Ann Elizabeth Moore Papers MS-0526

Taylor de Klerk
Special Collections & University Archives
06/29/2015
5500 Campanile Dr. MC 8050
San Diego, CA 92182-8050
askscua@sdsu.edu


Contributing Institution: Special Collections & University Archives
Title: Ann Elizabeth Moore Papers
Creator: Moore, Ann Elizabeth
Identifier/Call Number: MS-0526
Physical Description: 3.63 Linear Feet
Date: 1956-1978
Language of Material: English .

Scope and Contents

The Ann Elizabeth Moore Papers (1954-1978) consist of correspondence, schoolwork, photographs, artwork and memorabilia. All materials are organized alphabetically by document type, with correspondence further organized chronologically within its folders. The largest amount of material is correspondence, and within that category most letters are written to Ann from her friends. The earliest letters date from when Ann was only eight years old, and most correspondence continues until after her high school graduation, making the letters exceptionally noteworthy as a window into Ann's girlhood and adolescence. Her friends wrote to her about boys, school, music, and other topics. Letters written from Ann to her parents after she immigrated to Guyana in 1976 as part of the Peoples Temple community in Jonestown are especially significant. Ann's schoolwork spans her years at Davis Junior High School and Davis Senior High School. One of her school reports, about the 1960s pop musician Donovan, is particularly notable not only for its contents but also for the detailed marginalia that Ann drew. The collection contains a significant amount of Ann's artwork, including small books she assembled and illustrated as well as her sketches and drawings.

Arrangement Note

All materials are organized alphabetically by document type, with correspondence further organized chronologically within its folders.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The copyright interests in some of these materials have been transferred to or belong to San Diego State University. The nature of historical archival and manuscript collections means that copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. Copyright resides with the creators of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. Requests for permission to publish must be submitted to the Head of Special Collections, San Diego State University, Library and Information Access. When granted, permission is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder(s), which must also be obtained in order to publish.  Materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.

Source of Acquisition

Rebecca Moore and Fielding M. McGehee III

Related Materials

Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple  , sponsored by the Department of Religious Studies at San Diego State University.
Peoples Temple Collection, 1972-1990
Rebecca Moore Papers, 1951-2013

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, folder title, box number, Ann Elizabeth Moore Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, San Diego State University Library.

Biographical Note

Ann Elizabeth Moore was born on May 12, 1954 to parents John and Barbara Moore. She spent much of her adolescence in San Francisco and Davis, California. She had two older sisters - Carolyn and Rebecca - and her father served as a minister in the United Methodist Church. She lived with her sister Rebecca and her husband Patrick Clary in Washington, D.C. during the summer of 1971 and she volunteered her time at the Children's Hospital of the District of Columbia. After graduating high school in 1972, Ann moved to Redwood Valley to live with her other sister, Carolyn, and work in the Peoples Temple church. Ann attended Santa Rosa Junior College and earned a degree in nursing in 1975. In the years to follow, Ann gradually became more involved with Peoples Temple, becoming a member of Jim Jones' inner circle. She moved with the group to Jonestown, in Guyana, in 1976 where she helped to develop the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project. Ann and her sister Carolyn died in the tragedy at Jonestown on November 18, 1978.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Jonestown (Guyana)
Peoples Temple--History--Sources
Personal Papers
Adolescence--California
Teenage girls--California
Jones, Jim, 1931-1978

box 1, folder 1

5 Year Diary Folder 1 1964

box 1, folder 2

Address Book Folder 2 n.d.

box 1, folder 3

All Things New: Emerson Junior High School Publication Folder 3 1969

box 1, folder 4

Autograph Book Folder 4 n.d.

box 1, folder 5

Autograph Book, Direct Quotes Folder 5 n.d.

box 1, folder 6

Beatles Magazines Folder 6 1964

box 1, folder 7

Cal Aggie Christian Association Pamphlets Folder 7 n.d.

