Alan Wieder collection

Collection contains newspaper clippings (November 1960-January 1979) formerly housed in three scrapbooks documentating the desegregation of William Frantz and McDonogh 19 elementary schools in New Orleans by Ruby Bridges (Frantz) and Leona Tate, Tessie Prevost, and Gail Ettiene (McDonogh). Other materials include correspondence; office records of John A. Stewart, principal of McDonogh 19 when it was integrated; hand script notes by Betty Wisdom containing her reflections on the desegregation of the schools; and additional related records and publications. The correspondence includes letters against and in support of integration addressed to John A. Stewart and Mrs. Norbert H. Sand, President of Save Our Schools, as well as a letter of support and poem sent to the three girls at McDonogh 19.

A later addition to the collection includes two photographs and an 8mm film depicting Ruby Bridges and other students at William Frantz Elementary school, circa 1961. Although the prints are dated June 1984, they depict Bridges and four White students likely toward the end of the 1st grade school year in 1961.  The photographs and film were taken by Josie Ritter, a teacher at William Frantz, and later given to Alan Wieder.

This collection was processed under a grant from the Keller Family Foundation. In 2016, a Basic Preservation grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation provided a new 16mm internegative master, 16mm color print, high resolution digital master, HDcam video copy, and DVD access copy for the 8mm film. Added to the collection 6/6/2017.