Beaumont (Tex.)

Abstract John Thomas ("Tom") Arrington grew up in Fayette County, West Virginia. While attending high school he met his future wife, Sandra Ray Beck. The couple soon dated and then in 1960 married. Tom Arrington went on to graduate with a chemistry degree from West Virginia University. In 1967, the Arrington family moved to Beaumont, Texas, where Tom assumed a position as chemist with the Goodyear Chemical Plant and then later with the Valspar Paint Plant. The family papers consist of photographs,...

Abstract Beaumont Independent School District (BISD) originated in 1883 with Beaumont High School. By 1948, the district had absorbed French High School and established a high school for black students, Charlton-Pollard High School. In 1983, the original Beaumont ISD board voted to dissolve the district and officially merged with South Park ISD in 1984, forming the current Beaumont Independent School District. This collection is an artificial collection of community materials that consists of...

Abstract The Beaumont Interfaith Choral Society was founded in 1963 by the choirs of First United Methodist Church, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, First Christian Church, and Westminster Presbyterian Church to perform concerts of sacred choral music free of charge for the Beaumont community. During their many years of contribution to the music culture of Beaumont, members of the society have represented more than forty churches and synagogues. The collection includes business records, membership records,...

Abstract American National Bank of Beaumont was formed on May 4, 1901. It quickly grew as a financial institution and in 1972 was merged with the name changed in 1981 to Texas Commerce Bank. This was followed in 1987 with the bank becoming an owned subsidiary of Chemical Bank Corporation of New York and in 1996 the name of the bank was changed to Chase Bank of Texas. Then in 1999 the bank was purchased and the name changed to Hibernia National Bank. And finally, in March of 2006 the bank was...

Abstract Charlene Kiker (1929-2004) was a lifelong resident of Beaumont, Texas. She worked as a secretary for over thirty years with Mobil Oil Corporation and was president of the Desk and Derrick Club of Beaumont. She had a strong interest in the arts and music and was also involved with the Beaumont Civic Opera, Beaumont Symphony Orchestra, Beaumont Music Commission, Melody Maids, Interfaith Choir, and the choir of the First United Methodist Church. The Charlene Kiker Papers consist of meeting...

Abstract This small collection includes fifty-six photographs of Dodge trucks sold by the Jackson Motor Company in Beaumont, Texas, with logos of local area businesses painted on them. Some of the businesses displayed on the trucks are for bakeries, coffee companies, feed companies, the fire department, florists, funeral homes, furniture companies, grocery stores, hardware stores, ice companies, lumber companies, newspaper companies, office suppliers, oil companies, plumbers, and tobacco companies...

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The Desk and Derrick Club was established in March 1949 as the first professional organization for women working in the oil and gas industry. The Desk and Derrick Club’s original mission was to educate and support women who were working in the energy industry. The Desk and Derrick Club produced this scrapbook in its first year of existence. The collection includes newspaper clippings of the Club's organizational meetings, and original activities

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Emmett A. Fletcher was a Beaumont businessman and elected official. He was elected as mayor of Beaumont in 1906 and served two terms over 12 years. He was involved in the creation of Beaumont's infrastructure, business, and city development. This is a small collection consisting of photographs, newspaper clippings, funeral remarks, and licenses for steamboat inspection and operation belonging to Emmett A. Fletcher.

Abstract The Delta Kappa Gamma Society is a professional society for women educators, founded on May 11, 1929 at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. The mission of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society is "to promote professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education." Materials consist of organizational records, administrative records, newsletters, yearbooks, rosters, programs, meetings, correspondence, photographs, by-laws, financial records, history, and programs related...

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Founded in 1894, the First Christian Church is a congregation for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination. The records of the church include directories, committee minutes, papers on church doctrine, photographs, facility records, worship bulletins, records of Camp Wildurr, records of its Sunday School classes, treasurer's reports, and special anniversary and dedication programs.

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This collection consists of administrative records, correspondence, photographs, film, and scrapbooks related to the corporate history of First City Bank, whose origins can be traced through First National Bank of Beaumont, Gulf National Bank, Texas National Bank, Security State Bank, and First Security National Bank.

Abstract Frank Cleveland Weber (1882-1965) was born in Beaumont, Texas, where he lived for the majority of his life. As a teen, young Frank Weber took a job at J.J. Nathan's dry goods store. He worked with J.J. Nathan for twenty-seven years, becoming manager and growing the business into the largest store in Beaumont. The store's successs brought Frank Weber into the "entrepenuerial class" of Beaumont, which prospered even more after the Spindeltop oil discovery of 1901. This collection consists of...

Abstract This collection consists primarily of memorabilia related to the Pennsylvania and Bethlehem Shipyards located in Beaumont from the 1930's to the 1980's. Contained within this collection are two boxes of photographs, which number approximately 137 items. The theme of the photographs capture many aspects of the ship building trade including the following: shipyard officials and employees, commemorative and ceremonial events, offshore drilling platforms, vessels being built at the shipyard,...

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The Beaumont Iron Works Company was founded in 1910. During World War II it manufactured military equipment for the U.S. Army and Navy. Gene Bird Gilliom worked as James Baldwin's private secretery during his time as manager of Beaumont Iron Works, where she collected photographs of the company's plant, newspaper clippings, telegrams from Washington, D.C., and a copy of Baldwin's resignation speech.

Abstract The Gilbert family, long-time business and civic leaders of Southeast Texas, played a prominent role in the development of Beaumont from the city's modern economic beginnings in the middle of the nineteenth century through to the middle of the twentieth century. Their many business interests, based primarily on oil, cattle, rice, and lumber involved every major economic venture in the region for more than a century. They were also leaders in the banking community and in the development of...

