MG-209. RAYMOND P. SHAFER PAPERS, 1967-1971.
Raymond Philip Shafer (b.1917) was Republican governor of Pennsylvania from 1967-1971 and lieutenant governor under his predecessor, William Scranton, 1963-1967. Twice elected president of the Crawford County Bar Association, Shafer also served two terms as district attorney of Crawford County and was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1958. The papers are arranged in the following series: General File, 1967-1970; Subject File, 1966-1971; Press Conference and Audio Tape Recordings, 1967-1970; Boards and Commissions File, 1965-1971; Press Releases, 1965-1970; Legislative File, 1967-1968; Press Room File, 1968-1971; News Clippings, 1967-1970; and Scholarship File, 1967-1970. Within each series, files are arranged alphabetically by subjects or names of persons or organizations. Within each file, papers are arranged chronologically. The following series includes information on African Americans.
General File, 1967-1970. Contains information on the following topics:
Sarah Anderson. Letter concerning the proclamation of Negro History Week.
Cheyney State College, 1967-1970. Over 140 documents including a "Report of Audit of Cheyney State College" prepared by the state’s secretary of administration and the budget secretary of Cheyney’s Student Government Cooperative Association on June 1968, Governor’s Shafer’s announcement of the election of Dr. Wade Wilson as president of Cheyney, letters inquiring about student unrest that occurred during the fall 1968 semester, and letters concerned with enlarging the college’s dining room and constructing an industrial arts building.
Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). This file deals with unfair employment practices in the Delaware River Port Authority and contains a news release on Governor Shafer’s address at the annual convention of the Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World on August 26, 1970, where Shafer called for the cooperation of all citizens "including responsible leaders of the Black Community in continuing efforts to bring the Negro into the mainstream of American life."
Foundation for Freedom and Democracy in Community Life. The foundation’s resolution in support of Freedom of Residence Program, proclamations for Freedom of Residence Days for Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Pennsylvania that were issued during the last week in March 1967, and a brochure for the Second International Conference on Freedom of Residence held in Milwaukee during March and April 1967 which carried the theme "The Pursuit of House and Happiness."
Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. News, June 1, 1967, features the following articles concerning African Americans: "Over 1,000 Pay Tribute to Reverend Sullivan," "National Figures Laud Selection of Reverend Sullivan" (as the Chamber’s eighteenth William Penn Award winner), "Help Find Ways for Negroes to Enjoy Economic Benefits . . . ," "Equal Employment Seminar to Meet June 8 at Sheraton," and "Meet the Press" featuring Reverend Sullivan among others.
Harrisburg, Pa. Announcement of the appearance of John Howard Griffin, author of Black Like Me, at the Forum Building in Harrisburg and correspondence regarding mistreatment of daughters of African Americans by militants at Camp Curtin Junior High School and racial imbalance existing in the Harrisburg School District.
National Assembly on Progress in Equality of Opportunity in Housing. Assembly’s brochure dated March 18-20, 1965 featuring forty-five names as well as photographs of panelists, resource leaders, and participants, at least twenty of whom were African Americans. Also present is an invitation from A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. to attend a convention of the American Foundation for Negro Affairs.
Human Relations Commission, 1967-1970. News releases and records of commission appointments and resignations.
Martin Luther King Jr. Approximately ninety items including booklets, brochures, correspondence, cross-reference sheets, news releases, pamphlets, and telegrams covering such varied subjects of King’s funeral, the creation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a state holiday, celebrations connected with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, appellations of King’s name to various buildings and streets, and the text of Governor Shafer’s Martin Luther King Jr. Proclamation of April 8, 1958.
Lincoln University File, 1966-1968. A list of new faculty and staff, invitations to dinners, and Shafer’s speech at the 1968 commencement exercises.
Mercy Hospital. Bulletins dated March and May 1967 provide information on improvements made to the hospital and its services.
Montgomery County Negro Republican Council Newsletter, 1968. Features William D. C. Dennis of Willow Grove who was chosen by Governor Shafer as his special assistant during the 1968 gubernatorial campaign.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 1966-1970. This file contains over a hundred pieces of correspondence including a letter dated October 1, 1970 to Governor Shafer from Barton A. Fields, president of the Harrisburg NAACP, requesting employment and training information on African Americans employed by the Commonwealth. This data was to be used to prepare for the thirty-sixth Annual NAACP Conference held in Pennsylvania during October 1970. Also contains a letter dated October 1, 1970 concerning an investigation into charges that the Juvenile Division of the Erie Police Department engaged in conduct detrimental to juveniles. A letter dated July 11, 1967 to Roy Wilkins, executive director of the NAACP, from William J. Hart, secretary of Labor and Industry, delineates the "equal opportunity policy" then practiced in Pennsylvania in awarding state contracts and was written in response to an earlier letter Wilkins wrote to Governor Shafer requesting him to withhold contracts for state construction until "Negroes" were given an opportunity for employment. Other letters in this file relate to migrant farm labor practices and include a letter reporting that Marcella Hilbert was charged with not having a license to operate a farm labor camp in Berks County and a letter drawing attention to the small numbers of African Americans enlisted in the National Guard or employed by the State Police and by the Commonwealth. Finally there are invitations for the governor to attend various NAACP heritage and achievement programs and a copy of the publication, Honor Guard, which lists the names of life-members of the NAACP.
