Papers of Pauli Murray, 1827-1985

The collection documents many aspects of Murray's professional and unpaid work, as well as some areas of her personal life. Information about areas in which the professional and personal aspects of Murray's life intersected can sometimes be found in two different series. For example, in addition to the papers about Murray's ancestors in the family section of Series I, Personal and biographical, family materials that Murray assembled while doing research for Proud Shoes and Song in A Weary Throat are in Series III, Writings and speeches. These materials are significant because they illuminate the lives of some 19th century middle-class African American families.

Murray's personal life is less well documented. While there is much incoming correspondence from her many friends, there are few personal letters by Murray or materials written by her about herself; notable exceptions are the drafts of Song in a Weary Throat--information that she intended to make public. Nevertheless, the collection is rich in documenting most aspects of Murray's work, travels, and activist interests.

The arrangement reflects Murray's filing system as closely as possible. Murray clearly kept alphabetical and chronological correspondence files, employment files, and files containing personal and autobiographical information (see Series I, II, and IV). When the collection arrived at the Schlesinger Library, it was in some disarray; it was therefore impossible to determine the original location of certain folders, especially among the correspondence and subject files. In such cases, the processor attempted to reconstruct Murray's original order, with the following exemption: Murray apparently kept a number of separate alphabetical grouping within her subject files; because it was impossible to determine which grouping certain folders had belonged to, and also for ease of research use, these separate groupings have been interfiled in one alphabetical sequence. Materials about religion, women in the priesthood, are related subjects that Murray collected prior to her ordination as a priest are filed in Series V, Subject files; those that date from after January 1977 are in Series II, Work. Folders containing only materials about specific individuals are filed in the subject series; those containing only correspondence, or both correspondence and papers about a person are filed in Series IV, Correspondence.

Photographs are filed, and must be requested, separately. Fragile materials have been photocopied and the originals filed separately; only the copies, filed in place of the originals, are available to researchers. With the exception of Series V, Subject files, folder headings used by Murray appear in quotation marks. Folder headings for #559-705 were created by Murray.

Series I, Personal and biographical, #1-539. Biographical materials include resumes, clippings, photographs, etc.; financial records (income tax returns, check registers, and account books); information about awards; and school records: grades, course materials, notes, and papers. There are also materials about Murray's ancestors, correspondence with and materials about relatives, and papers of Irene Barlow, as well as Murray's records about Irene Barlow's illness, death, and funeral arrangements. This series also includes materials related to Murray's questioning of and thoughts surrounding her gender and sexuality. Folder #71 includes Murray's notes and correspondence describing her feelings of gender dysphoria, her efforts to seek medical help, and her attempts at psychological self-analysis. While some scholars of Murray's life and work have defined her gender identity as transgender and some have applied male or gender-neutral pronouns when referring to Murray, within this finding aid the archivists chose not to add any terminology that Murray did not use to describe herself or her relationships. Series II, Work, #540-1320, is divided into eight subseries: Law, Education, President's Commission on the Status of Women, National Organization for Women, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, American Civil Liberties Union, Religion, and Other work. Included are case notes; correspondence; photographs; texts of lectures, speeches, and sermons; meeting minutes; notes; memoranda; and printed materials. Subseries A, Law, contains case files, some of which are closed for specified periods, as noted. Subseries D, National Organization for Women, is restricted in accordance with NOW's agreement with the Schlesinger Library. Subseries H, Other work, contains files about welfare recipients; these records are closed for 80 years from their dates of creation.

Series III, Writings and speeches, #1321-1608, contains drafts of published and unpublished works and speeches, photographs and research materials for Murray's books, correspondence with publishers and others about her writings and about speaking engagements, and copies of published articles. Files on speeches may contain correspondence, drafts, and Murray's notes. Material is arranged in the following order: Murray's books, listed chronologically; other writings, published and unpublished, listed chronologically; and speeches, listed chronologically.

Series IV, Correspondence, #1609-2039, contains two subseries, Alphabetical and Chronological, and reflects Murray's filing system. Unlabelled folders of correspondence and letters found loose were interfiled in the chronological subseries, unless the correspondent appeared in the alphabetical subseries. There are copies of most of Murray's correspondence with Eleanor Roosevelt. Murray had a long, although not especially close, relationship with Roosevelt, beginning when Murray wrote to the first lady in 1939, and continuing until Roosevelt's death in 1962. Although Murray was occasionally a guest at the White House or at Valkill Cottage, Roosevelt's house at Hyde Park, New York, the relationship was carried on largely by letter. While there are some original letters in this collection, most are housed at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park.

Series V, Subject files, #2040-2573, contains files, arranged alphabetically, on a variety of subjects that Murray found of interest. Clippings and other printed materials found loose by the processor were interfiled in this series. Wherever discernible, Murray's arrangement was maintained, as were her folder headings. Most of the folders contain undated material. In some cases Murray created multiple folders with identical titles; these materials were consolidated. Murray subdivided many subjects into more specific categories or filed them in more than one place. For example, materials about African Americans are filed under "Blacks, Civil Rights, etc.," "News--Colored, Negro, Black," and "Black family"; materials about African American women can be found, among other places, in "Liberation of the Black Woman," "Black/Negro Women," and "Negro/Black Women." Researchers interested in pursuing specific topics should scan the folder list for the entire series. Folder #2233 for which original restrictions have expired was added to the collection in November 2009.

Series VI, Audiotapes, #2574at-2664at, includes recordings of interviews with Murray, mostly about her life and work. Other subjects include Eleanor Roosevelt, William H. Hastie, and student protests in which Murray participated while she was at Howard University. There are also recordings of her ordination to the priesthood; meetings of the Episcopal Women's Caucus and other groups; Murray giving addresses, public and class lectures and sermons, and reading from her writings; Caroline Ware's comments on early drafts of Song in A Weary Throat; and an interview Murray conducted with Maida Springer Kemp.