James J. James, also know as Jimmy James and George N. James, was born in Kansas. Around 1953, while living in Portland, Oregon, he started a letter-writing campaign to improve the status and condition of the American Indian. He wrote to numerous letters to public officials, Indian leaders, tribal councils, writers, and private citizens. The collection consists mainly of correspondence concerning Indian rights. Major correspondents are Anselm Forum, Inc., Wilson Charley, Frank Lafont, Alzamon Ira Lucas (Chief Rising Sun), Martha F. McKeown, Wayne L. Morse, and Richard Neuberger.
Repository:
University of Oregon Libraries
Special Collections & University Archives
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through
a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical Note
James J. James, also know as Jimmy James and George N. James, was born in Kansas. He claimed to be part Cherokee Indian, and to have studied art under several teachers and at the Chicago Art Institute. At various times he called himself the “Painter of the Columbia” and “Indian Press Agent.” From about 1953, when he was living in Portland, Oregon, he commenced a letter-writing campaign to improve the status and condition of the American Indian. To that end, he wrote to public officials, Indian leaders, tribal councils, writers, and private citizens.
Content Description
The papers consist mainly of letters received and sent concerning Indian rights. Major correspondents are Anselm Forum, Inc., Charley Wilson, Frank Lafont, Alzamon Ira Lucas (Chief Rising Sun), Martha F. McKeown, Wayne L. Morse, and Richard Neuberger. One file of correspondence and documents concerns the proposed Northwestern American Indian Foundation and Center, Inc. Printed material consists of files of Indian newspapers, including Cherokee Times (Cherokee, N. C.), 1961-1966; Independent American (Coulee Dam, Washington), 1958-1964; Smoke Signals (Parker, Arizona), 1961-1966; Ute Bulletin (Ft. Duchesne, Utah), 1961-1964; and Yakima Reservation News (Yakima, Washington), 1961-1966.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access :
Collection is open to the public.
Collection must be used in Special Collections & University Archives Reading Room.
Restrictions on Use :
Property rights reside with Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries.
Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to the
Manuscripts Librarian in Special Collections & University Archives. The
reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation :
[Identification of item], James J. James Papers, Ax 553, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.
Administrative Information
Arrangement :
Collection is organized into the following series: Incoming Major Correspondence; Incoming General Correspondence; Outgoing Correspondence, 1941-1967; Subject Files; and Native American Newspapers and Periodicals.
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in
the collection.
Incoming Major Correspondence
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Box
Folder
1
1
Anselm Forum Inc. I
155 letters
1955-1965
1
2
Anselm Forum Inc. II. Miscellany
22 items and booklet
1955-1961
1
3
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon
9 letters
1957-1965
1
4
Carson, Joseph K., Jr.
10 letters
1937-1954
1
5
Crockwell, J. D. M.
27 letters
1952-1959
1
6
Desert Magazine
7 letters
1949-1962
1
7
Fenwick, Rosalind
10 letters
1964-1965
1
8
George, Lizzie
1957-1963
1
9
Goldwater, Barry
6 letters
1953-1954
1
10
Gottschammer, Galilee
1954-1957
1
11
Green, Edith
1955-1961
1
12
Hall Brothers, Inc.
7 letters
1950
1
13
Hatfield, Mark O.
6 letters
1959-1965
1
14
Hatlo, Jimmy
10 letters
1950-1963
1
15
Indian Festival of Arts, Inc.
6 letters
1961-1962
1
16
James Jimmie. Biographical materials
15 letters
1925-1955
1
17
Lafont, Frank and Margaret
49 letters
1949-1964
1
18
McKeown, Martha Ferguson
26 letters
1953-1960
1
19
Magnuson, Warren G.
6 letters
1953-1957
1
20
Moore, Frank
6 letters
1957-1961
1
21
Morse, Wayne
28 letters
1953-1961
1
22
Nature Magazine
5 letters
1953-1957
1
23
Neuberger, Maurine
12 letters
1955-1964
1
24
Neuberger, Richard
70 letters
1953-1959
1
25
Northwestern Indian Foundation and Center, Inc.
9 letters
1963-1964
1
26
Oregon. State agencies and offices
15 letters
1935-1964
1
27
Paul, Frederick
12 letters
1958-1963
1
28
Petit, Paul and Mary
12 letters
1954-1959
1
29
Polson, Dawn
8 letters
1961-1965
1
30
Portland, Oregon. City agencies and offices
13 letters
1942-1961
1
31
Relander, Click
6 letters
1953-1955
1
32
Rising Sun, Chief. Alzamon Ira Lucas
35 letters, 2 clippings, 1 photo
1950-1954
1
33
Sheer, David
7 letters
See also Anselm Forum
1960-1964
1
34
Thompson, Flora
17 letters
1955-1963
1
35
United States. Federal agencies and offices
13 letters
1952-1964
1
36
U. S. Dept. of the Interior. Bureau of Indian Affairs
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings.
Personal Names :
James, J. James--Correspondence
Lafont, Frank--Correspondence
Morse, Wayne L. (Wayne Lyman), 1900-1974--Correspondence
Neuberger, Richard L. (Richard Lewis), 1912-1960--Correspondence
Wilson, Charley--Correspondence
Corporate Names :
Anselm Forum, Inc.--Records and correspondence
(
correspondent)
Northwestern American Indian Foundation and Center, Inc.--Records and correspondence
(
correspondent)
Subject Terms :
Indians of North America--Civil rights--Northwest, Pacific
Indians of North America--Civil rights--United States
