Birthday programs for Benjamin "Pap" Singleton
Date: August 1882-August 1883
Here are two announcements for the programs held on Benjamin "Pap" Singleton's birthday. For his 73rd birthday in 1882, the city of Topeka hosted a celebration at Hartzell Park with music, prayer, and speeches. For his 74th birthday in 1883, the city again hosted a celebration which included barbeque, skating, boating, and croquet.

Blanche Cecile Parks photograph collection
Date: 1967-2017
This is a collection of photographs showing Blanche Parks and her family. Blanche, the daughter of Nile Eugene, Sr. and Fern (Dickinson) Williams, grew up in Leavenworth, Kansas and graduated from Leavenworth High School. After high school, she attended Washburn University and graduated with Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Also, she earned the Kansas Certified Public Manager designation from Kansas University. After graduation, Blanche taught in the Topeka Public Schools and later worked as a manager and director in various Kansas State agencies. She developed, implemented and directed the Kansas 529 College Savings Program in the Kansas State Treasurer's office. While director, the program held $40 million in assets and ranked in the top five college savings programs in the nation. Also, she was employed in the Kansas Department of Human Resources as a Special Assistant to the Secretary, she oversaw the Job Corps Program for the State of Kansas, the Governor's Council on Employment and Training. Also, she served as a Senior Manager in the Division of Information and Community Resources at the Department on Aging. Blanche served on the Job Service Employers' Committee and the Summer Youth Program under the Job Training Partnership Act, National Advisory Committee on Special Minimum Wages under the Secretary of the United States Department of Labor, Elizabeth Dole. Blanche is active in many community organizations, which includes President of the YWCA Board of Directors, the Kansas Children's Service League Topeka Advisory Council, Washburn University Board of Regents, Downtown Topeka Rotary, Topeka Human Relations Commission, Melody Brown Board of Directors, established the YWCA East Blanche Parks Girls to Girl Program, Who's Who in American Women, and the National Board of Directors for the YWCA. She received many awards including Who's Who in American Women. Blanche married Topeka attorney Sherman A. Parks, Jr. and they have two children Michael and Stacey. In 2000, Sherman and Blanche were named to Topeka's 2000 Profiles in Power by The Topeka Capital-Journal.

Boston Corbett's personal documents
Date: 1855-1886
Personal documents belonging to Thomas P. "Boston" Corbett, the man who killed John Wilkes Booth following President Lincoln's assassination. Corbett moved to Kansas in 1878 and lived in a dugout near Concordia, Kansas. In 1887, Corbett was given the position of assistant doorkeeper for the Kansas House of Representatives in Topeka. However, when he brandished his pistol during a session of the legislative that same year, he was arrested and sent to an insane asylum. In 1888, he escaped and his whereabouts remained unknown until his presumed death. Documents include his Y.M.C.A. membership cards, signed checks, baptism certificate, a hatmaker's traveling card, and his naturalization certificate dated June 19, 1855.

Charitable Institutions, Bd. of Trustees
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1879-1883 : St. John)
Date: 1879-1883
There is a letter to Kansas Governor St. John informing him that members of the Board of Charities will be visiting Topeka to examine lands for a Reform School. A similar letter asks the governor to look at the proposed site of the Reform School. In addition, is a letter from the Board of Trustees of State Charities informing the governor they will be in Topeka on October 20th, 1879 and requests the governor meet with them. Also, in this file is an invitation to Governor St. John to attend a conference of charities.

Deaf and Dumb School
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1879-1883 : St. John)
Date: 1880-1881
The two letters notify Kansas Governor St. John of the closing exercises for the School for the Deaf and Dumb in Olathe Kansas. These letters also serve as invitations for the governor and to bring any friends. The last letter asks the governor to give a short address during the ceremony should he decide to attend.

Elizabeth Miller Watkins legacy collection
Creator: Kitchen 8 (Alumnae organization : University of Kansas)
Date: 1935-1971
This collection includes material relating to Elizabeth Miller Watkins & Frank C. Miller scholarship halls at the University of Kansas (Lawrence) and Elizabeth Miller Watkins & her husband. Only selected materials from the collection have been digitized and are available here. A scrapbook compiled by Philomene Bourassa Hood for the years she attended the University of Kansas (1935-1939) is one example of the legacy materials on the scholarship halls. One of the early items in the scrapbook is a copy of the booklet The Mythical Jayhawk written by Kirke Mechem and published by the Kansas State Historical Society. The scrapbook contains photographs of women living in Watkins scholarship hall and the people and buildings in the photographs are usually identified. There are invitations for various Watkins Hall social events. The scrapbook also contains photos of numerous building and scenes on campus. The scrapbook contains some newspaper clippings with some of them about Philomene. One clipping states that she made Phi Beta Kappa and the initiation program for December 5, 1938, is included as well. There are three multiple paged printed items related to the 1939 commencement--the announcement, the program, and a special commencement issue of the Jayhawker. The scrapbook contains a wine list and another printed document for the Bavarian Rathskeller, Armour Blvd. and Forest, Kansas City, Missouri. The rest of the digitized material relates directly to Elizabeth Watkins (January 21, 1861-June 1, 1939) including biographical clippings and obituaries, her last will and testament with a large number of bequests and the endowment for the scholarship halls, and a list of her contributions to the University of Kansas. A description of the entire collection is available through the link in the "External Links" box below.

