urn:taro:rice.wrc.00186 Guide to the Frankie Carter Randolph Papers, 1913-1983 Inventory prepared by Anthony Potoczniak Woodson Research Center
Rice University, Houston, Texas
February, 2005 Finding aid encoded by Anthony Potoczniak, Fondren Library February 4, 2005 Finding aid written in English. Collection Summary Woodson Research Center
Fondren LibraryRice University, Houston, TX
Randolph, Frankie Carter Frankie Carter Randolph Papers 1913 -1983 3.5 lin. ft. (8 boxes) The papers of Frankie Carter Randolph (1894-1972), longtime leader of Texas liberal Democrats, include correspondence, documents, newsclippings, photographs, oral history interviews and other materials that chronicle her political activism in Texas during the 1950s and 1960s. Issues include the Poll Tax, labor law, African Americans, and social programs. MS 372 Biographical Note

Frankie Carter Randolph was born on January 25, 1894 in Barnum, Polk County, Texas and came from a wealthy family that had several business interests in lumber. The family moved a lot when Ms. Carter was an adolescent: first to Camden then to Houston. After finishing school in Houston, she spent time studying in Europe. In 1918, she married Robert D. Randolph, a pioneer air corps pilot turned prominent Houston banker. Throughout her life, Frankie Carter Randolph was an outspoken public figure and an active proponent of progressive social and political change of the day. One of the early founders of the Junior League in the 1920s, she played a prominent role in various organizations and charities including the League of Women Voters.

Her involvement in several social programs during the Depression initiated her into local, state and national political scenes. She supported Franklin D. Roosevelt during his presidential candidacy and volunteered for the Social Services Bureau. It was at this time that she was very vocal about her liberal views especially in her support of racial integration. She became an advocate for low-income groups and advocated public support for better housing conditions for the underprivileged. Despite her wealth and socialite status, Frankie Carter Randolph felt comfortable interacting with all people – rich or poor – and often donated money to causes that supported her progressive views. It is notable that she was the first white person in the community to join the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Later in her career (especially her work for the Adlai Stevenson’s presidential election campaign), she began to organize an opposition party the DOT (Democrats of Texas) to the SDEC (State Democrats), which at the time supported Republican Party candidates. Her political message was very simple: organize at the precinct level. She eventually attained significant political influence after gaining the position of National Democratic Committeewoman. She forged a powerful grassroots base that eventually brought victories to the party she supported in both the county and legislative elections in the late 1950s.

In the summer of 1954, Frankie Carter Randolph along with likeminded individuals met to discuss the creation of a new liberal news publication in Texas. After purchasing the State Observer, the newly acquired publication was renamed the Texas Observer. Besides providing a public medium to represent the underprivileged, the periodical examined social issues, current affairs in government, and politics in government. Frankie Randolph died September 5, 1972 in Houston and was buried in the Glenwood Cemetery.

Resources: The Handbook of Texas Online: http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/RR/Fra34.html.

Dugger, Ronnie. "Mrs. Randolph Remembered" in the Texas Observer, Vol. 75, No. 19, September 30, 1983.

Additional information about Frankie Carter Randolph also gathered from various published articles located in the repository's control folder.

 Scope and Contents

The papers of Frankie Carter Randolph (1894-1972), longtime leader of Texas liberal Democrats, encompass a wide range of materials that represent her personal and political interests from her early life to her legacy (1921-1983). It includes family papers, correspondence and oral histories with various significant political figures, documents, newsclippings on a variety of social issues, and primary documents generated through her direct involvement in various committees, organizations and political events, including the Democratic National Committee, Democrats of Texas (DOT), Harris County Democrats, Texas Observer, Committee for Better Local Government, and others. The collection also contains a set of eight interviews recorded on audiocassette tape (ca. 1970) of Mrs. Randolph’s personal acquaintances.

In addition to diaries by Frankie Carter Randolph’s mother, Maude Carter, Frankie Carter’s own early diaries and scrapbook are included in the collection (Series I). The collection also contains obituaries from various publications as well as letters of condolences.

 Arrangement

This collection is arranged in the following series:

Series I: Family papers, 1913 – 1971 Series II: Political Activism, 1921 – 1983 Series III: Texas Observer, 1954 – 1968 Series IV: Published materials, 1938 – 1982 Series V: Interviews: transcripts and sound recordings, 1970 - 1971, n.d. Restrictions on Access

This material is open for research.

 Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish from the Frankie Carter Randolph Papers must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.

