, papers, 1882-1967

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of correspondence, employment and financial records, political documents, photographs, and other materials related to Ethel Larkin’s activities in Pittsburg, Kansas, as well as some materials pertaining to her husband, James F. Larkin.

  See also Collection 27, Orla S. Casad, Collection, 1858-1938.

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  LaVoo, E. M., collection, 1922-1923

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  The E. M. LaVoo Collection contains research material on education and public schools mostly in Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa, conducted by an “E. M. LaVoo” of Kansas City, Missouri in the early 1920s.

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  Layton, Elizabeth Hope, collection, 1909-1993

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of materials relating to Elizabeth Hope Layton, a native of Wellsville, Kansas, who took an art class at age 68, and went on to achieve national recognition for her artwork and exhibitions. The collection consists of correspondence, typewritten poems, obituary, news clippings, photograph, art sketch, a spring 2000 traveling exhibition catalog, and other papers.

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  Leach, Allie, collection, circa 1900-1961

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of mostly unlabeled photographs of friends and family of Allie Leach in the Mulberry, Kansas area and surrounding states. Organized by age group.

  Minnie Alice Leach (Mrs. Jesse Graves), was born on January 16, 1887. She was from Mulberry, Kansas and married Jesse Alvin Graves (1878-1949) on June 21, 1905. They had one son, Jesse A. Graves (1915-1985), and lived in Pittsburg, Kansas. Mrs. Jesse Graves died on January 27, 1969.

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  League of Women Voters, Pittsburg Chapter, records, 1965-1991

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  The records and collected materials of the Pittsburg, Kansas, chapter of the League of Women Voters, consisting of local, state, and national documents relating to the activities of the League. Associated with this collection are other publications and newspaper articles produced by the Pittsburg chapter.

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  Lee, Earl, collection, 1983-2014

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Earl Wayne Lee born November 8, 1954, in Rockford, Illinois and died on February 19, 2015, in Pittsburg, Kansas. During his childhood, his family moved frequently, and settled in northeast Arkansas at the community of Calamine. In 1972, Lee enrolled in Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas and pursued an English degree with an emphasis in Western Literature. While there he also wrote for the college newspaper. In 1975 he enrolled at the University of Arkansas and studied English Literature. In 1985, he received a master’s degree, Masters of Library and Information Studies, at the University of Wisconsin. In 1986, he was employed in the library of the Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma. In 1987, he became the acquisitions librarian at Pittsburg State University. During his time there he was an active faculty member, involved himself with the faculty senate, and eventually gained the rank of University professor. Throughout his career, he wrote and published several novels and plays. One of his plays, Drakulya, was produced and presented through Pittsburg State University’s theatre program. Lee was married to PSU English professor Kathy De Grave.

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  Lenski family papers, 1930-1947

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Joe Lenski owned and operated the Cozy Theater in Pittsburg, Kansas for several years. This collection consists of Lenski family’s personal documents and memorabilia, correspondence, contracts, receipts, business papers and finances, programs, sheet music and scores, photographs, advertisements, and miscellaneous items. The material in this collection covers the local entertainment business in the early 1940s and the types of shows were popular in this area.

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  Little Balkans and Camptown Racing collection, 1981-1994

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Camptown Racetrack was established in 1987 to provide greyhound racing near Pittsburg, Kansas. The collection contains correspondence, legal documents, speech transcriptions, proposals, transcripts, booklets, and other miscellaneous documents.

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  Little Balkans Festival Association, Pittsburg, Kansas, records, 1984-2001

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Records and collected materials of the Little Balkans Festival Association, formerly Pittsburg Area Festival Association, Pittsburg, Kansas. The records consist of by-laws, articles of incorporation, minutes, agendas, financial records, correspondence, committee and event records, committee membership, calendar of events, programs and tickets, news releases, newspaper inserts, posters, souvenirs, photographs, and other materials related to the Little Balkans Days Festival.

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  Lockwood, Guy, collection, 1903-1913

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Drawings, books, and letters related to Guy Lockwood of Lockwood Publishing Company and related to politics.

  Guy Lockwood (1870-1947) of Michigan was an American cartoonist and political activist, advocating for socialism. Lockwood and his friend Grant Walt Wallace created the company Wallace & Lockwood in 1891 which offered correspondence courses in penmanship and illustrations out of Lincoln, Nebraska, which was the first business of its kind. Both of the men were teachers at Western Normal College, also in Lincoln. Wallace left the company and Lockwood moved the company to Omaha by 1896. Lockwood moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1904 where he taught at the Acme School of Drawing until 1907. That year he and Sam Stoltz opened Lockwood-Stoltz Art School. Stoltz left to take a job in Chicago in 1909 and Lockwood took over the Acme School to create the Lockwood Art School, a correspondence art school that sent guides and instructions over different areas of drawing and shading until 1934. The school produced a monthly magazine from the 1910s to 1930 that ran under the names The Students Art Magazine and Art and Nature to name a couple.

  Lockwood led a group of four socialist delegates from Tennessee to Chicago for the First National Convention of the Social Democracy of America in a painted wagon in 1898. They would lecture about socialism out the back of the wagon on stops and Lockwood would sell caricatures and greetings cards to raise funds for the trip. In the early 1900s, Lockwood lived in Girard, Kansas and worked for the socialist newspaper Appeal to Reason as a cartoonist and writer. Lockwood’s cartoons reflected socialist philosophy and issues the socialist party addressed at the time. Through Lockwood Publishing Co., Lockwood published a series of pamphlets, The Prophet and the Ass (renamed The Billy Goat) and Unity, that went into further detail about these issues and ideas, following Marxist perspectives. He also ran for multiple offices in Michigan, being elected to the Kalamazoo City Council for a two-year term in 1912, but did not gain office as Mayor in 1914, in the senate in 1916, as Governor of Michigan in 1928, or the state house of representatives in 1934.

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  Longabach, Gordon, papers, 1954-2006

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Papers of Gordon Longabach, a graduate of Kansas State Teachers College, now Pittsburg State University, located in Pittsburg, Kansas. The papers consist of correspondence, photographs, school memorabilia, R.O.T.C. memorabilia, certificates, newspaper articles, and miscellaneous items.

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  Lortz, Helen B., collection, 1929-2002

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of documents, records, and items pertaining to Helen B. Lortz’s college education, personal life, and career.

  Helen Beatrice Lortz, a Food for Peace Program Officer, was born in 1910 and died in 2009. She graduated from Kansas State Teachers College (Pittsburg State University) with a B.S. in Education in 1932. Lortz was a member of the Kappa Delta Pi sorority, staying involved throughout her life. In 1933, Lortz earned a job with the Civilian Conservation Corps where she trained workers to work office jobs, working with the CCC until 1941. She transferred to the Farm Security administration as a secretary and procedure editor and was assigned by the Department of Agriculture in 1945 to the Cabinet Committee on World Food Problems. This job took her all over the world with U.S. aid programs. In 1962, Lortz became a Food for Peace Program Officer for Latin America until her retirement in 1973. After retirement, Lortz continued travelling and wrote accounts of the places she visited.

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  Lyerla, Floyd B., collection, 1915-1931

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of documents, letters, and items regarding Weir, Kansas (Cherokee County), and mining and business in Southeast Kansas.