Governor Clyde M. Reed correspondence, invitations and speeches
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1929-1931 : Reed)
Date: 1929-1931
This file includes subject correspondence relating to invitations and speeches given by and for Governor Reed. This file is part of a bigger collection of Governor Clyde M. Reed correspondence.

Graduating class of 1934
Date: 1934
A graduation announcement for the graduating nursing class from Vail School of Nursing in Topeka, Kansas. This image is from the Stormont-Vail Nurse's Alumni Association collection.

Invitation and program for Governor John Alexander Martin's inauguration
Date: January 12, 1885
This is an invitation and program for Kansas Governor John Alexander Martin's inauguration in the Kansas Capitol. The reception was held in the House of Representatives and the ball in the Senate chambers. Governor Martin, a Republican, served from 1885 to 1889.

Invitations
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1879-1883 : St. John)
Date: 1880
This file contains numerous invitations to Kansas Governor St. John to attend different events and associations. One invitation is from the Ball and Banquet in Larned, Kansas on January 24th, 1880. There is an invitation to the Governor to deliver an oration on June 10th at Highland University in Highland, Kansas.

Invitation, ticket, and program for Governor Willis Joshua Bailey's inaugural
Date: 1903
Here is an invitation, ticket, and program from Governor Willis Joshua Bailey's inauguration held at the auditorium in Topeka, Kansas. In 1902, Bailey, a Republican, was elected Governor of Kansas and he served from 1903 to 1905.

Invitation to Governor George Washington Glick's inaugural reception and ball
Date: January 08, 1883
This is an invitation to Kansas Governor George Washington Glick's inaugural reception and ball held at the Kansas Capitol. The reception was held in the House of Representative's and the ball in the Senate chambers. Governor Glick, a Democrat, served from 1883 to 1885.

Invitation to Governor John Pierce St. John's inauguration ceremonies
Date: January 13, 1879
This is an invitation to Kansas Governor John Pierce St. John's inauguration ceremonies at the Kansas Capitol. Governor St. John, a Republican, served from 1879 to 1883.

Invitation to Governor William H. Avery's inaugural ball at the Municipal Auditorium in Topeka, Kansas
Date: January 11, 1965
This is an invitation to Governor William H. Avery's inaugural ball at the Municipal Auditorium in Topeka, Kansas. Governor Avery, a Republican, served as the 37th Governor of Kansas from 1965 until 1967.

Nina Ridenour papers
Creator: Ridenour, Nina
Date: 1926 - 1977 (bulk 1950s-1960s)
Nina Ridenour's papers consist of correspondence; press releases and other publicity materials; book reviews (both those for her own books and reviews written by her); manuscripts and draft versions, sometimes with annotations and corrections; comments and critiques; biographical data; bibliographies; reading and research notes; reference materials; a grant application; outlines and lecture notes; invitations; newspaper clippings; scripts; books, pamphlets, and other publications; and other related materials. Some correspondents include Menninger family members and Menninger Clinic staff, Aldous Huxley, Clara Beers (Clifford Beers' widow), and Abraham and Bertha Maslow, among others. Topics in these materials include publications and publishing (especially Ridenour's books Mental Health in the United States--a 50-Year History, Mental Health Education: Principles in the Effective Use of Materials, and Health Supervision for Young Children); mental health education; the play "My Name is Legion" (based off Clifford Beers' autobiography and co-written by Ridenour and Nora B. Stirling); the American Theatre Wing's community plays, for which Ridenour wrote numerous discussion guides; children's mental health; term papers Ridenour wrote while in school; professional organizations and professional positions with which Ridenour was associated, especially the Ittelson Family Foundation; consciousness; extra sensory perception (ESP)/parapsychology; and other related topics. The materials span Ridenour's career, though the bulk come from the 1950s and 1960s and provide an excellent overview of her work and professional interests and concerns.

The A. T. & S. F. R. R. celebration . . . Emporia
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: August 31, 1870
Invitation: "The Mayor, Common Council and Citzens of Emporia cordially invite you to unite with them in celebrating the completion of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad to that City, on Wednesday, September 14th. Cars will leave K. P. Depot at North Topeka, at …"

The Topeka Club announcements
Creator: Topeka Club
Date: 1900-1910
These announcements from The Topeka Club document some of the club's regular functions including the "Uncle Jake Smith" Annual Onion Party for "all true friends of the onion." The Topeka Club was a gentlemen's social and literary club chartered in Topeka, Kansas, in 1892.

University of Kansas Alumni Association Fourth Annual Dinner
Creator: University of Kansas. Alumni Association
Date: April 08, 1911
An invitation to the fourth annual dinner of the KU Alumni Association of Kansas City on April 8, 1911. Henry Maloy designed the Jayhawk emblem printed on both the cover and the R.S.V.P. card. Here it is inscribed inside a football. See also item 313216.

Veteranen, 54th Regiment, N. Y. Volunteers
Creator: 54th New York Volunteer Regiment, United States Army
Date: October 27, 1894
This item from the papers of Carl Julius Adolph "Ado" Hunnius is an invitation to the 33 year reunion for the 54th Regiment, New York Volunteers, which was held in the Victor Ecstein Metropoliten Hotel in New York City, New York. Hunnius joined the 54th New York, which was composed largely of German immigrants, during the American Civil War to serve the country in which he spent the rest of his life. After the Civil War, Hunnius moved to Kansas and served under Major General Winfield Scott Hancock during the 1867 effort to pacify various Native American tribes on the Great Plains.