Unit Title:
Elzie and Ruby Odom Papers
Accumulation:
1955-2020
Created:
1955-2020
Creator:
Odom-Wesley, Barbara
Creator:
Odom, Elzie Delano
Creator:
Odom, Ruby
Physical Description:
39 digital files (2467.84 MB)
Language:
English
Language:
Arabic
Biography or History:
Elzie Odom (1929) is a former mayor of Arlington, Texas, serving three terms from 1997 to 2003. Odom began his career in public service as a letter carrier in Orange, Texas, and worked his way up to federal postal inspector. After his retirement, he served on the Arlington City Council and later was elected the city’s first Black mayor. His wife, Ruby, worked as a radiologic technician, and an important figure in the community through her work in charitable organizations. Elzie and Ruby grew up in the Freedom Colony of Shankleville, Texas, founded by Elzie’s ancestors Jim and Winnie Shankle. The family permanently settled in Arlington in 1979.
Custodial History:
The collection was a gift of Elzie and Ruby Odom. Scrapbooks were compiled by Barbara Odom-Wesley as a gift to her parents, and were conveyed by them, 2020.
Acquisition Information:
Gift of Elzie and Ruby Odom, 2020
Scope and Content:
The Elzie and Ruby Odom papers consist of clippings, correspondence, programs and ephemera, photographs, and other materials which document their personal, religious, and political lives from the 1960s through the 2010s. Topics include biographical and genealogical information on the Odoms and their ancestors, the Odoms’ dedication to the Christian faith and involvement in Mount Olive Baptist Church, and political issues in Arlington, especially the funding of sports and the arts, as well as attempts to establish public transit. Digital materials in this collection include 37 digitized scrapbooks and 2 oral histories. Scrapbooks were compiled and arranged chronologically by the Odoms’ daughter, Dr. Barbara Odom-Wesley. They contain primarily photographs, greeting cards, programs, and other types of materials related to the Odom Family and Elzie Odom's tenure as Mayor of Arlington.
Appraisal Information:
none
Accruals:
No further accruals are expected.
Arrangement:
Scrapbooks are arranged numerically, and chronologically thereunder.
Conditions Governing Access:
Open for research.
Conditions Governing Use:
none
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements:
Born-digital materials held by UTA Libraries Special Collections must be accessed online through the UTA Digital Archive.
Other Finding Aid:
The collection finding aid can be found on the Texas Archival Resources Online website.
Location of Originals:
UTA Libraries, Special Collections.
Alternative Form Available:
Scrapbooks were digitized and materials including photographs, greeting cards, and programs were removed from their original housing for preservation. All physical materials, including the deconstructed scrapbooks, are available for research at UTA Special Collections.
Related Material:
Digitized scrapbooks and oral histories correspond to analog material in the Elzie and Ruby Odom Papers (AR783).
Bibliography:
none
Other Descriptive Data:
Preferred Citation: Elzie and Ruby Odom Papers, AR783, UTA Digital Archives: https://uta.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/SO_b4d8fb79-b262-4103-a380-e1695676f347/, Access date, Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Libraries
Processing Information:
This collection was processed and finding aid written by William J. Hansard and Priscilla Escobedo. Digital scans of the scrapbooks were processed by Kathryn Slover.
