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Alford Family Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MG Nwk Alford

Scope and Contents

This collection seems to center around George and Roberta Alford; however, there are items that also relate to other members of Frontier’s and the African American community, likely obtained by the Alfords. Box #1 contains five folders and an album. Folder #1 contains Frontier’s and Women’s Auxiliary material (mostly Newark) including speeches, reports, programs, fliers, clippings, receipts and correspondence. It also includes an international 1995-1996 membership directory listing Alford, Snead and Stalks. It includes the Corporate Resolution for the Women’s Auxiliary (1971) and the Alfords’ certificates of membership. Folder #2 contains Misc. Papers including clippings, programs (Zion Hill Baptist Church, National Council for Negro Women, Jersey Boys 1946), a NYC theater ticket, a certificate from George Alford’s time in the Army (crossing the Equator / crossing the line), two issues of Essex Plaza News (1984), a resolution honoring Hickman Holmes, and a Boys Club Bronze keystone award given to Sally Carroll (1988). Folder #3 contains Misc. Photos including snapshots, candids, and posed photos of George Alford and family. Photos also include many Newark notables like Kenneth Gibson, the Frontiers Newark club and auxiliary, a posed photo of George Alford from the National Black Police Association convention, a 1945 signed photo of “The Two Aristocrats of Comedy”, a modeling sheet for William Elliott, and a signed photo of a soldier (LeRoy?) being kissed by two women (Olga and Natalie). Folder #4 (disassembled album) is a Frontier’s Women’s auxiliary album covering c. 1987. Folder #5 (disassembled album) covers George Alford’s police career and includes him posing with various Newark officials, events in his career, several clippings, at least one award certificate, and a retirement program. Album #1 includes a wedding and travel (beaches, lakes, palm trees) George Alford and Larrie Stalks can be spotted in the photos. It also includes photos of a house. The oversized box includes panoramic photos of the 10th -11th Annual Awards Breakfasts in Newark (Essex house 1967, Military Park Hotel 1968) and a Unidentified Frontier’s meeting in 1974.

Dates

  • 1944 - 1995

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers wishing to publish reproduce, or reprint materials from this collection must obtain permission.

Biographical / Historical

This collection is about George and Roberta Alford who were heavily involved in Frontier's Newark.

Frontier's Newark

The club was a branch of Frontier’s International which is an African-American service organization. It was launched in 1952 and shut down in 2011. Members included well known African American Newark residents like William Ashby, Frederick Stalks, and James Churchman. James Snead, who is mentioned in the collection, was also a member and close to Stalks and Alford.

George and Roberta Alford

George Alford was born in 1924 in Newark, NJ to Peter Alford and Kim Williams. During World War II he served in the Navy from Sept 1943 to Dec 1945. Afterwards, he completed a 1 year police work course at Spadea Criminology School in Newark and was appointed in the police department in 1951. He spent nine years as a radio patrol officer in the West District. In 1960 he was assigned to the Bandit Squad, and in 1961 transferred to the Homicide Division. In 1971 he was honored as Man of the Year by African American police organization Batons, Inc.

In October 1960 George married Roberta Emerson, daughter of Howard Emerson and Rose Baldwin.

George was one of 12 original charter members of the Batons. He also was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1439, Police Benevolent Association, Bronze Shields, North East Region of the National Black Police, and Frontier’s International, all based in Newark. He was sergeant-of-arms for Frontier’s for 25 years.

Roberta worked as a group manager for New Jersey Bell. She was president of the advisory board of the West Side Boys and Girls Club, co-chairwoman of the Central Ward Girls Club and the ladies auxiliary of the Frontier’s. She was honored by the Council of Negro Women for community service in 1989.

In 1981 the Alfords moved to Maplewood. George died on January 18, 2000. He had one daughter Wanda Williams-Nunnally and a granddaughter Sheris Williams at the time of his death.

Extent

1.25 Linear Feet : Fileroom & Offsite

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

A collection of photo albums and other materials on the family of George and Roberta Alford and Frontier’s International, Newark branch.

Physical Location

Oversized box is offsite.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donation of Irene Daniels

Related Materials

MG Nwk Police and MG Nwk Police Department cover police in Newark. There are also many books searchable at catalog.npl.org, including a 4 vol. scrapbook The History of Newark N.J. Police Chiefs (363.20922 H6297) which includings clippings and photos through 1969. The document collection contains Police Department annual reports and other documents. The CFCNJIC has a lot of material on African Americans in Newark, some of which is digital at http://digital.npl.org . Archival collections can be searched at http://nap.rutgers.edu MG Kukla and MG Ashby have limited material from the Newark Frontiers

Separated Materials

Issues of Fronteirsman national publication were removed to JBAAR.

Processing Information

Albums were dissembled and put into acid-free folders. For George Alford’s career album, photos were removed from pages when possible and numbered the order they were in the album (four marked “Out of Order” as there was an error in disassembly and their order could not be determined). For the Frontier’s album, pages were left intact and numbered as to order in the album. Blank pages were discarded. The third album could not be dissembled.

Author
Beth Zak-Cohen
Date
2019
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Charles F. Cummings New Jersey Information Center, Newark Public Library Repository

Contact:
3rd Floor
Newark Public Library
5 Washington St.
Newark NJ 07102 United States
973-733-7775