Gwendolyn Brooks Collection, 1909-2003 | Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

By Meg Hixon, Siobhan McKissic, Ruthann Mowry, Dana Miller, and RBML Staff

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Collection Overview

Title: Gwendolyn Brooks Collection, 1909-2003

Predominant Dates:bulk 1960-2000

ID: 01/01/MSS00086

Primary Creator: Brooks, Gwendolyn (1917-2000)

Extent: 200.0 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 09/19/2013

Subjects: Poets, American - 20th century

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000) was an American poet and educator born in Topeka, Kansas and raised on the South Side of Chicago. In 1950, Brooks was the first Black person to win a Pulitzer Prize in any category, receiving the award in Poetry for Annie Allen (1949). Brooks was a beloved mentor to many poets and artists from the Black Arts movement, and started the Illinois Poet Laureate Awards to encourage poetry writing amongst young people. During her life, Brooks received numerous accolades for her work, including her appointment as Poet Laureate of Illinois in 1968 and Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress (now the Poet Laureate of the United States) in 1985.

This collection contains materials that were collected by Gwendolyn Brooks throughout her life and professional career. Formats include correspondence; poetry and prose drafts; interview transcripts; notebooks and loose notes and jottings; photos and scrapbooks; drawings; calendars and diet books; public engagements files and teaching materials; awards, honorary degrees, and doctoral hoods; newspapers and news clippings; A/V media; realia; and ephemera. The collection also contains volumes, pamphlets, and periodicals from Brooks's personal library, as well as related materials collected by RBML ("Supplementary Material").

This record does not contain collection content for the first series of the Gwendolyn Brooks Collection. Series 1, which contains alphabetical correspondence and correspondence files, was separated from the rest of the collection in an attempt to improve load times. Click here to view series 1 (temporarily MS00086a).

Collection Historical Note

Poet Gwendolyn Brooks was born to parents David Anderson and Keziah Wims Brooks on June 7, 1917 in Topeka, Kansas. A few weeks later, her family moved to Chicago where she would live for the rest of her life. Brooks began writing at an early age and was encouraged by her mother saying, "You are going to be the lady Paul Laurence Dunbar." When she was 13, her poem "Evening" was published in the children's magazine American Childhood [1]. By the time she graduated high school, Brooks had published over one hundred poems in the "Lights and Shadows" poetry column of the Chicago Defender [2]. After high school, Brooks graduated from a two-year program at Wilson Junior College [3]. In 1939, she married Henry Blakely, Jr. whom she met after joining the Chicago NAACP Youth Council. They soon had their first child, Henry III, and later their daughter, Nora.

Early in her career, Brooks was encouraged by poet James Weldon Johnson and Harlem Renaissance writers Langston Hughes and Richard Wright [4]. In her work, Brooks drew inspiration from her life and surroundings in Chicago. Her first book of poetry, A Street in Bronzeville (1945), received praise for its authentic portraits of the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago. Her second collection of poems, Annie Allen (1949), chronicles the life of a young Black Bronzeville girl. It was for this book that Brooks won the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for poetry, making her the first Black person to win the award in any category [5].

In the 1960s, Brooks work became more overtly political as she became close with activists and writers involved in the Black Arts Movement, a group of artists whose work reflected the cultural side of the growing Black Power movement [6]. She became especially close with Haki Madhubuti, to whom she became both a mentor and a mother figure. Soon Brooks began working exclusively with Black publishers, especially Broadside Press, founded by her close friend Dudley Randall, and Third World Press, founded by Madhubuti. In the 1980s, Brooks also established her own imprint called The David Company.

Throughout her long career, Brooks published more than twenty books of poetry, including The Bean Eaters (1960), Selected Poems (1963), In the Mecca (1968), Riot (1969), Family Pictures (1970), Aloneness (1971), Beckonings (1975), To Disembark (1981), Black Love (1982), The Near-Johannesburg Boy and Other Poems (1986), Blacks (1987), Gottschalk and the Grand Tarantelle (1988), Winnie (1988), and Children Coming Home (1991). She also published one novel, Maud Martha (1953), as well as children's literature such as Bronzeville Boys and Girls (1956) and The Tiger Who Wore White Gloves (1974). Brooks also published two autobiographies, Report from Part One (1972), and Report from Part Two (1995).

