Wilhelmina A. Leigh papers, 1966-1969
Collection Number: 37-5-4954

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library


DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
Wilhelmina A. Leigh papers, 1966-1969
Repository:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Collection Number:
37-5-4954
Creator:
Leigh, Wilhelmina
Quanitities:
1 cubic feet.

Content Description

Collection contains undergraduate papers, notes, correspondence, photographs, and publications by Wilhelmina Leigh.

Biographical / Historical

Wilhelmina Arleen Leigh (A&S 1970), a native of Washington, DC, became a Cornell University freshman in the fall semester of 1966. In freshman year writing courses, she wrote primarily about her experiences at Cornell as a "Negro" student. In the seminar courses taken when a sophomore, she explored issues of race historically. In her junior year, she wrote book reviews and served as corresponding secretary for the student-staffed journal WATU – Journal of Black Poetry/Arts. She also wrote letters (that were published) to the editors of both The Cornell Daily Sun and Internat (a magazine launched in 1968 by Cornell's international students).
Although Wilhelmina intended to major in English when she enrolled in Cornell, by the end of her sophomore year she had decided to major in economics instead. She completed the requirements for an A.B., with distinction in all subjects, in January 1970. In May 1970, she was inducted into Cornell's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa (Theta of New York). Wilhelmina Leigh later earned a PhD degree in economics from Johns Hopkins University (1978). During her career as an economist, she conducted research about and policy analyses of the longstanding race and gender differences in the United States within the areas of housing, health, and wealth.

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Preferred Citation

Wilhelmina Leigh papers, #37-5-4594. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
Processing Information

Original order of the collection, titles of items, and description provided by Leigh was maintained.

Separated Materials

Two publications by Don Lee were catalgoued individually.

Related Materials

See also collection #37-6-4595, Watu records, which contains more files from and by Wilhelmina Leigh.

SUBJECTS

Names:
Cornell University Class of 1970
Subjects:
African American college students -- New York (State) -- Ithaca.

