IOWA WOMEN’S ARCHIVES
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA LIBRARIES
IOWA CITY, IOWA
AZALIA MITCHELL (1898-1986)
PAPERS, 1911-1988
5 linear inches
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ACQUISITION: |
The papers (donor no. 522) were donated by Ronald Langston in 1998
as part of the Gwendolyn Wilson Fowler papers. |
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ACCESS: |
The papers are open for research. |
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COPYRIGHT: |
Copyright held by the donor has not been transferred to the University of Iowa. |
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PHOTOGRAPHS: |
In Box 1. [See also Boxes 11 and 12 in Gwendolyn Wilson Fowler papers.] |
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PROCESSED BY: |
Lisa Mott, 2003.
[MitchellAzalia.doc] |
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Biography
Azalia Hogan was born on March 15, 1898
in Arkansas. Her mother died when she
was three years old and her aunt, Adeline Miller, took Hogan to Atlanta,
Georgia to live. Hogan graduated from
Atlanta University in 1917 and became a registered pharmacist. On December 25, 1917 Azalia Hogan married
James Wardlow Mitchell in Des Moines, Iowa where he was in the Officers
Training Corps of the United States Army at Fort Des Moines. Upon graduation from officers training, the
couple moved to Camp Dixon, New Jersey.
From 1918 to 1919, Azalia Mitchell was active in helping soldiers and
their wives while her own husband served in France. Following World War I, the Mitchells returned to Des Moines and
purchased the Community Pharmacy, which they operated for twenty-five years. After selling the business, Azalia Mitchell
worked for the City of Des Moines Recreation Department and retired as a
secretary.
Azalia Mitchell was a member of St.
Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church.
She was a charter member of the Beta Gamma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority. Mitchell was also a board
member of the Des Moines branch of the NAACP (National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People), a lifetime member of the NAACP, a board member
of Wilkie House, Inc., a charter member of the Lincoln Post No. 126 Auxiliary
of the American Legion, and a charter member of Des Moines Links, Inc.
Mitchell died July 21, 1986.
Scope and Content Note
The Azalia Mitchell papers date from 1911 to 1988 and measure 5 linear inches. The papers are arranged in three series: Personal, Business, and Conservatorship. The Personal series consists of documents pertaining to Azalia Mitchell’s marriage with J.W. Mitchell. Included are financial papers such as loans, bank books and insurance papers. Their 1948 Iowa income tax return is interesting for the itemized schedules attached to it pertaining to their business ventures. Of particular note in their real estate records is the 1950 Quit Claim Deed in which J.W. Mitchell legally gave his wife Azalia Mitchell title to a piece of property “in consideration of the sum of natural love and affection and one and other.” The personal papers folder contains the Mitchell’s marriage certificate and a Christmas card signed “Jimmie and Azalia.” Their marriage certificate is noteworthy for the two dates written on it, 1917 and 1918. The Last Will and Testaments include Mitchell’s aunt Adaline Miller’s will, as well as Azalia and J.W. Mitchells’ wills. Famed attorney and activist Charles P. Howard was a witness for both of the Mitchell’s documents. Also included in the Personal series are the death certificates and funeral books for Azalia Mitchell and her husband J.W. Mitchell. There are also sympathy cards and receipts for the sale of Azalia Mitchell’s possessions following her death.
The Business series consists of documents relating to Community Pharmacy in Des Moines, and the building the Mitchells rented out after selling the business. Included are contracts and leases, tax and license receipts, financial papers and building repair orders. The contracts and leases include a concession agreement with the Royal Dukes to use a back room for their meetings. There are also receipts and notes pertaining to a Billy Eckstein concert the Mitchells sponsored. Billy Eckstein was a notable jazzman who toured the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. Apparently the same back room the Royal Dukes rented was sometimes used as a concert and dance hall. Other leases and contracts concern a Wurlitzer jukebox and a shuffleboard. The financial papers consist of handwritten records of loans written on the backs of envelopes. Included is the list of payments from 1926 to 1940 made to the Des Moines Drug Company for the purchase of Community Pharmacy.
The Conservatorship series
consists of bills, correspondence and documents pertaining to the
Conservatorship of Azalia Mitchell.
Gwendolyn Wilson Fowler, a close personal friend of the Mitchells,
served as Azalia Mitchell’s conservator during the last several years of
Mitchell’s life. This series also includes
a photograph taken of Azalia Mitchell at the nursing home.
Related Collections
Begin text here:» Gwendolyn Wilson Fowler
Gwendolyn Wilson Fowler’s
papers include correspondence and photographs
of Azalia Mitchell.