"Negro," 1967-1970. Information on African American State Police officers and officers in the armed services; an article entitled "The Negro Trouble in America," information on the American Foundation for Negro Affairs, materials on a Negro Public Officials Conference, materials on Negro History Week, materials on the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, reports on African American voter registration, and the number of African Americans employed by the Commonwealth, items relating to the Negro Republican State Council, and proposals, newsletters, voting information, and opinions on Shafer’s budget and tax proposals.
Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC). The quarterly progress report of the OIC of Dauphin County for August-October 1967, a letter dated August 1, 1968 stating "OIC of Dauphin County has met all the criteria for approval for veterans education under the provisions of Title 38, U.S. code, Section 1776," and letters requesting proclamation of April as OIC month in 1969 and 1970. Also present are invitations to the governor to attend OIC banquets and dedication ceremonies in Philadelphia, Erie, and Harrisburg, as well as a May 1969 issue of the Harrisburg OIC News, which includes OIC news of the Carlisle OIC Center that contains an article on Mildred B. Jones, who was trained in Carlisle’s first keypunch class, in the February issue and pictures of Rev. W. W. Bowden, Mildred Neal, and Toby Young from Harrisburg. Finally, there is a letter dated May 22, 1969 signed by F. L. Henley giving statistics on enrollment, graduations and employment, and several letters dated November-December 1970 opposing the closing of the Ramos Antonini Center in Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania Council of Churches. "Religious Affiliation of Elected State Officials Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," a list including Herbert Arlene, an African American senator from Philadelphia, and Robert N. C. Nix Sr., an African American congressman from Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania State Police. State Police Demonstrations Incidents, 1967-70, which reports on various public demonstrations to which the State Police responded.
The Philadelphia Police. A publication by Peter H. Binzen, featuring an article entitled "Ghetto Negroes Fear Bluecoats as Their Army of Occupation."
Philadelphia School District. The board of education sent a letter addressed to "Friend of Public Education" dated May 9, 1968. Also present is an article entitled "Salute to Schools" which appeared the Philadelphia Sunday Bulletin, April 21, 1968 and which recognized the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of public education in Philadelphia.
Subject File, 1966-1971. Contains information on the following subjects:
Governor’s Conference on Minority Employment, 1967. News releases, annual reports, pamphlets, newsletters, books, texts of speeches, and correspondence relating to segregation in education and housing, discrimination in the workplace and in admission to cemeteries; a survey of non-white employment in state government; materials on the American Foundation for Negro Affairs; materials on the Governor’s Code of Fair Practices; investigative reports and recommendations for reducing racial tension; copies of civil rights and affirmative action legislation; and materials relating to implementing affirmative action procedures at Girard College, the Governor’s Conference on Minority Employment and Human Relations, the Poor People’s Campaign, and the United States Commission on Civil Rights.
Housing, 1967-1970. A large file of statements and news releases by Governor Shafer’s office relating to educational opportunities and housing and job discrimination. From July 27, 1967 to November 10. 1967, Governor Shafer’s new Housing Task Force was charged with making it possible for every family in Pennsylvania to have an adequate and decent home regardless of its economic status.
Human Relations Commission, 1966-1971. Correspondence, news releases, and telegrams expressing concern with developing implementation legislation for the Civil Rights Act of 1968, program information on the Governor’s Conference to Examine the Effects of Prejudice in State Government held on September 11-13, 1968, and other governor’s conferences addressing racial equality. Also present are several letters dated from 1966 through 1968 that discuss the will of Stephen Girard, which had limited admission to Girard College to "white orphan boys."
Racial Imbalance in Education, 1967-1970. News releases and correspondence dealing with desegregation efforts by state colleges and resistance to integrating elementary schools through bussing.
Rioting, undated. A large file containing reports, correspondence, and newsletters dealing with race riots and the fear of race riots, the role of local police, State Police, and the National Guard during such riots, public reaction to race riots (specifically white concern over black militancy, anarchy and communism, and black concern over oppression, racism, and social injustices), and contingency plans for possible riots. There are materials specifically concerned with committees on civil disorder, NAACP concerns over use of chemical mace in riots, the National Association for the Advancement of White People which opposed civil rights legislation, and efforts by the African American community to end discrimination in employment, schools, and housing.
Boards and Commissions File, 1965-1971. Contains three files for the Human Relations Commission. One of these is dated 1963-69 and contains a survey of non-white employees in state government, annual reports, newsletters, progress reports, and correspondence dealing with discrimination, reorganization of the commission, desegregation of racially unbalanced schools, and picketing at Girard College. Two files covering the period 1967-70 contain correspondence and newsletters providing information on recommendations and appointments to the commission as well as actions taken by the commission.
Press Room File, 1968-1971. Includes news releases concerning civil rights legislation.
News Clippings of Bette Little, 1967-1970. Contains newspaper articles concerning civil rights legislation, Stephen Girard’s will, the Human Relations Commission, the Negro Employment Conference, and various race riots.
Scholarship File, 1967-1970. Included are requests and awards of scholarships at Lincoln University.