American Archives Month 2011

Did you know that October is American Archives Month?  Established by the Society of American Archivists in 2006, American Archives Month is an opportunity to celebrate the importance of archives in scholarly research, national history and our personal journeys.  Archives from the Smithsonian to the smallest local repositories are planning all sorts of activities to highlight collections and items of interest.  The Special Collections department at TSU’s Robert J. Terry Library (of which the Barbara Jordan Archives is a part) is commemorating American Archives Month with a moving exhibit called “Find It In The Archives!” that focuses on items and papers held in the Heartman Rare Books Collection, the University Archives, and of course the Barbara Jordan Archives.  Some of the items include photographs, reproductions of correspondence, magazines, programs, flyers, and other items that spotlight the history of Texas Southern University, the greater Houston area, famous African Americans in every discipline and industry, and notable Texans.  The exhibit will travel from floor to floor in the library and items on display will change on a regular basis to document the wide range of material in Special Collections.  We invite you to come to the Robert J. Terry Library to “Find It In The Archives!”  For more information on American Archives Month, click here.  

Jordan Forever: The Commemorative Stamp Unveiling

l - r:  Ruth Bledsoe, Rosemary McGowan, Joyce Thomas 

The unveiling of the Barbara Jordan commemorative stamp was a smashing success this past September 16!  Following the “Women for Barbara” breakfast/fundraiser the Hilton Americas hosted by the Barbara Jordan/Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs,  the Postal Service staged the official unveiling of the Jordan stamp at Granville Sawyer Auditorium on the TSU campus.  Some 500 people turned out to celebrate, including dignitaries, local politicians, students from Jack Yates High School and the WALLIP-TSU Preparatory Academy, alumnae from Delta Sigma Theta, the campus community, and Jordan supporters from the greater Houston area. 

Photo by Joyce Thomas

Highlights of the ceremony included remarks from Congresspersons Sheila Jackson Lee and Al Green, Ms. Merlie Evers Williams, and Luci Baines Johnson (daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson).  Jordan’s sister, Rosemary McGowan, was also present to see her younger sister immortalized with the 34^th commemorative stamp in the USPS’s Black Heritage series.

The Barbara Jordan Archives was proud to present its timeline display outside Sawyer Auditorium, taking observers through the  highlights of the Congresswoman’s life and her many milestones and achievements via words and images.  After the ceremony, the Archives and Special Collections was honored to receive Ms. Johnson, Representatives Jackson Lee and Green, and many representatives and officers from the Postal Service who helped make the stamp unveiling such a success.  The Barbara Jordan Forever Stamp is now on sale at post offices throughout the country, online at usps.com or by phone at 1-800-782-6724.