]> PUBLIC "-//The New York Public Library//TEXT (US::NN::Sc MG 430::Olivia Pleasants Frost Papers, 1937-1994)//ENG" "scmfrost.xml" Inventory of the Olivia Pleasants Frost Papers, 1937-1994 Processed by Janice Quinter; Machine-readable finding aid created by Apex Data Services; revised by Terry Catapano.

Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Apex Data Services, April 1999. Revised by Terry Catapano May 2000 Description is in English October 16, 2006 EAD v1.0 finding aid converted to EAD 2002 using UC Berkeley's eadv1to2002.pl perl script. Inventory of the Olivia Pleasants Frost Papers, 1937-1994 Sc MG 430 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture The New York Public Library New York, New York Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. New York Public Library. 515 Malcolm X Boulevard New York, NY 10037-1801 (212) 491-2224 scmarbref@nypl.org http://nypl.org/research/sc/scm/marb.html Processed by: Janice Quinter Date Completed: 1994 Encoded By: Apex Data Services; Terry Catapano

Descriptive Summary Olivia Pleasants Frost Papers, 1937-1994 Sc MG 430 Frost, Olivia Pleasants 16 archival boxes. (6.8 linear feet The New York Public Library Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture English Administrative Information Source

Gift of Olivia P. Frost, 1991

SCM91-59

Biographical Note

Olivia Pleasants Frost, sociologist, educator, administrator and research consultant for educational, social service and community-based organizations, was born in 1915 in New Jersey and raised in Washington, D.C. and New York City. She received her bachelor's degree in 1936 from Hunter College, City University of New York, and in 1951 obtained her master of arts degree in sociology from Columbia University. She later undertook doctoral studies at the School of Education of New York University and was awarded the Ph.D. in 1972.

In her professional career, Dr. Frost held numerous positions with governmental, educational, social service and civil rights organizations primarily in their research departments. Her research and program specialities were in the areas of housing discrimination, education and training of black youth, employment and labor, day care, and multi-problem families. Her responsibililties often included program development and evaluation.

At the start of her career, during the late 1930s and early 1940s, Dr. Frost worked for several governmental agencies preparing reports on labor supply, national income, and wages for unionized workers. From 1945-1949, she served as the Research Secretary for the New York Urban League (NYUL), where she investigated and prepared reports on black life in Queens and Harlem for its black residents, as well as on day care facilities, housing and education. In 1965 she returned to the NYUL, this time as the Director of Research. Among her responsibilities in the latter position was the development of studies which were to be used as the basis for NYUL programs and to coordinate research activities with program activities.

From 1950 to 1956 Frost was the Director of Research for the Harlem Mortgage and Improvement Council and worked with the chairman/founder, George T. Davis, who was one of the forces behind the development of the residential complex at 345 West 145 Street built by the Bowery Bank. At HMIC one of her projects involved the investigation of the realty investment market in Harlem and the policies of savings banks towards making loans in that community, which was also the subject of her master's thesis. During the 1950s she also worked for the volunteer organization, Committee on Civil Rights in East Manhattan, which focussed on relieving discrimination in housing and restaurant services.

In 1962 through 1963, Dr. Frost was employed as a Research Associate for the Community Council of Greater New York, supervising a study of unmarried mothers who kept their first child. From there, Dr. Frost moved to HARYOU (Harlem Youth Opportunities Unlimited) where she was Senior Research Associate (1963-1964). Her responsibilities in that capacity included writing two chapters on demographic patterns and employment for the research document, “Youth in the Ghetto.” In addition, she worked for HARYOU-ACT as Associate Research Director for six months (June-December 1964). As the Director of Research and Program Evaluation for Bedford-Stuyvesant Youth in Action (1965-1968), Frost complied and analyzed data describing activities sponsored by the organization, including a training program entitled, “A Light is Shining in the Ghetto.”

