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Finding aid for the Sidna Brower Mitchell Collection

MUM01767

PURL

http://purl.oclc.org/umarchives/MUM01767/

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Summary Information

Repository
University of Mississippi Libraries
Creator
Mitchell, Sidna Brower
Title
Sidna Brower Mitchell Collection
ID
MUM01767
Date [inclusive]
1959-2003
General Physical Description note
10 boxes (9.42 linear feet)
Location:
General Special Collections; Visual Collections
Abstract:
Collection of letters written to Sidna Brower while she was editor of the Mississippian. The letters discuss Brower, James Meredith, and the integration of the University of Mississippi. The collection also includes photographs, many newspaper clippings, newspapers, and other printed materials.

Preferred Citation

Sidna Brower Mitchell Collection, Archives and Special Collections, J.D. Williams Library, The University of Mississippi

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Biographical Note

In 1962 Sidna Brower became the editor of the Mississippian, the University of Mississippi's student newspaper. During her time as editor, James Meredith became the first African-American to enroll in the University of Mississippi, and on 30 September and 1 October 1962 riots occurred in Oxford. In response to the riots, Brower wrote several editorials condemning the violence. As a result of her editorials, Brower received hundreds of letters both supporting and condemning her and/or integration. She received multiple awards and was even nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

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Scope and Content Note

The Sidna Brower Mitchell Collection documents the reaction of many different people in the United States and abroad to the integration of the University of Mississippi and Sidna’s editorials. The collection is arranged in four series. The first series consists of all the letters supporting Sidna and/or integration and they are arranged chronologically. Most the correspondences are letters though some individuals included favorable newspapers clippings. All favorable newspaper clippings that had envelopes attached to them are included in this section.

The second series includes many letters, editorials, and newspapers clippings that are against Sidna and/or integration. Most of the correspondences are letters though some individuals included unfavorable newspapers clippings. All unfavorable newspapers clippings that had envelopes attached to them are included in this series.

The third series includes many letters, newspaper clippings, propaganda tracts, and other printed material that does not directly address Brower or integration. The section also includes categorized folders compiled by Sidna Brower Mitchell before the collection was donated. The collection maintains the original organization of those folders.

The fourth series includes all newspapers and newspaper clippings that had no envelopes attached. These newspapers and newspaper clippings are organized by date. This section also includes three scrapbooks compiled and organized by Sidna.

Several of the most significant letters include:

Letter to Ole Miss Students from James Meredith discussing his reasons for attending the University of Mississippi – 30 April 1963 – Box 5

Letter to Sidna from Martin Luther King Jr. asking for a donation – March 1963 – Box 5

James Meredith’s statement about enrolling in the Spring of 1963 – 7 Jan 1963 – Box 6

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Arrangement

The Sidna Brower Mitchell Collection is arranged in four series according to format and content, then chronologically within each series.

  1. Series 1. Letters supporting Sidna Brower and/or integration
  2. Series 2. Letters against Sidna Brower and/or integration
  3. Series 3. Miscellaneous letters and Brower's files
  4. Series 4. Newspapers and Scrapbooks
  5. Series 5. Photographs

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

University of Mississippi Libraries June 2012

Access Restrictions

The Sidna Brower Mitchell Collection is open for research. Photographs from this collection are stored at an off-site facility. Researchers interested in using these photographs must contact Archives and Special Collections at least two business days in advance of their planned visit. As the photographs have been digitized and made available ( https://egrove.olemiss.edu/sbm_photoscrap/), researchers are strongly encouraged to use the digital versions.

Copyright Restrictions

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement.

Additions

No further additions are expected to this collection.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Sidna Brower Mitchell, 2011

Processing Information

Collection processed by Joel Gillaspie, 2011-2012. Finding aid encoded by Kathryn Michaelis, June 2012.

Alternative Formats

Photographs and a scrapbook from this collection have been digitized and made available online: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/sbm_photoscrap/.

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Related Materials

Resources at the University of Mississippi

Photographs and a scrapbook from this collection have been digitized and made available online: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/sbm_photoscrap/.

James Howard Meredith Collection, Archives and Special Collections, J.D. Williams Library

Mississippian/Daily Mississippian, Archives and Special Collections, J.D. Williams Library

For more materials related to the University of Mississippi's integration, please see our Civil Rights and Race Relations Subject Guide.

Separated Material

Photographs have been moved to cold storage for preservation.

