Histories, Biographies & Miscellanea | University History

This collection contains histories of the institution as well as biographical information on notable JSU figures, digitized primary source documents relating to JSU, videos, and more.

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Speech by Houston Cole to Decatur City PTA Council

Houston Cole

This is a transcription of a speech given by Dr. Houston Cole, President of Jacksonville State College, to the Decatur City P.T.A. Council at Walter Jackson Elementary School, Decatur, Alabama at 7:30 p.m. on 1 February 1966.

This item is part of the JSU Addresses & Speeches collection.
Youth and the Great Society: Speech by Dr. Houston Cole

Houston Cole

This speech was given by Dr. Houston Cole, president of Jacksonville State College, to the Birmingham Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The venue was the Birmingham City Auditorium, 7:00 p.m., 28 January 1965.

This item is part of the JSU Addresses & Speeches collection.
Liston Crow Hall Scrapbook

Ross Liston Crow

This scrapbook was compiled by Ross Liston Crow upon the completion and naming of the Crow Hall dormitory in 1965. Crow served as treasurer of Jacksonville State, having attended the institution as a student when it was the State Normal School. He retired in 1962 after 35 years of service. The scrapbook contains official correspondence and thank you notes.

The original of this scrapbook is held in the Crow Collection of Anniston-Calhoun County Public Library; ACCPL temporarily loaned the materials from which HCL created these digital surrogates.
Commencement Address by William J. Calvert

William J. Calvert

Transcription of a speech by William J. Calvert, Jr., Dean Emeritus of the College of Arts and Sciences, delivered at the JSU Commencement held on 17 January 1964.

This document is part of the JSU Addresses & Speeches collection.
1960 Homecoming Program and 1916-1917 Class Reunion

R. Liston Crow and Jacksonville State University

This printed program was compiled for the Jacksonville State College Homecoming festivities in October 1960. As part of the activities, a class reunion was held October 7-8 for the State Normal School alumni from the 1916-1917 class and also the football teams of 1913-1918. Photographs of the alumni are included, along with a transcript of a speech given by R. Liston Crow, a S.N.S. alumnus who later served as treasurer at JSU. The speech details the lives and careers of many of the members of the Class of 1916-1917, along with school memories.

The originals of the printed program and speech notes are held in the Crow Collection of Anniston-Calhoun County Public Library; ACCPL temporarily loaned the materials from which HCL created these digital surrogates.
Address Delivered at the Dedication Ceremony of Thomas Wilburn Ayers Science Hall

Maude Luttrell

This text is a summary of the address delivered at the dedication ceremony for Thomas Wilburn Ayers Science Hall, which was held at 11 a.m. on 3 April 1956. The address was given by Maude Luttrell, Professor of English at what was, at the time, Jacksonville State Teachers College. The address focuses on the life of Dr. Ayers (1858-1954), a prominent local physician, humanitarian, editor, and lecturer on anatomy at JSU when it was the State Normal School.

The document is part of the Jacksonville State University Addresses & Speeches collection.
Leone Cole Auditorium: Formal Opening Program

Jacksonville State University

This printed program documents the formal opening ceremony of the Leone Cole Auditorium on Wednesday, February 1, 1950, at 8pm.

The original is held in the Crow Collection of Anniston-Calhoun County Public Library; ACCPL temporarily loaned the materials from which HCL created these digital surrogates.
Marie Louise Stevens Photo Album and Scrapbook

Marie Louise Stevens

This scrapbook and photo album (two volumes; see Additional Files for photo album) were compiled by Marie Louise Stevens while she was enrolled as a student at Jacksonville State Teachers College. According to her daughter, Kathy Guild, Ms. Stevens, from Bessemer, AL, was the first person in her family to attend college. She began compiling the scrapbook circa 1939 during her first year at Jacksonville State Teachers College. She dropped out and enrolled in the WAC and served during World War II. She returned to JSTC and received her degree circa 1948.
In Memoriam: Mary Caroline Forney

Ramona Middleton Wood

This is the transcript of a memorial, possibly given as a speech or run as an obituary, for Mary Caroline Forney. It is possible it was written by Jacksonville State Librarian Ramona Wood, as "Mrs. Wood" is written at the top of the first page. It is also possible it was penned by Annie Forney Daugette, Mary Caroline Forney's sister, who was wife to President C.W. Daugette and served as assistant librarian to Wood.

Forney was a Jacksonville State faculty member beginning in 1895 and continuing until her death on 24 July 1939.

