Oral History Interview with Tracy Campbell

Object Details

Names: Post Office Building (Washington, D.C.); Saint Elizabeths Hospital (Washington, D.C.); St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church (Washington, D.C.); Campbell, Tracy Franklin, 1895-1984; Hoffman, Elzie S., 1872-1946; Koontz, Wilbur Ledru, 1902-1982; St. Philip's Episcopal Church
Collection Creator: Anacostia Community Museum

Topic: African American men; African Americans; Community Organizations; Anacostia Neighborhood Museum; exhibit

See more items in: Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records; Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records / Series 2: Interviews

Sponsor: Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).

Extent: 1 Sound recording ((1 sound disk CD-R (00:22:54). digital, 16-bit 44.1 KhZ)); 1 Sound recording ((1 data disk DVD-R digital, 24-bit 96kHz WAV. ))); 1 Sound recording ((1 sound cassette (00:22:54)))

Type: Archival materials; Audio; Sound recordings; Oral histories (document genres)

Collection Citation: Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Collection Rights: Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Scope and Contents note: Tracy Franklin Campbell, a white man born around 1895, recalls his time in Anacostia after moving there in 1921. Topics of discussion include neighborhood demographics, public education, recreation, church, and politics. He talks about segregation and racial tension in Anacostia; however, he recalls how everyone had to do business together because the neighborhood was so small. He discusses residents' employment with the government as well as at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, the U.S. Post Office Building in D.C., and the Navy Yard. Campbell provides information about local churches and their congregations, such as St. Teresa's Church, St. Philip's Church, and Anacostia Methodist Church, as well as about community organizations he was a part of, such as Eastern Star and the Lion's Club. He lists prominent community members, including George Frazier, Elzie Hoffman, Ledru Koontz, George Mayo, and Lorenzo Thompson. He concludes the interview discussing the current problems of Anacostia and how much it has changed since he was younger regarding demographics and crime. Tracy Franklin Campbell was interviewed on March 10, 1971 by an unnamed volunteer or staff member at the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now the Anacostia Community Museum). Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for some parts.

Restrictions: Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.