Olee Yates McCullough Papers
Scope and Contents
This collection contains material collected by Olee Yates McCullough over the on her various personal and professional interests. It includes information on her and her husband, Arthur McCullough Jr., and their teaching careers at the Houston Independent School District; organizations she was involved in, including Delta Sigma Theta and the Ethel Ransom Art and Literary Club; newspaper clippings of Fourth Ward redevelopment and the preservation of Jack Yates’ home; and on her efforts to publish a book on his life, The Life and Efforts of Jack Yates, by Rutherford B.H. and Paul L. Yates. Close to 200 photographs and scrapbooks of family and friends complete the collection.
Dates
- 1989-1996
- Majority of material found in 1930s-1960s
Creator
- McCullough, Olee Yates 1910-1996 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish or reproduce materials from the Olee Yates McCullough Papers must be obtained from the Houston Metropolitan Research Center or the appropriate copyright holder.
Biographical / Historical
Olee Yates was born July 13, 1910 at 1318 Andrews, the home of her grandfather the Reverend Jack Yates, to Rutherford B.H. Yates and Erie Dean (Sherrod) Yates. She lived in this home until she was three when her father build a house at 1314 Andrews. She received a B.A. from Wiley College in Marshall, Texas in 1932 and a M.A. in Education from Columbia University in 1947. She married Arthur McCullough Jr. on April 20, 1935. From 1935-1952 she served as a fourth-grade teacher in the Houston Independent School District (HISD). In 1952 she transitioned to a reading clinic teacher and by 1955 she was teacher-in-charge at the reading clinics training center, a position she remained in until her retirement in 1971. Mrs. McCullough was active with civic and church engagements. Mrs. McCullough noted that one of the highlights of her life was being able to publish, along with her sister Jonnie Mae Rice, The Life and Efforts of Jack Yates, written by their father and uncle, Paul L. Yates. She presented a copy of the book to the Queen of England, Elizabeth II when she visited Houston’s Antioch Baptist Church in 1991. Mrs. McCullough was very concerned over the preservation of her childhood neighborhood, Freedmen’s Town and very proud of her family’s legacy. Mrs. McCullough died in Houston on December 22, 1996
Extent
2.5 Linear Feet (5 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by type of material. There are five series. Series one and three have sub-series.
Series 1 The Life, Career, and Family History of Olee Yates McCullough
Series 1.1 Olee Yates McCullough Material
Series 1.2 Arthur McCullough Jr. Material
Series 1.3 Yates and Sherrod Families Material
Series 2 “The Life and Efforts of Jack Yates”
Series 3 Ephemera
Series 3.1 Organizations
Series 3.2 Programs Attended
Series 4 Newspaper Clippings
Series 5 Scrapbooks and Photographs
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Olee Yates Mc Cullough in 1994-1995.
Processing Information
Processed by Abra Schnur, November 2017
- African American educators Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American women -- Texas -- Houston Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Antioch Missionary Baptist Church (Houston, Tex.) Subject Source: Local sources
- Education -- Texas -- Houston Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Fifth Ward (Houston, Tex.) Subject Source: Local sources
- Fourth Ward (Houston, Tex.) Subject Source: Local sources
- Freedmen’s Town (Houston, Tex.) Subject Source: Local sources
- Historic preservation—Texas—Houston Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Houston Independent School District (Tex.) Subject Source: Lcnaf
- Title
- MSS 0155 Olee Yates McCullough Papers
- Subtitle
- An inventory of records at the African American Library at the Gregory School, Houston Public Library
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Abra Schnur
- Date
- November 2017
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the African American History Research Center Repository