This item is part of the JSU Addresses & Speeches collection.
Mae Pinson Scrapbook

Mae Pinson

This is a scrapbook of primarily newspapers, but also some receipts, photographs, and miscellanea compiled by Mae Pinson, a student at JSU during the early 1900s (circa 1918-1922). Scrapbook items were pasted into a used ledger book from 1916. Inclusive dates appear to be from circa 1916 (the original ledger book date) to the 1940s.
American History Play

Jacksonville State Teachers College

This play was probably written by the History Department at Jacksonville State Teachers College; it is untitled and features a JSTC history student at the end of his eight-weeks' long study of American History. The play centers around the student meeting a variety of characters who embody procrastination, idleness, and bad habits.
History of Education: A Pageant

Jacksonville State Teachers College

This play presents a history of education with the goal of showing "the contributions of each of the different periods of education to civilization and also tell[ing] the main characteristics of each group." This typewritten document was found under "pageants" in the Library's vertical file.
1934 Historical Pageant

Jacksonville State Teachers College

This document is a typewritten script of a historical pageant put on by the students of the Jacksonville State Teachers College in 1934, to celebrate the school's 50-year anniversary. The pageant covers local and school history.

The original document is held in the Crow Collection of Anniston-Calhoun County Public Library; ACCPL temporarily loaned the materials from which HCL created these digital surrogates.
School Day Treasures of Happy Memories: Iris Mildred Sellers O'Rear Scrapbook

Iris Mildred Sellers O'Rear

A scrapbook compiled by Iris Mildred Sellers O'Rear of memorabilia collected while enrolled as a student at Jacksonville State Teachers College from 1928-1930, and later. Biographical information about Iris Sellers may be found in the book Iron Butterfly by Terry Sellers, Jr. (2008), pp. 102-106. The scrapbook contains photographs, illustrations, poems, newspaper clippings, invitations, announcement flyers, postcards, letters, pins, dried flowers, napkins, etc.
Sesquicentennial Celebration: Drama of American Independence

Jacksonville State Normal School

This document contains the script for a pageant, "Drama of American Independence," which was written by the History Department of the State Normal School at Jacksonville and performed at 7:30 p.m. on 1 July 1926 at the Girls' Dormitory.
Jacksonville Past and Present: A Pageant of Jacksonville History

Jacksonville State Normal School

This is a "Pageant of Jacksonville History" which was written by the History 8 Method Class of Jacksonville State Normal School and performed at the close of Summer School in 1924. The original document was found in the Library's vertical file.

CONTENT NOTE: This pageant is a product of its time and its content, concepts, and language reflect this.
Historical Pageants

Bessie E. Land and Peabody Dramatic Class

This typewritten document contains three pageants which were most likely performed at the Jacksonville State Normal School and/or by the students in the Training School. The document, dating from the 1920s, was found in the library's vertical file. The pageants were prepared and arranged by the dramatic class at the George Peabody School for Teachers (now the College of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee). Included pageants are:
- A Pageant Written and Arranged from the Poem "Armistice Day" by Bessie E. Land
- Washington's Birthday Pageant
- Three Thanksgivings: A Pageant in Three Episodes
Morgan Literary Society Membership Roster and Minute Book

Jacksonville State University and Jacksonville State Normal School

This is a bound volume containing membership rosters for the (John Tyler) Morgan Literary Society, which held its meetings and debates at the State Normal School, later Jacksonville State University. Also included are meeting minutes, assorted membership cards, and random correspondence (e.g., an invitation for debate from the Calhoun Literary Society). The volume spans the years 1912-1916. Portraits of Morgan Literary Society members can be found in the Historical Image Collection.
Minute Book, State Normal School, Jacksonville, Ala.

Jacksonville State University

This volume is a book of handwritten minutes from the meetings of the Jacksonville State Normal School's Board of Directors, beginning August 16, 1887 and concluding June 11, 1895. A searchable, typewritten transcript is also included.
Ye Olde Folkes!: A Lyste

Jacksonville State Normal School

This is a playbill and program for a benefit concert held 7 December 1891 at 7:30 p.m. at Jacksonville State Normal School. The concert was overseen by Lucinda Keturah Bowling, with Saraiah Belinda Lane playing the piano. Singers listed include: Betsy Wilhelmina Watchful Woodward, Emmalina Winifred Brothers, Miranda Lorinda Anderson, Dorcas Hallelujah Crook, Harriet Mollyann Crook, Marianne Arabella Crow, Melissa Mathilda Burke, Araminthia Isabella Grant, Canis Nadabia Arnold, Joram Peleg Hutchinson, Benabrinadad Ezekail Frank, and Wilhemius Hospitalis McKee.