Modjeska Monteith Simkins Papers

The collection consists of 6.25 linear feet of material, 1913 to 1992, arranged in six series: Biographical Papers, General Papers, Topical Files, Photographs, Miscellany and Clippings.

Biographical Papers (.1 feet) include articles written prior to and following her death, some personal papers, and a 1976 oral history done with Simkins by Jacquelyn Hall for the Southern Oral History Program, University of North Carolina, in which Simkins recounts the events of her early childhood and her civil rights activities over five decades.

General Papers (1913 to 1992, .6 feet) consist chiefly of correspondence with friends, relatives, colleagues and politicians. Included are personal and business letters, invitations to social and political events, and requests for support and thank you notes from politicians, notably Jimmy Carter, Jesse Jackson, John F. Kennedy, Thurgood Marshall, George McGovern, and Robert Taft. Invitations to events at which Simkins spoke form the bulk of the file. One particularly interesting item in the General Papers is a ledger from Simkins Liquor store, located South Carolina Political Collections, Modjeska Monteith Simkins Papers, Page 3 in Columbia, which was run by Simkins’ husband Andrew.

Topical Files (1921 to 1992, 4 feet) form the bulk of the collection and primarily consist of papers relating to committees and organizations in which Simkins participated. Files that best document Simkins’ civil rights activities include those on: the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Campaigns, “Fearless Women” (an essay based on interviews with Simkins), Good Samaritan Waverly Hospital, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Richland County Citizens Committee, and Victory Savings Bank. The ACLU file documents Simkins’ service on the South Carolina ACLU board of directors in the 1980s and 1990s. It includes case work, economic reports, reports on activities within the state and nation, information about the board, and meeting minutes.

Campaigns files include information on Simkins’ 1966 and 1984 campaigns, and materials from various elections, 1952 to 1988. Included are press releases, appeals for support, scripts for advertisements, and information on citizen concerns. Of note is an appeal to the Board of State Canvassers for a re-vote in the 1966 City Council elections because of malfunctioning voting machines.

“Fearless Women” consists of an essay authored by J. Elspeth Stucky. With backing from the Center for Research on Women, Stucky traveled the South interviewing “fearless” black women who taught in schools prior to desegregation. In addition to the essay written about Simkins, the file includes lectures delivered by Stucky (based on project interviews) and undated correspondence with Simkins.

Simkins was in charge of raising funds for renovations to Good Samaritan-Waverly Hospital of Columbia. The Hospital file primarily consists of pledge letters, but also contains donor lists, expenditure reports, other correspondence, and information on fund-raising events.

Four folders contain texts of columns, 1947-1948, written by Simkins for the Norfolk, Virginia newspaper the Journal and Guide.

As state secretary for the South Carolina branch of the NAACP, Simkins had an active role in its growth in the South. The file includes correspondence, printed materials, budgetary information, fund drive materials, member lists, minutes of meetings, and press releases.

The largest topical file in the collection is that of the Richland County Citizens Committee. Simkins was a founder and the director of public relations. Included are transcripts of her weekly radio addresses, 1964 to c.1980, correspondence, voting recommendations, and records of lawsuits against the City of Columbia and the Election Commission of the City of Columbia charging discrimination.

Records of Victory Savings Bank chiefly date from the 1980s and consist of correspondence, newsletters, and promotional materials. The file also includes a ledger, 1921-1934, that lists early shareholders and contains minutes of the board of directors.

Other topical files of interest include Speeches given by Simkins and papers from Simkins’ early involvement in the Republican Party, 1938 to 1951.

Photographs (c.1920 to c.1990, .1 feet) include portraits and photographs of Simkins and photographs of unidentified subjects. Miscellany (1941-1991 and n.d., .2 feet) includes pamphlets, programs, and other printed material. Clippings (c.1913-1992, .4 feet) highlight civil and social concerns as well as state and national politics.