Frost developed her own consulting business, the Olivia Frost Research Associates (OFRA), in the late 1960s. The firm provided technical assistance to community-based organizations serving minority groups, and specialized in survey research, program planning and evaluation. Among the firm's clients were the Council on Interracial Books, National Council of Negro Women, and the Young Men's Christian Association, Harlem Branch. Frost also worked as a consultant for two Columbia University programs: the Columbia University Center for Community Education at Teacher's College, 1971; and the Columbia University School of Library Science, where she evaluated the master's degree library media program, 1973-1974. As a research consultant from 1973 to 1974 for the Metropolitan Applied Research Center which was founded and directed by Kenneth and Mamie Clarke, Frost assisted in developing the research design which was submitted to the Manpower Administration of the Department of Labor under the title “Adolescent Minority Females in an Urban Labor Market,” 1973.

Although the head of her own consultant firm, Frost continued to hold staff positions with other organizations. In 1968, she became the Research Associate for the Development and Training Center for the Distributive Trades of District 65, the retail, wholesale and department store union. In this position, she administered psychological and other tests to trainees in the program. From 1971-1977, Dr. Frost was associated with the City University of New York, primarily working with the SEEK (Search for Excellence in Education and Knowledge) Program. She was hired as a consultant at City College in 1971 and developed plans for evaluative procedures for counselors in the SEEK Program. At SEEK Central, she was employed from 1972-1975 as Director of Program Development and coordinated efforts for the development of procedures for assessing the SEEK program at the ten senior colleges. In 1975 she assumed the position of Associate Professor at Medgar Evers College in the Office of Institutional Research. Her responsibilities were to coordinate all research efforts, college-wide. Frost was not reappointed to this position in 1977 and subsequently joined in a class action suit against the City University of New York (Melani et al v. the Board of Higher Education of the City University of New York) which charged the university with discrimination against women.

Frost has been an active member of the community most of her adult life. She has served on several boards, committees or been a member of many New York City civic and professional organizations, principally those impacting on the lives of black people. Some of the organizations to which she gave her support include the Coalition of 100 Black Women, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Urban League, New York City Association of Social Workers, National Association of Black Social Workers, Association of Black Women in Higher Education, Queensboro Tuberculosis and Health Association, and the Schomburg Corporation.

Olivia Frost was married to Charles Frost and has three children, Carolyn Olivia, James Williams and Charles S., Jr.

Scope and Content

The Olivia Pleasants Frost Papers, 1937-1994, provide information on Dr. Frost's career as a research consultant to numerous social organizations and educational institutions. The collection does not consist of the records of the organizations for which she worked, but rather documents her work and role with these organizations. The reports, articles and papers she wrote have been placed with the organizations for which they were created. Her master's thesis and doctoral dissertation and research leading to the latter are included.

Organization

The collection is divided into the following series and subseries:

Personal Papers, 1937-1994 Box 1 Professional Employment & Affiliations Box 2 Consultancies Box 10 Organizations, 1949-1986 Box 12 Education Box 13 Subject Files, 1950-1979 Box 15 Series Descriptions/Container List Personal Papers

The PERSONAL PAPERS series, 1937-1994 (.4 lin. ft.) consists primarily of autobiographical information Frost prepared for various purposes such as resumes and letters concerning employment (mainly 1972-1983). In addition, the series contains family papers and certificates.

1 1 Personal Papers 1 2 Family Papers 1 3 Certificates 1 4 Biographical Information 1 5 Resumes 1 6 Resume Preparation Letters - Employment 1 7 1941-1957, 1974 1 8 1972-1976 1 9 1977 1 10 1979 1 11 1978-1980 1 12 1979-1983 1 13 Politicians Frost Supported, 1970-1977 Professional Employment And Affiliations

The PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT AND AFFILIATIONS series (3 lin.ft.) is the largest, spanning the years 1937-1988 and covers nearly every position Frost held during her career. The first five positions represented in the collection were with government agencies and contain some personnel documents. In two cases, the National Research Project and the U.S. Department of Commerce files, examples of reports and studies she prepared are also included.

