June Gaskins Davis Collection

1493 THL

Scope and Content: This collection contains news clippings, photographs, and miscellaneous material, primarily relating to Frederick Douglas High School, Winchester, VA. Also included are brief biographical sketches of prominent African-American people in the Winchester-Frederick County, VA area.

(9 boxes) Last updated 11/13

Biographical/Historical: June C. Gaskins Davis was born in Winchester, VA to Kirk N. Gaskins, Sr. and Ella V. Finley Gaskins. She was sister to Kirk N. Gaskins, Jr. (1931-2006), Beverly P. Gaskins (1936-1996), Joyce "Joy" Jordan, and Dr. Andrew T.W. Gaskins. Her father became a teacher at Douglas School in 1936, and was its principal from 1940 to 1966. He closed Douglas High School in 1966 when desegregation was ordered of the public school systems. June previously worked in the federal government and private industry before working for Wall Street for a decade, and retired from Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith in 1989 as Assistant Vice President, Financial Consultant. She has a Master of Business Administration, MBA, Trinity College, Bachelor of Science, Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, and a Certificate of Accomplishment from USDA Graduate School.

Most of the people involved in this collection are from the 20^th and 21^st Centuries.

Cite As: June Gaskins Davis Collection, 1493 THL, Stewart Bell Jr. Archives, Handley Regional Library, Winchester, VA, USA.

Organization:

Box 1—Douglas High School

Scrapbook 1, unnumbered leaves, printed and manuscript (photocopy)

Scrapbook 2, unnumbered leaves, printed and manuscript (photocopy)

Scrapbook 3, unnumbered leaves, printed and manuscript (photocopy)

Scrapbook 4, unnumbered leaves, printed and manuscript (photocopy)

Scrapbook 5, unnumbered leaves, printed and manuscript (photocopy)

Box 1A

Douglas School Alumni Association

Douglas School – Acceptance Speech for dedication of Douglas School addition delivered by Principal Kirk Gaskin (incomplete), February 1, 1952, 1 leaf, typescript

Douglas School – 1967-1968 Basketball schedule handwritten by Principal Kirk Gaskins Sr.

Douglas School – Commencement Exercises, June 11, 1961, 1 page, printed

Douglas School, History of – 11 leaves, typescript

Douglas School – Memoirs, Class of 1966

Douglas School – School Newspapers

Douglas School, Then and Now, 1966, by Inez Mercer, Librarian (1962-1966)

Douglas School – Miscellaneous Items

Douglas School – Miss Homecoming Campaign Poster, no date, 1 item, manuscript

Douglas School – Program, 12th Annual Douglas Alumni Association Dinner Dance, October 5, 1991, 7 leaves, printed

Douglas School – Program for Ceremony of Douglas School’s dedication as a National Historic Site, October 7, 2000, 2 pages printed

Douglas School – Blank Stationary, no date, 1 leaf, printed

Douglas School -- May Festival Overall Plan (Tentative), May 14-15, no year, 2 leaves (2 copies), mimeograph

Douglas School – Poem, "Alma Mater, Hail Douglass Hail", no date. Words by F. Ellsworth Turner, music, Thuringian Fold Song, 1 leaf, mimeograph

Douglas School – Souvenir Program, Tri-State Basketball Tournament, Douglas High School. March 17, 18, 19, 1955, (includes student autographs), 5 pages, printed

News Clippings

Box 2--African-American People and Organizations

Allen, Mrs. Ada Orrick

Anthony, Mrs. Katie Belle

Baltimore, Annie

Barksdale, Rosalie B.

Barnett, Lena

Barnum, Fredericka

Bell, Nora

Black Educators and Schools in Winchester and Frederick County, Virginia

Briscoe, Madison Spencer and Briscoe, Marie Byers

Brown Family

Brown, Viola

Carter, Rev. George Horace, 1853-1922

Cartwright, Mrs. Helen Jennings

Cartwright, Myles Wordsworth Demonthanes (1915-200)

Cartwright, Pocahontas Jackson (Mrs. Joseph)

Catlett, Mrs. Alice Virginia

Crawford, Mrs. Gladyce L.

Davis, Effie

Finley, Charles W.

Finley, Mrs. Hester Virginia Turner

Finley, John Carter

Finley, Dr. Taylor Floyd

Ford, Katherine Dora Shelton (Mrs. Wallace Lee Ford)

Gaskins, Emma Kirk

Harper, Meta Byrd Evans

Harris, Hester

Harris, Violet (Mrs. Bushrod)

Honesty, Mrs. Mabel

Jackson, Mrs. Hilda

James, Mrs. Sally Lampkins

Johnsontown, West Virginia

Kent Street – Newsarticles

King, Closia Champ (Mrs. Eugene Wesley)

Laws, Mary (Mrs. James)

Lawson, Edgar C.

