Accession #

99-17

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Collection Abstract

The collection comprises of the papers of Frank W. Spencer Papers (1921-1979) and Lillian W. Spencer (1940-1987). The bulk of the collection is subject files arranged by Frank W. Spencer over his lifetime. The bulk of the papers range from the 1940s through the end of the 1960s.

Date of Gift

2-2019

Start Date

1921

End Date

1987

Keywords

Civil Rights, Southern States, Georgia, Savannah, History, Harbor, Port, Segregation, Education

Disciplines

History | Race and Ethnicity

Scope of Collection

The collection comprises of the papers of Frank W. Spencer Papers (1921-1979) and Lillian W. Spencer (1940-1987). The bulk of the collection is subject files arranged by Frank W. Spencer over his lifetime. The bulk of the papers range from the 1940s through the end of the 1960s. The papers were weeded by Spencer’s niece, Patricia Windau, before being donated to AASU. Those that remain focus on his community and civil rights activism, with the exception of one file, titled Port and Trade, which deals with his career and the development of Savannah’s port. About half the materials are newspaper clippings. The subject files also include correspondence, meeting agendas, photographs, ephemera, and publications. All types of materials are scattered throughout the subject files. The collection is particularly pertinent to the history of the civil rights movement in Savannah. Spencer kept some files on national civil rights efforts to inform his local efforts and they can be found the Desegregation folders, #24-35 or, in the case of some prominent people, filed by name. However, the vast majority of the papers reflect his work at the local level. Correspondence with the major civil rights leaders and activists including, among others, Martin Luther King, Ralph Mark Gilbert, M.E. Tilly, R. L. Russel, R.M.L. Kirkwood, Rev. Charles M. Jones, Bishop James A. Pike, and J. Waties Waring are scattered throughout the subject files. Lillian E. Smith (b.1897-d.1966), a prominent author and civil rights activist, is well represented in five folders #66-70, which contain predominantly correspondence and clippings from 1941 to 1979. Spencer’s files about Armstrong Junior College (1935-1963) were added after the Collection was processed/out of original order, files 88-90. Biographical information and death notices along with the text of his Memorial Service are also included.

The second record group is a small collection of the papers of Spencer’s wife, Lillian W. Spencer. They include one file on her activity with the League of Women Voters. Her other remaining papers deal largely with her support of her husband’s causes and correspondence dealing with her efforts to honor him after his death. Because she worked collaboratively with her husband, some of her correspondence related to their work with organizations can be found in his subject files. Both record groups also contain correspondence with various members of Hubert Humphrey’s family.

Original order and file names have been maintained for the collection with the exception of the biographical information about Frank W. Spencer. Found in an unmarked folder, it did not appear to be a part of Spencer’s original subject files but did appear to have been collected and filed separately by him and his wife, Lillian. It has been arranged in a second series within record group 1. The collection was donated to AASU in 1998 by Spencer’s niece, Patricia Windau. Dr. Robert Strozier, AASU alumni, professor of English Emeritus and close personal friend of the Spencers, encouraged the donation. Strozier delivered the eulogy at Frank W. Spencer’s funeral in 1979, the text of

Copyright

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Frank W. and Lillian Spencer Collection, 1921-1987

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