CONTAINER LIST
Container
Description
Date
Series I. General Documents
Box 1 Folder 2
Copy of Leigh's transcript
1970
Box 1 Folder 2
Student ID Card
1966
Box 1 Folder 2
Biography of Wilhelmina Leigh, along with documents related to Phi Beta Kappa membership
1970
Box 1 Folder 3
Letter to the Editor of the Cornell Daily Sun, entitled "Cornell & Dr. King"
1968
Scope and Contents
D. Typed, draft copy of a Letter to the Editor (entitled "Cornell and Dr. King") written by Wilhelmina Leigh and published in the Cornell Daily Sun shortly after the assassination of Dr. King.
Series II. Freshman Year
1966-1967
Subseries IIa. Course Papers from English 135: Logic and Rhetoric of Expression
Box 1 Folder 4
"The Early Morning Military"
1966
Scope and Contents
Paper describes the droves of young ladies who daily crossed the "Bridge" to get from their dorms to classroom buildings on the Quad.
Box 1 Folder 4
"A Sketch of Me"
1966
Scope and Contents
Brief biography of Wilhelmina Leigh.
Box 1 Folder 4
"The Special Centerpiece"
1966
Scope and Contents
Paper describes some of the items in Leigh's shared dorm room.
Box 1 Folder 4
"The Feeling of the Arts Quad"
1966
Box 1 Folder 4
"Homage to a System of Revolutions"
1966-10-10
Scope and Contents
Paper is about a record player in a dorm room.
Box 1 Folder 4
"The Friday Night Mixer"
1966-10-22
Scope and Contents
Paper describes this recurring college student get-together.
Box 1 Folder 4
"The Organization Meeting"
1966-10-22
Scope and Contents
Paper describes the organizing meeting of Cornell's Afro-American Society.
Box 1 Folder 4
"The Cornell University Forum: Black Power"
1966-10-30
Scope and Contents
Paper describes the audience response to the presentation made at Cornell University by John Wilson, who was affiliated with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
Box 1 Folder 4
"Introducing Miss Betty Mai
1966-11
Scope and Contents
This paper describes Elizabeth (Betty) Mai, Leigh's freshman year roommate.
Box 1 Folder 4
"The Fall Blackout"
1966-11-15
Scope and Contents
Paper describes the effect in various areas of the campus of a university-wide blackout.
Box 1 Folder 4
"Opportunities for the Extra-Curricular Development of the Cornell Student"
1966-11-20
Box 1 Folder 4
"The Telephone Conversation"
1966-11-29
Scope and Contents
Paper centers around a conversation between Leigh and a high-school classmate during her Thanksgiving weekend visit to her hometown of Washington, DC.
Box 1 Folder 5
"Considerations of the Acceptance of the Negro Student by Cornell's White Community"
1966-12-08
Box 1 Folder 5
"My Reply to some of the Comments Made on the Paper 'Considerations of the Acceptance of the Negro Student by Cornell's White Community'"
1966-12-17
Box 1 Folder 5
"The Effect of the Predominantly White College Environment on a Negro's Social Acceptability with Consideration Given to the Disparity Between Pre-College, College, and Post-College Situations"
1966-12-17
Box 1 Folder 5
"The Ideal University"
1967-01-10
Box 1 Folder 5
"How Have I Changed?"
Subseries IIb. Course Papers from English 131: Experience and Expression
Box 1 Folder 6
Untitled
1967
Scope and Contents
Paper was about choosing to attend a predominantly white institution instead of an historically black college or university.
Box 1 Folder 6
Untitled
1967
Scope and Contents
Paper describes the situation when Leigh was asked by a Cornell student who was an Asian Indian if she also was from India.
Box 1 Folder 6
Untitled
1967
Scope and Contents
Topic was "playing white."
Box 1 Folder 6
Untitled
1967
Scope and Contents
Paper written about the IFC (Inter Fraternity Council) "Soul of Blackness" Week.
Box 1 Folder 7
"It's A Question of Right"
1967-02-13
Scope and Contents
Paper is about matching people for dates on a weekend.
Box 1 Folder 7
"After A Point" and "Religion"
1967-02-28
Scope and Contents
Each of these is a poem.
Box 1 Folder 7
"We Just Couldn't Do It"
1967-02-28
Scope and Contents
Story is about a futile attempt to avoid missing the curfew for returning to the girls' dormitory.
Box 1 Folder 7
Untitled
1967-03-07
Scope and Contents
Story is about interacting with a weekend guest who was the friend of Leigh's roommate.
Box 1 Folder 7
Untitled
1967-03-23
Scope and Contents
Paper examines some of the ways I changed during my freshman year.
Box 1 Folder 7
Untitled
1967-04-08
Scope and Contents
Paper is about agnosticism.
Box 1 Folder 7
Untitled
1967-04-17
Scope and Contents
Item is in poem format and without a title.
Box 1 Folder 7
Untitled
1967-05-01
Scope and Contents
Paper is about college students juggling their course requirements.
Box 1 Folder 7
Untitled
1967-05-01
Scope and Contents
Paper is about the reactions of Negro students in an audience who are watching Negro performers.
Box 1 Folder 7
"Cut-Out," from An American Dream, by Norman Mailer
1967-05-13
Box 1 Folder 7
"The Negro and the Media"
1967-05-16
Subseries IIc. Items Related to IFC (Inter-Fraternity Council) Week at Cornell University
Scope and Contents
Theme of the 1967 IFC Week was "Soul of Blackness."
