Overview of the Collection
Urban League of Onondaga County,
Inc.
Onondaga County Public
Library
Local History & Genealogy Department
447 South Salina
Street
Syracuse, New York, 13202
(315) 435-1900
English
Urban League of Onondaga County, Inc.
Collection
1964-2005
1 linear ft.
## insert unique identifier here
The Urban League of Onondaga County,
Inc. Collection contains diverse materials associated with the history of the
organization, administrative documents, materials related to the National Urban
League, conferences and meetings agendas, brochures offering programs and services,
speeches, copies of newspaper clippings, correspondence and many photographs of
local and national conferences, annual meetings, staff, members of Urban League of
Onondaga County, Inc.
Administrative History
The Urban League of Onondaga County, Inc. was a charitable community service
organization, one of the 113 affiliates of the National Urban League, founded in
1964 by Dennis Dowdell Sr. When it was in existence The Urban League worked on
implementing the basic American values, such as family life stability, home
ownership, education and employment for blacks, other minorities and the poor. Its
mission was, “To assist African-Americans toward self empowerment for achievement of
justice, economic, educational, social and racial equality.” To meet its goals, the
Urban League of Onondaga County, Inc. offered various services and programs for
improvement of the American society for the long term, including: Educational
Programs; Youth Development Programs; Housing Services; Workforce Development
Services.
In the 1960s the Urban League of Onondaga County, Inc. was known among the local
African-Americans as the first stop to search for good jobs, thus the organization
was cooperating with local businesses, police and fire departments to hire black
people. Each year, in a formal annual ceremony the Urban League of Onondaga County,
Inc. gave awards to individuals, families and local businesses who were striving to
advance racial equality. The most recognizable award was the Harriet Tubman
Award.
After the resignation of Leon E. Modeste, the CEO with the longest tenure in the
Urban League of Onondaga County, from 1979 to1994, the organization faced many
problems, mostly financial and managerial. In less than ten years of struggle, in
January, 2002 the board of Urban League of Onondaga County, Inc. decided to dissolve
the organization and to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
On June 22, 2007 documents and pictures pertaining to the Urban League of Onondaga
County, Inc. were donated in a dedication ceremony to the Beauchamp Branch of
Onondaga County Public Library by Leon Modeste and Andrew Willis, former CEOs of
Urban League of Onondaga County, Inc. For preservation purposes the donated
materials were transferred to the Local History and Genealogy Department, where they
were compiled in an archived collection. The Urban League of Onondaga County, Inc.
collection contains valuable information for the African-American History of
Syracuse, N.Y.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The collection comprises archival materials related to the Urban League of Onondaga
County, Inc. It includes minutes, historical newspaper clippings and albums of
black-and-white and colored photographs. Some are duplicated on a CD in JPG and TIFF
format. The collection is divided into six main series, supplemented by subseries of
miscellaneous records. The main subseries are: Annual Reports and Minutes; Legal
Documents; Annual Celebrations and Special Events; Publication and Printed
Documents; Correspondence and Ephemera Objects and Photographs. Some of the records
are not dated and a big percentage of the photographs don’t have any information
related to the creator, the event, or the people on the pictures. The records are
arranged in chronological order, whenever possible.
Series 1: Annual Reports and Minutes.
This series contains documents related to Urban League of Onondaga County, Inc. These
documents include Annual Meetings Minutes of the Board of Directors, President’s
reports, Board of Directors Lists, Vice-Chairs List and other documents related to
the management of the organization records. Date coverage is from 1976 to 1997.
However, not all years are presented.
Series 2: Legal Documents.
This category includes important legal records related to the Urban League of
Onondaga County Inc., such as By-Laws, Requirements for Audit Reports and training
materials conducted by the National Urban League, Inc., Manual of the Affiliates for
the National Urban League, Inc. Under miscellaneous subseries are described
varieties of other administrative documents. All of the records are arranged in
chronological order, when the date is available. Date coverage is from 1987 to
1996.
Series 3: Annual Celebrations and Special Events
The Annual Celebrations and Special Events series contains a compilation of printed
programs for the annual celebrations and special events. These programs have diverse
information about the history, offered programs and news of the organization. Each
annual program includes a list of the staff, Board of Directors, Annual Reports,
Harriet Tubman Award winners, notes for the special guests, speakers and more. There
is also a subseries with miscellaneous records of some of the Black History
activists. The date coverage is 1984 to 1997.
Series 4: Publications and Printed Materials.
Publications and Printed Materials series includes documents that provide information
about the offered programs and services. These include educational books, booklets
and fliers. The subseries of Newspaper Clippings contain interviews, organization
news and announcements from 1973 to 2002.