In addition to her writing, Brooks taught poetry and creative writing at numerous colleges and universities. In 1990, the Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing was founded at Chicago State University, where Brooks served as distinguished professor and writer-in-residence [7]. Brooks influenced generations of writers, not only with her words, but with her actions. For most of the year, she traveled the country to perform her poetry for children of all ages as well as at universities, public libraries, hospitals, and prisons. As she especially encouraged young poets, Brooks sponsored youth poetry awards for over thirty years. Renowned for her generosity, Brooks dedicated her life to promoting the value of poetry and inspiring young writers.

Brooks was the recipient of more than seventy-five honorary doctorates and countless accolades [8]. In 1968, she was appointed Poet Laureate of Illinois, a position which she held until her death in 2000 [9]. In 1985, Brooks was selected for an honorary one-year term as the Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress [10]. She received lifetime achievement awards from both the National Endowment for the Arts in 1989 and the National Book Foundation in 1994. Brooks then received the National Endowment for the Humanities' highest honor when she was named the 1994 Jefferson Lecturer. The next year, Brooks received the National Medal of Arts.

Today, Gwendolyn Brooks' legacy persists as one of the most significant poets of the twentieth century, because of both her contribution to American literature and her kindness and generosity, especially toward young poets and authors of color.

Subject/Index Terms

Poets, American - 20th century

Administrative Information

Repository: Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Acquisition Source: Nora Brooks Blakely

Related Materials:

Celebrating Brooks @ 100

Gwendolyn Brooks Supplementary Materials

Gwendolyn Brooks Collection (Sc MG 271) | New York Public Library

Gwendolyn Brooks Papers (BANC MSS 2001/83 z) | University of California, Berkeley

Dudley Randall Papers (2017014 Aa 2) | University of Michigan

Sterling Plumpp Collection (MUM00368) | University of Mississippi

Useni Eugene Perkins Papers (2014/01) | Chicago Public Library

Finding Aid Revision History: This finding aid is experiencing ongoing revision, beginning in June 2023.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Correspondence],
[Series 2: Writings],
[Series 3: Gwendolyn Brooks Personal Files],
[Series 4: Photos and Scrapbooks],
[Series 5: Drawings],
[Series 6: Calendars],
[Series 7: Public Engagements],
[Series 8: Contests and Scholarships],
[Series 9: Teaching Materials],
[Series 10: Programs, Broadsides, Posters, and Ephemera],
[Series 11: David Company Records],
[Series 12: Financial Records],
[Series 13: Legal, Medical, and Real Estate Records],
[Series 14: Gwendolyn Brooks Personal Realia/Artifacts],
[Series 15: Gwendolyn Brooks Library],
[Series 16: Sheet Music],
[Series 17: Audiovisual Materials],
[Series 18: Newspapers and Magazines],
[Series 19: Works of Others],
[Series 20: Oversize Items],
[Series 21: Supplementary Material],
[All]

Series 20: Oversize Items

Box 1

Item 1: African American Alliance of Columbia College Chicago: May 22, 1989. Glass frame.
Item 2: African American Arts Alliance: 1993. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 3: Afrikan poetry Theatre, INC: October 14, 1980. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 4: Afro-American Society Seminole Community College: 1984. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 5: Akron: February 24, 2000. Golden key in a red textile pocket. Rehoused in envelope.
Item 6: Alice C. Browning: Undated. Metal on wooden plaque.

