Indiana Historical Society - Manuscripts & Archives
User Information
Biographical Sketch
Scope and Content Note
Box and Folder Inventory
Cataloguing Information
Processed by
Robert W. Eherenman
VOLUME OF COLLECTION: 3 manuscript boxes, 1 bound volume
COLLECTION DATES: 1916-1986
PROVENANCE: Alta M. Jett, Richmond, Indiana
RESTRICTIONS: None
REPRODUCTION RIGHTS: Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained in writing from the Indiana Historical Society.
ALTERNATE FORMATS: None
OTHER FINDING AIDS: None
RELATED HOLDINGS:
ACCESSION NUMBER: 85.0621
NOTES:
Alta M. Boatwright Jett was born on April 2, 1920 in Lancaster, Kentucky. She was the first child of Annie and Charles Boatwright's three children. During her early infancy, the Boatwrights moved to Richmond, Indiana. She attended both Earlham College in Richmond and Indiana University- Purdue University at Indianapolis. Later she married Richard E. Jett, who was a carpenter and a musician. For the most part, Jett lived her life in Richmond. She has had a variety of occupations throughout her life. During the 1930s , Alta Jett was a domestic servant, and at the outbreak of World War II she began to work in a factory. In 1966 she was employed in the credit office of Montgomery Wards until 1967 when she started doing part-time janitorial work for People's Federal Savings and Loan in Richmond. She retired in 1985.
Church activities kept Alta Jett very busy. She belonged to Mount Moriah Baptist Church from 1952 to 1973; she then became a member of New Hope Baptist Church until 1974. She went back to Mount Moriah in 1974 and is still a member today. Her church activities included Sunday school, choir, missionary society, and vacation bible school. She has also been the church clerk and church anniversary chairperson.
Alta Jett was also very busy in the Richmond community. She has been president of the Mary B. Talbert Club and Vice Precinct Committeeman for the Democratic Party. She has also been associated with the Girl Scouts, Mental Health Board, Block mothers, mother's study group, the YMCA board, C.R. Richardson board, and the Townsend Center Board. She writes obituaries and is interested in Black history. Mrs. Jett has given a number of public addresses on the subject.
Source: The Black Women in the Middle West Project: A Comprehensive Guide Illinois and Indiana, p. 44
This collection contains the following:
There are six manuscript boxes with material from Alta Jett's personal life, newspaper clippings from the Richmond area, church programs, club programs and records, and material donated by three residents of Richmond. There is also material dealing exclusively with the Margaret Smith and Mary Hill nursing homes in Richmond,Indiana.
Box 1, Folders 1-7 contains some of Alta Jett's private correspondence and some miscellaneous programs and documents. Financial records, political posters, and funeral programs with obituaries written by Mrs. Jett, can also be found here, along with a scrapbook of Indiana Black Women. The scrapbook contains brief biographies of socially active women, as well as media personalities.
Box 1, Folders 8-15 includes service programs, documents, anniversary programs, newspaper clippings concerning the Mount Moriah Baptist Church from 1956 to 1981. The box also contains miscellaneous church programs from Second Baptist, Bethel AME, Missionary Baptist, and other religious organizations. A scrapbook of Mount Moriah Church and obituaries, 1958-1985 is also included--See BV 2686.
Box 2, Folders 1-6 has material from the Townsend Community Center from 1956 to 1985. In addition, notes and minutes, as well as newspaper clippings can be found for the Mary B. Talbert Club from 1953 to 1983. Programs for the convention of the Indiana Federation of Colored Women's Clubs from 1962 to 1985 are also inlcuded.
Box 2, Folders 7-10 contain materials donated by Majorie Bradford, Esther Vandlingham, and Christella Kelly. At the time of collection, all were residents of Richmond, Indiana. The Bradford collection consists of mainly church programs from the Greater Second Missionary Baptist Church in Richmond. The Vanlandingham collection contains material concerning the Vanlandingham singers. The Kelly collection consists of clippings from the Richmond area newspaper.
Box 2, Folders 11-16 and Box 3, Folders 1-2 hold the records of both the Margaret Smith Nursing Home and the Mary E. Hill Home for Aged Women.
Box 3, Folders 3-7 has newspaper clippings from the Richmond area from as early as 1916 up until 1986.
