Inventory of the Melvin House Collection SPC.2020.030
Karen Clemons
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
2020-12
University Library South -5039 (Fifth Floor)
1000 E. Victoria St.
Carson, CA 90747
archives@csudh.edu
Contributing Institution:
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
Title: Melvin House Collection
Creator:
House, Melvin Douglass
source:
Williams, Robert F. (Robert Franklin ), 1925-1996
Identifier/Call Number: SPC.2020.030
Physical Description:
1 box
Physical Description:
.42 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1929-1971; undated
Abstract: This collection contains material belonging to Melvin House, an African American electrician and high school gymnast living
in Los Angeles, California. Included in this collection are documents, photographs, ephemera, articles, booklets, pamphlets,
and other material relating to House's education, career, friends and family; as well as his interests in spirituality, politics,
religion, and the Nation of Islam.
Language of Material:
English
.
Scope and Contents
The Melvin House Collection (1929-1971; undated) contains 1 box and .42 linear feet of material belonging to Melvin House,
an African American electrician and high school gymnast living in Los Angeles, California. This collection contains mostly
documents, photographs, and other material related to House's education, employment, his time on a high school gymanstics
team; as well as articles, brochures, booklets, and pamphlets related to spirituality, politics, religion, and the Nation
of Islam.
Series One: Personal Papers contains documents, photographs, and ephemera regarding Melvin House. This includes: material
related to House's education including his school report cards, diplomas, and certificates from Oakland Public Schools, San
Jose Public Schools, and Lincoln High School; and photographs, varsity letters, and certificates related to House's time as
a gymnast at Lincoln High School. Also included in this series are documents related to House's schooling and employment as
an electrician, his employment as a custodian, material related to his time in the Navy Reserves, photographs of presumably
family and friends, and other personal documents such as identification and membership cards.
Series Two: Articles, Pamphlets, and Clippings contains documents related to House's interests in spirituality, politics,
civil rights, race, and religion. Topics featured in these documents include: revolutionary nationalism, Rosicrucianism, socialism,
Nation of Islam, self-determination, and other related topics.
Melvin House Biography
Melvin Douglass House was born in 1940 to Louise House. At some point during his childhood, Melvin lived in the Oakland and
San Jose areas of California, but had moved to Los Angeles by the time he was thirteen. Melvin attended Lincoln High School
located in the Lincoln Heights area of Los Angeles where he was on the gymnastics team earning varsity letters and in 1957
won third place on the horizontal bar in the Southern Pacific Association (A.A.U.) Novice Gymnastic Championships. Melvin
graduated high school in 1958, and that same year was accepted as a member of the United States Naval Reserve. From approximately
1962-1964, Melvin worked as a custodian at Whittier Health Center, while also attending Los Angeles Trade Technical College
where he graduated in June 1964 with a certificate in Electrical Construction and Maintenance. Melvin worked for Square D
Company from 1964-1965, and in 1966 earned a certificate from Southern California Edison's Substation Operators School after
completing a course in substation operating and telephone and radio communications. An employee ID card located in this collection
indicates that Melvin worked for Southern California Edison in the 1970s.
Melvin also had interests in Rosicrucianism as a member of the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (Amore). Correspondence,
articles, and other material in this collection indicate his interest and involvement in the Nation of Islam and Muhammad's
Mosque No. 2. Other documents in this collection allude to Melvin's interests spirituality, religion, race, civil rights,
discrimination, and politics.
Preferred Citation
Conditions Governing Access
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives
and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical
materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Race Discrimination
Education -- California
Electricians -- Training of
Electricians
Gymnastics
Spirituality
Politics
Los Angeles (Calif.)
Nation of Islam (Chicago, Ill.)
Williams, Robert F. (Robert Franklin ), 1925-1996
Series I: Personal Papers
1949-1971; undated
Scope and Contents
This series includes documents, photographs, and ephemera regarding Melvin House. This includes: material related to House's
education including his school report cards, diplomas, certificates; and photographs, varsity letters, and certificates related
to House's time as a high school gymnast. Also included in this series are documents related to House's schooling and employment
as an electrician; his employment as a custodian; material related to his time in the Navy Reserves; correspondence, articles,
and other material related to the Nation of Islam and Muhammad's Mosque No. 2; photographs of presumably family and friends;
and other personal documents such as identification and membership cards.