  Floyd B. Lyerla was born on November 20, 1928 and died

  December 23, 2009. Lyerla enlisted in the U.S. Navy after high school during World War II and was called to active duty with the U.S. Army during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He retired after 23 years of service in 1970. Lyerla was a decorated veteran with 23 military awards, including the World War II Victory Medal, Army Occupation with Germany Device, Korean Defense Service Medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign with Device. In 1962, Lyerla graduated from the University of Omaha with a Bachelor of General Education. He went on to study education at the post-graduate level at Pittsburg State University, 1970 - 1971. Lyerla wrote the book Tri-State Prehistoric Indianology along with many articles in newspapers and other publications. His interest in Indian Archaeology led to pictures of his findings being published in books, and to being President of the Crawford County Amateur Archaeological Society.

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  Mahan, Ernest, collection, 1919-1972

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of the professional and personal papers of a historian and educator from Indiana who taught at the elementary, secondary, and college levels before his retirement from the Kansas State Teacher College (now Pittsburg State University) in Pittsburg, Kansas. The collection is arranged in six series: Biographical; Correspondence; Kansas State Teachers College; Writings; Miscellaneous; and Family. An extensive collection of Mahan’s research and writings on the history of the Mormon Church is held by the Utah State University Library.

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  Marshall family collection, 1880-1974

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of documents, letters, and items regarding the Marshall family of Kansas and Oklahoma.

  Joseph R. Marshall was born on August 22, 1902 and died February 14, 1991. Mabel F. Farnsworth Marshall was born on July 18, 1906 and died April 28, 1991. Joseph and Mabel married on July 2, 1925. They had four children: Dorothy, Richard, Phyllis, and foster son Chris Smith. Joe and Mabel bought Western Auto Dealership in Tonkawa, Oklahoma in 1939 which they operated until 1985.

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  Marshall, Marguerite Mitchell, collection, 1942-2001

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  This collection includes information about the life and civil rights research by Marguerite Mitchell Marshall (1911-2002). It includes newspaper articles, family photos slides, programs, personal cards, correspondence, financial records, and scrapbooks relating to local and national African American contributors to the Civil Rights movement, Black History and politicians.

  Marguerite Mitchell Marshall was born October 5, 1911 to Henry Levi and Emily J. Fonchoser Mitchell in Pittsburg, Kansas. Marguerite Marshall the attended Frederick Douglass School, a Pittsburg school for African-Americans, from 1917 to 1925; Pittsburg High School from 1925 to 1927; and College High on the campus of the Kansas Teachers College in Pittsburg, from 1927 to 1929. She then received her bachelor’s degree from Kansas Teachers College at Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University) in 1934. She received her master’s degree in English literature in 1950 from Howard University in Washington D.C. In 1953 she received her certificate in guidance and counseling at D.C. Teachers College in Washington, D.C. She taught school at Stapleton, Virginia from 1934 to 1937. She taught at Dawson, Georgia., from 1937 to 1942. She also taught and was a guidance counselor for the District of Columbia School system from 1942 to 1972. She and her husband, Ulysses Marshall moved back to Pittsburg where she worked as assistant children’s librarian at the Pittsburg Public Library from 1973 to 1989. Marshall died at 90 years of age on March 13, 2002 in Pittsburg.

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  Martin, Bill, collection, 1920-2019

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A ring binder with reproductions of newspaper clippings about Eva Jessye and her career, and correspondence, printed programs, and photographs compiled by Bill Martin.

  Born in Coffeyville, Kansas, on January 20, 1895, Eva Alberta Jessye started her academic career in the public schools of Coffeyville and Iola, Kansas. At age 13 she attended Western University in Quindaro, Kansas. She graduated from Western University in 1914 and went on to Langston University in Oklahoma where she received a lifetime certificate in teaching.

  Jessye taught in elementary schools in Taft, Haskell, and Muskogee, Oklahoma before she became a reporter and columnist for the Baltimore (Maryland) Afro-American in 1925. In 1926 she joined a choral group in New York called the Dixie Jubilee Singers. This group would eventually become the world-renowned Eva Jessye Choir. The choir performed spirituals, work songs, ballads, ragtime, jazz, and light opera in a variety of mediums, such as radio, film, and stage. They were regulars on the “Major Bowes Family Radio Hour” and the “General Motors Hour.” In 1927 the Dixie Jubilee Singers worked in Harry A. Pollard’s film, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The same year, Dr. Jessye compiled and published a critically acclaimed collection of songs titled My Spirituals. In 1929 King Vidor directed “Hallelujah”, the first musical motion picture with an all-Black cast. The film featured the Dixie Jubilee Singers with Jessye as choral director.

  Dr. Jessye was appointed choral director for the New York production of the Virgil Thomson and Gertrude Stein opera, “Four Saints in Three Acts” in 1934. In 1935 Jessye was selected by George Gershwin to be choral director for the original production of his 1935 folk-opera, “Porgy and Bess.” For the next three decades, Jessye was associated with almost every Porgy & Bess production worldwide, earning the unofficial title of 'curator and guardian of the score’.

  Eva Jessye was also involved in humanitarian efforts. Her experiences as a black woman during the Jim Crow era influenced her involvement in the later Civil Rights movement. She collaborated with African-American notables Marian Anderson, Mary McLeod Bethune, Julia Davis, Eubie Blake, Langston Hughes, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Paul Robeson. In August 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. selected the Eva Jessye Choir as the official chorus of the historic March on Washington. The choir performed “We Shall Overcome” and “Freedom Is the Thing We’re Talking About.” Tom Mboya, founder of Kenya’s Independence Movement Council and president of the People’s Convention Party, later used the recordings of these songs during Kenya’s struggle for independence. During the 1960s Eva Jessye also appeared in the motion pictures Black Like Me and Slaves.

  Dr. Jessye returned to academia in her later years. She established the Eva Jessye Afro-American Music Collection at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1974. She established the Eva Jessye Collection at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas in 1977 and served as that University’s Artist-In-Residence from 1978 to 1981.

  During her lifetime Jessye received honorary degrees from Wilberforce University, Allen University, and Southern University, including an honorary doctorate. She also received numerous citations from government, educational, and musical organizations. In 1981, Governor John Carlin of Kansas declared Dr. Eva Jessye to be Kansas Ambassador for the Arts.

  Dr. Eva Jessye died on February 21, 1992 at the age of 97 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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  Martin, Carolann, collection, 1961-2019

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A Collection of VHS tapes, cassettes tapes, coursework, music, recordings, student essays and coursework belonging to Dr. Carolann Martin.

  Carolann Martin was born on Nov. 20, 1935, in Woodward, Oklahoma to John C. Martin and Leah Shilling. In 1957, she received a scholarship from Oklahoma State University. From 1958-1961 she was appointed conductor for the local marine band, rising to the rank of 1^st Lieutenant. In 1964, she received her masters of arts from Ohio State University. 1977, she began her career in the music department at Pittsburg State University, while taking summer courses at the University of Arizona. She received her doctorate from the University of Arizona in 1979. After she received her doctorate, she began conducting for the Southeast Kansas Orchestra. In 1980, Dr. Martin won the National Adult Conducting Competition in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Throughout the early and mid-1980s she guest-conducted orchestras across the United States, as well as in the United Kingdom and South America. In 1986 she led the Arioso Chamber Orchestra along with Libby Larsen and Nancy Van De Vate, to create the album Journeys, which was played on National Public Radio. In the 1990s, she continued to conduct for the Southeast Kansas Orchestra and for local youth ensembles. In 2001, she retired, receiving Professor Emeritus status. Dr. Martin continued giving guest lectures and performances, and taught private lessons. She passed away on September 8^th, 2019.

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  Martin, Clarence, papers, 1899-1903, 1953-1957

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Letters, clippings, souvenirs, and other papers relating to Clarence Martin, a veteran of the Kansas 20^th Infantry Volunteers who served in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War, 1898-1899.