 Index Terms Subjects (Persons) Randolph, Frankie Carter Carter, Maude -- diaries Holley, Porter Jackson Randolph, Robert D. -- correspondence Dugger, Ronnie -- interviews Smith, J. Edwin -- interviews Brood, Sue -- interviews Cogburn, Ed -- interviews Mosier, Bud -- interviews Subjects (Organizations) Democrats of Texas Democratic Party (Texas) Democratic Party (Harris County) Harris County Democrats Subjects Poll tax - Texas African Americans - Texas - History Formats Correspondence Diaries Photographs Campaign materials Newsclippings Financial records Oral histories Related Materials

Walter Gardner Hall Papers, 1923-1990 [MS 280]

Chandler Davidson Texas Politics research collection, 1967-1992 [MS 259]

Fagan Dickson Papers, 1950-1979 [MS 281]

Billie Carr Political Papers, 1968-1980 [MS 373]

 Preferred Citation

Frankie Carter Randolph Papers, 1858-1983, MS 372, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University

 Acquisition Information

Gift of Mollie Luhrs, Frankie Randolph's grand-daughter, 1983.

 Detailed Description of the Collection Series I: Family papers, 1913 – 1971 11 Carter, Frankie. Scrapbook from journey to France, 1913 12 Carter, Maude. Three personal diaries, 1920-1930 13 Carter, Maude. Two Personal diaries, 1921 & June 2-3, 1926 14 Holley, Porter Jackson. Autobiography (maternal grandfather of Frankie Carter), n.d. 15 Personal narratives of unknown persons, n.d. 16 Randolph, Robert D. Correspondence, 1969-1971 17 Randolph, Robert D. Naval Commissions and the Early Pioneer Naval 21 Randolph, Robert and Frankie. Financial Materials ca. 22 Scott, Louise Thompson (Aubrey Randolph's Mother-in-Law). Legal Papers Re: estate, 1975-80 23 Correspondence of Holley family, Carter family, and Randolph family, 1920-1972 24 Photographs of Frankie Carter Randolph, n.d. (ca. 1900s & ca. 1960s) 25 Photographs of unidentified persons, n.d. (ca. 1950s-70s) Series II: Political Activism, 1921 - 1983 Subseries A: Political organizations, 1943-1980 26 African American Organizations and Political Info., 1963-80 27 American Red Cross, 1943-44 28 Committee for Better Local Government, 1962-63 29 Congressional Organization: 88th Congress, 1963-64 210 Democratic Coalition, 1963-64 211 Democratic National Convention, 1960 212 Democratic National Convention, 1964 213 Democratic Precinct Convention, Harris County : Minutes, precinct 2-40 (missing 6, 9, 10, 15, 23, 24, & 29), May 7, 1966 214 Democratic Precinct Convention, Harris County: Minutes, precinct 41-82 (missing 42, 48, 51, & 66), May 7, 1966 215 Democratic Precinct Convention, Harris County: Minutes, (precinct no. 86), May 2, 1964 31 Democratic Precinct Convention, Harris County: Minutes, precinct 84-119 (missing 107, 111, 112, & 66), May 7, 1966 32 Democratic Precinct Convention, Harris County: Minutes, precinct 122-150 (missing 141), May 7, 1966 33 Democrats of Texas, ca. 1958-62 34 Florida State Racing, Fingerprints of Frankie Carter Randolph 35 Harris County Committee for Better Government, 1960 36 Harris County Democrats, 1958-68 37 Harris County Jail Improvement Committee, 1963 38 Houston Council on Human Relations, 1963-66 39 Houston School Board, 1962, 1964 41 National Woman's Party, 1965 42 Political Association of Spanish-speaking Organizations (PASO), 1963 43 Precinct Materials, 1964-68 44 Texas Bill of Rights Foundation, 1962-63 45 Texas Democratic Women's State Committee, 1954 & 1967 Subseries B: Political platforms, 1963 46 Repeal of Poll Tax, 1963 47 Tax Research Association of Houston & Harris County, 1963 Subseries C: Political figures, 1959 – 1972 48 Senator Ralph W. Yarborough, 1959-72 Subseries D: Declamations/speeches, 1958 – 1965 49 Humphrey, Hubert, Excerpt from Address by the Senator, December 13,1958 410 Johnson, Lyndon. Presidential Address on Voting Rights, 1965 