box 1, folder 1
Wallet- contains House's drivers license, Navy active duty card, Ralph cashing courtesy card, Southern California Edison employee
ID card, and photographs of presumably family members
1960s-1970s; undated
box 1, folder 2
Report Cards- Oakland Public Schools; San Jose Elementary Schools; Lincoln High School
1949-1958
box 1, folder 3
Gymnastics- Varsity Letters; ribbon; certificates
1955, 1957, 1958; undated
box 1, folder 4
Gymnastics- photographs of House competing, and of the gymnastics team; and photograph of House with presumably his high school
classmates
circa late 1950s
box 1, folder 5
certificates and diplomas- San Jose School Safety Patrol traffic officer honorable discharge; Abraham Lincoln attendance award;
junior high school and high school diplomas; United States Naval Reserve certificate of acceptance
1952, 1955, 1958
box 1, folder 6
invitation for Willie Frances Flournoy Gadsden high school graduation; caricature by Alfredo Ortiz; empty envelopes addressed
to Willie L. Jackson and Mary Louise House
1958; undated
box 1, folder 7
correspondence, articles, and other material related to Nation of Islam teachings and Muhammad's Mosque No. 2
1961-1962
box 1, folder 8
lettergrams and correspondence regarding custodial services at Whittier Health Center during House's employment as a custodian
1962-1964
box 1, folder 9
Los Angeles Trade Technical College- grade reports, membership cards for electrician's association, certificate of completion
for Electrical Construction and Maintenance
1963-1964
box 1, folder 10
Electrician employment and schooling documents- Square D Company checks, employment status and termination, wage record; Southern
California Edison certificates of completion, certification card, photographs, news clipping
1965-1969
box 1, folder 11
Koch Brothers Trading Post receipts
1967-1968
box 1, folder 12
Photographs- mostly portrait photographs of infants, Melvin House, and presumably friends and family of House's
1951-1970; undated
General
Some photographs are inscribed to Melvin from Beverly; "To cousin Louise and Raymond from cousin [LaVania] and [LaShay]";
"Love Willie"; "Sincerely Edna Woods"; and others.
box 1, folder 13
Photographs taken presumably during Navy reserves; electrician jobs; and other employment sites
1959; undated
Series II: Articles, Pamphlets, and Clippings
1929-1970; undated
Scope and Contents
This series contains articles, booklets, pamphlets, clippings, and other documents related to House's interests in spirituality,
politics, civil rights, race, and religion. Topics featured in these documents include: revolutionary nationalism, Rosicrucianism,
socialism, Nation of Islam, self-determination,and other related topics.
box 1, folder 15
"How The Gods Were Made (A Study in Historical Materialism)" by John Keracher
1929
box 1, folder 16
Daughters of IBPOE (Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks) of the World, "Ritual, Degree Ritual, Lectures" [booklet]
1929
General
inscribed with Louise House's name and address.
box 1, folder 17
Salaam, Vol. 1, No. 1
July 1960
box 1, folder 18
The Crusader, Robert F. Williams, Publisher. Vol. 5, No. 4
May-June 1964
box 1, folder 19
documents produced by the Afro-American Student Movement entitled "Chairman Mao's Historic Statement", and "American Negroes"
by the Vietnam Women's Union
June 4, 1963; September 1964
box 1, folder 20
articles related to revolutionary nationalism entitled "Revolutionary Nationalism and the Afroamerican Student"; "The Four
Best Speeches of Malcolm X"; and "The Los Angeles War Cry 'Burn, Baby, Burn'" published by RAM Black Liberation Front of the
U.S.A.
circa 1964; undated
box 1, folder 21
Self Help News Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 9; Vol. 2, No. 1. Published in the office of the Self Determination Committee, Los Angeles,
California
August 14, 1965; July 9, 1966
box 1, folder 22
"We Accuse. Bill Epton Speaks to the Court" published by the Progressive Labor Party [booklet]
February 2, 1966
box 1, folder 23
Unity Voice, Vol. 1, No. 3
February-March 1966
box 1, folder 24
"Statement by Afroamerican on the Draft" by Harold Robinson and Ernest Allen co-chairmen Afroamerican for Freedom
April 14, 1966
box 1, folder 25
I. F. Stone's Weekly, Vol. XIV, No. 17
May 16, 1966
box 1, folder 26
Message to the Grassroots, Vol. 1, No. 1
May 21, 1966
box 1, folder 27
"The Hard Line", Vol. 4, No. 7 and 8
September 1 1967; September 29, 1967
box 1, folder 28
"Charter of the United Nations and Statute of the International Court of Justice" [booklet]
July 1968
box 1, folder 29
Defiant Investment Association- article of incorporation; memorandums addressed to Lester Arrington
1969
box 1, folder 30
Mayor elect Douglas Dollarhide, program
[1969]
box 1, folder 31
L.A. Free Press Living Arts, part two
June 5, 1970
box 1, folder 32
"Religion is a Gigantic Fraud" by James Hervey Johnson, The Thinkers Club; "Intelligence" by Llewelyn Hughes
undated
box 1, folder 14
Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (Amore) welcome packet. Includes House's membership card.
undated
box 1, folder 33
"Poison Oak" K.H. Sutherland, M.D. Health Officer (two copies)
undated