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Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

  • National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
  • University of Mississippi -- History

Format(s)

  • clippings (information artifacts)
  • correspondence
  • newspapers
  • photographs
  • scrapbooks

Personal Name(s)

  • Brower, Sidna Mitchell
  • Meredith, James, 1933-

Subject(s)

  • African Americans -- Civil rights
  • Civil rights -- Mississippi -- Oxford -- History
  • College integration -- Mississippi -- Oxford -- History
  • Political activists
  • Pulitzer Prizes
  • Riots - Mississippi - Oxford
  • Segregation in education

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Collection Inventory

Series 1. Letters supporting Sidna Brower and/or integration 

Box 1 

2 September 1962 

4 September 1962 

8 September 1962 

9 September 1962 

21 September 1962 

27 September 1962 

28 September 1962 

30 September 1962 

1 October 1962 

2 October 1962 

3 October 1962 

4 October 1962 

5 October 1962 

6 October 1962 

7 October 1962 

8 October 1962 

8 October 1962 

9 October 1962 

10 October 1962 

11 October 1962 

12 October 1962 

13 October 1962 

14 October 1962 

15 October 1962 

16 October 1962 

17 October 1962 

18 October 1962 

19 October 1962 

20 October 1962 

21 October 1962 

25 October 1962 

26 October 1962 

28 October 1962 

29 October 1962 

30 October 1962 

31 October 1962 

1 November 1962 

2 November 1962 

5 November 1962 

6 November 1962 

7 November 1962 

8 November 1962 

9 November 1962 

11 November 1962 

12 November 1962 

13 November 1962 

14 November 1962 

15 November 1962 

17 November 1962 

19 November 1962 

20 November 1962 

21 November 1962 

Box 2 

22 November 1962 

23 November 1962 

25 November 1962 

26 November 1962 

27 November 1962 

28 November 1962 

29 November 1962 

30 November 1962 

1 December 1962 

2 December 1962 

3 December 1962 

3 December 1962 

4 December 1962 

5 December 1962 

5 December 1962 

6 December 1962 

6 December 1962 

7 December 1962 

8 December 1962 

9 December 1962 

10 December 1962 

11 December 1962 

12 December 1962 

13 December 1962 

14 December 1962 

15 December 1962 

16 December 1962 

17 December 1962 

18 December 1962 

19 December 1962 

20 December 1962 

21 December 1962 

23 December 1962 

24 December 1962 

25 December 1962 

27 Decemeber 1962 

29 December 1962 

30 December 1962 

Box 3 

1 January 1963 

2 January 1963 

4 January 1963 

6 January 1963 

7 January 1963 

8 January 1963 

9 January 1963 

10 January 1963 

11 January 1963 

12 January 1963 

14 January 1963 

15 January 1963 

16 January 1963 

17 January 1963 

18 January 1963 

19 January 1963 

20 January 1963 

21 January 1963 

22 January 1963 

24 January 1963 

25 January 1963 

27 January 1963 

28 January 1963 

30 January 1963 

31 January 1963 

1 February 1963 

2 February 1963 

3 February 1963 

10 February 1963 

17 February 1963 

4 March 1963 

5 March 1963 

26 March 1963 

4 April 1963 

10 April 1963 

11 April 1963 

12 April 1963 

30 April 1963 

Undated 

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Series 2. Letters against Sidna Brower and/or integration 

Box 3 

21 September 1962 

30 September 1962 

1 October 1962 

2 October 1962 

3 October 1962 

4 October 1962 

5 October 1962 

6 October 1962 

7 October 1962 

8 October 1962 

9 October 1962 

10 October 1962 

11 October 1962 

12 October 1962 

13 October 1962 

14 October 1962 

15 October 1962 

16 October 1962 

17 October 1962 

18 October 1962 

19 October 1962 

21 October 1962 

22 October 1962 

23 October 1962 

25 October 1962 

28 October 1962 

29 October 1962 

30 October 1962 

31 October 1962 

1 November 1962 

3 November 1962 

6 November 1962 

7 November 1962 

8 November 1962 

10 November 1962 

11 November 1962 

18 November 1962 

20 November 1962 

22 November 1962 

27 November 1962 

28 November 1962 

30 November 1962 

1 December 1962 

3 December 1962 

4 December 1962 

5 December 1962 

6 December 1962 

7 December 1962 

8 December 1962 

10 December 1962 

11 December 1962 

13 December 1962 

15 December 1962 

17 December 1962 

20 December 1962 

24 December 1962 

29 December 1962 

4 January 1963 

9 January 1963 

11 January 1963 

12 January 1963 

14 January 1963 

17 January 1963 

26 March 1963 

27 March 1963 

April 1963 

Undated 

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Series 3. Miscellaneous letters and Brower's files 