box 1, folder 8

Certificates and Awards Folder 8 1962-1972

box 1, folder 9

Children's Hospital of the District of Columbia: Certificate, Mailers Folder 9 1971

box 1, folder 10

Church Pamphlets Folder 10 1970, 1977

box 1, folder 11

Collected Promotional Materials Folder 11 1970-1971

box 1, folder 12

Correspondence from Bruce Alexander to Ann Moore Folder 12 1969-1970

box 1, folder 13

Correspondence from Eileen Allen to Ann Moore Folder 13 1969-1972

box 1, folder 14

Correspondence from Nancy Anderson to Ann Moore Folder 14 1967-1972

box 2, folder 1

Correspondence from Elizabeth Bartsch to Ann Moore Folder 1 1965-1969

box 2, folder 2

Correspondence from Susan Callaway to Ann Moore Folder 2 1964-1965

box 2, folder 3

Correspondence from Patrick Clary to Ann Moore Folder 3 1968-1972

Scope and Contents

20 letters, postcards, and cards from Patrick Clary, first husband of Rebecca Moore and brother-in-law to Ann Moore. The correspondence spans from 1968 to 1972 and details Pat's time in the military and immediately following. Earlier letters describe Pat's training in San Antonio, Texas, and then his life in Washington, D.C., where he attended Georgetown University. Correspondence is arranged by date, with letters at the end of the folder being un-dated but written while Patrick was in Vietnam.
[url=https://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/nas/streaming/dept/scuastaf/collections/AEMoore/MS0526-2-3-001.pdf]Postcard of 20 November 1968[/url]
[url=https://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/nas/streaming/dept/scuastaf/collections/AEMoore/MS0526-2-3-003.pdf]Letter of 31 January 1969[/url]
box 2, folder 4

Correspondence from Marian Covington to Ann Moore Folder 4 1966-1973

Scope and Contents

14 holiday cards and letters from Marian Covington, Ann Moore's maternal grandmother, sent between 1966 and 1973. Themes include vacation plans, birthday and Valentine's wishes, encouragement and praise regarding school projects, and other light topics for "dearest Annie," who was between age 12 and 19 at the time.
box 2, folder 5

Correspondence from Erica Crosby to Ann Moore Folder 5 1971-1972

box 2, folder 6

Correspondence from Roxanne Goddard to Ann Moore Folder 6 1967-1969

box 2, folder 7

Correspondence from Jeanne Jasper to Ann Moore Folder 7 1967-1970

box 2, folder 8

Correspondence from Carol Kaplan to Ann Moore Folder 8 1964-1966

box 2, folder 9

Correspondence from Carol Kaplan to Ann Moore Folder 9 1967-1968

box 3, folder 1

Correspondence from Carol Kaplan to Ann Moore Folder 1 1969-1972

box 3, folder 2

Correspondence from Terri Kendall to Ann Moore Folder 2 1971

box 3, folder 3

Correspondence from Carolyn Moore Layton to Ann Moore Folder 3 1972

Scope and Contents

3 brief letters from Carolyn Moore Layton, Jim Jones's lover and mother of his son, Jim-Jon (Kimo). The correspondence, all sent in 1972, mostly implores Ann to read the letters Carolyn has written to their parents, John and Barbara Moore. However, Carolyn also writes briefly of life within Peoples Temple and criticizes U.S. society and capitalism. The latter two letters also pass along kind regards from Patricia Cartmell, whose brother Michael Cartmell later married Jim Jones' daughter, Suzanne.
box 3, folder 4

Correspondence from Debbie Layton to Ann Moore Folder 4 1969-1970

Scope and Contents

15 letters from Deborah Layton, sister of Carolyn Moore Layton's first husband, Larry. The letters, occasionally addressed to both "Ampsterdam" and "Becky" (Rebecca Moore), are often quite long, detailing Debbie's teenage struggles, holiday plans, babysitting jobs, various crushes and their zodiac signs, frustration with her parents, and travels across Europe. The letters span in date from 1969 to 1970, just a year before Deborah joined Peoples Temple.
box 3, folder 5

Correspondence from Sandra Lo to Ann Moore Folder 5 1967-1971

box 3, folder 6

Correspondence from Jody Matloff to Ann Moore Folder 6 1966-1972

box 3, folder 7

Correspondence from Iris Mishaeli to Ann Moore Folder 7 1969-1971

box 3, folder 8

Correspondence from Ann Moore to Patrick Clary Folder 8 1969-1972

Scope and Contents

7 letters from Ann to brother-in-law Patrick Clary from 1969 to 1972. Ann offers words of encouragement about Pat's time in the army, accounts of her time in school, a trip to Berkeley with Becky to visit Debbie Layton, and commentary on Peoples Temple (which she joined in 1972). Namely, she writes about the disconnect between capitalism and Christianity, Jim Jones's faith healing, humanitarianism, and "justice for all."
box 3, folder 9