2 1 National Research Project, 1937-1941 2 2 New York State Department of Labor Division of Placement and Unemployment Insurance, 1941 2 3 National Bureau of Economic Research, 1942 2 4 United States Department of Commerce 2 5 National War Labor Board - Wage Stabilization Division, 1943 New York Urban League

The files for the New York Urban League, 1939-1966, 1993 covering the two separate periods Frost worked for the NYUL include several reports she wrote about blacks living in Harlem and Queens, the need for day care and psychiatric facilities for blacks, the housing market, and an unwed mothers program. There is also a study defining the mission of the NYUL research department, administrative papers such as minutes, annual reports and summaries of activities for the research department.

2 6 Personnel, 1939-1979 2 7 Minutes, 1947, 1965 2 8 Correspondence, 1958-1993 2 9 “The Role and Mission of the Research Department in the New York Urban League,” 1964 2 10 Planned Programs, 1965-1966 2 11 Annual Reports, 1946, 1964-1965 2 12 Research Department - Summaries of Activities, 1946-1948, 1965 2 13 Staff Report, 1947 Reports 3 1 “Negro Students Attending Medical School in the United States 1945 School Year,” ca. 1946 3 2 “An Analysis of the Characteristics of the Population in Central Harlem,” Report, 1946 3 3 “Aspects of Negro Life in the Borough of Queens,” 1947 3 4 “A Study of Psychiatric Personnel and Facilities, and Opportunities for Training in Psychiatry Available to the Negro in the United States,” 1947 3 5 “There is a Need for a State University” - Report, 1947 3 6 “Daycare Facilities Accessible to Negro Children in Central Harlem, and Upper Riverside - Lower Washington Heights,” 1948 3 7 City Services in Congested Areas, 1948 3 8 “An Untapped Housing Market,” 1948 Program Direction Conference 3 9-10 “Working Papers,” May 1948 3 11 Highlights 3 12 “A Guide to Community Action for the Local Church Committee of the Bronx Borough” - Report, 1949 3 13 Educational Issues, 1962-1966 3 14 Unwed Mother's Program, 1965 3 15 Economic Improvement - Report, 1965 3 16 “An Over View of the Economic and Social Situation of the Negro in New York City” 3 17 Miscellaneous Notes, n.d. 3 18 Newsclippings, 1946-1951 Harlem Mortgage and Improvement Council

The Harlem Mortgage and Improvement Council files, 1950-1957, include two of Frost's reports, “Harlem: A Neglected Investment Opportunity” and “Some Sociological Aspects of The Realty Investment Market in New York's Harlem,” which was also the topic of her master's thesis for Columbia University. There are also drafts of her articles, notes, news clippings, and reports prepared by other researchers.

4 1 Correspondence, Annual Plan, Lists, etc., 1950-1962 4 2 “Harlem: A Neglected Investment Opportunity” - Report, 1951 4 3 “Some Sociological Aspects of the Realty Investment Market in New York's Harlem” - Report, 1951 4 4 Reports, 1952-1977 4 5 Annual Dinner Programs, 1951-1957 4 6-7 Drafts of Articles, Notes 4 8-9 Newsclippings Committee on Civil Rights in East Manhattan

The files for the Committee on Civil Rights in East Manhattan, 1951-1978, 1993, relate primarily to two surveys which were designed to assess progress in the area of discrimination against blacks in restaurants and rental apartments on the eastside of Manhattan during the 1950s and '60s. Documents include discussions of the methodology to be used in conducting the surveys, Frost's article about CCREM, newsletters and other printed matter.