Subseries 3.1. Miscellaneous letters 

Box 4 

29 January 1959 

November 1960 

24 July 1961 

1 November 1961 

November 1961 

16 February 1962 

17 March 1962 

May-June 1962 

1 and 9 May 1962 

10 May 1962 

Autumn 1962 

3 August 1962 

24 August 1962 

13 September 1962 

15 September 1962 

20 September 1962 

21 September 1962 

24 September 1962 

25 September 1962 

26 September 1962 

27 September 1962 

28 September 1962 

29 September 1962 

30 September 1962 

1 October 1962 

2 October 1962 

3 October 1962 

4 October 1962 

5 October 1962 

6 October 1962 

7 October 1962 

8 October 1962 

9 October 1962 

10 October 1962 

11 October 1962 

12 October 1962 

13 October 1962 

14 October 1962 

15 October 1962 

16 October 1962 

17 October 1962 

18 October 1962 

19 October 1962 

20 October 1962 

21 October 1962 

22 October 1962 

23 October 1962 

24 October 1962 

25 October 1962 

26 October 1962 

27 October 1962 

29 October 1962 

30 October 1962 

31 October 1962 

1 November 1962 

2 November 1962 

3 November 1962 

5 November 1962 

6 November 1962 

7 November 1962 

9 November 1962 

10 November 1962 

11 November 1962 

12 November 1962 

Box 5 

13 November 1962 

14 November 1962 

15 November 1962 

16 November 1962 

18 November 1962 

19 November 1962 

21 November 1962 

22 November 1962 

23 November 1962 

27 November 1962 

28 November 1962 

29 November 1962 

30 November 1962 

1 December 1962 

2 December 1962 

3 December 1962 

4 December 1962 

5 December 1962 

6 December 1962 

7 December 1962 

8 December 1962 

9 December 1962 

10 December 1962 

11 December 1962 

12 December 1962 

13 December 1962 

14 December 1962 

15 December 1962 

16 December 1962 

17 December 1962 

18 December 1962 

19 December 1962 

20 December 1962 

21 December 1962 

22 December 1962 

23 December 1962 

25 December 1962 

26 December 1962 

28 December 1962 

29 December 1962 

30 December 1962 

31 December 1962 

December 1962 

1 January 1963 

4 January 1963 

5 January 1963 

7 January 1963 

9 January 1963 

10 January 1963 

11 January 1963 

12 January 1963 

13 January 1963 

14 January 1963 

15 January 1963 

16 January 1963 

18 January 1963 

20 January 1963 

21 January 1963 

22 January 1963 

23 January 1963 

24 January 1963 

25 January 1963 

27 January 1963 

29 January 1963 

30 January 1963 

31 January 1963 

February 1963 

5 February 1963 

7 February 1963 

10 February 1963 

11 February 1963 

12 February 1963 

14 February 1963 

16 February 1963 

18 February 1963 

21 February 1963 

23 February 1963 

25 February 1963 

26 February 1963 

27 February 1963 

28 February 1963 

1 March 1963 

8 March 1963 

9 March 1963 

10 March 1963 

11 March 1963 

12 March 1963 

13 March 1963 

15 March 1963 

16 March 1963 

17 March 1963 

20 March 1963 

22 March 1963 

23 March 1963 

25 March 1963 

26 March 1963 

27 March 1963 

30 March 1963 

April 1963 

8 April 1963 

10 April 1963 

11 April 1963 

12 April 1963 

13 April 1963 

15 April 1963 

16 April 1963 

Box 6 

17 April 1963 

20 April 1963 

22 April 1963 

23 April 1963 

25 April 1963 

26 April 1963 

27 April 1963 

30 April 1963 

April 1963 

1 May 1963 

2 May 1963 

5 May 1963 

14 May 1963 

25 May 1963 

4 June 1963 

10 June 1963 

5 August 1963 

September 1963 

5 September 1963 

6 October 1963 

27 October 1963 

21 November 1963 

February 1964 

24 February 1964 

11 October 1972 

4 October 1982 

10 August 1997 

28 August 1997 

17 June 2000 

24 June 2002 

2 July 2002 

4 August 2002 

10 August 2002 

22 September 2002 

26 September 2002 

27 September 2002 

3 October 2002 

25 October 2002 

Undated 

Undated 

Undated 

Undated 