Box 2

Item 1: S07-SS07-B002, May 24, 1988: Alpha Chi Northeastern Illinois University. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 2: S07-SS07-B002, March 31, 1974: Alpha Lambda Delta, Wayne State College. Enclosed with a stiffener, typed letter, and envelope.
Item 3: S07-SS07-B002, Undated: Separation sheet for [American Black Achievement Award]. Brown framed award.
Item 4: S07-SS07-B002, October 25, 1984: Amerian Black Artist, INC. Metal on wood plaque.
Item 5: S07-SS07-B002, 1966 & 1967: American Heritage Commission, State of Illinois. Letter and Separation sheet for two certificates.
Item 6: S07-SS07-B002, January 31, 1982: Anchor Arts Organization. Loose metal plate.
Item 7: S07-SS07-B002, March 26, 1992: Separation sheet for [Arkansas Traveler Award].
Item 8: S07-SS07-B002, April 14, 1986: Askari, M'Wile Yaw. Poem and a copied sheet with writing on verso. Removed from silver frame due to broken glass.
Item 9: S07-SS07-B002, May 18, 1986: Atlanta City Council. Glass frame. Unframed and discarded the frame.
Item 10: S07-SS07-B002, 1995: Before Columbus Foundation. Metal on wood plaque.
Item 11: S07-SS07-B002, 1994: Separation sheet for [Birmingham-Southern College]. Metal award on wooden base.
Item 12: S07-SS07-B002, Undated: Item in Use slip for [The Black Book Club]
Item 13: S07-SS07-B002, April 16, 1989: Black Book Club. Plastic frame.
Item 14: S07-SS07-B002, April 16, 1989: Black Book Club. Plastic frame.

Box 3

Item 1: S07-SS07-B003, March 1, 1970: Black Students Association of Western Illinois University. Glass frame.
Item 2: S07-SS07-B003, February 1, 1988: Blackburn College Carlinville, Illinois. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 3: S07-SS07-B003, 1991: Separation sheet for [Boys & Girls Club of Chicago]. Glass award.
Item 4: S07-SS07-B003, January 5, 1968: Bradford, Walter. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 5: S07-SS07-B003, Undated: Burnside Elementary School. Metal on wooden plaque.

Box 4

Item 1: S07-SS07-B004, April 7, 1989: Caldwell School. Certificate of Appreciation with program.
Item 2: S07-SS07-B004, October 27, 1987: California State University, Dominguez Hills. Certificate of Appreciation.
Item 3: S07-SS07-B004, April 17, 1996: Caxton Club of Chicago. Metal on wooden with red textile.
Item 4: S07-SS07-B004, Undated: Separation sheet for [Centers for New Horizons]. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 5: S07-SS07-B004, May 5, 1990: Chicago Book Clinic. Glass frame.
Item 6: S07-SS07-B004, 1983: Chicago Sesquicentennial. Metal Gold.
Item 7: S07-SS07-B004, May 2, 1996: C.E. "Sonny" Scroggins Community Service Award. Metal on wooden plaque.

