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King (Lillie Mae Ransom) Photographs and Papers
SFP 92  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Access
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Provenance
  • Conservation Note
  • Materials Transferred
  • Biography
  • Scope and Content
  • Arrangement

  • Title: Lillie Mae King (Ransom) Family Collection of Photographs and Papers
    Date (inclusive): 1937-1986
    Identifier/Call Number: SFP 92
    Creator: Ransom, Lillie Mae King
    Physical Description: One carton. (1 Cubic Feet)
    Contributing Institution: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
    100 Larkin Street
    San Francisco, CA 94102
    (415) 557-4567
    info@sfpl.org
    Abstract: The Lillie Mae King (Ransom) collection is comprised of photographs and ephemera documenting the Ransom family as well as documentation from her tenure as Secretary of the Western Addition Community Organization (WACO). Types of material include family photos, religious and school certificates, church and school related newspaper clippings, WACO correspondence, WACO financial ledger, and WACO member rosters.
    Physical Location: The collection is stored onsite.
    Language of Materials: Collection materials are in English.

    Access

    The collection is available for use during Photo Desk hours.

    Publication Rights

    All requests for permission to publish from the collection must be submitted in writing to the Photo Curator. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.

    Preferred Citation

    Lillie Mae King (Ransom) Family Collection of Photographs and Papers, (SFP 92), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.

    Provenance

    Gift. 1998.

    Conservation Note

    For preservation, photographs were removed from albums and re-housed in acid-free folders.

    Materials Transferred

    Yearbooks have been transferred to the San Francisco History Center stacks collection.

    Biography

    Lillie Mae King (Ransom) was an African­ American community organizer in San Francisco’s Western Addition neighborhood. Born in Dallas, Texas in 1920 she completed high school at the Girls High School in San Francisco in 1937 and became an active community member. She raised her four sons­ Jesse Jr., Leonard, Christopher and Lawrence­ in the Western Addition and was an active member of the Catholic community. In the 1960s she became involved with the Western Addition Community Organization (WACO) and later became the organization’s secretary. On December 26, 1968 WACO filed a lawsuit against the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency which resulted in the withholding of agency funding until a satisfactory relocation plan was in place for community residents. Lillie was widely recognized for her advocacy and community organizing work, specifically regarding the impact of redevelopment on the Area 2 neighborhood in Western Addition. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors adjourned its regular meeting out of respect to the memory of her, following her death March 7, 1986.

    Scope and Content

    The Lillie Mae King (Ransom) collection is comprised of photographs and ephemera documenting the Ransom family as well as documentation from her tenure as secretary of the Western Addition Community Organization (WACO). The collection is organized into two distinct sections family and community organizing. Family includes photographs and ephemera including Lillie’s family photographs, education certificates of completion, and her sons’ photographs and documentation including schools (Morning Star School, St. Dominic’s, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, City College of San Francisco) and newspaper clippings related to school, church and sports. Included are Boy Scout photographs, badges, and awards, as well as documentation from the 1957 National Jamboree. The community organizing portion of the collection comprises primarily of financial documents and correspondence regarding WACO and the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, but also includes documents from Western Addition Project Area Committee (WAPAC), National Council of Negro Women, Bay Area Urban League, and San Francisco Planning Department.

    Arrangement

    Arranged into two series: 1. Family and 2. Community Organizing. The arrangement within Family is by family members.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Western Addition (San Francisco, Calif.) -- History.
    San Francisco (Calif.) -- Social life and customs.
    San Francisco (Calif.) -- Social life and customs -- 20th century.
    Photographic prints, 1940-1950
    Photographic prints, 1950-1960
    Photographic prints, 1960-1970
    Portraits
    Ransom, Lillie Mae King