Correspondence from Ann Moore to Patrick and Rebecca (Moore) Clary Folder 9 1970-1972

Scope and Contents

17 letters and cards to sister Rebecca and brother-in-law Pat Clary. The correspondence, sent between 1970 and 1972, details Ann's daily life. She touches on food poisoning, gossip about her classmates, tutoring jobs, boys, recycling, vinyl record recommendations, bass fiddle aspirations, her goals to become an occupational therapist, college applications, worries about the safety of Pat's motorcycle, the possibility of moving in with Becky and Pat, and her ultimate decision to instead move in with Carolyn and join Peoples Temple. She notes that she was "convinced" by Jim Jones "pull(ing) incurable cancers out of peoples' throats" and that she suspects her family believes that she is "brainwashed." "But," she writes, "I think I am a sensible person, and no one can tell me what to do." In her final letter from this time frame, she states that Peoples Temple is "real true Christianity" because of its emphasis on "truth and justice."
box 3, folder 10

Correspondence from Ann Moore to Marian Covington Folder 10 1963-1977

Scope and Contents

13 short letters and cards sent between 1963 and 1977 to Ann's maternal grandmother. Early letters mainly touch on school, holiday greetings, and gratitude for various birthday and Christmas gifts sent by Marian. Letter 10 is particularly notable. It is the only letter to Marian sent from Guyana, and Ann describes the scenery in great detail, noting her singular experience with a friendly snake, the lack of light pollution resulting in spectacular night views, the medical uses of papaya skin, and affection for Jim-Jon.
box 3, folder 11

Correspondence from Ann Moore to John and Barbara Moore Folder 11 1962-1976

Scope and Contents

39 cards, postcards, and letters sent between 1962 and 1976. The first four items are cards and postcards from 1962 to 1965, and briefly touch on Ann's time at summer camp, with the rest of the letters being written between 1971 and 1976. She describes her tentative schedule at Santa Rosa Junior College (and later on, her grades and experience in the nursing program) and gives updates on various members of the church, including but not limited to Patricia Cartmell, Larry and Karen Layton, Larry Schact (who was "healed" by Jones), Linda and Liane Amos, and Carolyn. Notable in this folder is letter 12, in which Ann calls Jim Jones "the most selfless person I have ever known" and implores her parents not to tell anyone about his involvement with Carolyn Moore. After this letter, she is more open about her adoration of Jones's faith healing and the ethos of Peoples Temple. She describes the members' willingness to "sacrifice (themselves) for true brotherhood" and writes often of the "trials ahead," although she is confident of the church's righteousness and ability to change the world. She is especially concerned with using her time to do the most good, noting that she "still love(s) music, but you wouldn't give a starving man a picture or a sick man a violin."
box 3, folder 12

Correspondence from Ann Moore to John and Barbara Moore Folder 12 1976-1978

Scope and Contents

29 letters written from Ann to her parents, John and Barbara, between 1976 and late October of 1978. Correspondence is occasionally annotated by Rebecca Moore, whose notes provide dates (sometimes approximate, sometimes exact) and a categorization system -- for example, letters are labeled "A-1", "A-4", etc. In her letters, Ann writes at length about life in Guyana, describing her various medical and agricultural jobs, the culture of Guyana, and other general updates. She speaks highly of the church, doctor Laurence "Larry" Schact, Jim Jones, and Guyana as a whole. She provides her parents with updates on Jim-Jon "Kimo" Prokes, son of Carolyn Moore and Jim Jones. Additionally, Ann hints at "chaos" starting in August 1977, blaming the unrest on reporters "attacking" the church for political reasons. In the final letter, Ann ends with "please don't believe anything Debbie (Layton) tells you. She was always a pathological liar."
box 4, folder 1

Correspondence from Ann Moore to Rebecca Moore Folder 1 1968-1969

Scope and Contents

4 short letters from Ann to her sister, Rebecca "Becky" Moore, sent between 1968 and 1969, during which time Rebecca was attending university at University of California Santa Cruz. The correspondence mainly deals with teenage infatuation and general updates about Ann's life in Davis.
box 4, folder 2

