This collection is very limited in size and has material on African American Lowell Steward and his experience as a Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. It consists of one box with photographs, correspondence and news articles.

The Lowell Steward Papers mainly consist of materials relating to Lowell Steward’s history in the Tuskegee Airmen’s 332nd Fighter Group. Steward was captain of the Santa Barbara State College (later known as UCSB) basketball team when Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941. The day after the attack, Steward, along with other members of the team, went to a recruiting office in Santa Barbara to sign up with the army. All of the members of the team were accepted, except for Steward – the only African American on the team. Steward was instead told to report to his draft board in Los Angeles, which he did. Steward was told at this time to go home and wait until he was contacted. While he waited, Steward returned to school, continued playing basketball and graduated with a bachelors degree in physical education in June of 1942.

0.5 linear feet (1 oversize flat box)

Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.