In 1919 Ruth Brown was hired as the director of the Bartlesville [Oklahoma] Public Library. In 1946, Brown helped established the Committee on the Practice of Democracy which was the first Congress of Racial Equality group in that part of the country. In a nationally reported case, Brown was dismissed from her job as head librarian in 1950 due to the library carrying what was then deemed to be subversive materials: Two left-wing magazines and Soviet Russia Today. During the city council hearing to discuss this issue, questions arose about her personal life, particularly her activities with racial integration. Brown received her termination notice over the phone, never receiving written confirmation. She appealed this decision to the Supreme Court of Oklahoma, but eventually lost her case. Brown later taught at the Piney Woods School, an African-American junior college in Mississippi for three years. The Ruth W. Brown case was the basis for the 1956 Bette Davis movie, Storm Center. Ruth W. Brown died in 1975.
Finding Aid: Ruth W. Brown Collection, 1949-1979 (MS113)
Submissions from 2018
Pamphlet, "Are you a good library board member?", Ruth W. Brown Archive and Public Library Service Division, State of Alabama
Articles regarding Dr. Willard Goslin from church newsletter
The Bartlesville "Voter", Bartlesville Voter and Joe Barber
Article, "Private Censors Ban Magazines", Ruth W. Brown Archive
Article, "What Censorship Keeps You From Knowing" (Part 2), Collie Small
Article, "What Censorship Keeps You From Knowing" (Part 1), Collie Small
Editorial, "Hush-Hush in Bartlesville", Darlene Anderson Essary
Typewritten copy of article, "Ruth Brown's Dismissal Shocks Former Bartlesville Resident", James W. Henderson
Article, "Readers' Voice" from Library Journal, Library Journal
Article, "Freedom's Frightened People", Joseph Stocker
The News, "Ruth Brown's Dismissal Shocks Former Bartlesville Resident", James W. Henderson
To the ALA on its 75th Anniversary, Clarence R. Graham
Article, "Censorship in Bartlesville", Ruth W. Brown Archive
Short article, "Report on Bartlesville Dispute", Ruth W. Brown Archive
Article, "Legal Action Taken at Bartlesville, Oklahoma", Ruth W. Brown Archive
Article, "The Piney Woods Country Life School", J. O. Emmerich
Typewritten manuscript, "Three Years in a Negro School in Mississippi", Ruth W. Brown Archive
Testimony by Miss Ruth Brown, Ruth Brown
"My Own Summation ...", Ruth W. Brown Archive
Legal document, Ruth W. Brown and Darlene Essary vs. Edwin S. Dunnaway, et al., Ruth W. Brown Archive
Petition In the District Court of Washington County, Oklahoma, Attorneys for Plaintiff
Report submitted to The President and Executive Board, Oklahoma Library Assn., The O.L.A Committee on Intellectual Freedom
Article, "City Wins Court Library Decision", Ruth W. Brown Archive
Article, "Myriad Issues Obscured by Smoke of Library 'Battle of Bartlesville'", David Miller
Article, "Library Case in High Court", Ruth W. Brown Archive
Letter to the editor, undated clipping from the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, N. D. Welty
Editorial, "You've a Right to Your Opinion", Dallas Morning News
"Harry's Column" undated clipping from the Bartlesville Record Advertiser, Harry L. Moore
"Peggy of the Flint Hills" column, October 5, 1979, Zula Bennington Greene
Article, "Raising Issues" from New York Times, Bosley Crowther
Article, "Screen: 'Storm Center', New York Times
Article, "'Storm Center' Course", Daniel Taradash
Article, "Harry's Column,"July 24, 1953, Harry L. Moore
Article, "Harry's Column," March 27, 1953, Harry L. Moore
1953, February 27, "'Friends of Miss Brown' Use Suit Money for Books", Record Advertiser
1952, March 28, "Out of the Mouths", Harry L. Moore
1951, October 15, "Oil-Rich Bartlesville in Throes of Fight over Civil Liberties", F. A. Behymer
Article, "Battle of Bartlesville," March 3, 1951, Max Keefer Gilstrap
1951, February 11, "Letter to the editor from Anthony Andrews", Anthony Andrews
