491 THE EVER READY GOSPEL SINGERS, 1997.

.5 linear ft.

Collection Inventory

Charles Graves, Elbert Green, Fortune Stephenson, Frank Edwards, and Eddie Giles make up the quintet known as The Ever Ready Gospel Singers, living practitioners of the dying art form, Southland gospel music. Their style is distinguished by blended harmonies, hand slapping, and guitar rapping, and their lyrics are derived from traditional spirituals dating back to the 1700’s and 1800’s. This collection consists of the history of group, photographs, and Union of the World, a two CD set.

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492 COMMERCIAL NATION BANK COLLECTION, 1873-1997.

48 linear ft.

CNB traces its origins to the Johnson’s Exchange Bank, which was established by Col. Benjamin M. Johnson in 1852. Johnson’s Exchange Bank evolved into McWilliams and Deming Bank and eventually to Commercial Nation Bank in Shreveport. These changes saw a small bank on Commerce Street develop into the Commercial Center which occupies the entire block bounded by Texas, Market, Milam, and Edwards Streets in 1986. CNB merged with Deposit Guaranty National Bank in 1997. This collection contains minutes, financial ledgers, photographs, newspaper clippings, film, and videos.

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493 GEORGE SHANNON (1914-1998) COLLECTION, 1880-1989.

12 linear ft.

An El Dorado, Arkansas native, George Shannon came to Shreveport in 1935 when he was 21 to serve as a police reporter for the Shreveport Times. He worked for the Alexandria Town Talk for four years before serving in World War II, and in 1946 he was hired by the Shreveport Journal as a reporter until he was named editor in 1953, a position he held for 18 years. This collection contains correspondence, photographs, publications, speeches, newspaper clippings, and a video of Shannon’s Appreciation Dinner, where Gov. George Wallace was the main speaker.

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494 HALCYON STUDY CLUB, 1947-1997.

1 linear ft.

The Halcyon Study Club was organized in 1947 to "promote better understanding of subjects pertaining to our homes and general welfare of the community" and to "work for the welfare of others." This collection contains minutes, reports, and scrapbooks relating to the club’s work.

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495 ST. ANN’S CATHOLIC CHURCH IN STONEWALL, 1919-1997.

6 linear ft.

The first church of St. Ann’s was built in 1897 by Rev. Napoleon Roulleaux, chaplain to the Daughters of the Cross, who had previously purchased the property in 1892. Over the years St. Ann’s has been served by the priests from Holy Trinity and St. Joseph of Mansfield, and in 1973 the church became a mission chapel of St. Mary of the Pines. This collection consists of the Centennial Exhibit, photographs, panels, and booklets.

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496 ELIZABETH LIEBER FOX MARFAN SYNDROME PAPERS, 1896-2000.

6 linear ft.

Collection Inventory

This collection consists of materials relating to the research of Elizabeth Lieber Fox on Marfan’s Syndrome which took the life of her 11 year old daughter Nancy Claire in 1950 (a time when very little was known about this disease). Included are books; family data; Marfan’s Database information; the Marfan’s Resource Center; the Marfan’s Clinic at the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport; notable individuals who contracted the disease (including the debate surrounding whether or not Abraham Lincoln suffered from it); the disease and its impact upon sports; the National Marfan’s Foundation; a sampling of Fox’s bibliography research; and a section chronicling the writing and publication process of Fox’s books.

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497 LSU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE COLLECTION, 1950’s-1980’s.

21 linear ft.

The LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport was legally created in 1964 and graduated its first class in 1973. Originally housed in the V. A. Medical Center, it moved to its new facilities on Kings Highway during late 1975 and early 1976. This primarily bibliographic collection of school materials also includes audio-visual components as well as architectural plans and drawings.

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498 HAZEL BEARD (1930- ) MAYORAL SCRAPBOOKS, 1986-1994.

4 linear ft.

Hazel Beard was the first woman mayor of Shreveport, serving from 1990-1994. She also served on the City Council for four years prior and was the first woman to be elected Council Chairperson. A fiscally conservative Republican and small business owner, she grappled with many of the economic and social problems of Shreveport during her tenure in office. These scrapbooks contain letters, cards, programs, photographs, newspaper clippings, and memorabilia from her City Council years and her term as mayor.

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499 B’NAI B’RITH SHREVEPORT LODGE NO. 107 RECORDS, 1906-1951.

.5 linear ft.

B’nai B’rith, the oldest and largest Jewish service organization, was founded on October 13, 1843. The Shreveport lodge received its charter on September 27, 1870, and contributed to the cultural, social, and civic programs of the community. This collection contains a scrapbook with minutes and newspaper clippings (1947-1951) and also a donation book (1906-1946).

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500 BEWLEY FURNITURE COMPANY PAPERS, 1903-1990.

3 linear ft.

On September 2, 1926, Bewley Furniture Company opened its doors for business at 1847-1849 Texas Avenue. Organized by Floyd A. Bewley, it was one of 21 businesses to join the Better Business Bureau in 1947. In 1959 an extra warehouse was built and in 1966 a new store on West 70th Street was constructed. Expansion plans include construction of a 150,000 ft. warehouse. In 1976, Bewley’s celebrated its 50th anniversary as one of Shreveport’s foremost furniture stores. This collection consists mainly of newspaper clippings and photographs about past presidents Ben Bewley and George N. Gray.

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