Autumn Shade Papers, circa 1915-1965

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Summary

Creators:
Shade, Autumn
Abstract:
Autumn Shade was a resident of Riverside, California, who was involved with the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Ranch in the 1930s. In addition to riding Kellogg horses, Shade was heavily involved with the Delta Theta Chi sorority. The collection includes materials that document her life and activities in the 1930s and 1940s.
Extent:
2.42 Linear Feet (3 boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Box/folder# or item name], Autumn Shade Papers, Collection no. 0034, W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Library, Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection includes correspondence, programs, and ephemera that document Autumn Shades' time at Riverside Polytechnic High School, her involvement with the Delta Theta Chi sorority, and other activities.

Biographical / historical:

Autumn Shade was born on September 8, 1913 in a cabin in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, Canada. Her father, Loren Shade, was a traveling salesman of Dutch descent and her mother, Nell Burdell Johnson, was an Illinois native who came from the "Cranston" ancestral line of the "Americans of Royal Decent." Shade and her family eventually came to Riverside, California where she received her secondary education. She received her high school diploma from Riverside Polytechnic High School in 1931 and she received an Associate of Arts from Riverside Junior College in 1933.

In terms of her history of horse riding, Shade rode at the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Ranch in the 1930s, and had a lasting connection with Kellogg until 1941. Shade also helped organize and run Girl Scout horse show programs on Kit Carson Ranch in Riverside in the early 1940s. Shade even had her own horse whose name reflected his triumphant and unlikely origin from France: Sir Winsom.

Alongside her passion for horses, Shade was deeply involved with her sorority, Delta Theta Chi, in the 1930s and 1940s. Delta Theta Chi was, and still is, a non-profit fraternal corporation with the goal of cultivating good citizenship and individual development. Shade was elected President of the Riverside chapter of Delta Theta Chi in 1940. Shade also helped organize numerous Delta Theta Chi events at the iconic Mission Inn located in Riverside, and was a prominent individual from the Riverside chapter. Shade was not alone in her endreavors with her sorority; her sister Audrey Shade shared her passion for Delta Theta Chi. Audrey Shade was elected vice president of Delta Theta Chi in 1938 and was even elected state president in 1941.

In 1950, Shade became Mrs. Freeman when she married John Norman Freeman. John was an early pioneer of the "Jet Age" and was a fly-along photographer on the first jet flight tests at Edwards Air Force Base in California in the early 1950s. John Norman Freeman Jr., the only son of Autumn and John, was a restoration mechanic and considered to be one of the West Coast's leading experts on North American P51 Mustangs.

Autumn Shade passed away September 15, 1986.

Acquisition information:
The collection was donated to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona by Autumn Shade's daughter Franci Allen in 2017.
Processing information:

The collection was processed by Jose Quirarte under the supervision of Alexis Adkins in 2020.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged alphabetically by folder title in the finding aid but does not reflect physical arrangement.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Advanced notice required for access.

Terms of access:

Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Preferred citation:

[Box/folder# or item name], Autumn Shade Papers, Collection no. 0034, W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Library, Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Location of this collection:
3801 West Temple Ave.
Pomona, CA 91768, US
Contact:
(909) 869-3775
speccollections@cpp.edu
Website