Box 5

Item 1: S07-SS07-B005, 1867: Chicago State University. Metal with ribbon.
Item 2: S07-SS07-B005, May 12, 2000: Chicago State University Certificate of Appreciation. Loose papers.
Item 3: S07-SS07-B005, February 7, 1991: Chicago State University Office of Student Activities. Metal on wooden frame.
Item 4: S07-SS07-B005, February 7, 1994: Separation sheet for [Chicago State University]. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 5: S07-SS07-B005, March 5, 1999: Separation sheet for [Chicago State University]. Clock.
Item 6: S07-SS07-B005, October 13, 1983: Citizens Schools Committee. Golden Anniversary Tribute to Chicago Public Education. Loose paper.
Item 7: S07-SS07-B005, September 8, 1987: Separation sheet for [City and County of San Francisco]. Certificate of Honor
Item 8: S07-SS07-B005, Undated: Separation sheet for [City Colleges of Chicago]. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 9: S07-SS07-B005, March 23, 1986: City College of New York. Gold medal.
Item 10: S07-SS07-B005, May 19, 1993: City Council of the City of Chicago. "A resolution...". Two frames hinged. Separation sheet for OS framed award.
Item 11: S07-SS07-B005A, Undated: Separation sheet for [City of Atlanta].
Item 12: S07-SS07-B005A, April 16, 1985: Separation sheet for [City of Atlanta]. Stapled papers.
Item 13: S07-SS07-B005A, February 2, 1988: City of Buffalo. Glass frame.
Item 14: S07-SS07-B005A, Undated: City of Camden, New Jersey. Gold key.
Item 15: S07-SS07-B005A, Undated: Separation sheet for [City of Chicago Heights].
Item 16: S07-SS07-B005A, Undated: Separation sheet for [City of Dowagiac, Michigan].
Item 17: S07-SS07-B005A, February 13, 1994: City of Indianapolis. Loose paper. Unframed and discarded the frame due to broken glass.
Item 18: S07-SS07-B005A, Undated: City of Knoxville & Clark 100 Class of 1987. Charms in a plastic container. Items rehoused in one box, individually. Added note that the "City of Knoxville" charm has been taken out of a plastic bag.
Item 19: S07-SS07-B005A, Undated: Separation sheet for [City of Newark, N.J.]

Box 6

Item 1: S07-SS07-B006, September 29, 1997: City of Macomb, Illinois. Gold Key on wooden plaque. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 2: S07-SS07-B006, March 7, 1988: City of Muskegan, State of Michigan. Loose paper.
Item 3: S07-SS07-B006, October 16, 1987: City of San Francisco, California. Loose papers (2).
Item 4: S07-SS07-B006, Undated: Separation sheet for [City of San Jose, California]. Loose sheet in paper folder.
Item 5: S07-SS07-B006, Undated: City of Shreveport, Louisiana. Medal. Rehoused in envelope.
Item 6: S07-SS07-B006, Undated: City of Tampa, Florida. Golden key. Rehoused in envelope.
Item 7: S07-SS07-B006, March 18, 1988: City of Tuscan. Glass frame. Printed on metal sheet. Unframed and discarded broken glass.
Item 8: S07-SS07-B006, Undated: Colgate-Palmolive Company. Glass plaque. Looks like something was attached to the plaque.
Item 9: S07-SS07-B006, May 12, 1984: College of Lake County. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 10: S07-SS07-B006, 1991: Separation sheets for [Columbia University, Pulitzer Prize]. Glass award and blue envelope with Pulitzer Prize documentation, accompanied by brown mailing envelope, "Pulitzer Prize Gwendolyn Brooks 1950" (12 items). In [Small Glass Awards] and in [Oversized Awards #2].

Box 7

Item 1: S07-SS07-B007, April 16, 1991: Separation sheet for [Cook County Juvenile Court]. Acrylic award.
Item 2: S07-SS07-B007, May 9, 1996: CUL's Health Programs. Metal on wooden frame.
Item 3: S07-SS07-B007, 1977-1978: Cum Laude Society. Three loose papers.
Item 4: S07-SS07-B007, May 29, 1986: Detroit City Council. Loose paper in two blue folders and a medal. Medal rehoused in envelope.
Item 5: S07-SS07-B007, March 16, 1994: Separation sheet for [Detroit City Council]. Printed letter in paper folder. Metal pin in a plastic bag, stapled on the folder cover. Stored in manila envelope.
Item 6: S07-SS07-B007, December 28, 1995: Division on Black American Literature and Culture of the Modern Language Association. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 7: S07-SS07-B007, January 15, 1985: Dixwell House. Wooden plaque.
Item 8: S07-SS07-B007, 1973: Drury College. Medal. Rehoused in envelope.
Item 9: S07-SS07-B007, March 16, 1993: Duke Ellington Family. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 10: S07-SS07-B007, Undated: Separation sheet for [Elgin Community College]. Glass award.
Item 11: S07-SS07-B007, December 17, 1991: Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club. Metal with wooden plaque.

