LibGuides: African American Studies Resources in Archives and Special Collections: Manuscript Collections

Manuscript Collections

By action of the Board of Trustees in 1979, the collection of local history materials at Archives and Special Collections was named after Althea L. Stoeckel, Ball State University Professor of History from 1960-1978. These collections contain a wealth of materials concerning Muncie and Delaware County, Indiana, including numerous collections documenting African Americans in Muncie and Delaware county. The following are descriptions of these relevant collections with links to online finding aids.

Small Manuscript Collections

The Stoeckel Archives of Local History Materials contains small manuscript collections of one or two folders of items as well as the larger manuscript collections described in the guide. The following is a list of the small collections related to African Americans in Muncie and Delaware County.

Harry L. Gudger Collection, 1968-1989 (SC 17)
Includes Gudger's report on problems, causes, and solutions confronting the African-American community and on lending institutions statistical data for Muncie.
Heritage Trail: Afro-American History Alive Pamphlet, 1981 (SC 68)
Black Neighborhoods in Muncie (SC 210)
Northwest High School Controversy, 1968-1969 (SC 294)
Salute to African-American Firefighters/Pioneers of the Muncie Fire Department (SC 411)

Special Collections

Radical Pamphlets Collection
Documents history, policies, and activities of organizations perceived as radical or the left wing of the political spectrum. Included are pamphlets published by African American organizations and pamphlets discussing African American issues.
Ku Klux Klan Collection
Documents the history of Ku Klux Klan (KKK) activities, particularly in Indiana and the Midwest from the 1920s on. Includes books, pamphlets, broadsides, and related ephemera.

Additional Manuscript Resources

Local History Files by subject (African-Americans; Black History; Underground Railroad, etc.). Contains newspaper clippings, student papers, and other documentation gathered in subject files.