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  Martin, Pepper, collection, 1910-1918

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  This collection includes publications, and a panoramic photo from 1910-1918. Harold Pepper Martin is a resident of Pittsburg, Kansas.

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  Martin, R. Lynn, collection, 1920-1973

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  R. Lynn Martin ran the newspaper, The Echo, which his good friend Zula Bennington Green contributed to. This collection consists mainly of Greene’s writings and photographs that Martin had. This collection also has articles, newsletters, correspondence, programs, and miscellaneous items. Raphael Lynn Martin was born in 1897 and spent most of his life in Brookville, Kansas, and was the editor for the newspaper, The Echo. During the 1940s, he was a member of the Works Projects Administration (WPA). Census lists from the 1920s and 1930s indicate he was also employed in the hardware business. He was a life-long friend of Kansas writer Zula Bennington Greene. He was married to Helen Magnuson Martin, and they had two children, Hugh Juan Martin (1927 - 1990) and James Calvin Martin (1924 - 1970). R. Lynn Martin died in 1973 and is buried in Brookville.

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  Maxwell and Panknin Coal Company collection, 1900-1919

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  The Maxwell & Panknin Coal Company Collection (also spelled Pankinin on some documents) consists of a ledger book, letter, receipts, meeting minutes, and a loose ledger pertaining to a business operation with the Clabourn & Baugh Drill Contractors.

  Approximately 1916, Henry W. Panknin (1885-1944) and John Maxwell (1853-1924) and their brothers took over a mine on a 40-acre lot south of Scammon, Kansas. The mine, which was about 50 feet deep (dug by Grant Clabourn and Hale Baugh’s drills operated as the Maxwell and Panknin Coal Company until the late 1920s.

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  Maxwell, Hearl, collection, 1911-1931

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Personal papers and materials collected by Hearl Maxwell, coal miner and local union official, that primarily relate to activities of southeast Kansas locals and to District 14 of the United Mine Workers of America. Includes correspondence, union circulars, broadsides, election and financial records, minutes, proceedings, photographs, and publications.

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  McCammon, Josephine Y., papers, 1893-1968

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Papers of Josephine McCammon, a woman from Valley Center, Kansas, and graduate of Washburn College, now Washburn University located in Topeka, Kansas. The papers consist of correspondence, photographs, school memorabilia, and miscellaneous materials.

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  McCaslin, Donald, collection, 1940-1945

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of World War II flight publications, pins, and other memorabilia from the life of Donald A. McCaslin.

  Donald A. McCaslin was born in Coffeyville, Kansas in 1917. He enlisted in the US Army Air Force on August 30, 1941. Donald was a Private in the Air Corps and it is likely that he trained at Moody Army Air Field in Valdosta, Georgia. He served in the Army Air Force during World War II. In 1948, Donald graduated from the University of Illinois. He and Norma Rouch married in 1954. Donald worked for the United States Postal Service until 1979. He passed away in Pittsburg, Kansas in 2013.

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  McCray, Walter, papers, 1899-1983

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Papers of Walter McCray, a well-known musician, who served as the second director of the Department of Music at Pittsburg State University from 1914 to 1946. The papers include personal and professional correspondence, photographs, programs, clippings, publications, musical scores, and miscellaneous items.F

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  McCullah family collection, 1986

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Typescript of an unpublished manuscript for a novel titled “The Eye of the Storm.”

  Kenneth John McCullah was born in Kansas around the year 1916. He was married to Maurine Ruth McCullah and together they were avid researchers of the American Civil War. In 1986, they crafted a fictionalized story of a family named Layne and their history through the late 1700s up to the Civil War. This manuscript, titled “The Eye of the Storm” was never published. Kenneth passed away in 1991 and in Maurine in 2011. In 2013, the novel Oaklayne: A Civil War Saga was published, with authorship credited to Maurine. This is likely a reworking of the earlier manuscript. This manuscript was donated to Pittsburg State University by Mr. Gene Bicknell in 2016.

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  McCune Fraternal Organizations collection, 1886-1962

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  This collection includes forms, notes, by laws, checks, and journals related to the McCune, Kansas Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Modern Woodmen of America fraternal organizations.

  The Ancient Order of United Workmen (AOUW) was founded in Meadville, Pennsylvania in 1868 by John Jordan Upchurch as an organization to improve work environments and provide insurance for its members. By 1869, insurance became a main priority of the group as it was usually reserved for businessmen and manufacturers. By 1885, the AOUW was the largest fraternal group in the United States.

  The Modern Woodmen of America (MWoA) was named after pioneering woodmen by the founder Joseph Cullen Root. Its initial goal was to assist a family in the event the breadwinner died. The organization was created in 1883 in Lyons, Iowa and has operated from Rock Island, Illinois since 1897. The organization members volunteer to raise and donate money, labor, and resources toward their communities. The AOUW disbanded in 1952 but the MWoA is still in operation. Both organizations had/have a chapter in or around McCune, Kansas.

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  McFarland, James E., collection, 1898-1900

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  This is a collection of artifacts, photographs, books and letters primarily from the Spanish-American War collected by James E. McFarland who served with the 20^th Infantry Kansas United States Volunteers. The extensive number of artifacts in this collection includes a footlocker, uniforms, bayonets, stereoscope cards that show different scenes from the Philippines and Japan, and numerous other souvenirs.

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  McKee, Ronald R., collection, 1995-2000

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  The Ronald R. McKee Collection consists of textbooks, instructor guides, student guides, and lesson packages relating to industrial arts and technology.

  Ronald R. McKee was born January 17, 1942 in Mason City, Washington, and grew up in Green Acres, Washington. He graduated from Central Valley High School in nearby Spokane Valley in 1960. Ronald married Patricia Taylor in 1962 and they had four children. In 1969, McKee earned a B.S. and an M.S. at Eastern Washington College (today Eastern Washington University). In 1970, he earned his Ed.D at Utah State University. He began work at Kansas State College of Pittsburg (today Pittsburg State University) in 1970 as an Industrial Arts teacher. In 1984 McKee began working at Western Montana University, in Dillon, Montana, where he was the Chairman of the Department of Technology and Industrial Arts. He also worked outside of academia throughout his career. He created many teaching modules and textbooks over his career. He passed away on March 9, 2019.

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  McNally, Martin V., collection, 1910-1918

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of photographs and a scrapbook relating to the college life of Vincent McNally at the State Manual Training Normal School, circa 1910.

  Born on July 10^th, 1892 in Hindsboro, Illinois, Martin Virgil McNally grew up in Olathe, Kansas. In 1910, McNally enrolled at the State Manual Training Normal School in Pittsburg (today’s Pittsburg State University), and was involved several school activities, including basketball, track, baseball, football, and theater. In 1917 he enrolled in Company A, 353^rd Regiment, 89^th Division as a 2^nd Lieutenant. He married M. Alma McNally and in 1942 he began working at Mid-West Air Depot. McNally passed away in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1975.

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  McNally Pittsburg collection, 1952-2013

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of records, guides and booklets, and photographs related to the McNally Company of Pittsburg, Kansas.

