Finding Aid to the Richard Denton Papers, 1931-1988 Coll2014-033

Loni Shibuyama
Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
© 2015
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90007
askone@usc.edu


Language of Material: English
Contributing Institution: ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
Title: Richard Denton papers
creator: Denton, Richard
Identifier/Call Number: Coll2014-033
Physical Description: 4.8 Linear Feet 3 boxes, 2 cartons, 1 flat box.
Date (inclusive): 1931-1988
Abstract: Avengers Motorcycle Club administrative records, subject files on gay and lesbian organizations, and personal papers, 1931-1988, from Richard Denton. Denton worked as a minister and librarian for Presbyterian churches throughout California. In the 1970s he became a member and officer of Avengers, a gay motorcycle club.
Container: Acc0000.028*

Biography

William Richard Denton grew up in Seattle, Washington, and graduated from Queen Anne High School in 1947. Denton worked as a minister and librarian for Presbyterian churches in Reno, Nevada, and throughout Southern California. In the 1950s-1960s, Denton was married to a woman named Margie, and they had three children. In the 1970s he became a member and officer of Avengers, a gay motorcycle club.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Date and method of acquisition unknown.

Preferred Citation

[Box/folder #, or item name] Richard Denton Papers, Coll2014-033, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

Processing Information

Formerly boxes #103-282, 103-307, 104-004, 104-037, and 104-038. Collection processed by Loni Shibuyama, August 2014.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of Avengers Motorcycle Club administrative records, correspondence, subject files, publicity material, manuscripts, notes, photographs, and other documents from Richard Denton. The Avengers administrative records were compiled in scrapbooks and include meeting minutes and publicity material documenting Avengers' activities and that of other gay motorcycle clubs from 1977 to 1981. Subject files on gay and lesbian organizations and leather/BDSM clubs are also included. Denton's personal papers document his career as a librarian and former minister in Presbyterian churches throughout California and Nevada; his family, including his wife Margie and three children; and his interest in campanology, the study of bells.

Arrangement

This collection is divided into two series:
Series 1. Avengers Motorcycle Club and subject files
Series 2. Personal papers

Separated Materials

The following have been separated to the ONE newsletter collection:
Blair Blurbs: The newsletter of the United Methodist Gay Caucus, Vol. 1, No. 1 (1975).
The Butterfly, ONE in Los Angeles, 1978.
Cheery Chalkboard: Gay Teachers of Los Angeles, October 1978.
Chronicles of Leather Mania, Vol. 14-18 (1976).
Compass, Vol. 5, No. 3 (May 1977).
Concern: Newsletter of the Southern California Council on Religiion and the Homophile, October 1966.
The Empty Closet, Iss. 70 (March 1977).
Focus: Gay Community Center of Orange County, February-April 1976.
Guyads, Vol. 1, No. 1-3 (1974-1975).
HELP (Homophile Effort for Legal Protection) Newsletter, 1975-1976.
The Informant, a Consumer Newsletter for Gays, January 1976.
Neighbors newsletter, January 1976.
Open Forum, American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, 1976-1977.
Stonewall Report, August 1976.
Vacavalley Star (newsletter), 1974-1975.
The Way Out Scene, September 1975.
The West Sider, 1974-1975.
Whitman-Radclyffe Foundation Newsletter, 1974 and 1976.
The following items have been separated from the collection:
Ah Men catalogs, 1978.
"Florida Orange Juice is Hazardous to Your Existence" poster, 1977.
Official Gay Freedom Day Program (San Francisco), 1976.
Playgirl Calendar, 1976.

Related Materials

#AC2562, Dick Denton at his office in Claremont [sound recording], Brian James Miller Papers, Coll2014-010, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Bells
Christian gays
Gay motorcycle clubs -- California -- Los Angeles
Gays -- Religious life
Leather lifestyle
Denton, Richard

Box 1-2, 4

Avengers Motorcycle Club and subject files Series 1 1957-1984

Scope and Contents

This series comprises Avengers Motorcycle Club administrative records, clippings, merchandise catalogs, publicity material, bibliographies, flyers, and other material, 1957-1984, collected by Denton. The Avengers administrative records were compiled in scrapbooks and include meeting minutes and publicity material documenting Avengers' activities and that of other gay motorcycle clubs from 1977 to 1981. The remaining subject files include materials from gay and lesbian organizations and leather/BDSM clubs.