Correspondence from Ann Moore: General Folder 2 1972

box 4, folder 3

Correspondence from John and Barbara Moore to Ann Moore Folder 3 1963-1973

Scope and Contents

27 letters and cards from John and Barbara Moore to their daughter, Ann, written between 1963 and 1973. The earliest letters are written to Ann at a Methodist summer camp near Mt. Shasta and provide general updates and affectionate regards. In 1971, Barbara writes similar letters to Rebecca, Patrick Clary, and Ann while Ann spends the summer in Washington, D.C. Later letters are sent to Ann in Santa Rosa, where she attended Junior College after joining Peoples Temple, and mostly describe daily Davis and Methodist church happenings.
box 4, folder 4

Correspondence from Rebecca Moore to Ann Moore Folder 4 1968-1972

Scope and Contents

15 letters from Rebecca to Ann, often addressed to Debbie Layton as well. Rebecca writes about her time at UC Davis, her time with husband Patrick Clary, moving to Washington, D.C., Ann's prospective college education, and various records and albums, among other topics.
box 4, folder 5

Correspondence from Karen Pang to Ann Moore Folder 5 1966-1968

box 4, folder 6

Correspondence from Karen Pang to Ann Moore Folder 6 1969-1972

box 4, folder 7

Correspondence from Tim Parks to Ann Moore Folder 7 1968

box 4, folder 8

Correspondence from Gregory Peace to Ann Moore Folder 8 1969-1971

box 4, folder 9

Correspondence from People's Temple Members to Ann Moore Folder 9 1972

box 4, folder 10

Correspondence from Terry Ragland to Ann Moore Folder 10 1969-1972

box 4, folder 11

Correspondence from Meryl Rappaport to Ann Moore Folder 11 1967-1972

box 4, folder 12

Correspondence from Lynn Reisenauer to Ann Moore Folder 12 1971-1972

box 4, folder 13

Correspondence from Alex Rush to Ann Moore Folder 13 1970

box 5, folder 1

Correspondence from Cecil Seserpent to Ann Moore Folder 1 1966-1968

box 5, folder 2

Correspondence from Miss Smith and her class to Ann Moore Folder 2 1962

box 5, folder 3

Correspondence from Ruth Walker to Ann Moore Folder 3 1970-1972

box 5, folder 4

Correspondence from Tim Whelan to Ann Moore Folder 4 1971

box 5, folder 5

Correspondence from Pleasant Gill White to Ann Moore Folder 5 1969-1972

box 5, folder 6

Correspondence from Robin Yamamoto to Ann Moore Folder 6 1966-1968

box 5, folder 7

Correspondence from Rose Yee to Ann Moore Folder 7 1966-1967

box 5, folder 8

Correspondence to Ann Moore: General Folder 8 1963-1973

box 5, folder 9

Correspondence to Ann Moore: General Folder 9 1963-1973

box 5, folder 10

Correspondence to Ann Moore: Unidentified Sender Folder 10 1968-1972

box 5, folder 11

Illustrated Books by Ann Moore Folder 11 n.d.

box 5, folder 12

Memory Book Pages Folder 12 n.d.

box 5, folder 13

My Private Life: A Personal Record for the Teen Years by Polly Webster Folder 13 1956

box 6, folder 1

Notebook: Notes and Sketches Folder 1 n.d.

box 6, folder 2

Photographs: Classmates and Friends Folder 2 n.d.

box 6, folder 3

Photographs: School Portraits of Ann Moore Folder 3 1963, 1965, n.d.

box 6, folder 4

Pinning Ceremony Program Folder 4 1975

box 6, folder 5

School Assignments Folder 5 1965-1971

box 6, folder 6

School Assignments Folder 6 1965-1971

box 6, folder 7

School Assignments Folder 7 1965-1971

box 6, folder 8

School Notebooks Folder 8 n.d.

box 6, folder 9

School Progress Reports Folder 9 1963-1971

box 6, folder 10

Sketchbook Folder 10 n.d.

box 6, folder 11

Sketches and Drawings Folder 11 n.d.

box 6, folder 12

Slam Books Folder 12 n.d.

box 6, folder 13

Spoke: Davis Senior High School Publication Folder 13 1968-1971

box OVRSZD 7, item 1

Sketchbook Item 1 n.d.

box OVRSZD 7, item 2

Birthday Card for Suzanne Item 2 n.d.

box OVRSZD 7, item 3

Birthday Card for Rebecca Moore Item 3 n.d.

box OVRSZD 7, item 4

Scrapbook Item 4 n.d.

box OVRSZD 7, item 5

Mother's Day Handprint Item 5 1959