  Thomas McNally Sr. and his wife, immigrants from Ireland and boilermakers in Wisconsin, accepted the Pittsburg Board of Trade’s offer to build a 40’ by 80’ wooden boiler shop for the McNally’s. Local coal mines needed his trade because they ran on steam engines and were growing in size and number. McNally expanded business to general repairs and machinery. Following his father’s death in 1906 Thomas McNally Jr. took over the business at the age of 23 and studied and worked under other boilermakers in surrounding states. Business expanded with the rise of engines and steel manufacturing. Following World War I, McNally began doing business with an iron foundry, leading to heavy machinery manufacturing, and coal processing equipment development. McNally began building coal mining tipples which expanded to building machinery for all facets of coal mining and processing. In 1932, McNally incorporated the mechanical coal washing process used in England to his own business, allowing it to thrive during the Great Depression. McNally built machinery and plants all over the United States and abroad. By 1955, McNally had plants in every continent but Antarctica. The presidency of the company transferred to Thomas McNally Jr.’s son Edward in 1955, when coal production began decreasing. He expanded the company to produce tire molds, coke plant machinery, dredging equipment, oversize water valves for irrigation lines, dam gates and dam gate hoists. In the late 1980s, production began waning once again and the McNally company was sold to Svedala, a Swedish company. One of the Pittsburg plants was sold in 1991 and the company was sold to Metso which shut down the other shop in 2002.

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  Meador family collection, 1873-1997

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Newspapers and clippings from 1899 to 1990; personal correspondence from 1876-1997; legal contracts; expenditures; patent and patent information;; café expenses;; plays; playbills and programs; diaries of Edwin Matsler and others; replications of famous art pieces; lessons in art appreciation; original artwork of Margaret Matsler and Willis Wayne; literacy pamphlets and programs; miscellaneous ephemera and brochures; grade cards and other teaching materials; photographs of the family and of Pittsburg State University; Family Bible; old spectacles and other miscellaneous items.

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  Meiszner, Woody, collection, 1890-1948

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of approximately 190 black and white, tinted, and color postcards of places and buildings in Pittsburg, Kansas. Examples of the postcards include views of Broadway, Pittsburg State University, parks, and public buildings. The postcards donated were published by Souvenir Post Card Co., New York Souvenir Post Card Co., Acmegraph Co., and S. H. Kress and Co. A list of the postcards is included in the collection. Housed in the Kansas Collection, call number 741.683 P589.

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  Memorial Auditorium collection, 1999-2004

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  This collection consists of Personal correspondence, newspaper photocopies, newsletters, brochures and other miscellaneous materials relating to the Memorial Auditorium & Convention Center of Pittsburg, Kansas.

  Pittsburg’s Memorial Auditorium was built as the Mirza Temple (Masonic) for the Pittsburg Chapter. Construction of the building began in 1923 and finished in 1925. In 1945, the temple was purchased by the city of Pittsburg after voters approved the use of bonds in the purchase. The Memorial Auditorium was dedicated to the servicemen of WW1 and WW2, as well as the devoted women and Red Cross nurses who accompanied them. Various influential entertainers have performed at the Auditorium throughout its years, such as Ziegfeld’s Follies, Will Rogers, V.P. Charles Curtis, and many others.

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  Mendenhall, Edgar N., papers, 1894-1951

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  The publications, books, poems, diaries, and professional documents of Edgar N. Mendenhall are found in this collection. Also includes family documents regarding the improvements of corn planters and personal documents that share information about Mendenhall or his family.

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  Merrill family collection, circa 1570-1800

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of binders with family group sheets created by Mildred Lowry following the Merrill family from the late 1500s to the 1800s. Each binder uses a numbering system of Mildred Lowry’s to organize the family members.

  The Merrill family originated in England with Nathaniel Merrill Jr. who was born in 1601 in Wherstead, England to John and Mary Merrill. He and his brother John moved to the United States during the Great Puritan Migration (1620-1640) and settled in Newbury, Massachusetts. Nathaniel married Susanna Wolverton and they had seven kids and at least thirty-one grandkids. He passed away in 1654. Mildred Lowry (1917-1999) of Pittsburg, Kansas studied genealogy and performed research under the Genealogical Research System.

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  “Midlands Magazine,” KRPS Radio, recordings, 1988-1990

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Recordings of a locally-produced, daily, thirty minute news and feature program produced and aired by KRPS Radio, a National Public Radio affiliate station located at Pittsburg State University, from 1988 to 1990. The recordings contain news broadcasts, weather, business reports, and interviews pertaining to regional activities and guests.

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  Millard, Paul A., collection, 1923-1941

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of diplomas, commencement programs, and other items pertaining to Paul A. Millard and Thelma Millard.

  Paul A. Millard, an educator, was born on October 15, 1903 and died in June of 1973. He graduated from Crawford County High School in 1923 and attended Kansas State Teachers College in Pittsburg, Kansas. Millard graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree in 1932 and a Master of Science degree in 1941. He married Thelma Josephine Morgan who died 1992. Aubrey R. Crews, Jr. (1932-2013) was an Overland Park, Kansas educator, and a nephew of Paul Millard. He donated this collection to PSU in 2001

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  Minnis, Edna, collection, 1938-1957

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Approximately 685 pages of inter-office correspondence from the Missouri-Kansas- Texas Railroad office located in Parsons, Kansas, from 1938 to 1957, collected by Edna Minnis during her employment.

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  Mirriam-Goldberg, Caryn, collection, circa 1975-2022

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1959. Her early years were spent in Brooklyn and Manalapan, New Jersey. As a young adult she traveled west to study journalism at the University of Missouri, earning a degree in labor history. Caryn received her Ph.D. from the University of Kansas, and she has trained in organizational development and group process, grassroots organizing, poetry therapy, and teaching yoga. She is the recipient of Kansas Arts Fellowship in Poetry, the Rocky Mountain National Park artist-in-residency, and other honors.

  Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg was the Kansas Poet Laureate from 2009-2013, and today is a writer, teacher, coach and consultant. Founder of Transformative Language Arts, Caryn is the author or editor of over twenty books of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, a memoir, and anthologies. A registered songwriter with BMI, her poetry and prose has been published widely. Caryn lives near Lawrence, Kansas with her husband, bioregional writer Ken Lassman.

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  Mitchell, Charles Wesley and Annettie, Diary

  Cadence Gaines

  A diary detailing various events in Cherokee County, Kansas throughout 1913, written by a carpenter named Charles Wesley Mitchell and his wife Annettie Mitchell.

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  Mock, Eugene P., collection, 1927-1928

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Eugene P. Mock was born on August 28, 1904 in Illinois. Early in life, he lived in Zanesville, Ohio before joining the new formed Air Corps. He later became a train conductor for the Union Pacific Railroad in Los Angeles, California. Late in life he was a mail carrier in Trona, California. Mock married Juanita Charlotte Wikoff in 1938 and had two children. Eugene Mock died while visiting Colorado on September 11, 1970.

  The Eugene Mock letters consists of letters to Eugene Mock from his future wife Juanita Charlotte Wikoff (who signed them as “Lulu” or “Lu”), and includes some miscellaneous items (voter registration and work forms).

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  Molek, Mary, collection, 1930-1976

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of personal material, correspondence, financial, research, Pittsburg State University, and newspaper clippings and materials that were in relation to Mary Molek. Mary Molek was born in Chicopee, Kansas, June 9, 1909 and passed in Dover, Delaware, April 3, 1982. She had received her Bachelors in Science degree from the Kansas State University (now Pittsburg State University). She then earned a Masters in Art degree, and a Doctoral degree, both from the University of Chicago. She was an author, teacher, and curator. She wrote Immigrant Woman and Comprehensive Bibliography of the Works of Ivan Molek. She also translated Slovene Immigrant History by Ivan Molek from Slovene to English. She was an active member in the National Association of Social Workers, American Association for the Advancement of South Slavic Studies, AAUW, AAUP.