Arrangement

Avengers Motorcycle Club administrative records are at the beginning of this series. The remaining folders are arranged alphabetically.
Box 1, Folder 1-19

Avengers Motorcycle Club administrative records 1977-1981

Box 4, Folder 1

Avengers Motorcycle Club flyer draft Undated

Box 1, Folder 20

Advocate publicity material 1975-1977

Box 1, Folder 21

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California publicity material 1977

Box 1, Folder 22-26

Bibliographies 1971-1982

Box 1, Folder 27-31

Catalogs, clothing and products 1957-1959

Box 2, Folder 1-2

Catalogs, miscellaneous 1957-1970

Box 2, Folder 4-6

Clippings 1965-1977

Box 2, Folder 7

Edward Barron catalog 1975

Box 2, Folder 8

Festive Enterprises order forms 1974

Box 6, Folder 1-3

Fetish book: Enemanual I-II, Official Publication of the Fraternity of Enema Buddies circa 1980-1988

Box 5, Folder 1-2

Fetish book: Male I circa 1980-1988

Box 5, Folder 3-5

Fetish book: Male II circa 1980-1988

Box 2, Folder 41

Fetish book: Masks circa 1980-1988

Box 6, Folder 4-6

Fetish book: S & M [sadomasochism] I 1983

Box 5, Folder 6-7

Fetish book: Moral Majority circa 1980-1988

Box 4, Folder 2

Flyers 1970-1979

Box 2, Folder 9

Forestt of Brooklyn Heights catalog 1974

Box 2, Folder 10

Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center 1974-1976

Box 2, Folder 11

GSF Organization flyers 1975

Box 2, Folder 12

Homophile Effort for Legal Protection (HELP) 1974-1977

Box 2, Folder 13

Leather and motorcycle accessory catalogs 1970-1979

Box 2, Folder 14

Leather organizations 1974-1977

Box 2, Folder 16-18

Mail order erotica and BDSM (bondage, discipline, and sadomasochism) accessories circa 1970-1979

Box 2, Folder 19

Mattachine Society 1975

Box 2, Folder 15

Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) of Pomona Valley 1976-1984

Box 2, Folder 20

One, Inc. 1966-1981

Box 2, Folder 21

Richards Alan Company 1957

Box 2, Folder 22

Society for Individual Rights (SIR) 1973

Box 2, Folder 23

Society of Pat Rocco Enlightened Enthusiasts (SPREE) 1975-1977

Box 2, Folder 24

Sun Coral newsletter and flyers 1977

Box 2, Folder 25

Tail correspondence 1974-1978

Box 2, Folder 26

Village People 1978-1979

Box 2, Folder 27

Whitman Radclyffe Foundation 1974

Box 2, Folder 28

World Organization Against Evil Undated

Box 2, Folder 29

Zero to Success 1973-1974

Box 2, Folder 30-34

Unsorted 1970-1979

Box 2-4

Personal papers Series 2 1931-1988

Scope and Contents

This series comprises correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, employment documents, clippings, newsletters, and other personal papers, 1931-1988, documenting Richard Denton's life and interests. The bulk of the materials document his career as a librarian and former minister in Presbyterian churches throughout California and Nevada; his family, including his wife Margie and three children; and his interest in campanology, the study of bells.

Arrangement

Clippings about Richard Denton are at the beginning of this series, followed by correspondence. The remaining folders are arranged alphabetically.
Box 2, Folder 35

Clippings about Denton and family members 1943-1979

Box 2, Folder 36

Correspondence 1950-1984

Box 2, Folder 37

Correspondence, G. Rudy 1974

Box 2, Folder 38

Correspondence, Marcus Sen 1957

Box 2, Folder 40

Award certificate and name plate Undated

Box 3, Folder 1

Baby books Undated

Box 3, Folder 2-8

Bells

Box 3, Folder 2

American Bell Association convention materials and photographs 1969

Box 3, Folder 3

American Bell Association correspondence 1958-1972

Box 3, Folder 4-6

Bells and campanology 1950-1975

Box 3, Folder 7-8

Southern California Campanologist Club 1958-1973

Box 3, Folder 12-14

Bible scripture and sermon notes 1951-1960

Box 3, Folder 9

Boy Scouts service record 1968-1974

Box 2, Folder 3

Christian periodicals 1972-1979

Box 4, Folder 3

Christmas greeting cards 1955-1966

Box 3, Folder 10

Denton, Margie 1961-1974

Box 3, Folder 11

Denton's Belfry newsletter 1970--1979

Box 3, Folder 15

Finding Our Own Ways newsletter 1987-1988

Box 3, Folder 16

First Presbyterian Church (Oakland) 1957-1958

Box 3, Folder 17

High school 1947-1964

Box 3, Folder 18

Kato Tribe Pomona 1963-1965

Box 3, Folder 19

Notes and diary entries 1984-1986

Box 2, Folder 39

Photographs 1951-1984

Box 3, Folder 20

Presbytery of Los Angeles 1959-1976

Box 3, Folder 21

St. John's and Reno churches 1953-1956

Box 3, Folder 23

San Francisco Theological Seminary 1952-1963

Box 3, Folder 22

San Francisco Theological Seminary Choir Tour 1947-1960

Box 3, Folder 24

Social Security for Clergy information pamphlet 1951-1965

Box 3, Folder 25

Southern California School of Theology at Claremont 1959-1985

Box 3, Folder 26

Synod of California 1954-1958

Box 3, Folder 27

Travel documents, "Dick's Trip; Business Convention and Visits" 1984

Box 3, Folder 28

University of Southern California (USC) School of Library Science 1959-1964

Box 3, Folder 29

Westminster and Seattle churches 1931-1947

Box 3, Folder 30

Westminster Marriage Service 1948-1960

Box 3, Folder 31

Whitworth College 1951