Patricia Smith Prather Collection
Collection
Identifier: MSS 0005
Scope and Content
The Patricia Smith Prather Collection houses the personal and professional papers of Patricia Smith Prather. This collection, which dates from 1931 through 2008, consists of personal and business correspondence with historical associations and various Houston businesses, news clippings, a Phillis Wheatley High School Yearbook, a poster, publications, articles written by Prather, awards that illustrate her works as a historian and author in preserving the legacies of African Americans in Texas history. Of importance are the research materials fashioned from her work as a consultant for Houston Public Library and the Texas Trailblazers Association book series. Other formats in the collection are photographs, a small number of negatives, transparencies, DVD documentaries about Our Mother of Mercy Catholic, CD of documents, floppy disks, an oral history interview about life in fifth ward Houston, and artifacts. Researchers interested in the African American experience in Texas will find this a valuable resource.
Dates
- 1943 - 2008
Language
This collection is in English.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research. Some access to the materials are restricted due fragile condition of the materials. Please contact the archive for more information.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish or reproduce materials from the Patricia Smith Prather Collection must be obtained from African American Library at the Gregory School or the appropriate copyright holder.
Biographical Note
Historian, author, co-founder and Executive Director of the Texas Trailblazer Preservation Association, Patricia Smith Prather has dedicated her career to preserving the legacies of the African American presence to Texas history. She was born in 1943 in Houston Texas at the Houston Negro Hospital, now known as Riverside General Hospital. Her parents, Clifford F. Smith Jr. and Hortense Dugar Smith, are both deceased. She has one sister, Brenda Smith Long. She graduated from Phillis Wheatley High School in Houston Texas, Class of 1960. Four years later she was awarded a B.S. Degree in Biology by Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. After graduating from college she moved to Washington D. C. and worked in public relations and communications for a number of organizations including the National Business League, The Associated General Contractors of America and the Republican National Committee. Also, many of her articles were published in “Black Viewpoint” which she edited in the 1970’s.
Ms. Smith Prather returned to her hometown of Houston, Texas in 1977 and worked in the Public Relations Department for Exxon Company U.S.A. In 1990, she cofounded the Texas Trailblazer Preservation Association, a non-profit organization with the mission of preserving Houston and Texas African American History. She is editor of the organizations’ series of biographical profiles, “The Texas Trailblazer Series." She is also coauthor of the book, From Slave To Statesman: the Legacy of Joshua Houston, Servant to Sam Houston, and the author of numerous articles for the Houston Chronicle, Who’s Who in Black Houston, Texas Highway Magazine and American Legacy, a national magazine. She currently resides in Houston, Texas where she continues her work on the “Texas Trailblazer Series” and has two children, Keiba Holt Stevenson and Robert F. Prather Jr.
Ms. Smith Prather returned to her hometown of Houston, Texas in 1977 and worked in the Public Relations Department for Exxon Company U.S.A. In 1990, she cofounded the Texas Trailblazer Preservation Association, a non-profit organization with the mission of preserving Houston and Texas African American History. She is editor of the organizations’ series of biographical profiles, “The Texas Trailblazer Series." She is also coauthor of the book, From Slave To Statesman: the Legacy of Joshua Houston, Servant to Sam Houston, and the author of numerous articles for the Houston Chronicle, Who’s Who in Black Houston, Texas Highway Magazine and American Legacy, a national magazine. She currently resides in Houston, Texas where she continues her work on the “Texas Trailblazer Series” and has two children, Keiba Holt Stevenson and Robert F. Prather Jr.
Extent
12 Linear Feet (17)
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into 12 series by material type and subject, with the professional Activities and Research Materials series further arranged into subseries. Materials are physically arranged according to original order, as arranged by Patricia Prather. The original folder titles and alphabetical arrangement were retained in most cases regarding the research materials. When necessary for preservation, some materials have been rehoused and a separation sheet has been inserted into the original space.
Series I: Personal Materials
Series II: Professional Activities
Subseries I: Writings, Notes and Speeches
Subseries II: Resumes and Contacts
Subseries III: Publicity and Community Engagement
Series III: Correspondence
Series IV: News clippings
Series V: Awards
Series VII: Printed Materials
Series VIII: Publications
Series VIII: Funeral Programs
Series IX: Artifacts
Series X: Research Materials
Subseries I: Gregory Consulting
Subseries II: Texas Trailblazers
Subseries III: General Research
Series XI: Photographic Materials
Series XII: Audiovisual Materials
Series I: Personal Materials
Series II: Professional Activities
Subseries I: Writings, Notes and Speeches
Subseries II: Resumes and Contacts
Subseries III: Publicity and Community Engagement
Series III: Correspondence
Series IV: News clippings
Series V: Awards
Series VII: Printed Materials
Series VIII: Publications
Series VIII: Funeral Programs
Series IX: Artifacts
Series X: Research Materials
Subseries I: Gregory Consulting
Subseries II: Texas Trailblazers
Subseries III: General Research
Series XI: Photographic Materials
Series XII: Audiovisual Materials
Acquisition Information
Donated by: Patricia Smith Prather, 2008
Processing Information
Processed by: Vince Lee, September 2009; Updated by Sheena Wilson in September 2018
- African American women Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American women -- Texas -- Houston Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African Americans -- Texas -- Biography Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African Americans – History -- United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Authors Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Historic preservation Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- History -- Research Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- MSS 0005 Patricia Smith Prather Collection
- Subtitle
- An Inventory of her Records at the African American Library at the Gregory School, Houston Public Library
- Date
- September, 2009
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English
Repository Details
Part of the Gregory School Repository