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  Monday Club collection, 1898-1971

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  The Monday Club in Pittsburg, Kansas met from 1898 to 1971. It was a social, literary and philanthropic club. Members were women from the community, including many of the wives of professors at the college as well as wives of prominent men of Pittsburg. The club met once a month and had a variety of programs including music, tea, luncheons, and business meetings. They made clothes for the Red Cross during WWII, and provided music and arts funds, veteran’s funds, and scholarships for young women attending Pittsburg State University among other activities. Collection contains meeting minutes, financial records, financial receipts, programs, correspondence, and history of the club.

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  Moore, David D., collection, 1931-1959

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of photographs, news articles, and programs of shows directed by Dr. David D. Moore, a professor of speech and drama at Pittsburg State University.

  David D. Moore (1906-1960) received his bachelor’s degree at La Crosse State Teachers College (Wisconsin) in 1929, and his master’s degree in 1932 from the University of Wisconsin. Moore taught secondary school for five years in Wisconsin and for three years at Southwestern State Teachers College (Oklahoma). He began teaching speech and drama at Kansas State Teachers College, now Pittsburg State University, in 1941 and was the theater director until 1959. He married Arabelle Meta Klein in 1936 and they had two sons.

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  Muller, Samuel B., collection, circa 1970

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  This collection consists of the medical equipment used by Dr. Samuel B. Muller in the Nursing Department during his stay at Pittsburg State University.

  Dr. Samuel B. Muller was born in 1905 in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1932, Dr. Muller received his Bachelors of Science, and in 1934, a Doctor in Medicine from the University of Kansas. In 1934 he married Cordelia White. He practiced medicine in Southeast Kansas following the marriage. In 1941, Dr. Muller began working at the Royal Oak Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. In 1942, Dr. Muller became a Lieutenant Commander in the Naval Reserve and served in the South Pacific during World War II until 1945. After the war, Dr. Muller served as the City Health Officer in Pittsburg, Kansas from 1946 - 1973 joining the Crawford County Medical Society, The Red Cross Blood Drive, and the Mirza Shrine in the Process. In 1972, Dr. Muller also took up the job of the District Coroner. In 1973, Dr. Muller became a faculty member at the Kansas State College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University) as the director of Student Health Services. In 1974, Dr. Muller became a fellow for the American Academy of Family Nurses. In the late 1970s, Dr. Muller left the Department. Dr. Muller passed away in Pittsburg in 1991.

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  Mummert family collection, 1913-1955

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of photographs of people and mining in southeast Kansas, publications about or from Kansas State Teachers College, and KSTC newspapers.

  Jefferson Davis Mummert (1933-1993) was the son of Lysle Mummert (1903-1945) and Gertrude Robinson VanHercke (1905-1981). Jefferson D. Mummert attended high school in Pleasanton, Kansas, and later studied at the Kansas State College of Pittsburg (later Pittsburg State University), receiving a Bachelor of Science in Education (1960) and, later, a Master of Science in Mathematics. He was an electronics technician for the Coast Guard, a computer programmer and research mathematician for Western Electric and the Bendix Corp., and a scientific instrument electrician for Pittsburg State University. Jefferson and Mary Sawatzky were married in 1954. Mary studied at Pittsburg State, earning a bachelor and master degree in science, and returned to work as an instructor for the office administration and business education.

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  Murray and Burwell family collection, 1870-1951

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of correspondence, newspapers, photographs, and other writings related to the Murray-Burwell family in the early to mid-1900s.

  David James Murray was born on October 19, 1873 in Pennsylvania and moved to Kansas when he was three years of age. In 1896 David married Mary Selvey (1878-1959) in Cherokee, Kansas. They would have five children. In 1902 their child Marguerite was born in Weir, Kansas. In Weir, David worked in the mines until 1930 when he transferred to the McNally plant in Pittsburg, Kansas. David passed away on December 12, 1943. Jack W. Burwell was born on July 25, 1896. He served in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Marguerite Murray and Jack Burwell were married in Columbus, Kansas in November of 1930. They had two children, David and Mary. The family briefly lived in California, in San Pedro and San Francisco. On October 22, 1945, Jack enlisted in the Coast Artillery Corps or Army Mine Planter Service at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was a Master Sergeant in the Army and an electrician as a civilian. During the war, his family lived in Pittsburg, Kansas. Marguerite passed away on January 27, 1983 and Jack passed away on August 8, 1979.

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  National Forensic League collection, 1959-1986

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of scrapbooks containing photographs, newspaper clippings, programs, and correspondence related to Pittsburg High School’s forensic and debate tournaments.

  The National Forensic League (NFL), founded by Bruno E. Jacob at Ripon College in Wisconsin, began in 1925 to motivate high school students to participate in speech and debate activities. The first national tournament was held in 1931 with 49 schools participating. The League, now the National Speech and Debate Association, celebrates 1,000,000 members and at least 3,000 programs. Pittsburg High School held its first Annual NFL Banquet in 1959 and continues its participation in the tournaments today.

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  Native American Government Documents, 1827-1870

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  This collection consists of transcripts of congressional meetings from 1827-1870 addressing tribal matters and conflicts of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Menominee, and Shawnee Nations.

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  New Hope Baptist Church collection, 1945-1963

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of minutes, ledgers, and balances for the New Hope Baptist Church of Pittsburg, Kansas.

  The New Hope Baptist Church of Pittsburg, Kansas was started by Reverend M. Pickins in 1896. Services were first held in his home, but in 1909 a frame building was purchased where Pittsburg Middle School (originally the high school) now stands. When the city of Pittsburg decided to build a new high school at the site in the early 1920s, the congregation moved the building to 11^th Street. One of the ledgers in the collection belonged to Benjamin White, an African American contractor who built the New Hope Baptist Church and acted as treasurer in the 1950s. Its sister church, the Lighthouse Temple Church, was founded in 1919.

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  Newman, Clifford B., collection, 1946-1972

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of physician’s records: daily logs recording patients and payments from 1946 to 1972.

  Dr. Clifford Blenn Newman was born on June 5, 1901 in Fowler, Colorado. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Pittsburg, Kansas. His father worked as a farmer. Newman attended the University of Kansas, and afterwards was employed as a doctor in Pittsburg. He enlisted in the Army for World War II in 1942. Newman was released from service on February 19, 1946. He continued working in Pittsburg as a physician for nearly 30 years after the war, as did his older brother, Carl S. Newman. He never married. Clifford Newman died February 7, 1991 in Pittsburg.

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  Nokes, Larry collection, 1965-2008

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of PSU Gorillas including statues, plushies, photographs, and other PSU memorabilia.

  Larry Nokes, born March 20, 1945, graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1967 and a Master of Science degree in 1969. While trying to earn his M.S., he worked as an Assistant to the Dean of Men. After serving in the US Army from 1969 to 1971, Nokes began working as the Director of Housing at Pittsburg State University (then KSCP) while working as an Instructor in Business Management from 1971 to 1972. In 1974, he was promoted to Director of Physical Plant. Other affiliations he had during his career at Pittsburg State was with the First United Methodist Church, the Pittsburg Day Care Center, City of Pittsburg Board of Zoning Appeals, United Way Worker, the Red Cross, and managing a little league baseball team. Larry retired in 2007.

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  Nunn, C. George, papers, 1909-1925

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of diary entries, letters, writings, music, scripts, business and financial documents, and other materials related to Mr. C. George Nunn’s activities as a traveling Minstrel show director/producer and musical composer.

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  Orpheus Club collection, circa 1925

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  The Orpheus Club collection is about a men’s music club on campus in the late 1920s. This club would later become a chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. The collection consists of a scrapbook which contains member information, music programs and the history of Kansas State Teachers College and the Music Department.

