Research Guides: LGBTQ+ Histories: LGBTQ+ Manuscript Collections in Special Collections

Special Collections from the University of Arkansas

Here are some collections related to LGBTQ+ histories from the University Special Collections. As the University Libraries Special Collections are always growing, please note that this list is ongoing and not complete- we are always finding more and more LGBTQ+ related materials and narratives in our collections and within the community.

All of Special Collections' researchers and supporters have an opportunity to partner with us to promote and advance the preservation of Arkansas and University history, whether that's by sharing our materials through publication and word-of-mouth, advocating for libraries and special collections to legislators and stakeholders, or making direct contributions. Special Collections welcomes material donations in order to support our collecting and research mission. If you or someone you know has materials or collections about LGBTQ+ histories that are looking for an archival home, consider giving to Special Collections.

MC 2022: Feminist and LGBT Publications
The Fayetteville Women's Library Collection (MC 1180) was donated to Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, in April 1994, by Diana Woodall of Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Feminist and LGBT Publications were separated from the Fayetteville Women's Library to form a discrete collection in 2015. In July 2016, Melissa Strong of Fayetteville, Arkansas, donated 38 issues of Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture, which were incorporated into the collection. Additional feminist and LGBT publications will be added to this collection as they are received.
MC 1604: The Grapevine Newspaper Records
The Grapevine was established by the Arkansas Student Free Press Association in 1970 as an alternative to the University of Arkansas-sponsored student newspaper The Arkansas Traveler.
MC2250: Charles Lee Hughes Fort Chaffee Photograph Collection
The collection consists of black and white photographic prints and 35mm negatives, color slides, original artwork, and other records created or acquired by Charlie Hughes while working for the Cuban-Haitian Task Force at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. Other materials include a copy of the camp's newsletter, La Vida Nueva, Hughes' press passes, and a handbook for potential sponsors of refugees. Some refugees claimed asylum based on their homosexuality.
MC336: David H. Pryor Papers 1934-2004
Of particular interest to LGBTQ+ histories, Subseries 2: Civil Rights and Women’s Issues includes materials related to issues affecting African Americans, women, and gays and lesbians. Topics include the civil rights acts of 1990 and 1991, abortion, hate crimes, and equal opportunity for employment.
National Organization for Women Arkansas Chapter and Northwest Arkansas Chapter Records (MC 1389)
MC 1412: Billy James Hargis Papers
Hargis was an ultra-conservative minister and anti-Communist activist. The collection includes materials on a wide range of subjects with an emphasis on the menace of communism, both foreign and domestic.