A Guide to the Jane Y. and Arthur N. McCallum Family Papers, 1894-1982 (bulk 1910-1956)

Biographical Note

Instrumental in obtaining the vote for women in Texas, Jane L. (Yelvington) McCallum (1878-1957) served as officer in the Texas Equal Suffrage Association and later as Texas Secretary of State (1927-1933). In the files of the latter office, she found and rescued from decay the original Texas Declaration of Independence. McCallum served on the Austin City Planning Commission, the Texas Joint Legislative Council, and in many other public capacities, and participated actively in the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America; Theta Sigma Phi, a women's journalism fraternity; and other organizations. A columnist for the Austin American, McCallum also made radio appearances, delivered speeches, and wrote on a variety of topics throughout her life. In 1896, she married Arthur N. McCallum (1866-1943), later superintendent of public schools in Austin. The couple had five children, the eldest of whom, Alvaro McCallum, was a student and athlete at the University of Texas and later a football coach at Texas A & I University, now Texas A & M University-Kingsville.

Scope and Contents

Composed of correspondence, printed material, literary productions, diaries, research notes, photographs, books, and scrapbook materials, the Jany Y. and Arthur N. McCallum Papers, 1894-1982 (bulk 1910-1956), document the public and private lives of Jane Y., Arthur N., and Alvaro Y. McCallum and their families in eight series. The bulk of the collection comprise the first series, Jane Y. McCallum's materials, which reveal her advocacy for women and focus on her roles as wife, mother, and public servant. Her 1919 diary and correspondence with Minnie Fisher Cunningham chronicle the women's suffrage movement in Texas. The second series, Arthur N. McCallum’s papers, focuses on his activities as superintendent of Austin Public Schools and consists primarily of correspondence as well as speeches about the school bond issue and education, among others topics.

Most of the items in the third series related to Alvaro Y. McCallum concern his athletic activities, while letters to his family document his residence in Mexico during the turbulent years of 1919 and 1920. The fourth series pertains to other family members, while the fifth series consists of five items of family memorabilia. The sixth series is of three oversize items, and the seventh series is photographs, 1903-1957, undated, depicting the family, their work, and scenes in Europe during World War I. Postcards, undated, compose the final series, depicting cities in Texas, different U.S. states, scenes in Mexico and Europe, and letterheads from hotels in the 1920s.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Related Material

Separated Material

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Jane Y. and Arthur N. McCallum Family Papers, 1894-1982 (bulk 1910-1956), Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Patti Jane Coefield and M. Alexandra Salínas, April 1990. Subsequent revisions were made by Sara Clark, February 1991, and Laurel Rozema, April 2011.

This collection contains unprocessed materials.

Detailed Description of the Papers