M90-01 – MADGE CLAYTON COLLECTION

This collection contains personal correspondence between the donor and her family and friends, memorabilia, photographs, newspaper clippings and diaries.  The bulk of the letters were written to Madge Wade during her years at college, first at Ouachita Baptist College from 1923-1926 and then at Columbia University in 1930-1931. However, the collection does contain some letters she wrote to her parents during the above mentioned years.  The memorabilia includes various holiday greeting cards and birth announcements, 1923-1936.  The photographs and newspaper clippings represent different subjects, while the diaries focus on the daily life and observations of Madge Wade during her stay at OBC and Colombia and later. Included with the diaries are undated verses of poems written by the donor.

Madge Wade was born October 2, 1905, the first daughter of Rev. Oscar Jefferson and Clara Davies Wade.  They, along with Ada Clare, another daughter, lived in Texarkana, Arkansas as well as other cities.  Madge’s father was a prominent Baptist minister who preached to various congregations including the large Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock.  She graduated from Texarkana High School in 1923 and immediately entered Ouachita Baptist College in Arkadelphia where she earned a degree in organ in 1926.  A year later she received an AB in English.  Madge taught at Stamps for one year (1927-1928) and at El Dorado for two (1928-1930).  In 1930 she entered Colombia University in New York and received her masters in language (with an emphasis on Latin) in 1931.  She taught at OBC until 1935 when she married James Edgar Clayton of Conway.

Madge did not teach again until about 1945 when she began teaching Latin part-time at Conway High School. In 1947 she also began to teach French half-time.  Madge continued to teach at Conway until her retirement in 1970, nine years after her husband died.  She lived in Conway on Caldweld Street until 1987 when she moved to Parkway Village in Little Rock, a retirement home.

NOTE: When requesting material, please specify collection number [M90-01], box number, and file number.

 

Box 1

File 1 – Correspondence, 1923

File 2 – Correspondence, 1924-1926

File 3 – Correspondence, January-February 1927

File 4 – Correspondence, June 1927

File 5 – Correspondence, July 1927

File 6 – Correspondence, August-September 1927

File 7 – Correspondence, October-December 1927

File 8 – Correspondence, January-March 1928

File 9 – Correspondence, April-December 1928

File 10- Correspondence, 1929

File 11- Correspondence, January-March 1930

File 12- Correspondence, April-August 1930

File 13- Correspondence, September 1930

File 14- Correspondence, October-December 1930

File 15- Correspondence, January-March 1931

File 16- Correspondence, April-December 1931

File 17- Correspondence, 1932-1935

File 18- Correspondence, 1941-1954

File 19- Correspondence, 1960-1970

File 20- Correspondence, 1979-1987

File 21- Correspondence, Undated

End of Box 1

 

Box 2

File 1 – Diary, May 29, 1923- November 26, 1925

File 2 – Diary, November 27, 1925- September 12, 1926

File 3 – Diary, September 26, 1926- December 9, 1926

File 4 – Diary, December 10, 1926- March 31, 1927

File 5 – April 1, 1927- September 9, 1927

File 6 – Diary, September 22, 1927

File 7 – Diary, February 1, 1928- April 7, 1928

File 8 – Diary, April 8, 1928- June 19, 1928

File 9 – Diary, June 20, 1928- December 9, 1928

File 10- Diary, 1935

File 11- Memorabilia, 1923-1927

File 12- Memorabilia, 1930-1936

File 13- Poetry, Undated

File 14- Newspaper Clippings & Photograph 1930-1970

Env 1 – Dale Ward

End of Box 2

End of Collection