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  Owsley, Perry L., papers, circa 1938-1979

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Kansas Supreme Court case documents, other case files, and newspaper articles collected by or for Perry L. Owsley during his tenure as an attorney, Special Commissioner for the Kansas Supreme Court, and Kansas Supreme Court Justice.

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  Paine, Albert Bigelow, collection, 1893-1930

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Albert Bigelow Paine (1861-1937) was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts and was raised in Xenia, Illinois, where he received his childhood education. At the age of twenty, Bigelow moved to St. Louis, where he trained as a photographer, leading him in 1885 to be a dealer in photographic supplies (The A. B. Paine Photo Supply Company) in Fort Scott, Kansas. After ten years, Paine sold this business in 1895 to become a full-time writer, moving to New York. He spent some time in Europe, including France where he wrote two books about Joan of Arc, leading to France awarding him the title of Chevalier in the Légion d'honneur. Bigelow was an American author and biographer best known for his work with Mark Twain, including an authorized biography. Paine was a member of the Pulitzer Prize Committee and wrote in several genres, including fiction, humor, and verse.

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  Paraguay Archives of Terror collection, 1957-1999

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  This collection consists of photocopies of correspondence, newspaper clippings and reports all relating to the Archives of Terror.

  The “Archives of Terror” (Archivos del Terror) is a collection of more than half a million documents, held in Paraguay, that record some of the crimes undertaken by the Alfredo Stroessner regime. Alfredo Stroessner was a Paraguayan army officer and dictator of Paraguay from 1954 - 1989. The archive confirms countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay & Uruguay coordinated intelligence & prisoner exchanges to suppress political opposition under “Operation Condor”. The United States government provided planning, coordination, training on torture, financial & military aid and technical support to these military governments from the Johnson to Reagan presidencies. The archives were discovered in 1992 by attorney, and educator Martín Almada and Judge José Agustín Fernández when requesting habeas data from a police department in Lambaré, Paraguay. The archives listed 50,000 people murdered, 30,000 “disappeared” and 400,000 imprisoned. Some countries have been able to use the archives to prosecute those who were involved, such as Chilean General Augusto Pinochet, and Pastor Coronel.

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  Parks, Gordon A., collection, 1968-2004

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of photographs, biographical materials, posters, and other items pertaining to the career of Gordon Parks. The materials in this collection mostly concern two movies directed by Parks; The Learning Tree and Leadbelly. A checklist of Parks’ published works held by Pittsburg State University is appended to this page.

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  Parrish, William A., papers, 1924-1950

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  The William A. Parrish Papers covers the payments of Dr. Parrish’s house calls and the payments made in between 1924 to 1950, covering his work in Mulberry and Pittsburg, Kansas.

  Born on August, 22^nd, 1888 in the small mining town of Curranville, Kansas (Crawford County), William Parish was one of six children. As a child, William grew up farming and working in the coal mines, but made his way through high school eventually to pursue a career in the medical field. In 1909, William attended the Barnes Medical School in St. Louis, then transferred to the Medical School at the University of Tennessee, graduating in 1913, which then qualified him to work as a physician. After a brief period in Arkansas, William came back to Crawford County, settling in the small town of Mulberry. In 1916 he married Jennette Boniols. In 1917, Dr. Parish, answered the call to serve his country and joined the Medical Corps which was training in Fort Riley. His rank was Captain. In June, 1918, Parrish shipped out from New Jersey and landed on the shores of France, staying there until June, 1919. When he returned to Mulberry, ‘Doc’ Parish made house calls for the residents in a horse and carriage. In 1936, he moved his family to Pittsburg, Kansas. In 1955, he retired and quit his practice due to illness. William A. Parrish passed away on July 5^th, 1962.

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  Pate, Martha, collection, 1904-1986

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Martha Pate was a music professor at Pittsburg State University and the organist-director at the Methodist Church in Pittsburg. This collection contains correspondence, school and professional work, programs, materials from professional organizations, religious materials, programs and information about various types of organs and the companies that produced them.

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  Patterson, Rebecca Elizabeth, papers, 1936, 1951-1955

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Papers of Rebecca Patterson, a professor of English at Pittsburg State University from 1954 until her death. Patterson was a noted authority on the poetess, Emily Dickinson. These papers primarily reflect her activities as a teacher and Dickinson scholar.

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  Pease, Samuel J., collection, 1906-1950

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of letters, publications, writings, and school materials of Samuel J. Pease, former professor.

  Samuel J. Pease (1877-1956) graduated from Northwestern University, Illinois in 1897 with a BS, and in 1898, with an MA. In 1931, he graduated from the University of Chicago with a PhD. He taught Greek, Latin, and German at various universities and high schools before coming to the State Manual Normal Training School (now Pittsburg State University) in 1915 to be the head of the Foreign Language Department. Dr. Pease was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (ΦMA), Eta Sigma Phi, and Alpha Mu Gamma. In 1945, Dr. Pease stepped down as head of the department but remained a few years as a professor of Foreign Language at the university.
  

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  Pelsma, John R., collection, 1894-1958

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  John Reinder Pelsma was a Professor of Public Speaking at the State Manual Training Normal School (now Pittsburg State University) 1920 - 1950. He taught students how to utilize different speaking styles through debate, extemporaneous speech, poems, and dramas. The collection contains correspondence, biographical information, education materials, writings by Pelsma and others, printed speeches and publications, clippings, photographs, and miscellaneous items. This collection focuses on Pelsma’s work at Pittsburg State University, with some documents relating to his previous spots of employment. A majority of the collection are his personal writings and the writings of others.

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  Pendleton, Harold G., collection, 1943-1948

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of World War II materials belonging to Harold G. Pendleton, who served in the United States Eighth Army Air Force, including correspondence, military service records and artifacts, photographs, various ration book/cards, as well as Kansas State Teachers College theatre programs.

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  Penny, John S., collection, 1915-1930

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of photocopies of John S. Penny’s poems, rhymes, and lyrics. Also included is unpublished poetry, family history, photographs, and correspondence.

  John Scott Penny was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1848. In 1881, he and Irene Hixson married, and had two sons. Around 1900, they moved to Fort Scott, Kansas. There, Penny worked first as a real estate agent. Penny went on to open his own real estate, insurance, and loan office in 1914. Between 1915 and 1930, John Penny wrote approximately 500 poems, mostly about Kansas, Iowa, and the aspects of life around him. About 50 of his poems were published in Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri newspapers. In 1917 Penny published a poem booklet called Short Poems at Odd Hours, which included 141 of his poems. His writing gained national attention when he wrote a poem titled “The World’s Answer” in 1919 as a response to Lt. Col. John D. McCrae’s World War I poem titled “In Flanders Fields,” written in 1915. Penny died in Fort Scott in 1933.

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  Perkins, L. H., correspondence, 1892-1893

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  The L. H. Perkins Letters consists of the legal documentation and correspondence between Lucius Hiram Perkins and his client A. D. Williams. The letters pertain to the purchase of several foreclosing properties in Nebraska throughout the latter half of 1893.

  Pauline Lang Hibbard was born March 3, 1905 in Cherryvale, Kansas to Sherburne and Dixon Hibbard. When she was 25, she became a school teacher in Cherryvale, Kansas. In the early 1930s she moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and in 1940 married Edward L. Stauffacher from St. Paul, Minnesota. At the beginning of World War II her husband was drafted and they moved to Chicago. After the war, her husband became the president of City Service Oil Company of Pennsylvania. Later they moved to Chappaqua, New York. Edward passed away in 1966 and Pauline passed away in 1995 in Greenwich, Connecticut.