Box 8

Item 1: S07-SS07-B008, 1988: Separation sheet for [Essence Literature Award]. Glass award.
Item 2: S07-SS07-B008, March 3, 1988: Faulkner School. Black Arts Celebration Participation Certificate.
Item 3: S07-SS07-B008, 1999: First Ladies Salute First Women. Glass award. Glass award with metal pin in the center. Housed in a custom-fit teal box, "Tiffany & Co" with a small notecard. Rehoused in clamshell box using corrugated boards. Rehoused the notecard in mylar sleeve.
Item 4: S07-SS07-B008, 1968: Frank London Brown Historical Association. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 5: S07-SS07-B008, May 19, 1993: Full Circle Monuments to Women. Loose paper with yellow envelope.
Item 6: S07-SS07-B008, October 28, 1999: Furious Flower Poetry Center, James Madison University. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 7: S07-SS07-B008, Undated: "G" shape medal. Rehoused in envelope.
Item 8: S07-SS07-B008, May 1981: Gamma Phi Delta Zeta Chapter. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 9: S07-SS07-B008, Undated: Separation sheet for [Gary, Indiana.] White certification.
Item 10: S07-SS07-B008, April 9, 1989: Gary, Indiana. Metal on wooden plaque. Key is missing.
Item 11: S07-SS07-B008, April 9, 1989: Gary Public Library. Metal on wooden plaque.

Box 9

Item 84: S07-SS07-B009, 1996: GBB '96. Metal letter opener? Rehoused in envelope.
Item 85: S07-SS07-B009, October 10, 1986: Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival. Glass frame.
Item 86: S07-SS07-B001, 2000: Go On Girl Literary Lifetime Achievement Award. Ceramic award. Broken into three pieces.
Item 87: S07-SS07-B009, May 9, 1994: Gober, Cliff. Glass frame.
Item 88: S07-SS07-B009, March 1, 1979: Golden Sable, INC. Tampa, Florida. Metal on wooden plaque. Metal plate detached from wooden plaque.
Item 89: S07-SS07-B009, December 12, 1980: Gompers Upper Cycle School. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 90: S07-SS07-B009, 1987: Separation sheet for [Girl Scouts]. Glass award.
Item 91: S07-SS07-B009, September 7, 1991: Separation sheet for ["Gwendolyn Brooks 9-7-91"]. Base.
Item 92: S07-SS07-B009, Undated: "Gwendolyn Brooks Artist." Loose metal plate.
Item 93: S07-SS07-B009, April 16, 1982: Separation sheet for [Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center]. Wooden plaque.
Item 94: S07-SS07-B009, 1996: Separation sheet for [Gwendolyn Brooks For Your Contribution to the African-American Community and the World]. Glass top + marble bottom pyramid award.
Item 95: S07-SS07-B009A, March 10, 1995: Harvard University. Medal with red and black stripe ribbon. Accompanied by a letter and envelope. Rehoused the medal in envelope and letter in mylar sleeve.
Item 96: S07-SS07-B009A, Undated: Separation sheet for [Harvey Public Schools District 152].
Item 97: S07-SS07-B009A, May 29, 1986: Separation sheet for [Heritage House Writers Series]. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 98: S07-SS07-B009A, May 29, 1986: Separation sheet for [Heritage House Writers Series]. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 99: S07-SS07-B009A, Undated: Separation sheet for [Howard University, Liberal Arts Student Council].
Item 100: S07-SS07-B009A, Undated: Separation sheet for [Hyde Park Historical Society]. Framed award.
Item 101: S07-SS07-B009A, Undated: Separation sheet for ["I See Chicago" poem].
Item 102: S07-SS07-B009A, 1978: Separation sheet for [IBWC INC.] Award statue (2 copies).
Item 103: S07-SS07-B009A, June 2, 1994: ICRE-R. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 104: S07-SS07-B009A, April 23, 1998: Illinois Alliance For Arts Education. Glass frame.
Item 105: S07-SS07-B009A, October 8, 1965: Illinois Arts Council. Letter and a separation sheet for [Illinois Arts Council Certificate].
Item 106: S07-SS07-B009A, Undated: Separation sheet for [Illinois Association for Teachers of English].
Item 107: S07-SS07-B009A, June 28, 1991: Illinois Community College Trustees Association. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 108: S07-SS07-B009A, February 23, 1989: Jackson State University. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 109: S07-SS07-B009A, December 14, 1992: James McCosh Elementary School. Glass frame.