5 1 Statement of Purpose, General Information 5 2 Correspondence, 1955-1973, 1993 5 3 Restaurant Survey, 1951-1959 Housing Issues 5 4 1955 5 5 1956-1966 5 6 Tributes to Edna Merson, Founder of CCREM - Obituary 5 7 “CCREM-Grass Roots in the Big City,” 1958 “Scoreboard” - Newsletter 5 8 1955-1958 5 9 1959-1966 5 10 Printed Matter, 1956-1978 New York City Youth Board

Frost's main contribution to the New York City Youth Board, 1956-1962, as represented in the collection, are her reports on the multi-problem family. Research proposals and case studies round out this file.

6 1 Personnel, Correspondence, 1956-1961 6 2 “A Study of Some of the Characteristics of 150 Multi-Problem Families,” 1957 6 3 Research Proposal and Plan for Study of Multi-Problem Family, 1957 6 4 Correspondence, 1958-1960 6 5 Case Studies of Six Families, 1959

(Restricted until 2084)

The Multi-Problem Family Research Project 6 6 Progress Report on the Work of the Trained Social Worker,” 1959 6 7 The Work of an Experienced Social Worker Without Professional Training - Draft, 1960 6 8 “The Experience of a Professionally Untrained Worker”, 1961 6 9 Research Proposal for Interdepartmental Neighborhood Service Center 6 10 “An Experiment in Predicting Juvenile Delinquency,” 1961-1962 6 11 Proposal to U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, 1962 6 12 Research Proposal for Bronx Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, n.d. 6 13 “Plan for the Demonstration Project of the A.C. Powell Community Program for the Youth of Harlem”, n.d. 6 14 Newsletters, Articles, Newsclippings, 1959-1961 6 15 Community Council of Greater New York, 1962-1965 Harlem Youth Opportunities Unlimited

Included in the HARYOU and HARYOU-ACT files, 1962-1966, 1979, are reports and memoranda Frost prepared as a research associate for HARYOU, HARYOU-ACT and the HARYOU-ACT Community Corporation, and correspondence. Also filed there is Frost's draft of the “1970 Master Plan Strategy for Program Development for the Central Harlem Community” which was done for the HARYOU-ACT Community Corporation, and a speech she made in 1979 about the youth training program she developed for HARYOU, which was presented in “Youth in the Ghetto.” The two chapters she wrote for the report can be found in the file. There is also information (memos and newsclippings) about HARYOU's effectiveness and the controversy that surrounded the program during the late 1960s.

7 1 HARYOU, 1962-1964 7 2 HARYOU-ACT, 1964-1967 7 3 “Youth in The Ghetto,” 1964, 1979 7 4 “The Neighborhood Board Proposal for Community and Social Development” - Report, 1965 HARYOU-ACT Community Corporation 7 5 1969-1974 7 6 Master Plan Strategy for Program Development for the Central Harlem Community, 1970 Bedford-Stuyvesant Youth in Action

The Bedford-Stuyvesant Youth in Action files, 1965-1970, contain programs and reports concerning the research aide training program, “A Light is Shining in the Ghetto,” Frost was associated with. Additionally, there is an evaluation of a Headstart program, summer program reports, a senior citizen survey, a young mothers program report, a proposal and evaluation for a Youth Leadership Institute, program and statistical reports, a skill training questionnaire, memoranda and notes.

8 1 Memorandum and Letter, 1965 8 2 Correspondence, Program, Speech, 1966 “A Light is Shining in the Ghetto” 8 3 Research Aide Training Program 8 4-5 1966 8 6 Evaluation of Summer Headstart Program, 1966 8 7 Summer Program Reports, 1966 8 8 Senior Citizen Survey, 1966 9 1 Young Mothers Program - Reports, 1966 9 2 Evaluations, Studies, Newsclippings, 1966 9 3 Memoranda and Correspondence, 1967 9 4 Youth Leadership Institute, 1967 9 5 Program and Statistical Reports, January-November, 1967 9 6 Statistical Summary of Program Activities, December, 1967 9 7 Reports, Printed Material, 1967 9 8 Reports, 1967 9 9 Reports, Notes, and Invitations, 1968 9 10 Consultation and Review, by D.S.W., Inc., 1967 9 11 Memoranda, Notes, 1968 9 12 Skill Training Questionnaire, 1968 9 13 Evaluation of Youth Leadership Institute, 1968 9 14 Notes, 1968 9 15 1969 9 16 1970 9 17 Printed Matter, n.d. District 65, Development and Training Center for the Distributive Trades 9 18 Report, 1968 9 19 Notes and Correspondence, 1968 9 20 Student Manual, 1968 City University of New York