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  Perry, Esther A., collection, 1908-1978

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of photographs, a program, and a newspaper clipping related to Esther Atkinson Perry, her family, and her friends from the 1910s to the 1970s.

  Esther Atkinson Perry was born to John and Mary Atkinson on April 29, 1897. She grew up in southeast Kansas, and lived in Pittsburg, Girard, and Webb City, Missouri. In 1933, Esther married Thomas Hall Perry in Jackson County, Missouri. Afterwards, they moved to Webb City where Thomas was the manager of a café before working as a chemist at the Eagle-Picher Smelting Company in Joplin. Thomas passed away in 1947 of coronary thrombosis. Esther Atkinson Perry passed away in 1985.

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  Peterson, Wayne, collection, 1894-1978

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Wayne Gordon Peterson was an historian for the Naval Air Corps. His personal library is at the Pittsburg Public Library, and his papers on the Naval Air Corps are located at the University of Kansas. This collection consists of clippings, correspondence, contracts, publications, photographs, and personal family materials.

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  Phillips, Pauline, collection, 1921-1930

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of a scrapbook, scrapbook items, and other papers of Pauline Phillip’s time at Kansas State Teachers College (1921-1925), now Pittsburg State University.

  Pauline Phillips was born on August 30, 1899 and grew up near Columbus, Kansas. She attended the Kansas State Teachers College from 1921 to 1925. Pauline conducted the Commercial Department of Cedar Vale High School (Kansas) for two years before receiving her degree in 1925. She was a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha, the W.A.A., and the YWCA. Pauline passed away on October 8, 1987.

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  Pittsburg and Midway Coal Company records, 1920-1930, 1980

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Records, correspondence, and other documentation from the Pittsburg and Midway Coal Company dating from the late 1920s to the mid 1930s with some from pre-1900 and post 1980.

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  Pittsburg Area Arts and Crafts Association records, 1974-2006

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of meeting minutes, records, publicity, PAACA theater productions, entertainment, art auctions and Little Balkans festivals.

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  Pittsburg Bicentennial-Centennial collection, 1967-1976

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Contains correspondence, forms, lists, and newspapers related to the Pittsburg Bicentennial-Centennial celebration in 1976.

  The Pittsburg Bicentennial-Centennial was the celebration of the 200^th anniversary of the United States and the 100^th anniversary of the city of Pittsburg, Kansas in 1976. The celebration was spearheaded by Edward T. McNally of McNally Pittsburg Manufacturing Corporation. He said the objective was “to celebrate our past in a unique town and instill a sense of pride in the past and the present.” A feature of the Centennial celebration was the Pittsburg Hall of Fame. This was a list of 100 people, approximately 10% alive at the time, that aided the building and development of Pittsburg. Carl Brown, chairman, created the Hall of Fame and with a committee selected the 100 people to be recognized. Planning for the events began in 1973 to celebrate the city’s centennial on its birthday, May 20, 1976, and the country’s bicentennial on July 4, 1976.

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  Pittsburg Board of Education collection, 1871-1987

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of financial records and Board of Education minutes from 1871 - 1987 for School District No. 49 and USD 250 in Pittsburg, Kansas.

  School District No. 49 of Pittsburg, Kansas and the surrounding area was organized in January of 1877. Beginning with a two-story wooden building, the school district either made renovations or added new schools every few years. District 49 grew from one classroom, requiring just one teacher, to needing 32 teachers to accommodate its 32 classrooms by 1891. The enrollment of students increased from 100 to 1,800 in eleven years. It was not until after 1962 when the state of Kansas adopted unified school districts to reduce the number of rural districts that School District No. 49 became USD 250. Before the legislation, Kansas had 3,000 districts, which then dropped below 400.

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  Pittsburg Community Theatre records, 1979-2016

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Bylaws, correspondence, performance records & recordings, meeting minutes, financial documents, newsletters, newspaper clippings, forums, policies, handbooks, lease agreements, photographs, programs & miscellaneous materials.

  The Pittsburg Community Theatre was founded in a joint effort of the Pittsburg Parks and Recreation department and Pittsburg Area Arts and Crafts Association. Misty Maynard was appointed to access the feasibility of establishing a community theatre group, she then decided to stage a production of “The Music Man.” The community’s response proved incredibly positive and the project was deemed a success. On April 30, 1981, Pittsburg Community Theatre became a non-profit organization. The City of Pittsburg granted space in the Memorial Auditorium as part of an agreement to produce three shows in the calendar year. The 100th production of the PCT was a production of “The Music Man” in 2006.

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  Pittsburg Fire Department, call register, 1907-1917

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A ledger book containing a handwritten account on lined paper of fire alarm calls for Pittsburg, Kansas from January 1, 1907 through March 30, 1917.

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  Pittsburg Industrial Revenue Bonds collection, 1971-1994

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  This collection consists of legal and corporate paperwork, correspondence, and industrial revenue bonds granted by the city of Pittsburg, Kansas from 1971-1994.

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  Pittsburg Ordinances and Resolutions collection, 1945-1979

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  This is a collection consisting of personal correspondence, ordinances, resolutions, contracts, appraisals, and other miscellaneous items related to several Pittsburg civil engineering projects.

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  Pittsburg Porcelain Artists collection, 1977-1996

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Newspaper clippings, photos, meeting minutes, yearbooks, books, and other records relating to the Pittsburg Porcelain Artists organization.

  The Pittsburg Porcelain Artists was founded by Rosalie Talley and 15 other porcelain artists in 1977. The goal of the organization was to share ideas, techniques, and improve their skills.

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  Pittsburg Pottery Company collection, 1983-1994

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of legal papers, financial statements, and correspondence relating to the final decade of the Pittsburg Pottery Company.

  The pottery business in Pittsburg began in 1888 when a smelting company provided a section for stonemasonry. In 1913, this section became independent and was named the Pittsburg Clay Works. Originally owned by A. K. and E. V. Lanyon, the company was bought by a group of people, including Henry Matarazzi, in 1925. Matarazzi gained complete ownership in 1944 and the name changed to the Pittsburg Pottery Company. Matarazzi passed the business on to his son in 1952 who sold it to an Oswego pottery company in 1982. Until World War II, the company used coal to fire the kilns, but switched to natural gas after the war. In the 1980s, gas prices rose sharply, making payments more difficult. After a recession, sales of its products slowed. The company found it difficult to pay its loans to the City of Pittsburg, even with modifications to the payments plans. The company closed in the mid-1990s.

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  Pitts, ZaSu, collection, 1921-2003

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  The photos and materials in this collection are related to actress ZaSu Pitt’s life, films and theatrical work. The collection is made up of photographs, clippings, programs, scripts, films, and promotions posters.

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  Poole, Dorothy, collection, 1924

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  This collection includes essays, short stories, notes, and tests results, apparently taken while a student at State Manual Training Normal School in Pittsburg, Kansas.

  Dorothy Ann (Hicks) Poole was born in 1894. She married William Harvey Poole (b. 1892 - d. 1980) in 1916 in Columbus, Kansas. They had one son. Dorothy attended the State Manual Training Normal School (now Pittsburg State University) around 1924. William worked in the oil business and also served as the mayor of Galena, Kansas. Dorothy Poole passed away in 1982.

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  Portis, Holland, and Craig family collection, 1904-1975

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  The Portis, Holland, Craig family owned mining land in Arkansas. Mrs. Mary Portis, having lost all three of her sons and husband, adopted Miss Mary Holland as her heir. Upon Mrs. Portis’s death Miss Holland inherited the estate and lands. Miss Holland married John Craig. Mrs. Craig’s grandson, Richard Buthod, donated the family’s mining materials to the Pittsburg State University Special Collections & Archives in 2015.

