Virginia Hamilton Conference records

Finding Aid

Prepared by Susan Walters, April 1995; Additions and Updates: March 2022; Last Update: April 2024; Revised April 2024 by Kristin Silvestro. 

Inclusive Dates: 1983-2017
Extent: 2.33 cubic feet (2 record storage boxes +  1 document box + 1 oversized folder)
Physical Location: 11th floor, map case

Historical Note: The Virginia Hamilton Conference was established at Kent State University to provide a forum for the discussion of cultural themes and issues in literature for children and young adults. The lectureship and eventual conference was co-established by Kent State University faculty members, Clara Jackson (library science), Marilyn Apseloff (English), Ann Hildebrand (English), and Anthony Manna (education). The First Virginia Hamilton Lectureship on Minority Group Experiences in Children's Literature was held in the Kent State University Student Center on Friday, April 12, 1985. The day-long program established a variety of workshop sessions on issues and topics preceded by a keynote address given by Virginia Hamilton. Although the name was changed from Lectureship to Conference, the day-long program concept with keynote speakers and concurrent workshop sessions has continued throughout the years. It is now known as the Virginia Hamilton Conference on Multicultural Literature for Youth. According to the conference website, it is longest-running event in the United States to focus exclusively on multicultural literature for children and young adults.

Scope and Content: Researchers will find material documenting major decisions undertaken by the Advisory Board within the minutes.

Arrangement: The collection has been organized into the following series:

Series 1: Biographical/Promotional Materials
Series 2: Advisory Board Materials
Series 3: Correspondence
Series 4: Funding
Series 5: Annual Conference records
Series 6: Audio-Visual Materials

Acquisition Information: These materials have a mixed provenance. Early materials were gathered by Clara Jackson. Additional materials were donated by board members Dan MacLachlan and Ione Cowen. The Department has gathered up promotional material documenting each year's conference as it has been available.

Related Material: Special Collections & Archives also holds a small collection of the papers of Virginia Hamilton, a collection of her books (cataloged in KentLINK), and the papers of her husband Arnold Adoff.

Box 1
Folder--Contents

SERIES 1: BIOGRAPHICAL/PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

1. Biographical/Promotional Material: Arnold Adoff
2. Biographical/Promotional Material: Arnold Adoff: "Sports pages" proof, book jacket
3. Biographical/Promotional Material: Arnold Adoff: "Color" poster, from Black Out Loud
   Physical Location: Filed in map case.
4. Biographical/Promotional Material: Virginia Hamilton
5. Biographical/Promotional Material: Virginia Hamilton: Watercolor portraits
   Physical Location: Filed in map case.
6. Biographcial/Promotional Material: Clara O. Jackson
7. Biographical/Promotional Material: Clara O. Jackson, compiled bibliographies
8. Biographical/Promotional Material: Anthony Manna, clipping: 4/4/89
9. Biographical/Promotional Material: Virginia Hamilton A Hometown Celebration, October 29, 2005 

SERIES 2: ADVISORY BOARD MATERIALS

9. Advisory Board: Members Lists
10. Advisory Board:Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 1987
11. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 1988
12. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 1989
13. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 1990
14. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 1991
15. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 1992
16. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 1993
17. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 1994
18. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 1995
19. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 1996
20. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 1997
21. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 1998
22. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 1999
23. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 2002
24. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 2005
25. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 2006
26. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 2007
27. Advisory Board Meeting Minutes/Agendas: 2016
24. Advisory Board: Essays considered for 1991 award
25. Advisory Board: Essays considered for 1993 award
26. Advisory Board: Essays considered for 1994 award
27. Advisory Board: Essays considered for 1995 award
28. Advisory Board: Essays considered for 1997 award
29. Advisory Board: Essays considered for 1998 award
30. Advisory Board: Essays considered for 1999 award
31. Advisory Board: Essays considered for 2000 award
32. Advisory Board: Essays considered for 2001 award
33. Advisory Board: Literary Award Information
34. Advisory Board: Conference Ideas: Gloria Skurzynski
35. Advisory Board: Conference Ideas: Miscellaneous
36. Advisory Board: Dan MacLachlan, Miscellaneous notes
37. Advisory Board: "Proposal for the Virginia Lectureship Series," [1984]
38. Advisory Board: Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1984-85
39. Advisory Board: Arnold Adoff Poetry Award, undated
40. Advisory Board: Virginia Hamilton And Arnold Adoff Creative Outreach Grant, 2005

SERIES 3: CORRESPONDENCE

39. Correspondence: Internal (Kent State University)
40. Correspondence: External: 1983-85
41. Correspondence: External: 1986

BOX 2
Folder--Contents

SERIES 4: FUNDING

1. Funding: Cleveland Foundation
2. Funding: GUND Foundation
3. Funding: Ohio Humanities Council
4. Funding: Akron NABSE
5. Funding: Miscellaneous

