Robert L. Polk papers addenda

The addenda to the Robert L. Polk papers mainly consists of correspondence, photographs and albums, news clippings, church and funeral service ephemera related to his work at a United Church of Christ minister.

Of interest is a photograph album from Polk’s trip as a member of the ecumenical delegation that accompanied Archbishop John J. O’Connor to the Vatican in Italy in 1985. Also, of interest are Polk’s two yearbooks (1950 and 1952) from Doane College in Crete, Nebraska. Of note is Polk’s project file, which includes advisory committee minutes for his work on the book, Tight Little Island: Chicago’s West Woodlawn Neighborhood 1900-1950 in the Words of Its Inhabitants (Bronx, New York: CNG Editions), 2008. Additional writings within the papers include the first is a final proof typescript of Polk’s memoir, Crossing Barriers & Building Bridges (CNG Editions, 2014), as well as a letter from Verlyn L. Barker, a fellow UCC clergyman, who offers his thoughts on the book.

Of note are Polk’s sermons dating from the 1960s onward, as well as collected sermons from United Church of Christ colleagues. Also, of note are collected newsletters from the youth department of Riverside Church (UCC) in New York titled Megaphone (1958-1961). Materials of note related to Dillard University include the year book, Le Diable Bleu (1968), which highlights Polk’s work as the Dean of the Chapel and Dean of Students; two scrapbooks, a guest book, and a Dillard University Yearbook from 1967. Also, of interest is an original poem by Gwendolyn Brooks entitled “Ode to Dr. Bob Polk”.

Organizations referenced within the collection include the Edwin Gould Services for Children, City College of New York, Riverside Church, and the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Other items include photographs, newspaper clippings, family and school reunion materials, as well as material pertaining to Dillard University, Doane College in Nebraska, Berthold Congregational Church in North Dakota, and Riverside Church in New York City. Also present are family materials related to the adoption and immigration of Polk’s son, George; writings by Robert Polk; invitations and programs; and audiovisual material. Files on individuals who Polk knew or whose funerals he officiated include Ernest H. Lorch, Lee James Ware, Emily F. Deeter, Juan “Joe” Jose Respeto, Tom Dent, Douglass Redd, Jeni LeGon, and Ossie Davis.

Audiovisual materials within the collection include a The Matinee Musicale Variety Show, Cathedral Hall at Cathedral Village 2/2/2014 on DVD, audiocassettes of Ossie Davis’ tribute to Rev. Robert L. Polk, and messages of support from assorted friends of Polk.

Lastly, of note is an essay, “Bearer of the Tale,” by Dr. Polk. The essay is an expansion of a sermon preached by Polk at Dillard University during its 150th Anniversary on May 12, 2019. In the essay, Polk remembers his short tenure as Dillard University’s Dean of Chapel and Students from 1966 to 1968 and his involvement with the establishment of The African Americans for Progress (AAFP) student activist group on campus. The AAFP’s goal was to become the social action arm on campus. The group, with its involvement in civil rights and social activism challenged the university’s traditional culture and politics.