Patricia Liddell Researchers Archives

Organizational History:

In 1989 the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS), based in Washington, D.C., invited several members of the Harsh Researchers to organize as the Chicago Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc. Founding members Dr. Adlean Harris, Curtis Brasfield, CGRS, and Robert Miller, Harsh Collection curator, were listed on the application, representing 22 other charter members. In March 1990 the organization changed its name to the Patricia Liddell Researchers (PLR) in honor of the memory of charter member Patricia Liddell, who served as newsletter editor and conducted extensive family history research throughout the U.S. Incorporation with the State of Illinois occurred in July 1990. The group began and operated under the auspices of the Carter G. Woodson Regional Library of the Chicago Public Library, and repository for the Harsh Research Collection--which the PLR continues to promote and support.

The PLR was preceded by and continues to operate simultaneously with the Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago, which was founded in 1979. The PLR alone maintains chapter membership in the AAHGS. Both organizations coalesced in response to the intensified interest in African American family history inspired by the 1976 publishing of Roots: The Saga of An American Family by Alex Haley. The book, and subsequent TV documentary opened already popular family history research to the African American lay community as well as historians, researchers, and archivists already familiar with the relevant materials. Organizations such as the PLR, with their mix of lay, academic, and professional members, gave great impetus to locating, collecting, preservation, and availability of unique materials previously undescribed publicly or held in private hands. Furthermore, the high standards of these organizations, promoted by such national groups as the AAHGS, helped support the growth of academic black studies as well, as did the groups’ interest in many aspects of African American history, which were not strictly genealogical. The passing of yet another generation of African Americans whose historical memory was in large part unwritten fueled the efforts of organizations to provide forums and safe repositories for material that could be lost. Finally, African American genealogical groups such as the PLR published a variety of record compilations as well as historical works and journals that previously had been shunned by mainstream publishers, thus making the members’ research available to all.

Just as the AAHGS nationally promotes efforts to solicit, collect, safely deposit, and publicize materials that support African American family history research, the mission of the Patricia Liddell Researchers has remained primarily educational. The group endeavors to promote the scholarly research, writing, and publishing of the history of Afro-Americans and Afro-American cultures. Equally important is the assistance that the PLR provides to its members and to the general public by demonstrating how to carry out family history research through workshops, published materials, and the support of similar endeavors throughout the Chicago metro area. From its inception the Patricia Liddell Researchers has offered an active forum for historical and genealogical research through its meetings, workshops, programs, and exhibits. Membership is open to the general public, a deliberate effort to bring together all ages and occupations, and membership in the national AAHGS is promoted. A mixture of lay and academic members provides both veracity and creativity in the search for previously obscure materials as well as the use of familiar ones. Varied speakers and researchers, both local and from other regions, have been widely recruited for regularly scheduled programs. The PLR works closely with local repositories such as the National Archives Great Lakes Regional Branch, the Chicago History Museum, the Newberry Library, and the DuSable Museum in order to promote institutional holdings and encourage outreach.

PLR initiatives have included the Funeral Program Indexing Project, which to date (2009) has created an index of over 12,000 funeral programs received from throughout the U.S. The Patricia Liddell Researchers has also set up a surname index, obtained funding from the Chicago Public Library for programming, supported the Harsh Collection, prepared a standard certificate of ancestry form, and created outreach to other groups (including students and youth). PLR members have donated materials they created or collected, many of which are found in this collection or in other Harsh Collection holdings. These materials include academic yearbooks, genealogical periodicals, published and unpublished family histories, historical/genealogical guidebooks, and other materials designed to assist members and the general public with family history research. Members also network with other genealogical groups to share resources and provide assistance to visiting researchers.

Besides publishing the PLR News Journal several times a year to offer articles of more length and depth, the PLR also produces a regular newsletter, PLR Researchers , that provides members with organizational news and also newly available information about particular records or repositories.

Scope and Content:

The PLR Archives consists of six series of records. The first five series were created by the PLR organization as it carried out its overall mission. The last series (funeral programs index/abstract) is the particular product of a primary PLR initiative:

Series 1:

Organizational Documents in the PLR Archives were created as the group carried out business activities (incorporation, fundraising, and membership recruitment) and provided programming. These include the initial legal/financial and planning documents; meeting agendas; meeting minutes; workshop programs and handouts; correspondence; and annual program schedules.; The bulk of these materials dates from 1990 to 1996, but there is a continuous and fairly complete run to 2009. The organizational records are arranged chronologically with the exception of the records of the group’s founding and the annual financial reports, which have been placed at the beginning of the series.

Series 2:

The PLR publishes a newsletter, Patricia Liddell Researchers, which has appeared as a free, usually quarterly, local news and information-sharing publication. The Researchers discusses members’ research, PLR programming, and newly available genealogical data. The group also publishes the PLR News Journal , also traditionally a quarterly, which offers lengthier articles as well as PLR programming and member research notes. Both of these PLR Publications are included in the PLR Archives, Series 2, arranged chronologically. Please note that some issues may be irregularly numbered. Other PLR Publications include abstracts, holdings lists and bibliographies prepared to assist researchers, arranged alphabetically. Biographical information about PLR program speakers and presenters is included in this sub-series.

Series 3:

Genealogical Serial Publications includes a collection of over forty publications (1990-ongoing) from genealogical and historical societies throughout the U.S., both national and local in scope. A few publications are commercially produced. Issues are filed alphabetically, then by date. Please note that some years or runs may not be complete.

Series 4:

Subject Research Materials provide a variety of research source materials such as church bulletins, slave record indexes, family histories, articles and newsclippings referencing various dates, locales, and events. Several works were authored by PLR members. Presumably created or collected by PLR members, these varied materials were included in PLR accessions. The subject research files (from various years but mainly 1990-2000s) are arranged alphabetically.

Series 5:

There are approximately fifty photographs taken at several PLR program events. It also includes a 1965 photograph of Langston Hughes and Ralph Bunche, source and context not known.

Series 6:

The funeral programs in the Funeral Programs indexing and abstracting project date primarily from 1990 to the present, but include older materials as well. Access to the funeral programs is provided through the index database; please request assistance from Harsh Research Collection staff.

Container Listing

Series 3: Genealogical Serials

Abbreviations used:
AAGHS: African-American Genealogical and Historical Society
AAGS: African-American Genealogical Society
AAHGS Afro-American (or African-American) Historical and Genealogical Society

Series 4: Subject Research Materials

Series 6: Funeral Programs indexing and abstracting project

Box 25 through Box 152

The funeral programs in the Funeral Programs indexing and abstracting project date primarily from 1990 to the present, but include older materials as well. Access to the funeral programs is provided through the index database; please request assistance from Harsh Research Collection staff.