Guide to the Carter Gilmore Papers

Sean Dickerson
African American Museum & Library at Oakland
659 14th Street
Oakland, California 94612
Phone: (510) 637-0198
Fax: (510) 637-0204
Email: aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org
URL: http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/locations/african-american-museum-library-oakland
© 2017
African American Museum & Library at Oakland. All rights reserved.

Guide to the Carter Gilmore Papers

Collection number: MS 151

African American Museum & Library at Oakland

Oakland, California
Processed by:
Sean Heyliger and Sean Dickerson
Date Completed:
July 18, 2017
© 2017 African American Museum & Library at Oakland. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Carter Gilmore Papers
Dates: 1960-2006
Collection number: MS 151
Creator: Gilmore, Carter.
Collection Size: .5 linear feet (1 box + 1 oversized box)
Repository: African American Museum & Library at Oakland (Oakland, Calif.)
Oakland, CA 94612
Abstract: Carter Gilmore (1926-2006) was born May 30, 1926, in Grapeland, Texas. In 1977 Gilmore became the first African American elected to the Oakland City Council. He served from 1977 to 1990, during which time he also acted as vice mayor to Lionel J. Wilson. Gilmore also served as president of the NAACP's Alameda branch and, later, of its Northern California division.
Physical location: African American Museum & Library at Oakland (Oakland, Calif.) Oakland, CA 94612
Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Access

No access restrictions. Collection is open to the public.

Access Restrictions

Materials are for use in-library only, non-circulating.

Publication Rights

Permission to publish from the Carter Gilmore Papers must be obtained from the African American Museum & Library at Oakland.

Preferred Citation

Carter Gilmore papers, MS 151, African American Museum & Library at Oakland, Oakland Public Library. Oakland, California.

Processing Information

Processed by Sean Heyliger and Sean Dickerson, July 18, 2017.

Biography / Administrative History

Carter Gilmore (1926-2006) was born May 30, 1926, in Grapeland, Texas, son of Payne Gilmore, a sharecropper, and Bertha Owens Gilmore, who together had a large family of 12 or 13 children. Gilmore attended high school in Crockett, Texas, and then served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He married Liz Hampton of Crockett in 1947. In 1951, the couple moved to Oakland, California, where he worked for Granny Goose Foods as plant manager. Gilmore also served as president of the NAACP's Alameda branch and, later, of its Northern California division.
In 1977 Gilmore became the first African American elected to the Oakland City Council. He served from 1977 to 1990, during which time he also acted as vice mayor to Lionel J. Wilson. Gilmore’s achievements on the City Council included creating a city anti-blight ordinance and leading the fight to establish the Citizens Police Review Board and the Housing, Residential Rent and Relocation Board. His work as chairman of the Oakland NAACP's labor and industry committee in the 1990s included leading the investigation of racial discrimination against African American employees at United Parcel Service. Gilmore retired from Granny Goose Foods in 1993, focusing on community advocacy work until his passing on December 23, 2006.

Scope and Content of Collection

The Carter Gilmore papers consist of campaign flyers, resolutions, commendations, plaques, correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings and assorted print material documenting the career of Carter Gilmore as Oakland City Council member and community leadership. Photographs in the papers include Gilmore alongside prominent African American politicians and leaders such as Willie Brown, Lionel J. Wilson, Coretta Scott King, and Barbara Lee.

Arrangement

Series 1. Politics Series 2. Photographs Series 3. Assorted printed material

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Gilmore, Carter.
Oakland (Calif.). City Council
Oakland (Calif.)--History.
Oakland (Calif.)--Politics and government.

Related Material

Lionel J. Wilson Collection, African American Museum and Library at Oakland.

