Alice Martin Papers, 1937-2004, bulk (bulk 1943-1993)

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Summary

Creators:
Martin, Alice, circa 1907-2004
Abstract:
The personal papers of Alice Martin, a civic-minded African-American woman known for her charitable nature and community service, consists primarily of correspondence, employment and war records, photographs, and realia. Donated by the estate of Alice Martin in 2004. Martin dedicated her time to her church, affordable housing consortiums, and community services for the economically disadvantaged and elderly in the county of San Luis Obispo. She was among the black family members who came to the area in the early 1940s as their husbands or other relatives were stationed at Camp San Luis Obispo, a training base for the U. S. Army.
Extent:
8 boxes
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Alice Martin Papers, Special Collections, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Background

Scope and content:

Personal papers of Alice Martin, a civic-minded woman of color known for her charitable nature and donation of hours of community service. Consists of her writings, war records, photographs and personal papers.

She dedicated her time to her church, affordable housing consortiums, and services for the economically disadvantaged and elderly in the City of San Luis Obispo. She was among the many black families who came to the city of San Luis Obispo in the early 1940s, whose husbands or relatives were training at Camp San Luis.

Where possible, the provenance, or original organization, of the papers has been preserved. However, in order to simplify access to the collection for researchers, some materials in specific formats and topics were reorganized and refoldered to more accurately reflect their contents.

The Alice Martin Papers are divided into 5 series:

1. Personal Papers, 1937-2004

2. Volunteer Activities, 1971-2004

3. Writings, 1951-1988

4. Photographs, undated

5. Artifacts, undated

The Alice Martin Papers are housed in 8 document boxes with Series 1 - 3 containing the most extensive and unique portions of the collection, which include her World War II civilian service records, volunteer activities and her writings.

Biographical / historical:

Alice Mae Martin, an African American and native of Illinois, came to San Luis Obispo, California, in 1942 with her then husband Clarence F. Martin while he was stationed at Camp San Luis Obispo. Following his deployment she moved back to her home base in Montana. She returned to live in San Luis Obispo permanently in 1969.

Martin worked most of her adult life, well into her 70s. During her early working years, she served as a mechanical helper/aircraft fitter and a laundry presser for the U. S. War Department at military camps in Montana and Arizona during World War II. When her husband was transferred to California, she joined him, working at Camp Roberts in Monterey Co., then locally at Camp San Luis Obispo, as a presser. Later on, she operated the steam presses at Paul’s Cleaners, a retail dry cleaners still in business today on South Higuera St. Included in the collection is the original apron she wore as part of her work uniform there. She also held jobs as a nanny and housekeeper.

Details of her birth are unconfirmed and among the records in the collection are her queries attempting to establish details about her birthplace and year of birth (variously stated as 1907 and 1912).

She was known for her charitable nature and the donation of hours of community service to her church; affordable housing consortiums; and services for the economically disadvantaged and elderly in the city of San Luis Obispo. She volunteered for many organizations including Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), the Housing Authority, the Boy Scouts, Grace Church, the Red Cross, and the Salvation Army.

A strong advocate of affordable housing, she served as a Commissioner for the Housing Authority for the City of San Luis Obispo for many years. Martin received much recognition for her contributions, most notably on the eve of her 97th birthday when the SLO County Community Foundation honored her for more than 10,000 hours of community service to the City of San Luis Obispo. This honor exemplified her life of service to her church, neighbors, friends, and community.

Martin had only a sixth-grade education, but read extensively, and was an ardent poet. She died in San Luis Obispo, September 11, 2004, at 97 years of age.

Sources

"Alice Martin." [Obituary] The Tribune, (San Luis Obispo, CA) 19 Sept. 2004: no page Personal reminiscences, Ruth Smith

Acquisition information:
Donated by the estate of Alice Martin in 2004.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open to qualified researchers by appointment only. For more information on access policies and to obtain a copy of the Researcher Registration form, please visit the Special Collections Access page.

Terms of access:

In order to reproduce, publish, broadcast, exhibit, and/or quote from this material, researchers must submit a written request and obtain formal permission from Special Collections, Cal Poly, as the owner of the physical collection.

Photocopying of material is permitted at staff discretion and provided on a fee basis. Photocopies are not to be used for any purpose other than for private study, scholarship, or research. Special Collections staff reserves the right to limit photocopying and deny access or reproduction in cases when, in the opinion of staff, the original materials would be harmed.

Preferred citation:

Alice Martin Papers, Special Collections, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Location of this collection:
Robert E. Kennedy Library, Rm 409
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, US
Contact:
(805) 756-2305
archives@calpoly.edu
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