Description: The caption reads: " 'Never too old to learn!' Carrie Kirk, an ex-slave who is 101 years of age, is a regular student in a WPA literacy class in Sterling Library, Cleveland. "Mother Kirk," as she is known to the other class members, was born on March 31, 1837, on a plantation in West Virginia. During the Civil War, her master sold her services for $100 a year as a seamstress in a large factory in Charlotte where she made Confederate uniforms. She is the mother of 16 children. she has lived in Cleveland for 18 years, having moved in 1920 from Richmond, Virginia." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B15F05_011_001
Subjects: Works Progress Administration; Older women; African American women--Ohio; Adult education--Ohio; Literacy; Former slaves
Places: Cleveland (Ohio); Cuyahoga County (Ohio)
 

Description: The exterior of a building at Antioch College. The sign in front of the building bears the name of the college. Antioch College dates all the way back to the middle of the 19th century when it was started by an opponent of slavery, Horace Mann. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06777
Subjects: Universities and colleges Ohio; Historic buildings--Ohio; Adult education--Ohio
Places: Yellow Springs (Ohio); Greene County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1950-1965, this photograph shows inmates at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in a social studies class. In 1911, the Ohio General Assembly authorized the establishment of a separate women’s penal institution. On September 1, 1916, the Ohio Reformatory for Women opened in Marysville, Ohio, with a population of 34 inmates. When Marguerite Reilley was appointed superintendent of the Reformatory in 1935, she found dirty and unkempt inmates with excessively restricted living habits. She instituted the “human being” program which provided recreation, entertainment, jobs, and vocational training for the inmates. State Archived Series 1679 AV consists of 234 photographs which illustrate daily life in the Ohio Reformatory for Women, as well as photographs of the buildings and grounds, superintendents Marguerite Reilley and Martha Wheeler, and notorious inmate Velma West. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1679AV_B01_F01_001
Subjects: Photography--Ohio; Ohio Reformatory for Women; Prisons; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Adult education--Ohio
Places: Marysville (Ohio); Union County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1950-1965, this photograph shows inmates at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in a typing class. In 1911, the Ohio General Assembly authorized the establishment of a separate women’s penal institution. On September 1, 1916, the Ohio Reformatory for Women opened in Marysville, Ohio, with a population of 34 inmates. When Marguerite Reilley was appointed superintendent of the Reformatory in 1935, she found dirty and unkempt inmates with excessively restricted living habits. She instituted the “human being” program which provided recreation, entertainment, jobs, and vocational training for the inmates. State Archived Series 1679 AV consists of 234 photographs which illustrate daily life in the Ohio Reformatory for Women, as well as photographs of the buildings and grounds, superintendents Marguerite Reilley and Martha Wheeler, and notorious inmate Velma West. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1679AV_B01_F01_002
Subjects: Photography--Ohio; Ohio Reformatory for Women; Prisons; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Adult education--Ohio
Places: Marysville (Ohio); Union County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads: "People at work & play - Alfred Murphy. Never too old to learn. That's the slogan of Alfred Murphy, 105 year old ex-slave, a pupil in a literary class conducted by the WPA in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Murphy lived 33 years in slavery, spent two years in the Confederate Army, throwing up breastwork. He was at Richmond when General Lee surrendered. Unemployed teachers, hired by the WPA, are teaching 9,000 Ohioans to read and write. Ohio has 320,000 illiterates, America, 3,200,000." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B15F05_008_001
Subjects: African American Ohioans; Students; Literacy; Works Progress Administration; Adult education--Ohio
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Engraved images of university buildings at National Normal University, from the "26th Annual Catalogue of the Teachers and Students of the National Normal University, Lebanon, 1881." The image shows the Pentonian, Tetartian, Academy, and Hexonian buildings. The National Normal University was established in 1855 to train teachers. Due to financial difficulties the university closed in 1917. Written across top: UNIVERSITY BUILDINGS. Below top left depiction: PENTONIAN. Below top right depiction: TETARTIAN. Below center depiction: ACADEMY. Below bottom depiction: HEXONIAN. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL03860
Subjects: Adult education--Ohio; Universities and colleges Ohio; College buildings
Places: Lebanon (Ohio); Warren County (Ohio)
 

Description: Engraved images of university buildings at National Normal University, from the "26th Annual Catalogue of the Teachers and Students of the National Normal University, Lebanon, 1881." The buildings depicted are Endetian, The Principal's Residence, Heptoitian, and Duodecian. The National Normal University was established in 1855 to train teachers. Due to financial difficulties the university closed in 1917. Written at top: UNIVERSITY BUILDINGS. Below top depiction: ENDETIAN. Below center depiction: THE PRINCIPAL'S RESIDENCE. Below bottom left depiction: HEPTOITIAN. Below bottom right depiction: DUODECIAN. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL03861
Subjects: Adult education--Ohio; Universities and colleges Ohio; College buildings
Places: Lebanon (Ohio); Warren County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows African Americans in an adult literacy class in Toledo, Ohio, provided by the Works Progress Administration. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, which administered literacy and arts programs to help the unemployed learn new and valuable skills. One of the primary goals of the Federal Writers' Project was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F03_01_001
Subjects: Freedmen--United States; Adult education--Ohio--Columbus; Literacy programs--Ohio--Columbus; African Americans; Works Progress Administration; Ohio Federal Writers' Project
Places: Toledo (Ohio); Lucas County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows African Americans participating in an adult literacy class in Uhrichsville, Ohio, provided by the Works Progress Administration. The class probably took place in someone's home. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, which administered literacy and arts programs to help the unemployed learn new and valuable skills. One of the primary goals of the Federal Writers' Project was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F03_03_001
Subjects: Freedmen--United States; Adult education--Ohio--Columbus; Literacy programs--Ohio--Columbus; African Americans; Works Progress Administration; Ohio Federal Writers' Project
Places: Uhrichsville (Ohio); Tuscarawas County (Ohio)
 

Description: In this photograph, Alfred Murphy, an ex-slave, participates in an adult literacy class as an older man. The reverse of the photograph reads "People at work + play." This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, which administered literacy and arts programs to help the unemployed learn new and valuable skills. One of the primary goals of the Federal Writers' Project was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B10F08_025_001
Subjects: Freedmen--United States; Adult education--Ohio--Columbus; Literacy programs--Ohio--Columbus; African Americans; Works Progress Administration; Ohio Federal Writers' Project
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)