1951, January 28, "Letter to the Editor", James C. Adams
1951, January 22, "Bartlesville condemned on Library Tiff", Tulsa Tribune
1951, January 22, "State Library Groups Raps Citizens' Committee Action", Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise
1951, January 20, "Dismissal of Bartlesville Librarian Scored by Board", Jack Heaney
1951, January 16, "Another Black Eye", John A. Bannigan
1951, January 15, "Black Eyes and Bartlesville", Snair D. Robert
1951, Jan 15, "Many Issues Involved in Bartlesville Library Case?", Bob Snair
1950, Letter to the Editor, "How They Voted", Wright M. Alvah
1950, November 13, Tulsa Tribune "What goes on in Bartlesville?", Tulsa Tribune
1950, November 9, "Former City Librarian Denied Reinstatement", Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise
1950, October 29, "Another Judge Assigned for Library Case", Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise
1950, October 16, 1950, "Librarian Fights for Job Lost over Criticism of Journals Chosen" (page 3), F. A. Behymer
1950, October 16, 1950, "Librarian Fights for Job Lost over Criticism of Journals Chosen" (page 2), F. A. Behymer
1950, October 16, 1950, "Librarian Fights for Job Lost over Criticism of Journals Chosen" (page 1), F. A. Behymer
1950, October 16, "Librarian Fights for Job Lost over Criticism of Journals Chosen", F. A. Behymer
Article, "Librarian Fights for Job Lost in Row on Magazines", Ruth W. Brown Archive
1950, October 16, "Librarian Fights for Job Lost over Criticism of Journals Chosen", F. A. Behymer
1950, October 15, Tulsa World, "Library Suit Judge Chosen. Pawnee Jurist to Preside Over Bartlesville Reinstatement Plea", Ruth W. Brown Archive
1950, October 14, "Oil-Rich Bartlesville in Throes Of Fight over Civil Liberties", F. A. Behymer
1950, October 4, "Library Board Announces New Committee Personnel", Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise
1950, October 2, "District Judge Disqualifies in City Library Job Lawsuit", Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise
1950, September 18, Letter to the Editor by Thomas M. Finney, Thomas M. Finney
1950, September 18, "True Meaning of Americanism", Darlene Anderson Essary
1950, September 17, "Just Friends Backing Mrs. Brown's Suit", Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise
1950, September 14, "Richard Lloyd Jones", Richard Lloyd Jones
1950, September 13, "City Will Not Hire Special Counsel in Library Action", Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise
1950, September 12, "Ex-City Librarian Sues City For Job", Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise
1950, August 17, "Denver Post Editorial page", Denver Post Editorial Page
1950, August 12, "Patriotism in Bartlesville"
1950, August 10, "Letters to the Editor from Susie Keefer Allen", Susie Keefer Allen
1950, August 4, "Letters to the editor from James C. Adams", James C. Adams
1950, August 2, Article, "Group Appears Before Board on Dismissal of Miss Brown", Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise
1950, July 28, "Letters to the Editor," Mrs. F.E. Rice, Mrs. F. E. Rice
1950, July 26, Article, "City Library Chief Fired Tuesday Nite", Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise
1950, June 18, Article, "City Absorbs Library Board", Daily Oklahoman
1950, May 28, Article, "Library Board Makes its Report to Commissioners", Ruth W. Brown Archive
1950, May 28, "Report on City Library is Made by Citizens Group", Ruth W. Brown Archive
1950, April 19, Newspaper clipping, "Voting Begins on Policies of Y.W.C.A"
1950, March 7 Newspaper column of "Library Board Report"
1951, August 8, Letter from Mary Hays Marable to Miss Vern Hutchison, Mary Hays Marable
1951, July 31, Letter from Vern Hutchison to Mrs. Mary Hayes Marable, Vern Hutchison
1950, September 18, Letter from M.P. Matuszak to John D. Upham, M.P. Matuszak
1950, July 25, Minutes of the meeting held at the City Managers office, Ruth Brown
Letter, August 21, 1950, from The Friends of Miss Brown, to Friends, Friends of Miss Brown