Abstract Gordon F. Baxter was born on December 25, 1923, in Port Arthur, Texas. He resided in Beaumont from 1959 until his death on June 11, 2005. During his professional career he was a writer, radio broadcaster, and a airplane pilot. He was well-known for his independent spirit and proved to be a colorful figure in his profession. These papers include personal papers and correspondence, artifacts, scrapbooks, publications, slides, and photographic negatives related to his personal life and...

Abstract This collection contains many photographs taken by Harry P. Jirou, who was a Beaumont area amateur photographer. The photographs document many early scenes of Beaumont, his personal interest in the Boy Scouts as a scout master, views of well-known landmarks in and around Beaumont, and early technological feats that took place in Beaumont. The photographs span a time period from 1888 through to the 1930's. The collection also includes memorabilia and correspondence, as well as newspaper...

Abstract J. Glenn Cummings is a resident of Beaumont, Texas who has researched, written, and published historical works on the subjects of scouting and World War II. His book on World War II naval aviator Harry Brinkley Bass, "Trailing a Texas Eagle," was extensively researched and published in 2010. Cummings also served as scoutmaster of Beaumont Troop 65 Boy Scouts of America for nearly thirty years. The collection consists of research notebooks, interviews, presentations, military records,...

Abstract Judge J.D. Campbell was born in Chappell Hill, Texas, during the Civil War. During his time in Beaumont he worked as an appointed corporation court judge, with a private firm, as the elected city attorney, and as the justice of the 60th District Court. This collection is comprised largely of Judge J. D. Campbell’s business and personal papers and other items related to the activities of him and his family. These take the form of artifacts, correspondence, manuscripts, newspapers and...

Abstract Jeanette Mulder Greer was a native of Beaumont, who attended local schools and then graduated in 1941 from Beaumont High School. She began her professional career in 1945 with KFDM Radio and was soon thereafter employed with KFDM Television. Her career at KFDM spanned 43 years with her final retirement being in 1989. During her tenure with the local telecommunication media company, she served as both business manager and then vice president and assistant secretary to the general manager....

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This collection of materials belonged to Jeannette Doiron, Club Historian for the Woman's Club of Beaumont. Materials include club yearbooks from 1959 to 2015, budgets, newsletters, periodicals, brochures, events, programs, newspaper clippings, awards, meetings, and other administrative materials.

Abstract The Jefferson Amusement Company was founded in 1917 by Sol Gordon and Joe Clemmons. The Company's headquarters was located in Beaumont where some of the most elegant movie theaters were located including the famous Jefferson Theater which opened in 1927. This collection focuses on the maintenance of the Beaumont theaters, especially the Liberty and Jefferson theaters, film release schedules, contracts and financial correspondence, income ledgers, booking schedules, construction blue prints...

Abstract The Jefferson Theatre was designed by architect Emile Weil in 1927, orignially for the Jefferson Amusement Company. The theatre closed in 1972, but reopened after an extensive restoration in 2003. This collection consists of materials originally collected by the Jefferson Theatre Preservation Society. The majority of the collection is comprised of deeds, oil leases, financial records, and correspondence related to the estates of Lena Mayer and Sol E. Gordon and their relatives. The...

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The John Dollinger, Jr., Company moved in 1907 to Beaumont, Texas, from Plaquemine, Louisiana, where it quickly became a local leader in the steel fabrication industry until its closure in 1995.

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John H. Walker (1909-2001) was born in Beaumont, Texas, and held a deep interest in Beaumont history. This interest culminated in the publication of his book, Beaumont: A Pictorial History.

Abstract Joseph Bryan Morris (1892-1982) was born in Hamilton, Texas and moved to Beaumont in 1917 after graduating from the University of Texas. He worked as a lawyer in Beaumont, most notably as an attorney for the Beaumont and South Park School Districts, as well as the Port of Beaumont and South Park Junior College (precursor to Lamar College of Technology, and later, Lamar University). The Joseph Bryan Morris Papers consist primarily of legal documentation, litigation, oil and gas leases,...

Abstract Juanita Hughes Phelps (1918-2005) became an active resident of Beaumont for forty-seven years. She served as head of the Artist Series, president of the Magnolia District and State Federation of Woman's Clubs, and was involved with the Beaumont Opera and Beaumont Woman's Club. The collection largely consists of materials related to the organizations Juanita H. Phelps was involved with. Programs, reports, clippings, correspondence, events, rosters, scrapbooks, and other administrative records...

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The Junior League of Beaumont, a civic organization of women devoted to volunteerism, was first organized in 1937 with thirty-eight members. In 1945 the League joined the Association of Junior Leagues of America. This collection consists of Junior League of Beaumont publications including issues of the “Spinnings from Spindeltop” newsletter and annual reports. Annual reports include information on by-laws and membership lists.

Abstract Betty Lamont Maloney Leaf was born in 1922 in St. Augustine, Florida. She came to serve both as president of the Magnolia Garden Club of Beaumont and then as director of the Garden Club of America. She also received the Medal of Merit from the Garden Club of America. This collection consists primarily of publications, certificates, and awards from the Garden Club of America and the many other Beaumont community organizations Betty Leaf was involved with. It also features photographs and...

Abstract John Henry Phelan made his fortune with the Spindletop oil discovery before setting about to build the most spectacular house in Beaumont. The house was designed by Atlanta architect, Owen James Trainor Southwell, a childhood friend of Phelan. The $500,000 mansion designed was a nine-bay, two story house of limestone brick with a gabled, tile roof and sat on 28 acres of property. The estate was given to the Sisters of Charity in January of 1957 and served as a convent house. Today the city...