Lincoln Institute Oral History Collection, 2003-2008 | Berea College Special Collections and Archives Catalog

Collection Overview

Title: Lincoln Institute Oral History Collection, 2003-2008

ID: RG 14/14.02

Extent: 7.0 Boxes (General)

Subjects: African Americans -- Education -- Kentucky., Berea College -- History, Lincoln Institute (Simpsonville, Ky.) -- History., Lincoln Institute (Simpsonville, Ky.)., Oral history -- Berea College (Ky).

Forms of Material: Oral history.

Languages: English

Abstract

Lincoln Institute was an all-black boarding high school in Simpsonville, Kentucky, near Louisville, that operated from 1912 to 1966. The school was created by the trustees of Berea College after the Kentucky State Legislature passed the Day Law (1904) putting an end to the racially integrated education at Berea that had existed since the end of the Civil War. The founders originally intended Lincoln to be a college as well as a high school, but by the 1930s it gave up its junior college function. Lincoln offered both vocational education and standard high school classes. The students produced the school's food on the campus' 444 acres.

Lincoln alumnus, Whitney Young, Jr., became a prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement and served as director of the National Urban League from 1961 to 1971. Born at Lincoln in 1921, he was the son of Whitney Young, Sr. who led the school as its longtime principal. The rise of integrated education reduced the need for high schools like Lincoln. Since its 1966 closing, the Lincoln campus has housed gifted and talented programs, the Whitney Young, Jr. Job Corps Center, and the Whitney Young Birthplace and Museum (a National Historic Landmark).

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This collection consists of recorded interviews of eighty-six individuals who were students at the Lincoln Institute at various times from the 1930s through 1966 (when the school closed). The interviews were conducted by Berea College Associate Professor of African and African-American Studies Andrew Baskin, with the assistance of Symerdar Baskin, as part of the Lincoln Institute Oral History Project.

Also included in the collection are: recordings of Lincoln Institute Reunion events and speakers; silent film footage from the 1920s and 1950s depicting campus scenes, building interiors, students, faculty, school groups such as cheerleaders and the marching band, and events such as graduations, homecoming parades, and football games; photographs in digital format of reunion activities; and reunion souvenir journals for 2004 and 2008.

Subject/Index Terms

African Americans -- Education -- Kentucky.
Berea College -- History
Lincoln Institute (Simpsonville, Ky.) -- History.
Lincoln Institute (Simpsonville, Ky.).
Oral history -- Berea College (Ky).

Administrative Information

Repository: Berea College Special Collections and Archives Catalog

Access Restrictions: Records can be accessed through the Reading Room, Berea College Special Collections and Archives, Hutchins Library, Berea College.

Use Restrictions: Federal copyright regulations apply. Please cite all materials.

Preferred Citation: [Object identification], RG 14.02: Lincoln Institute Oral History Collection, Berea College Special Collections and Archives, Berea, KY.

Finding Aid Revision History: The finding aid was created in October 2015 by Lori Myers-Steele, Collections Archivist. Links to recordings were added in 2018. Finding guide updated 2019.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1: Lincoln Institute Oral History Project Paperwork and Print Material],
[Box 2: Original Hi8 Video Interview Recordings],
[Box 3: Original Hi8 Video Interview Recordings],
[Box 4: Original Interview Video Recordings],
[Box 5: Interview Video Viewing Copies],
[Box 6: Interview Video Viewing Copies],
[Box 7: Audio Content From Interview Video Recordings],
[All]

Box 6: Interview Video Viewing Copies

Item 1: SC-VT-584-028: Lincoln Institute Oral History Project INTERVIEW 01-26-05: Wanda J. Brown / Gary W. Brown recorded by Andrew Baskin - Same audio as SC-CT-847-027)
Item 2: SC-VT-584-029: Lincoln Institute Oral History Project INTERVIEW 06-21-05: Rose Cunningham / Willetta Barnett / Victor L. Brown / John Cunningham / Pearl Washington Allen recorded by Andrew Baskin - Same audio as SC-CT-)
Item 3: SC-VT-584-030: Lincoln Institute Oral History Project INTERVIEW 04-29-06: Gladys Smith / Clyde Cranford recorded by Andrew Baskin - Same audio as SC-CT-) 1 of 2
Item 4: SC-VT-584-031: Lincoln Institute Oral History Project INTERVIEW 04-29-06: Gladys Smith / Clyde Cranford recorded by Andrew Baskin - Same audio as SC-CT-) 2 of 2
Item 5: SC-VT-584-032: Lincoln Institute Oral History Project INTERVIEW 06-20-06: Samuel and Hugh Ella Robinson (Samuel - Lincoln Institute and Lincoln School former Principle) recorded by Andrew Baskin - Same audio as SC-CT-847-031) 1 of 1
Item 6: SC-VT-584-033: Lincoln Institute Oral History Project INTERVIEW 07-03-06: Sabri Akural recorded by Andrew Baskin - Same audio as SC-CT-847-032) 1 of 1
Item 7: SC-VT-584-034: Lincoln Institute Oral History Project INTERVIEW 07-26-06: Carrie B. Stewart recorded by Andrew Baskin - Same audio as SC-CT-847-033) 1 of 1
Item 8: SC-VT-584-035: Lincoln Institute Oral History Project INTERVIEW 06-23-07: Joseph Johnson, Jr. / Josephine Johnson Woodruff / Exie Johnson Anderson recorded by Andrew Baskin - Same audio as SC-CT-847-034) 1 of 1
Item 9: SC-VT-584-036: Audio Only - No Video Content Recorded - Lincoln Institute Oral History Project INTERVIEW 08-25-07: Vern B. Burks / Mary L. Cole recorded by Andrew Baskin (Copied from Digital 8 original - Same audio as SC-CT-847-035) 1 of 1
Item 10: SC-VT-584-037: No VHS Copy - Lincoln Institute Oral History Project INTERVIEW 04-26-08: Carolyn Hampton / Sylvia Graves recorded by AndrewBaskin 1 of 1
Item 11: SC-VT-584-038: No VHS Copy - Lincoln Institute Oral History Project INTERVIEW 06-11-08: Samuel Robinson ( Lincoln Institute and Lincoln School former Principle) recorded by Andrew Baskin (Copied to DVD from Digital 8 original) 1 of 1
Item 12: SC-VT-584-039: No VHS Copy - Lincoln Institute Oral History Project INTERVIEW 07-3-08: Christine Graves Gay recorded by Andrew Baskin (Copied to DVD from Digital 8 original) 1 of 1
Item 13: SC-VT-584-040: No VHS Copy - Lincoln Institute Reunion 2008 1 of 2 (2008 Reunion Combined Onto One DVD Viewing Copy)
Item 14: SC-VT-584-041: No VHS Copy - Lincoln Institute Reunion 2008 2 of 2 (2008 Reunion Combined Onto One DVD Viewing Copy)
Item 15: SC-VT-584-042: Lincoln Institute Oral History Project INTERVIEW recorded by Andrew Baskin 8-20-08: Patricia Mickey Beckham / Ann S. Reynolds 1 of 1
Item 16: SC-VT-795-001: Lincoln Institute silent film footage from the 1920s and 1950s depicting campus scenes, building interiors, students, faculty, school groups such as cheer leaders, and marching band and events such as graduation, home coming parades, and football games. (From same original as SC-VD-168-012)