Box 1 Folder 8
Program booklet for IFC Week activities
1967-02-26-1967-03-03
Scope and Contents
Note from Leigh: "On the next-to-last interior page of the booklet, I am on the list of persons acknowledged for … "outstanding work" … that made the program book possible. My name appears on the list of acknowledgments as "Billie Leigh," because that was the name by which I was known at Cornell. I acquired the nickname "Billie" because I wrote it on the button that freshman were required to wear during their first week (or so) on campus. I realized that my entire first name ("Wilhelmina") would not fit on the button and substituted "Billie" for it."
Subseries IId. General Semester Documents
Box 1 Folder 9
1970 Freshman Register
1966
Scope and Contents
This booklet, colloquially known as "the pig book," provides photos (and local contact information) for the incoming freshman entering Cornell University in the fall semester 1966. These students were expected to graduate at the end of spring semester 1970.
Manuscript Box
Photograph of sixth floor residents of Mary Donlon Hall
1966-12
Scope and Contents
During freshman year, Wilhelmina Leigh shared room 605 in Mary Donlon Hall with roommate Elizabeth (Betty) Mai.
Series III. Sophomore Year
1967-1968
Subseries IIa. The Society for the Humanities seminars (numbered 405 and 406)
Scope and Contents
The Society for the Humanities seminars (numbered 405 and 406) entitled "Negro Writers of the 20th Century" were led in Fall semester 1967 and Spring semester 1968 by Julian Mayfield, an author and actor who was at that time a fellow at Cornell University.
Box 1 Folder 11
"Negro Digest" issue
Scope and Contents
June 1968, vol. XVII, No. 8, pp. 10-24 features an article by Julian Mayfield, "A Challenge to A Bestseller – Crisis or Crusade" – Julian Mayfield's bio associated with the review mentions that he is … "currently a fellow at Cornell University" (p. 24).
Box 1 Folder 11
"The Negro in America: What Must Be Done – A Program for Action"
1967-10-20
Scope and Contents
This issue of Newsweek magazine was among the assigned reading for the seminar.
Box 1 Folder 12
"An Analysis of the Standards of Equality for the African Slave in America"
1967-11-13
Scope and Contents
Paper submitted during fall semester of 1967 for Seminar 405. Paper is 20 typewritten pages plus footnotes and bibliography on three additional pages.
Box 1 Folder 13
Two letters sent to Wilhelmina Leigh by Julian Mayfield
1968-1969
Scope and Contents
a. First Letter: An undated letter from Julian Mayfield addressed to Wilhelmina Leigh and typed on New York University letterhead – This letter mentions Leigh's planned trip to Africa in the coming year. Thus, the letter was likely dated and sent in 1968. [Note from Leigh: I traveled to Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) in summer of 1969 as a research assistant for Professor Ian Pool (then a faculty member in the Department of Sociology at Cornell University). Dr. Pool and his assistants conducted a survey for the United Nations Population Council before a family planning program was implemented in Upper Volta.] The description of the rigors of movie making provided in this letter is based on Mayfield's experience while playing the role of Tank in the motion picture "Uptight." The film was released in either 1968 or 1969. b. Second Letter: A letter from Julian Mayfield addressed to Wilhelmina Leigh, dated May 2, 1969 (and typed on New York University letterhead) – The first part of the letter included suggestions for Leigh's travel in Africa. In the last two sentences of the last paragraph of this letter, Mr. Mayfield makes reference to the 1969 Willard Straight takeover by Afro American students. He also suggests that the takeover at Cornell may have influenced students at Vorhees to do something similar: "Voorhees University is a small, private, historically black university in Denmark, SC. It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 1969, 75 students in the predominantly Black student body organized a two-day armed occupation of the college to demand the following: more Black study programs, the hiring of Black faculty, and outreach to assist the local, low-income community of Denmark with college scholarships. The protesters surrendered, but were subsequently arrested. Many were also suspended from the school." [Note from Leigh: When I first searched on the Internet for information about Voorhees University, I found details about the 1969 student occupation in the local newspaper. I did not find any information about the 1969 student rebellion on the website of the school. When I searched again for the relevant information a few days later, I was able to access it only if I paid to subscribe to the local newspaper. I did not subscribe to the local newspaper.]
Box 1 Folder 13
An unsigned letter typed on the letterhead of the Cornell University Society for the Humanities
1968-02-05
Scope and Contents
Letter provides comments about paper prepared during fall semester 1967.
Box 1 Folder 14