The City University of New York files, 1972-1985, include some of her reports and memoranda regarding the SEEK Program. The Medgar Evers College material pertains to Frost's non-reappointment and consists primarily of letters she wrote soliciting support from CUNY professors and administrators and from politicians. There are also materials related to the class action suit, Melani et al v. The Board of Higher Education of the City University of New York, concerning the employment of women within the CUNY system.

City College 10 1 1972 City University of New York, SEEK Program 10 2 1972-1975 Medgar Evers College 10 3 1975 Non-Reappointment 10 4 January-April, 1977 10 5 May 1977-March 1978 10 6 Class Action Suit, 1978, 1984-1985 Consultancies

Consultancies, 1967-1988 (.6 lin. ft.). This subseries includes information on Olivia Frost Research Associates (OFRA) and other consultancies undertaken by Frost during this period. The OFRA files, 1969-1981, consists of research proposals, reports, correspondence, bills and related material for work performed by the consulting firm. Some of OFRA's clients represented in the collection include Council on Interracial Books, National Council of Negro Women and Young Men's Christian Association, Harlem Branch.

Columbia University, Teachers College Center for Community Education

The Columbia University files, 1967-1975, include a report and associated material for an evaluation Frost prepared for the Center for Community Education at Teacher's College, as well as a second evaluation she wrote for the Community Media Librarian Program of the School of Library Science. Both programs were geared to being more responsive to community needs.

10 7 Education Report, 1971 10 8 1967-1973 10 9 1968-1971 10 10 1971 Metropolitan Applied Research Center Adolescent Minority Females in an Urban Labor Market

Files for the Metropolitan Applied Research Center, 1970-1974, relate to a research project headed by Mamie Clark and Hylan Lewis, “Adolescent Minority Females in an Urban Labor Market,” which Frost participated in. The material includes correspondence, memoranda, progress reports, and drafts.

10 11 1970-1973 10 12 1974 Columbia University School of Library Science - Evaluation of Community Media Librarian Program 10 13 1973-1975 10 14 Final Report, 1973-1974 Olivia Frost Research Associates 11 1 1969-1976 11 2 1979 11 3 Brookdale Hospital Center, 1967-1971 11 4 Medical and Health Research Association of New York City, 1970 11 5 Post Operational Evaluation of Fordham University Pilot TTT Project, 1970 11 6 Atlanta Model Cities Program, 1971 11 7 Social Dimensional Associates, Inc., 1972-1973 11 8 City College, CUNY - Program Impact, 1974 11 9 Council on Interracial Books for Children, 1978 11 10 National Council of Negro Women, 1979 Young Men's Christian Association - Harlem Branch 11 11 1968-1979 11 12 1980, 1982 11 13 Program Management Support Systems, Inc., 1980 11 14 American Foundation for the Blind, 1980 11 15 City College, CUNY - Pre-Freshman Summer Program, 1984 College of New Rochelle 11 16-19 “Research Methods in Family History,” 1987 12 1 1987 12 2-3 “Structures of the City,” 1988 Organizations

The ORGANIZATION series, 1949-1986 (.3 lin. ft.), reflects Frost's interests as an active community member and professional. Material in this series includes correspondence, proposals reports and memoranda. Letters in the National Urban League files note her relationships with leaders within that organization including Lester Granger, Arnold T. Hill, director of research of the League, and Whitney Young. Files for the Career Center for Social Services of the Social Work Recruiting Center show Frost's role on the advisory committee to recruit black students to the field of social work.