SERIES 5: ANNUAL CONFERENCE

6. Annual Conference: Mailing List
7. Annual Conference: Exhibitors: Baker & Taylor
8. Annual Conference: Exhibitors: New Day Press
9. Annual Conference: Miscellaneous
10. Annual Conference: Multiculturalism: Education
11. Annual Conference: Multiculturalism: Bibliographies
12. Annual Conference: Multiculturalism: Literature, Publications
13. Annual Conference: Multiculturalism: Publicity for "Many Faces, Many Voices"
14. Annual Conference: Multiculturalism: Art Galleries
15. Annual Conference: Multiculturalism: Clippings
16. Annual Conference: Multiculturalism: Miscellaneous
17. Annual Conference 1985: Forms
18. Annual Conference 1985: Packet Materials
19. Annual Conference 1985: Photographs
20. Annual Conference 1985: Posters
    Physical Location: Filed in map case.
21. Annual Conference 1985: Programs and Publicity
22. Annual Conference 1986: Forms
23. Annual Conference 1986: Keynote Speaker, Ashley Bryan
24. Annual Conference 1986: Packet Materials
25. Annual Conference 1986: Photographs
26. Annual Conference 1986: Posters
    Physical Location: Filed in map case.
27. Annual Conference 1986: Presenter, Elizabeth Segel
28. Annual Conference 1986: Programs and Publicity
29. Annual Conference 1986: Reports
30. Annual Conference 1987: Forms
31. Annual Conference 1987: Keynote Speaker, Nikki Giovanni
32. Annual Conference 1987: Performance: "Sweet Flypaper of Life"
33. Annual Conference 1987: Programs and Publicity
34. Annual Conference 1988: Clippings
35. Annual Conference 1988: Forms
36. Annual Conference 1988: Keynote Speaker, Walter Dean Myers
37. Annual Conference 1988: Photographs
38. Annual Conference 1988: Presenter, Dona Greene
39. Annual Conference 1988: Presenter, Margaret Liske
40. Annual Conference 1988: Presenter, Mary Margaret Spear
41. Annual Conference 1988: Programs and Publicity
42. Annual Conference 1988: Tribute to Clara O. Jackson -- Donald Hassler
43. Annual Conference 1989: Forms
44. Annual Conference 1989: Keynote Speaker: Mildred D. Taylor
45. Annual Conference 1989: Photographs
46. Annual Conference 1989: Presenter: Mary Dardas
47. Annual Conference 1989: Programs and Publicity
48. Annual Conference 1989: Reports
49. Annual Conference 1990: Book List
50. Annual Conference 1990: Forms
51. Annual Conference 1990: Keynote Speaker: Jerry Pinkney
52. Annual Conference 1990: Photographs
53. Annual Conference 1990: Posters
    Physical Location: Filed in map case.
54. Annual Conference 1990: Presenter: Sylvia Cooke Martin
55. Annual Conference 1990: Presenter: Jill P. May
56. Annual Conference 1990: Programs and Publicity
57. Annual Conference 1991: Book List
58. Annual Conference 1991: Essay Award: Jean St. Clair
59. Annual Conference 1991: Forms
60. Annual Conference 1991: Panel Speaker: Pat Cummings
61. Annual Conference 1991: Panel Speaker: Nicholasa Mohr
62. Annual Conference 1991: Performance: Not Just Vanilla
63. Annual Conference 1991: Photographs
64. Annual Conference 1991: Posters
    Physical Location: Filed in map case.
65. Annual Conference 1991: Presenter: Karen Patricia Smith
66. Annual Conference 1991: Programs and Publicity
67. Annual Conference 1992: Book List
68. Annual Conference 1992: Essay Award: Donna Norton
69. Annual Conference 1992: Forms
70. Annual Conference 1992: Keynote Speakers: Patricia & Fredrick McKissack
71. Annual Conference 1992: Photographs
72. Annual Conference 1992: Presenter: Esther Cohen Hexter
73. Annual Conference 1992: Programs and Publicity
74. Annual Conference 1993: Essay Award: Mingshui Cai
75. Annual Conference 1993: Forms
76. Annual Conference 1993: Keynote Speaker: Ed Young
77. Annual Conference 1993: Photographs
78. Annual Conference 1993: Programs and Publicity
79. Annual Conference 1994: Photographs
80. Annual Conference 1994: Programs and Publicity
81. Annual Conference 1995: Programs and Publicity
82. Annual Conference 1996: Programs and Publicity
83. Annual Conference 1997: Programs and Publicity
84. Annual Conference 1998: Programs and Publicity
85. Annual Conference 1999: Programs and Publicity
86. Annual Conference 2000: Photographs
87. Annual Conference 2000: Programs and Publicity
88. Annual Conference 2001: Photographs
89. Annual Conference 2001: Programs and Publicity
90. Annual Conference 2002: Programs and Publicity
91. Annual Conference 2003: Programs and Publicity
92. Annual Conference 2004: Programs and Publicity
93. Annual Conference 2005: Programs and Publicity
94. Annual Conference 2006: Programs and Publicity
95. Annual Conference 2007: Programs and Publicity
96. Annual Conference 2008: Programs and Publicity
97. Annual Conference 2010: Programs and Publicity
98. Annual Conference 2011: Programs and Publicity
99. Annual Conference 2012: Programs and Publicity
100. Annual Conference 2012: Speech
101. Annual Conference 2013: Programs and Publicity
102. Annual Conference 2014: Programs and Publicity
103. Annual Conference 2015: Programs and Publicity
104. Annual Conference 2016: Workshop Schedule 
105. Annual Conference 2017: Publicity

BOX 3
Folder--Contents

SERIES 6: AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS

1. Video cassette: Virginia Hamilton Conference, Volume 1, 1986
2. Video cassette: Virginia Hamilton Conference, Volume 2, 1986 
3. Video cassette: Virginia Hamilton Conference, 1987 
4. Video cassette: Virginia Hamilton Conference, 1994
5. Video cassette: Virginia Hamilton Conference, 1995
6. Video cassette: Virginia Hamilton Conference, Volume 1, 1997
7. Video cassette: Virginia Hamilton Conference, Volume 2, 1997
8. Video cassette: "Virginia Hamilton Video for 1999 Conference," 1999