Series 5: Correspondence and Ephemera objects.
This series includes three correspondence envelopes and some personal items, such as
a two Pins with the symbol of the Urban League (the equal sign in a circle) and a
business card. In the correspondence envelopes along with letter notes are enclosed
photographs, with descriptive notes and newspaper clippings.
Series 6: Photographs.
This series contains a large number of photographs and one photo CD from different
Urban League events. Some of the photographs have description of the persons, the
date and the photographer, but most do not. The photographs are organized into five
albums housed in polypropylene pockets by size. Many images are missing dates and
displaying them in chronological order is not possible. There are also three
additional albums: 6, 7 and 8 which are preserved in the original order in photo
albums, as they were donated by the Urban League of Onondaga County. The CD contains
digitized duplicates of some of the images in JPG and TIFF format. For the
convenience and easy access the photographs with a description note were scanned and
uploaded to New York Heritage website, where they can be viewed free of charge. Date
coverage is from 1978 to 1994, and some are undated.
Arrangement of the Collection
The collection is arranged into series and subseries by subject categories and in
chronological order, when it was possible. Each series contains folders, numbered
consecutively. The photograph collection is organized in albums.
Related Materials
This is the only archived collection of Urban League of Onondaga County, Inc.
available in Local History and Genealogy Department. For online users a
photograph collection is available on The New York Heritage
website.Please check with OCPL staff to access the archival collection.
Access Restrictions
Patron must have a valid OCPL library card.
Use Restrictions
User must use materials in the Local History and Genealogy Department of
OCPL.
Permission must be obtained from staff for reproduction of any
materials.
Angelou, Maya
Bahouth, Halaby B.
Dowdell, Dennis Sr.
Huling, Elijah Jr.
Modeste, Leon E.
Rudolph, Wilma
Willis, Andrew
Black History.
Black history and the Civil Rights
Movement.
Civil rights activists.
Civil rights movements--New York
(State)--Syracuse--History--20th century.
Civil rights workers, Black.
Civil rights workers--New York (State)--New
York--Biography.
National Urban League.
National Urban League. Affiliate Development
Dept.
National Urban League--History--20th
century.
Teenagers--Education--Social aspects--United
States.
Young adults--New York (State).
Young adults--United States--Social life and
customs.
Urban League of Onondaga County,
Inc.
Booklets.
Business cards.
Clippings.
Compact Discs.
Correspondence.
Ephemera.
Handbooks.
Invitations.
Notebooks.
Manuals.
Memorabilia.
Minutes.
Photographs.
Pins.
Programs.
Publications.
Onondaga County (N.Y.)--History.
Onondaga County (N.Y.)--History--Societies,
etc.
Onondaga County (N.Y.)--Social
conditions.
Onondaga County (N.Y.)--Social life and
customs.
Syracuse (N.Y.)--Education.
Syracuse (N.Y.)--Genealogy.
Syracuse (N.Y.)--History.
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Urban League of Onondaga County, Inc. Collection
Onondaga County Public
Library
Local History and Genealogy Department
Shelf Location: MS-3
Acquisition Information
Donation from Leon Modeste and Andrew Willis, former CEOs of the Urban League of
Onondaga County, Inc. to Beauchamp Branch of Onondaga County Public Library, then to
the Local History and Genealogy Department of the Central Library, Onondaga County
Public Library.
Inventory
Series 1: Annual Reports and Minutes
Urban League Annual Dinner Meeting, 25th
Anniversary.1989
1
1
Board of Directors’ Meetings.1993, 1994
1
1
Board of Directors’ Meetings List.1989-1990, 1996-1997
1
1
Vice-Chairs List.1991
1
1
Financial Statements Audit of Urban League of Onondaga County
and Urban League’s Plan of Action for Fiscal Department.1992
1
1
President’s Reports.1990,
1993
1
2
Meetings Minutes Notebook of L. Halaby.1976
1
3
Series 2: Legal Documents
By-Laws of Urban League of Onondaga County, Inc. (two
copies). Developed 1964.Revised
1987-12-8
1
4
Manual for Affiliates of the National Urban League,
Inc.Revised
1988
1
5
Requirement of Audit Report and Management Letter from Local
Leagues.Revised
1992-01-10
1
4
Urban League, Inc. Audits and Management Letter.1993
1
4
Urban League of Onondaga County, Inc. document.1995
1
4
Agenda of National Urban League Board Training.1996
1
4
Historical Overview of National Urban League.n.d.
1
4
The National Urban League Board, Inc., Local Urban League
Board Orientation presented by Robert S. Walters.n.d.