Box 1: Alta Jett Papers; Mount Moriah Baptist Church; other church programs.
Folder 1: Jett Correspondence 1934-1982
Folder 2: Miscellaneous programs and documents 1953-1985
Folder 3: Financial Records 1959-1977
Folder 4: Political and Legal Documents 1961-1982
Folder 5: Obituaries 1969-1985
Folder 6: Biographies
Folder 7: Scrapbook of Indiana Black Women
Folder 8: Mount Moriah Church Services 1956-1972
Folder 9: Mount Moriah Church Documents 1959-1970
Folder 10: Mount Moriah Church Programs 1961-1981
Folder 11: Mount Moriah Church news clippings 1956-1962
Folder 12: Second Baptist Church, Richmond 1958-1985
Folder 13: Bethel AME Church, Richmond
Folder 14: Missionary Baptst Church, Richmond 1983-1984
Folder 15 (BV 2686): Scrapbook of Mount Moriah Church and obituaries, 1758-1985
Box 2: Organizations; Bradford Papers, Vanlandingham Papers, Kelly Papers; Margaret Smith Home and Mary E. Hill Nursing Home
Folder 1: Mary B. Talbert Record Book 1953-1961
Folder 2: Mary B. Talbert Federated Club 1959-1967
Folder 3: Mary B. Talbert clippings 1961-1983
Folder 4: IFCWC 1962- 1985
Folder 5: Townsend Community Center 1956-1985
Folder 6: Townsend Community Center clippings
Folder 7: Marjorie Bradford papers 1922-1984
Folder 8: Esther Vanlandingham papers 1947-1984
Folder 9: Christella Kelly clippings, no dates
Folder 10: Christella Kelly clippings 1967-1984
Folder 11: Margaret Smith Home: rules, regulations, and annual report
Folder 12: Mary E. Hill Nursing Home: meeting minutes 1952-1955
Folder 13: Mary E. Hill: operational and recreational papers
Folder 14: Mary E. Hill: Howard Alexander correspondence 1955-1957
Folder 15: Financial Records 1951, 1954, 1956, 1957
Folder 16: Financial Records 1955
Box 3: Mary E. Hill Nursing Home; Newspaper Clippings
Folder 1: Financial Records, no dates
Folder 2: Corporation Record for Mary B. Hill Nursing Home
Folder 3: Clippings 1916-1969
Folder 4: Clippings 1970-1979
Folder 5: Clippings 1980-1984
Folder 6: Clippings 1985-1986
Folder 7: Clippings, no dates
MAIN ENTRY: Jett, Alta M., 1920-
SUBJECT ENTRIES: Jett, Alta M., 1920-
Bethal A.M.E. Church (Richmond, Ind.)
Mount Moriah Baptist Church (Richmond, Ind.)
Second Baptist Church (Richmond, Ind.)
Margaret Smith Home (Richmond, Ind.)
Mary E. Hill Home (Richmond, Ind.)
Mary B. Talbert Federated Club (Richmond, Ind.)
Townsend Community Center (Richmond, Ind.)
Indiana Federation of Colored Women's Clubs
Vanlandingham Singers (Richmond, Ind.)
Black Women in the Middle West Project
Afro-American women--Indiana--Richmond
Women--Indiana--Richmond
Afro-American aged--Indiana--Richmond
Afro-American Baptists--Indiana--Richmond
Afro-American churches--Indiana--Richmond
Afro-American musicians--Indiana--Richmond
Afro-American singers--Indiana--Richmond
Afro-Americans--Indiana--Richmond--Music
Afro-Americans--Indiana--Richmond--Religion
Afro-Americans--Indiana--Richmond--Societies, etc.
Churches--Indiana--Richmond
Obituaries--Indiana--Richmond
Old age homes, Afro-American--Indiana--Richmond
Women--Indiana--Richmond--Religious life
Women in the broadcasting industry--Indiana--Richmond
Women--Indiana--Richmond--Societies and clubs
Women and religion--Indiana--Richmond
Afro-American women--Indiana--Richmond--Societies, etc.
Nursing homes--Indiana--Richmond
Baptists--Indiana--Richmond
ADDED ENTRIES: Bradford, Marjorie
Vanlandingham, Esther
Kelly, Christella
END