Box 10

Item 110: S07-SS07-B0010, December 14, 1992: James McCosh School Primary Library. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 111: S07-SS07-B0010, August 4, 1995: Jazz Unites, IN. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 112: S07-SS07-B0010, June 2000: Jenner Academy of the Arts. Metals on wooden plaque.
Item 113: S07-SS07-B0010, June 2000: Jenner Academy of the Arts. Metal on wooden plaque. Same as 112 but without the award's name and date. Taped Post-it note on verso.
Item 114: S07-SS07-B0010, 1988: Jenner School. Metal clock on wooden plaque.
Item 115: S07-SS07-B0010, Undated: Separation sheet for [Jenner School]. Framed poem.

Box 11

Item 116: S07-SS07-B0011, December 12, 1957: Jesuit Centennial in Chicago. Certificate in degree folder.
Item 117: S07-SS07-B0011, May 12, 1995: Joliet Junior College. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 118: S07-SS07-B0011, May 7, 1996: Jones Metropolitan High School of Business and Commerce. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 119: S07-SS07-B0011, Undated: Separation sheet for [Kennedy-King College]. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 120: S07-SS07-B0011, October 13, 1977: King County, Washington. Felt stole (folded) and Separation Sheet for loose sheet. Housed the sheet in mylar sleeve and moved to OS box (S07-SS07-B577OS).
Item 121: S07-SS07-B0011, May 17, 1992: Langston Hughes Writers Guild. Loose papers.
Item 122: S07-SS07-B0011, October 22, 1989: League of Black Women. Metal on wooden plaque.

Box 12

Item 123: S07-SS07-B0012, Undated: Library of Congress. Metal medal with textile ribbon in a textile lined wooden box.
Item 124: S07-SS07-B0012, 2000: Library of Congress. United States Mint in a textile lined box in a paper box. Folded note in the box.
Item 125: S07-SS07-B0012, Undated: Library of Congress. Booklet and degree folder.
Item 126: S07-SS07-B0012, Undated: Lincoln Academy. Medal with red, purple, green stripe ribbon. Rehoused the medal in envelope.
Item 127: S07-SS07-B0012, 1965: Lincoln College. Medal. Rehoused medal in envelope.
Item 128: S07-SS07-B0012A, May 3, 1982: Lincolnwood Library. Metal plaque on wood/textile frame. Pamphlet taped on verso. Rehoused in mylar sleeve.
Item 129: S07-SS07-B0012A, Undated: Loyola University, Chicago. Medal. Rehoused medal in envelope.
Item 130: S07-SS07-B0012A, 1982/1983: Marquis Who's Who Publications Board. Certificate with envelope.
Item 131: S07-SS07-B0012A, 1983/1984: Marquis Who's Who Publications Board. Certificate.
Item 132: S07-SS07-B0012A, 1992/1993: Marquis Who's Who Publications Board. Loose paper with envelope.
Item 133: S07-SS07-B0012A, 1996: Marquis Who's Who Publications Board. Certificate with envelope.
Item 134: S07-SS07-B0012A, Undated: Separation sheet for [Maxson Middle School].