12 4 Coalition of 100 Black Women, 1977 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 12 5 Jamaica Branch, 1952-1960 12 6 Mid-Manhattan Branch Education Committee, 1981-1986 12 7-9 Mid-Manhattan Branch Education Committee - Essay Contest, 1985 12 10 National Urban League, 1968 12 11 New York City Association of Black Social Workers, 1983 12 12 New York City Board of Education - Operation Reclaim, 1966-1974 12 13 New York State Women's Business Enterprise Study, 1985 12 14 Queensboro Tuberculosis and Health Association, 1949-1955 12 15 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 1980 12 16 Schomburg Commission for the Preservation of Black Culture, 1987 12 17 Schomburg Corporation, 1988 Social Work Recruiting Center (Career Center for Social Services) - Grant Proposal for Graduate Education for Minority Students 12 18 1966 12 19 1967 12 20 1967-1973 12 21 Urban and Rural Systems Associates, 1979 12 22 Women United for Civic Action, 1958 12 23 Women's City Club of New York, 1967 Education

The EDUCATION series, 1960-1977, (.6 lin. ft.) consists of files for her Columbia University Master's thesis, 1951, “Some Sociological Aspects of the Realty Market in New York's Harlem,” and for her dissertation from New York University, 1960-1978. The latter files consists of transcripts, papers submitted for coursework and incomplete drafts of her dissertation, “A Study of the Effect of Training Upon the Level of Occupational Aspirations and Upon Attitudes Toward Work for a Group of Young Negro Men from Low Income Families,” as well as interviews and preparatory material used in writing her dissertation. There is also administrative material regarding a grant she secured from the Manpower Administration, Department of Labor to fund her work on the dissertation.

13 1 Columbia University - Master's Thesis “Some Sociological Aspects of the Realty Investment Market in New York's Harlem,” 1951 New York University 13 2 Transcripts, 1960-1971 13 3 “A Planned Project To Establish a Parent-Teachers Association at Livingston School”, 1960-1961 Papers 13 4 1960-1963 13 5 1968-1969 13 6 Department of Educational Sociology and Anthropology - Administration, 1968 Dissertation 14 1-4 “A Study of the Effect of Training Upon the Level of Occupational Aspirations and Upon Attitudes Toward Work for a Group of Young Negro Men from Low Income Families” - Draft, 1972 14 5-6 Preparatory Material, 1959-1972 Grant from Manpower Administration - Department of Labor 14 7 1969-1971 14 8 1970-1971 14 9 1972-1975 14 10 Completion, 1970-1977 14 11 “The Effect of Training Upon Occupational Aspirations,” - Article, 1975 Subject Files

The SUBJECT FILES series, 1950-1979 (.2 lin. ft.) reflects two of Frost's research interests - discrimination in housing in New York City and upgrading education for African-American students in New York City. Copies of her speeches and conference participation are included in this series.

Discrimination in Housing in New York City 15 1 1954-1959 15 2 1976-1978 Education in New York City 15 3 1950-1955 15 4 1955-1966 15 5 W.E.B. Dubois, Frederick Douglas, 1971-1975 15 6 Speeches, Conferences, 1969-1979 Separation Record

The following items were removed from:

Name of Collection/Papers Olivia P. Frost Papers

Accession Number SCM 91-59

Donor: Olivia P. Frost

Date received: 1991, 5/3/94

Date transferred: 5/3/94, 8/16/94

The item(s) listed below have been sent to the division indicated, either to be retained or disposed of there. Any items that should receive special disposition are clearly marked.

Schomburg Art and Artifacts Division:

Greeting cards and news clipping re Tom Feelings; news clippings re Romare Bearden; invitation for Ademola Olugebefola and Humbert Howard

Schomburg Photographs and Print Division:

15 negatives, 11 copy prints, and 16 original photographs of the Pleasants family