Marcus, Loverlena Lomax

Mason Family, 1845-1917

Mason, Rusty

Miscellaneous Items

Moten, Mrs. Blanchetta Gibson (Mrs. Walker S.)

Orrick, Hattie

Poulson, Joseph Lowell Almer

Rhodes, Melvin R.

Rhodes, Vivian May

Roberts, Helen Joyce Rhodes

Robinson, Emma

Robinson, Estelle

Robinson, Iona Mae

Taper, Marcia G.

Taper, Sadie Elizabeth

Tokes, Mrs. Sue

Tokes, Anna Quiett Brooks

Turner, Patricia Finley

Turner, Virginia Gordon Newman

Veterans

Washington, Katie B.

Welch, Arthur A.

Williams, Daisy F. (Mrs. Thomas Grimes) (Mrs. John Henry Williams)

Williams, Mrs. Yvonne

ORGANIZATIONS

Fremont St. Nursery, 1949 – 1993

John Mann Methodist Episcopal Church

Mt. Carmel F. B. Church

Negro Day Nursery

Storer College – The Storer College Builder, Volume 9, No. 2, February, 1854, 2 pages, printed

Theological School and Calvin College – Yearbook, 1928-1929, 56 pages, printed

Wings Over Jordan

BOX 3 GASKINS FAMILY

Gaskins, Andrew

Gaskins, Beverly

Gaskins, Carla Nicole

Gaskins, June

Gaskins, Kirk N. Jr.

Gaskins, Kirk N. Sr.

Commencement Program – University of Maryland at College Park, December 21, 1975 Davis, June Constance) Morgan State University, May 20, 1979 George Washington University, May 5, 1985 Bowie State University, May 11, 1985 Fairleigh Dickinson University, May 25, 1985 Fairleigh Dickinson University, May 31, 1987

BOX 4 – Scrapbook of Douglas School and Frederick County African-American Community

Scrapbook #1 -- 1920’s – 1950’s (nearly all material photocopies)
Black Educators and Schools
The Gaskins Family
Powell Gibson and Ellsworth Turner Collections
School Board minutes and material relating to Douglas School
Letter of Appointment to Kirk Gaskins as a teacher in Page County
Articles on Old Stone Church and Presbyterianism
Powell Gibson
Original copy of play Aida by Powell Gibson
Excerpts from book Negro Makers of History
Storer College
Virginia Union University
Douglas School Commencement Programs
Notes, cast members, etc. from several organizations and entertainment programs
Douglas High School Alumni Association
Photocopies of Gaskin family photos
Photocopies of Finley family photos
Photocopies of Old Stone Presbyterian School and students’ photos
Photocopies of Douglas School students’ photos
Photocopies of Storer College photos

BOX 5

Scrapbook # 2 – 1940’s – 1950’s
Photocopies of pages from yearbooks
Newspaper clippings of articles and photos from Douglas School and prominent African- Americans, including sports
Photocopies of Commencement programs
Principal’s address to students and principal’s address to teachers

BOX 6

Scrapbook # 3 – 1960’s – 1970’s
Photocopies of photos and newspaper clippings related to Douglas School
Material related to Douglas School, school programs, school paper
Photocopies of Kirk N. Gaskins, Sr.’s correspondence
Photocopies of articles, etc. about Douglas School Alumni Association
Gaskins family photos, letters, etc.
Newspaper clippings and articles about city schools
Lovelena Lomax Marcus biography

Scrapbook # 4 – 1968 – 2000
Photocopies of pages from Handley yearbook
Material related to Handley High School
Newspaper articles regarding Handley High School
Douglas School Alumni Association
Douglas Community Learning Center
Finley’s Recreation Center
Articles on Black History

BOX 7

Scrapbook --1999 – Historic Site Ceremony
Douglas School Historic Site ceremony program and related material (1999)
unidentified photos of attendees at ceremony

Scrapbook --2000’s – Douglas Dinner Dance
Douglas Alumni Association Dinner, dance photos (unidentified)
Douglas Alumni Association newsletters and related material

BOX 8

Scrapbook – Douglas School
Original photographs of people and school
Article on rationing during World War II
Photocopy of diploma from Douglas School
Copies of photos from Yvonne Kirk Williams collection
Photos of early classes at Douglas and activities
Beverly Gaskins’ basketball shorts

BOX 9

Scrapbook – New Clippings
Negro teachers (news article)
Mothers Club/Nursery (news article)
Douglas School News (news article)
Commencement Exercises Programs, Dance cards, reception invitations, etc.
K.N. Gaskins Retirement Message (1 page)
Wilbur Lea Retires (news article)
Letter to Coach Barksdale regarding Charles Jackson
Students’ Creed
High School Basketball team (photo)
Douglas High School (photo)
Baby Shower (photo)
NEA Tour to Cuba (photo)
Handley High School (photo)
Alma Layton (photo)
Rebecca Robinson, homecoming queen, and Principal Kirk N. Gaskins (photo)