Box 13

Item 135: S07-SS07-B0013, March 1, 1988: Medgar Evers College. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 136: S07-SS07-B0013, October 26, 1980: Metropolitan Community Church. Glass frame.
Item 137: S07-SS07-B0013, Undated: Separation sheet for [Middle College High School, Creative Writing Club].
Item 138: S07-SS07-B0013, March 15, 1997: Miracle on 95th Street. Certificate in green folder with yellow plastic envelope.
Item 139: S07-SS07-B0013, Undated: Separation sheet for [Model of Excellence].
Item 140: S07-SS07-B0013, February 1, 1989: Moraine Valley Community College. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 141: S07-SS07-B0013, April 25, 1995: Mt. Olive Baptist Church. Glass frame.
Item 142: S07-SS07-B0013, Undated: Separation sheet for [Muntu Dance Theatre].
Item 143: S07-SS07-B0013, November 20, 1981: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Loose paper.
Item 144: S07-SS07-B0013, Undated: National Association for Poetry Therapy. Loose paper.
Item 145: S07-SS07-B0013, April 6, 1991: National Association of University Women. Metal on wooden plaque.

Box 14

Item 146: S07-SS07-B0014, 1994: National Book Award. Round metal medal with blue textile ribbon hanging in a velvet lined two-door box. Taped note on the back of the box. Used to be housed with National Medal of Arts box.
Item 147: S07-SS07-B0014, May 24, 1994: National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 148: S07-SS07-B0014, 1989: Separation sheet for [National Council for Culture and Art, INC.] Acrylic award.
Item 149: S07-SS07-B0014, Undated: National First Ladies Library. Ornament in box.
Item 150: S07-SS07-B0014, 1995: Separation sheet for [National Medal of the Arts]. Loose sheets and medal in a wooden box.
Item 151: S07-SS07-B0014, February 4, 1990: National Naval Officers Association. Certificate inside blue folder.

Box 15

Item 152: S07-SS07-B0015, February 1, 1989: National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 153: S07-SS07-B0015, Undated: Separation Sheet for [National Women's Hall of Fame]. Metal + foam base.
Item 154: S07-SS07-B0015, Undated: Naval Training Station Great Lakes, Illinois. Loose sheet in plastic sleeve.
Item 155: S07-SS07-B0015, Undated: New York Public Library. Medal with orange ribbon and Separation sheet for [NYPL glass award]. Rehoused medal in envelope.
Item 156: S07-SS07-B0015, Undated: New York University, The Bobst Library. Medal. Rehoused medal in envelope.
Item 157: S07-SS07-B0015, October 6, 1999: Separation sheet for [New York University's Institute of African-American Affairs and Africana Studies Program]. Glass award.
Item 158: S07-SS07-B0015, 1937?: Newark Public Library. Glass frame.
Item 159: S07-SS07-B0015, February 13, 1987: Normandy High School. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 160: S07-SS07-B0015, Undated: Separation sheet for [Northeastern Illinois State College]. Loose sheet in mylar sleeve.
Item 161: S07-SS07-B0015, February 14, 1985: Oakland University. Metal on wooden plaque. Image came off of golden metal during cleaning; before and after images included.
Item 162: S07-SS07-B0015, 1997: ORR High School. Metal on wooden plaque.

Box 16

Item 163: S07-SS07-B0016, Undated: Paul Laurence Dunbar. Postage stamp on glass plaque.
Item 164: S07-SS07-B0016, Undated: Poetry Society of America. Metal coin in box.
Item 165: S07-SS07-B0016, February 3, 1993: Prairie State College. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 166: S07-SS07-B0016, October 16, 1987: Press Club of San Francisco. Loose metal plate.
Item 167: S07-SS07-B0016, March 28, 1988: Rochester City Council. Glass frame.
Item 168: S07-SS07-B0016, Undated: Sacramento City College. Medal. Rehoused medal in envelope.
Item 169: S07-SS07-B0016, January 27, 1994: Separation sheet for [Sesquicentennial Distinguished Lecture]. Wooden base.