Two articles about the death of Julian Mayfield
1984
Scope and Contents
One appeared in the Washington Post (October 23, 1984), and the other appeared in the student newspaper of Howard University, known as the Hill Rag (December 14, 1984). Both articles mentioned the fellowship of Mr. Mayfield at Cornell University. Prior to his death in 1984, Mayfield was a writer-in-residence at Howard University.
Subseries IIIb. Correspondence and other documents
Box 1 Folder 13
Invitation Letter from then-President James A. Perkins to participate in a day-long discussion on May 2, 1968, as part of the program "Cornell in Perspective"
1968-04-22
Scope and Contents
The program was initiated in the spring of 1967. Notes taken at the May 2, 1968 meeting appear on a page tagged with a post-it labeled "D" in the Cornell Campus Store spiral notebook in Box 1, Folder 1.
Box 1 Folder 15
Cornell Alumni News
1968-06
Scope and Contents
"Cornell's Black Student: A Report from the Inside," by Gloria Joseph and Barbara Newsom – This article was circulated as a 6-page reprint from the June 1968 issue of the Cornell Alumni News.
Box 1 Folder 15
Empty folio from the first Cornell Alumni University
1968-07-21-1968-08-03
Box 1 Folder 16
Two letters regarding Cuba
1968-08-26-1968-09-04
Scope and Contents
Note from Leigh: While attending Cornell Alumni University, I asked Professor Allan Feldt how I could get believable information about the situation in Communist Cuba. In response, he gave me contact information for the two gentlemen named below, and I subsequently sent letters to these gentlemen. I do not have copies of the letters sent to them, but I received reply letters dated as indicated below: a. Professor Eduardo Montoulieu – August 26, 1968 (associated with the Puerto Rico Urban Renewal and Housing Corp.) b. Luis V. Manrara – Sept 4, 1968 (associated with The Truth About Cuba Committee, Inc.)
Series IV. Junior Year
1968-1969
Box 1 Folder 17
"Internat" magazine, vol. 1, no. 1
1968-09
Scope and Contents
Internat (vol. 1, no. 1) was a magazine first published by international students at Cornell University in September 1968.
Box 1 Folder 17
"Internat" letters and documents
1968-11
Scope and Contents
The inaugural issue of Internat featured an article entitled "Foreign Students and Marginality." In response to this article, Leigh wrote a Letter to the Editor that appeared in the November 1968 issue of Internat (vol. 1, no. 2). Included is a copy of the Letter to the Editor of Internat; copy of pages 2 and 7 from Internat (vol.1, no. 2), the pages on which Leigh's response to the original article (entitled "Foreign Students and Marginality") appeared; a letter sent to Leigh in December 1968 by Donald C.L. Woo, Editor of Internat, thanking her for writing her letter about marginality and encouraging her to continue to read the magazine and to submit letters to the editor about issues of interest to her.
Subseries IVa. HD 500: "Future of Housing and Urban Life Styles"
Scope and Contents
Note from Leigh: During fall semester of 1968, I took a course entitled "Future of Housing and Urban Life Styles". The course is referred to as HD 500 in handwritten references to it (primarily in my written assignments), although the course is designated HDES 530 on my transcript.
Box 1 Folder 18
"An Analysis of the Kerner Commission Report" paper
1968
Box 1 Folder 18
"An Evaluation of HD 500" paper
1968
Scope and Contents
Paper evaluates the Ghetto Game played by students during the course and includes an assessment by Wilhelmina Leigh of the utility of the course to both the black and white students who participated in it.
Box 1 Folder 18
Untitled paper
1968
Scope and Contents
Paper by Wilhelmina Leigh in which the role-playing in the Ghetto Game is compared to the Delphi technique.
Box 1 Folder 18
"The Afro-American Independence Struggle (1969-1980) Mirrored in the Ghanaian Independence Process (1946-1957)" paper
1968
Subseries IVb. Econ 373: "Economic Development of the Urban Ghetto."
Box 1 Folder 19
Notes
Series V. Cornell University Memorabilia
Box 1 Folder 20
Postcards
Scope and Contents
Assorted, unused, individual postcards featuring views of the Cornell campus and buildings; Postcard featuring Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge, Ithaca, NY; Folio with 14 views of Cornell University campus, copyright MCMLXIII (1963) by Curt Teich and Co. Inc., Chicago, IL.
Box 1 Folder 21
Program booklets for two Motown Groups (The Four Tops and the Temptations)
1967-1969
Scope and Contents
Each of these two groups performed separately at Cornell U between 1967 and 1969. Note from Leigh: I attended the separate performances of these two groups on campus. I was able to get an autograph from Levi Stubbs, one of the members of the Four Tops, inside their program booklet. (See the sixth interior page of that booklet.)
Box 1 Folder 22
"Now and Then: Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of The Willard Straight Hall Takeover," produced by Students of Color Coordinating Committee
1989-04