411 Kennedy, John F., Inauguration Address of the President, January 1961 412 Shock, James E., Request for a Fair Trial, 1962 413 Wilson, Will, Speech Given by Attorney General, 1962 414 Speeches (not made by Frankie Carter Randolph), n.d. Subseries E: Public events, 1958 – 1965 415 Campaign Materials -- Primaries, 1962 416 Conference on Strengthening the New Politics, 1965 417 Materials from Democratic County Convention, 1958 Subseries F: Political movements, 1957 – 1962 4 18 Attempt to oust Frankie Carter Randolph, 1957-59 4 19 Reactionary Movements in Harris County: Freedom in Action, John Birch Society, etc., 1955-62 Subseries G: Correspondence, 1921 – 1972 4 20 Incoming Correspondence, 1921-1972 421 Outgoing Correspondence, 1959-68 422 Outgoing correspondence of other individuals, 1964 Subseries H: In memoriam 51 Letters, notes, & contribution announcements in memory of Frankie Carter Randolph, September-October, 1972 52 Frankie Carter Randolph Park, 1980 & 1983 Series III: Texas Observer, 1954 – 1968 53 Additional Subscription material, 1955-65 54 Board of Directors & Trustees materials, 1954-55 55 Correspondence and Financial Papers, 1954-1968 56 Financial Reports, 1962-1964 57 Financial: Receipts & Scraps, 1960-67 58 Publication materials (articles, correspondence printed in magazine), 1961-62 59 Subscription Related Correspondence, 1960-68 61 Subscription Report Forms, 1962-65 62 Vol. 55, no. 1-12, December 1962-May 1963 63 Vol. 55, no. 13-28, May 1963-December 1963 64 Vol. 56, no. 1-2; vol. 57, no. 1, 18, 21; vol. 60, no. 6, January 1964, January, September, & October 1965, March 1968 Series IV: Published materials, 1938 – 1982 Subseries A: Newsclippings, 1938 – 1975 65 Amendments, 1963 66 Family of Frankie Carter Randolph, 1938-55 67 Harris County, 1962-64 68 Issues concerning African Americans, 1963-66 69 Jail, 1963-64 610 Labor Organizations, 1963-64 & 1967 611 Mayor & Council, 1963-64 612 Metro Government, 1963 613 Politics (Democratic Party), 1956-57 614 Politics (Democratic Party), 1960-65, 1968 & 1975 615 Politics (Democratic Party), July-Dec 1959 616 Politics (Democratic Party), n.d. 71 Poll Tax, 1964 72 Ralph Yarborough, 1960 73 Randolph Frankie Carter 1956-72 74 Republicans, 1963-64 & 1968 75 Right Wing Extremists & John Birch Society, 1960-64 76 Ronnie Dugger, ca. 1971 77 Schools & Education, 1963 78 Sewage, 1962-63 79 United Nations, 1963 710 Yarborough, Don 1962-64 Subseries B: Published materials (e.g., articles, newsletters, bulletins),1957 – 1982 711 "The Liberals in Harris County & the 1960 Presidential Election" (Ann Staples, Political Science 333A), ca. 1983 712 Assorted news releases, brochures, newsletters, socio-demographic reports, scholarly articles, Congressional reports, book excerpts, transcripts, 1957-82 713 Democratic National Committee Publications, Democratic platform for 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964 714 League of Women Voters – Publications, 1962-64 715 Political Magazines & Newspapers, 1961, 1963 716 Senator Ralph W. Yarborough's Newsletters, 1961-65 717 The Democrat -- Vol. V, n. 14,19-24,1965 718 United Nations, 1959-63 Series V: Interviews: transcripts and sound recordings, 1970 - 1971, n.d. Subseries A: Transcripts, ca. 1970 719 Transcripts of taped interviews, Ronnie Dugger 1971, Bud Mosier (n.d.) 720 Index of tapes of interviews with Mrs. Adams (n.d.), E. Ball (1970), Mrs. Sue Brood [?] (1970), Ed Cogburn (1970), Ronnie Dugger (1970), Bud Mosier (1970), Mr. Randolph (n. d.), J. Edwin Smith (1970) Subseries B: Interviews: audio cassettes, ca. 1970 81 Adams, Mrs (n.d.) 82 Ball, Mrs. E. (1970) 83 Brood, Sue (1970) 84 Cogburn, Ed (September 22, 1970) 85 Dugger, Ronnie, May 13, 1970 86 Mosier, Bud (1970) 87 Randolph, Mr. (n. d.), Mother, Molly Fran [?] (1970) 88 Smith, J. Edwin (1970)