Box 17

Item 170: S07-SS07-B0017, 1996: Sheriff's Senior Medal of Honor
Item 171: S07-SS07-B0017, Undated: Separation sheet for [Society of Midland Authors].
Item 172: S07-SS07-B0017, Undated: Separation sheet for [Southside Community Art Center]. Framed award.
Item 173: S07-SS07-B0017, May 4, 1965: Springfield, Illinois. Metal plate taped on ceramic tile, mounted on a wooden key.
Item 174: S07-SS07-B0017, Undated: Separation sheet for [State of Illinois Center].
Item 175: S07-SS07-B0017, Undated: Separation sheet for [State of Illinois Executive Department]. Paper mounted on wooden plaque with plastic.
Item 176: S07-SS07-B0017, April 4, 1991: State of Kansas. Loose sheets (3). Separation sheet for ["Proclamation by the governor" and "Members Copy..."].
Item 177: S07-SS07-B0017, Undated: Separation sheet for [State of Michigan].
Item 178: S07-SS07-B0017, October 5, 1980: St. James Cathedral Commons. Framed award.
Item 179: S07-SS07-B0017, Undated: Texas. Metal letter opener? Rehoused in envelope.
Item 180: S07-SS07-B0017, September 25, 1977: Separation sheet for [Third World Press]. Wooden plaque.
Item 181: S07-SS07-B0017, September 19, 1997: Separation sheet for [Third World Press. "30th Anniversary Builders Award"]. Wooden plaque.
Item 182: S07-SS07-B0017, Undated: Tinkham, Charles B, Purdue University. Framed poem.

Box 18

Item 183: S07-SS07-B0018, Undated: Topeka, Kansas. Two medals (Topeka medal and Illinois Sesquicentennial medal) and one manila envelope. Housed the medals in small envelopes.
Item 184: S07-SS07-B0018, 1999: Separation sheet for [TransAfrica Forum]. Acrylic award.
Item 185: S07-SS07-B0018, March 18, 1988: Tucson High School. Honorary Tucson Badger.
Item 186: S07-SS07-B0018, February 8, 1982: U.M.M. - B.S.U. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 187: S07-SS07-B0018, Undated: Separation sheet for [University at Albany]. Glass award.
Item 188: S07-SS07-B0018, Undated: University of Akron. Metal medal and a base in box with two newspaper clippings. Housed the newspaper clippings in mylar sleeves.
Item 189: S07-SS07-B0018, 1994: University of Chicago. Framed award.
Item 190: S07-SS07-B0018, November 12, 1997: University of Illinois at Springfield, African American Studies Program. Metal on wooden plaque.
Item 191: S07-SS07-B0018, January 20, 1991: University of Iowa, La Petite Theatre, Inc. Metal on wooden plaque.

Box 19

Item 192: S07-SS07-B0019, March 27, 1977: University of Pennsylvania. Framed award.
Item 193: S07-SS07-B0019, May 23, 1986: University of Vermont. Pewter case.
Item 194: S07-SS07-B0019, May 27, 1974: University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. Loose papers (2).
Item 195: S07-SS07-B0019, Undated: Separation sheet for [Urban Gateways].
Item 196: S07-SS07-B0019, October 5, 1997: Village of Greenview. Framed award.
Item 197: S07-SS07-B0019, November 25, 1987: Separation sheet for [Walker, Larry D.]. Framed tribute.
Item 198: S07-SS07-B0019, February 14, 1997: Separation sheet for [Washington, D.C. Proclamation Gwendolyn Brooks Day]. Paper certificate in folder with copied sheet and a ribbon.
Item 199: S07-SS07-B0019, 1982-83: Western Illinois University. Framed award.
Item 200: S07-SS07-B0019, 1977: Separation sheet for [YWCA LeaderLuncheon]. Glass award.
Item 201: S07-SS07-B0019, Undated: Glass plaque with Ankh Cross(?) symbol.
Item 202: S07-SS07-B0019, Undated: Separation sheet for [Glass weight (no inscription)].
Item 203: S07-SS07-B0019, Undated: Separation sheet for [Golden key with screw (no inscription)].
Item 204: S07-SS07-B0019, Undated: Separation sheet for [Metal plate with inscription design].

Item 205: S07-SS07-B001

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