Undated 

Undated 

Subseries 3.2. Brower's files 

Box 6 

Record Book for CWENS Sophomore Women’s Honorary Society, 1959-1960 

The University of Mississippi and the Meredith Case, 15 November 1962 

Empty envelopes for letters sent to Sidna, undated 

Articles from different internet sites discussing the anniversary of the University of Mississippi’s integration, 1997-2002 

Categorized Folder: James Meredith, undated 

Categorized Folder: Rebel Underground, undated 

Categorized Folder: William Faulkner, undated 

Categorized Folder: Ross Barnett, undated 

Categorized Folder: Mississippian, undated 

Categorized Folder: Dr. James Silver, undated 

Categorized Folder: Joe Baylen, undated 

Categorized Folder: Editor’s Conference – New York, undated 

Categorized Folder: University of Mississippi Integration 40th Anniversary, undated 

Categorized Folder: Miscellaneous – Award and Christmas Card, undated 

Categorized Folder: Ole Miss, undated 

Categorized Folder: Writings – editorial drafts, undated 

Categorized Folder: Mademoiselle, undated 

Categorized Folder: Responses to several letters about internships by Brower, undated 

Categorized Folder: "Race and Reason," undated 

Categorized Folder: Drafts of articles about the Mississippian and its staff, undated 

Categorized Folder: Letters to the editor, undated 

Categorized Folder: Oxford, U.S.A., undated 

Categorized Folder: Constitution, undated 

Categorized Folder: Correspondences, undated 

Categorized Folder: James Meredith’s Case, undated 

Photographs (Removed to cold storage--see Series 5 for descriptions) 

Categorized Folder: G. Ray Kerciu, undated 

Folder with Reunion material, undated 

Categorized Folder: Ole Miss Hall of Fame Reunion, 2003 

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Series 4. Newspapers and Scrapbooks 

Box 7 

Newspapers, October 1962 

Newspapers, November 1962 

Newspapers, December 1962 

Newspapers, 1963-1964 

Newspaper Clippings, undated 

Newspaper Clippings, August 1959-September 1962 

Newspaper Clippings, September 1962 

Newspaper Clippings, October 1962 

Newspaper Clippings, November–December 1962 

Newspaper Clippings, 1963-1964 

Box 8: Multiple copies of different Mississippians, 1962-1963 

Box 9: Multiple copies of different Mississippians, 1963 

Box 10: Pulitzer nomination scrapbook and other scrapbooks, 1962-1964; 2002-2003 

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Series 5. Photographs CPB 30 

G. Ray Kerciu 

G. Ray Kerciu 

G. Ray Kerciu’s artwork 

G. Ray Kerciu’s artwork 

G. Ray Kerciu’s artwork 

G. Ray Kerciu’s artwork 

G. Ray Kerciu and his artwork 

Scope and Contents note

4 items

J.D. Williams 

Scope and Contents note

2 items

Sidna Brower at desk with two others 

Sidna Brower at typewriter 

Sidna Brower on a panel with six others 

Sidna Brower at desk 

Sidna Brower with two men 

Sidna Brower on the phone 

Sidna Brower at meeting with others 

Sidna Brower with newspaper 

Sidna Brower 

3 photographs: Morris Spivey; "Greasy Charlie the Sandwich Man" Blackwell; Sidna Brower and a woman holding an award certificate 

Three women with ribbons reading "Mississippi,"  "Missouri," and one not visible 

Two men and one woman looking at a machine 

Eudora Welty looking at William Faulkner’s bust 

John Faulkner 

Negatives 

Two U.S. Marshals, 1962 

James Meredith and U. S. Marshals, 1962 

Co-ed and U. S. Marshalls, 1962 

Man sleeping on the grass, 1962 

U. S. Army soldier at Ole Miss stadium, 1962 

Crowd and military, 1962 

James Meredith, Joseph McShane and Paul Johnson, 1962 

Military presence on the Ole Miss campus, 1962 

James Meredith in front of Connor Hall, 1962 

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