Collections

The Nancie Thomas collection consists of newspapers, mailers, fliers, invitations, tickets, promotional ephemera and memorabilia, business and membership cards, T-shirts, and photographs related to the Kansas City LGBTQ+ community. Emphasis is on items related to Kansas City gay and lesbian bars and their sponsored events in the late 1970s and 1980s.

The Crowley collection dates from the 1960s to 1980s, and includes photographs and printed materials printed by and/or relating to the establishments and performers at various Kansas City bars/night clubs, including: the Jewel Box, Cat Balleu, Yum Yum Club, Pink Garter, Trocadero Club, and Arabian Nights (aka “The Tent”). Included are photographs of Crowley with coworkers and friends with an emphasis on impersonator’s snapshots and publicity head shots; printed material about and by various clubs (including a cocktail napkin from The Inferno, postcards from the Jewel Box, souvenir match books for several clubs; and, a couple of local magazines, including two copies of Town Squire with Jewel Box impersonators on the cover as a feature story); calendars Crowley kept of her tips; and, a small selection of matter relating to Kansas City Jazz favorites, Bettye Miller and Milt Abel, as well as bass player, Roy Johnson, whom Crowley “went with” for many years (Crowley said Johnson was in Lionel Hamptons’ band at Truman’s 1948 Inauguration). Much of the material had previously belonged to Crowley’s friend, Mike Sackett, and included information and images of him and his partner John Tod Hunter.

The Pat Billings Collection was a gift of Lea Hopkins in March 2022. It is largely comprised of visual aids, newspaper clippings, photographs, awards and certificate.

The PFLAG-KC Collection was a gift of Paul Hough on behalf of the Board of the Kansas City Chapter of PFLAG, in March 2011. The Collection contains a near-comprehensive set (spanning 1994-2009) of the Monthly Newsletters from the KC Chapter of PFLAG, as well as a few from other regional Chapters. There are also many Flyers, Brochures, Booklets, and other documents pertaining to Frequently Asked Questions and General Information regarding LGBT issues, as well as LGBT Resources and information about various Organizations. In addition, the collection contains Articles, Magazines and Periodicals, and miscellaneous Flyers, Business Cards and Bookmarks. One portion of the collection consists solely of various Flyers, Brochures, Booklets, Articles, Lectures, Teaching Guides, and Books, all dealing with issues involving the Religious Right. On the whole, the collection is a significant source of information for those that have any interest in LGBT rights, or advocacy issues.

The Prime Timers of Kansas City Collection was donated to the Department of Special Collections in May of 2018. It contains operational proceedings relating to the organization from 2003-2010. It includes the organization’s bylaws, meeting minutes, rosters, and newsletters.

The collection is comprised of one photograph and four award plaques. The photograph includes all the performers, and is autographed with their stage names. One of the plaques lists both the stage names and the given names of the troupe members.

The Scoop Phillips Collection was gifted in December 2009 to LaBudde Special Collections by Jim Phillips, his brother. The collection dates from 1966 to 1992 and contains primarily material related to the gay community in Kansas City, including a number of essays Phillips published while at Park College that address various aspects of gay life in Kansas City and the Midwest. Also included are local and national publications, materials related to the Pink Triangle Political Coalition, and documentation of the National Planning Conference of Homophile Organizations, held in Kansas City in February of 1966. Materials have been divided into nine series categories.

The Steven Case Collection was a gift of Case in September 2018 and consists of personal and professional correspondence, court filings, witness deposition transcripts, newspaper clips, position statements, presentation resources, and other materials related to the Annie on My Mind case, especially the involvement of Steven Case; it also includes two maps.

The Steven R. Pierce Collection was gifted in July 2010 to LaBudde Special Collections by Pierce. The collection ranges in dates from 1983-1993 and contains a plethora of information dealing with the AIDS epidemic during a period when there was much trepidation and ignorance regarding this disease. The materials within this collection are focused on education; myth busting and bringing overall awareness to the forefront.