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  Poulos, James T., collection, 1981-2011

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  James T. Poulos was born December 7, 1931, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and died on September 25, 2010, in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 1969 Poulos gained employment at Pittsburg State University as an assistant professor teaching violin. During his time at PSU, he conducted several bands, taught music appreciation, music theory, music history, and was a performer in the Faculty String Quartet. Poulos had a strong interest in early stringed instruments, which led him to become an expert in the construction and technique in these instruments. This collection includes correspondence, Pittsburg State University materials, research, music, art, photographs, newspaper clippings, and miscellaneous materials.

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  Powell, William E., collection, 1912-2011

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of documents, papers, and letters regarding William E. Powell’s research of mining and European immigrants in southeast Kansas.

  Dr. William E. Powell received his Bachelor of Science in Geology (major) and Geography (minor) from Oklahoma State University in 1954. He went on to receive his Master of Science in Geology from the University of Arkansas in 1958 and his Doctor of Philosophy in Geography from the University of Nebraska in 1970. While earning his doctorate, Dr. Powell studied French and German. Later in his life he began to learn Italian, striving for complete fluency. He was a professor at Pittsburg State University from 1959 to 1996, teaching geography and geology. Dr. Powell has published many articles on various subjects, including geology, coal mining, population patterns, and Europeans in southeast Kansas.

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  Presbyterian Church of Pittsburg collection, 1879-2003

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of minutes, registries, historical notes, and photographs of the First Presbyterian and the United Presbyterian Churches of Pittsburg, Kansas.

  In the early days of Pittsburg, Kansas, there were two Presbyterian Churches. While both were technically First United Presbyterian Churches, one was locally called the First Church and the other was called the United Presbyterian (UP) Church. The two churches, despite being the same denomination, were different in organization, style, and heritage. The First United Presbyterian Church was started on March 12, 1879. The first full-time minister was Reverend Francis Symmes who served from 1883 to 1885. The church had several more ministers before Rev. Gerritt Snyder. It was during his time that a new church was built in 1907. The United Presbyterian Church was started on April 29, 1880 with Rev. Gibson of the Beulah, Kansas church serving as minister. In 1891, the United Presbyterian Church purchased the Tabernacle Methodist Church, which is now the Memorial Auditorium. In 1915, construction began for a new church, which was dedicated in 1916. Both congregations moved or built new churches several more times before the two churches merged on January 1, 1986, becoming the Presbyterian Church of Pittsburg, Kansas.

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  Proctor, Alvin H., collection, 1944-1999

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of speeches, newspaper clippings, correspondence, publications, and photographs of Dr. Alvin H. Proctor. Alvin. H. Proctor was born on July 29, 1912. He attended the University of Kansas from 1930-1931, and Kansas State Teachers College (KSTC) from 1932-1935 where he graduated with a double major in English and journalism. Alvin Proctor married Mary Faye Cooper in 1933. Proctor received his master’s degree from KSTC in 1936. He taught history, government, and journalism at Hot Springs High School in New Mexico before beginning studies at the University of Wisconsin for a Ph.D. from 1938-1939. He had various teaching positions until he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the aviation branch of the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1944. Proctor taught at Fort Hays State College in 1943 and 1946-47 before he returned to the University of Wisconsin to complete his Ph.D. in history and government in June 1948. He was a part of the faculty at Pittsburg State University from 1948 until 1984 as a history professor and administrator. Dr. Proctor passed away in Frontenac, Kansas in 2001.

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  Progressive Study Club collection, 1949-2018

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  Bylaws, constitutions, certificates, collects, correspondence, financials, newspaper clippings, photographs, records, scrapbooks & yearbooks related to the Progressive Study Club of Pittsburg, Kansas.

  The Progressive Study Club, part of the Third District of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of Kansas, was organized in 1949. The goal of the club, as stated in its constitution, is to “promote civic, social, philanthropic, cultural, and educational movements, and thereby gain more knowledge.” The club, comprised of only women, would meet regularly and take on special projects. These projects included donating items and their time to the community. Dorothy Resnar (1924-2013) was a long-time member who held positions including president within the club.

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  Pryer, Baxter, and Pease families collection, 1924-1980

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of personal correspondence, photographs, various arts programs and collections of songs, and newspaper clippings regarding people of Pittsburg, Kansas, Mt. St. Helen eruption, Watergate, and America’s Bicentennial.

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  Purcell, Arleen, collection, 1919-1991

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A collection of documents and items related to Fort Scott and southeast Kansas, and Arleen Purcell’s travels and studies.

  Arleen Purcell (1912-2001) was an elementary school teacher in Fort Scott, Kansas who collaborated in writing the musical Footprints on the Frontier. She was married to Ralph Emerson Purcell, with whom she had two sons. Purcell took great interest in local history and community organizations. In the 1970s, she took study abroad trips through Western Illinois University and the Kansas State College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University) to South America.

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  Radley, Kansas collection, 1913-1960

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  This collection consists of photographs and postcards from immigrant families in Radley, Kansas.

  Radley, Kansas is a small unincorporated community located in Crawford County five miles north and three miles west of Pittsburg. Radley was founded as a mining camp of the Girard Coal Company.

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  Randolph, John, scrapbook, 1894-1898

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A ledger book containing newspaper clippings relating primarily to the city of Pittsburg, and to elections and other political matters in Crawford County, Kansas. Includes one letter to Randolph from J. C. Buchanan, editor of the Pittsburg Kansan.

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  Rash, Harry E., collection, 1941-1958

  Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

  A scrapbook about the history of the banks of Thayer and Stark, Kansas, their fiftieth anniversaries, and Harry E. Rash’s career as a banker in the 1940s and 1950s. The scrapbook is comprised of newspaper clippings, photographs, letters, and cards.

  Harry Edgar Rash was born on November 24, 1910 in Atlanta, Kansas. He began working as a bookkeeper at the First National Bank of Thayer, Kansas on June 1, 1927 and was elected to cashier in 1936. Two years later, following the death of Edgar Rash, his father, Harry was elected president of the First National Bank of Thayer. In the early 1930s Harry married Ruth Julia Pownall and had two children by 1940. In 1944, Harry was elected as President for the Stark State Bank of Kansas and operated as such for both banks. His wife Ruth was the Vice President of the Stark State Bank. Harry passed away in 1995 and Ruth passed away in 1999.

  The bank of Thayer, Kansas first opened in 1904 as the Citizens State Bank. In 1907, the bank was bought from the original incorporators by W. H. Slaughter who then sold it in 1908 to S. M. Pickens. In 1909, the bank was nationalized and renamed the First National Bank. After being briefly closed in 1911, the bank reopened with J. A. Alleman as cashier and Edgar Rash, Harry Rash’s father, as assistant cashier. To celebrate its 50^th anniversary in 1954, the bank was remodeled, updating the entrance, rearranging the entire interior, and modernizing the appearance. A contemporary article states that the bank’s goal was to stay as modern as possible in terms of appearance and services.

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  Rawlings, R.C., Photographs

  Robert C. Rawlings and Anthony Guarino

  This photo album is composed of sixteen silver gel photographs on black construction paper. The photos are of various locations in Columbus, Kansas circa 1898 by Robert Cosby Rawlings. The photos include the MKT train station, court house, opera house, college, Middaugh Hotel, Wight’s Dry Goods store, the brick and tile works, the residence of Isaac Wright, and an unknown residence, two photos of the town square, and several of the town from the courthouse tower.