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Liva Baker collection

 Collection — Folder: 1
Identifier: 2389

Scope and Contents

This collection contains a cassette audiotape and transcription of a talk given by Liva Baker at the Amistad Research Center on October 22, 1996. The topic of Baker's talk was the recent publication of her book The Second Battle of New Orleans: The Hundred-Year Struggle to Integrate the Schools. Particular focus was given to individuals who played a role in the book: Rosa Freeman Keller, A.P. Tureaud, J. Skelly Wright, Daniel Ellis Byrd, John P. Nelson and the Save Our Schools, Inc organization, as well as archival records related to them and housed at the Amistad Research Center.

Dates

  • Created: 1996
  • Other: Date acquired: 10/26/1996

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright to these papers has not been assigned to the Amistad Research Center. It is the responsibility of an author to secure permission for publication from the holder of the copyright to any material contained in this collection.

Biographical Note

Liva Baker was a freelance writer and author of numerous books related to legal history. Her books included biographies of Supreme Court justices Felix Frankfurter and Oliver Wendell Holmes, as well as works on the topics of women's education, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Miranda decision, and the desegregation of public schools in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Florence Olivia Baker, known as Liva, was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. She received her B.A. in English from Smith College in 1953 and a M.A. degree in Journalism from Columbia University in 1955. After a brief stint with New York Newsday, Baker moved to Washington, DC, where and joined the staff of National Geographic magazine. She left the magazine in 1965, and her first book, a children’s book about world religions, was published two years later. In 1969, Baker's biography of Supreme Court Felix Frankfurter was published, which was followed by a book about the legacy women's colleges in the United States, I'm Radcliffe! Fly Me!: The Seven Sisters and the Failure of Women's Education (1976).

Baker’s other books on U.S. legal history included Miranda: Crime, Law and Politics (1983), The Justice From Beacon Hill: The Life and Times of Ol iver Wendell Holmes (1991) and The Second Battle of New Orleans: The Hundred-Year Struggle to Integrate the Schools (1996).

Liva Baker was married to Leonard S. Baker, who died in 1984.

Extent

2.00 items

Language of Materials

English

Technical Access Requirements

Researchers required to use reference copy of audiotape cassette.

Source of Acquisition

Liva Baker

Method of Acquisition

Gift

Appraisal Information

Collection relates to author's research for her book on public school desegregation in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Related Materials

A. P. Tureaud papers, Rosa Freeman Keller papers, Daniel Ellis Byrd papers, John P. Nelson papers, Save Our Schools records

Processing Information

Collection processed by Christopher Harter, August 2010.

Title
Liva Baker collection
Author
Christopher Harter
Date
08/12/2010
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
eng

Repository Details

Part of the Amistad Research Center Repository

Contact:
6823 Saint Charles Avenue
Tilton Hall, Tulane University
New Orleans LA 70118 US
(504) 862-3222