1
4
Miscellaneous
Letter from John F. X. Mannion (copy).1984-12-10
1
6
Letter from William B. Bush, Minority Leader regarding the
“Drug Free Zones”.1992-12-22
1
6
Resolution Requesting the City of Syracuse and the City
School District to Establish Drug Frees Zones in and around the City
School Property and Related Matters to Combat Drug Use in City
Schools.1992
1
6
Letter from William Johnson Jr.1993-07-21
1
6
Letter from Mario M Cuomo – Governor.1993-07-27
1
6
Letter from Housing Visions Unlimited, Inc.1993-08-04
1
6
Announcement for Emergency Staff Meeting.1993-08-05
1
6
Untitled document, missing first page.
1
6
Urban League of Onondaga County Announcement (two
copies).1993-10-04
1
6
Urban League of Onondaga County Resolution No. 971
Acknowledging the Acceptance of the Jan. 1st, 1997 update/progress
Report.1996-12-19
1
6
Urban League Office Relocation Floor Plan, Syracuse Office
Environments.
1
6
Employee Census Document.1993-06-01
1
6
Series 3: Annual Celebrations and Special Events
Anniversary Celebration programs.1984, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993 (two items), 1994,
1997
1
7
Silver Anniversary of Urban League of Onondaga County
program.1989
1
8
Biographical information of Wilma Rudolph.n.d.
1
8
Resume of Jack White.n.d.
1
8
Leon E. Modeste Award Letter from the youth at Southwest
Community Center.1993-06-10
1
9
Dinner Roast honoring Leon E. Modeste.1994-01-18
1
9
Speech for Leon Modeste.n.d.
1
9
Miscellaneous documents related to Black History
Biographical information of Maya Angelou.n.d.
1
10
Maya Angelou’s Inaugural poem.n.d.
1
10
Information about Kwanzaa.n.d.
1
10
Series 4: Publications and Printed Materials
The Episcopalian.1969
1
11
A Parent Action Handbook. Questions and Answers: Your Child’s
School Success.1979
1
11
Urban League News.1989
1
12
Urban League of Onondaga County, Inc.n.d.
1
12
Urban League of Onondaga County, Inc. A year in
Pictures.1996
1
12
Urban League of Onondaga County brochure.n.d.
1
13
Urban League of Onondaga County, Inc. programs
brochure.n.d.
1
13
Christopher Community, Inc. programs brochure.n.d.
1
13
Don’t Make a Baby if You Can’t be a Father brochure.1990
1
13
Newspaper Clippings
Miscellaneous newspaper clippings (photocopies).1973-2002, n.d.
1
14
Series 5: Correspondence and Ephemera objects.
Envelope from Andrew (Andy) Willis to Halaby Bahouth.
Includes one newspaper clipping and a photograph with a descriptive
note.n.d.
1
15
Envelope from Andrew (Andy) Willis to Halaby Bahouth.
Includes two newspaper clippings.n.d.
1
15
Envelope from L. E. Modeste to Ozzie Edwards, which includes
a handwritten note, newspaper clippings and two photographs with
description on the back.2005-04-01
1
15
Two Pins with carved symbol of the Urban League, the equal
sign in a circle.n.d.
1
16
Plaque for “Outstanding Community Service Award for Social
Action” presented to the Urban League of Onondaga County
Inc.January 25,
1992
2
Framed and signed print: Urban League Onondaga County
25.1989
2
Business card of B. Halaby Bahouth.n.d.
1
16
Series 6: Photographs
Album 1 contains black and white and color photographs, size
8’-10’.1978-1982,
n.d.
1
17
Album 2 contains black and white photographs, size
5’-7’.n.d.
1
18
Album 3 contains black and white photographs, size 3.5’-5’
and 3.5’-3.5’.n.d.
1
19
Album 4 contains Personal Portraits and some group
photographs of Urban League of Onondaga County, black and white
photographs, size 5’-7’.1989,
n.d.
1
20
Album 5 contains different size original and copies of
photographs of famous people, guests of Urban League of Onondaga
County, Inc.1979-1992,
n.d.
1
21
Album 6 is a blue colored photo album, which contains colored
photographs of Urban League of Onondaga County, Inc. events,
meetings and Urban League staff.1989-1990, n.d.
1
22
Album 7 is a red colored photo album, which contains
different colored photographs of Urban League of Onondaga County,
Inc. events, meetings and Urban League staff.1988-1994, n.d.
1
23
Album 8 is a donation of B. Halaby Bahouth photo album in
floral elements, which contains colored photographs from the 30th
Annual Anniversary of Urban League Dinner – Harriet Tubman Awards at
Oncenter.1994-09-08.
1
24
A photo CD with black-and-white photographs.n.d.
1
25