 

Politics

Series Scope and Content Summary

Includes campaign flyers, resolutions, commendations, plaques, and correspondence related to Gilmore’s political and community leadership.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.
Box 1:1

Verified statements of candidates for the office at the City of Oakland municipal nominating election to be held on Tuesday, April 19, 1977 1977-04

Box 1:1

Elect Carter Gilmore campaign flyer [two copies] circa 1977

Box 1:1

Letter to Al LoCasale from Vice Mayor Carter Gilmore re: Raiders 1981-04-03

Box 1:1

A record as long as your arm campaign flyer circa 1980s

Box 1:1

City of Oakland proclamation, "Carter Gilmore Appreciation Day" 1990-05-30

Box 1:1

Letter from Gary Giovanni, Sea-Land Service, Inc. manager, to Councilman Carter Gilmore 1990-11-12

Box OM 50

Resolution of the State Administrator of the Oakland Unified School District, "Carter Gilmore Field" 2006-03-22

Box OM 50

County of Alameda Board of Supervisors commendation of Carter Gilmore for 50 years of community leadership 2006-04-20

Box 1:1

Letter from Steven M. Tellefsen to Carter Gilmore 2006-04-20

Box 1:1

Honorable Fortney Pete Stark extension of remarks: a tribute to Carter Gilmore for 50 years of community service 2006-04-20

Box OM 50

National Council of Negro Women, Inc. resolution applauding Carter Gilmore 2006-10-28

Box 1:1

Tribute to Carter Gilmore, African American Museum & Library at Oakland program 2006

Box 1:4

California-Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church plaque in appreciation to Carter Gilmore for many years of devoted service to the citizens of Oakland undated

Box OM 50

Redevelopment Agency of the City of Oakland redevelopment project plaque undated

 

Photographs

Arrangement

Arranged by photographic identification number.
Box 1:2

Black Cowboy Parade (left-right): Carter Gilmore, Willie Brown, George Livingston [001] 1981

Box 1:2

Carter Gilmore seated at dining table with Roy Wilkins [002] 1969

Box 1:2

Swearing in at Lakeside Park (left-right): Carter Gilmore, Mervyn M. Dymally, Louise Wilson, Lionel J. Wilson, Governor Jerry Brown, Dorothy Wilson [003] 1977-07-01

Box 1:2

Carter Gilmore in profile [004] 1984

Box 1:2

Carter Gilmore speaking on telephone [005] 1984

Box 1:2

Carter Gilmore and Mayor Lionel Wilson at Oakland Raiders rally [006] circa 1981

Box 1:2

Group photograph (left-right): Rev. Herbert Guice, Aleta Cannon, Carter Gilmore, Mayor Lionel Wilson, Tom Berkley [007] circa 1980s

Box 1:2

Hans A. Thompson speaking at podium with Carter Gilmore at the Oakland Convention Center [008] circa 1980s

Box 1:2

Group photograph of Mayor Lionel Wilson and members of the Oakland City Council [009] circa 1980s

Box 1:2

Oakland city councilman Carter Gilmore speaking at podium, Belva Davis, Coretta Scott King and Aleta Cannon standing to the right [010] circa 1980s

Box 1:2

Oakland city councilman Carter Gilmore speaking at podium, Coretta Scott King and Belva Davis standing to the side [011] circa 1980s

Box 1:2

Oakland city councilman Carter Gilmore speaking at podium with Coretta Scott King [012] circa 1980s

Box 1:2

Oakland city councilman Carter Gilmore speaking at podium with Coretta Scott King [013] circa 1980s

Box 1:2

Oakland city councilman Carter Gilmore speaking at podium with Coretta Scott King at right [014] circa 1980s

Box 1:2

Carter Gilmore with Dianne Feinstein [015] circa 1980s

Box 1:2

Willie Brown, Blanche Brown and Carter Gilmore [016] circa 1980s

Box 1:2

Carter Gilmore standing in living room [017] circa 2000s

Box 1:2

Carter Gilmore and Representative Barbara Lee at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland [018] circa 2006

 

Assorted printed material

Arrangement

Arranged by format.
Box 1:5

Northern Area Conference NAACP certificate of life membership 1968-12

Box 1:3

"Faces around the Bay," Oakland Post newspaper clipping circa 1960s

Box 1:3

Carter Gilmore profile feature, signed: "to my lovely wife Liz, Carter Gilmore" circa 1970s

Box 1:3

Oakland Convention News vol. 1 no. 2 1983

Box 1:3

Carter Gilmore Scholarship Fund overview circa 1993