Category Archives: Prominent figures

Robert Goza (African-American history interviews)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

Robert Goza, a Missouri native, moved to Springfield in 1952 after marrying Marian Ritchie.  He was an early accounting computer specialist with the state of Illinois and active in Scouting and the NAACP.  In an interview for the Springfield African-American … Continue reading →

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Marian Goza (African-American history interviews)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

Marian Goza, a Springfield native, spent 38 years as a medical technologist at Memorial Medical Center. In an interview for the Springfield African-American History Foundation series, she discussed her career, her family, and involvement in Scouting and the NAACP.

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Jessie Mae Finley (African-American history interviews)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

Born in Springfield, Danville (see below — ed.), Jessie Mae Finley (1906-2006) was a talented musician and founder of the Voices of Love, Joy and Peace. She also worked for the state of Illinois. Finley was named Springfield’s First Citizen in 1976. In … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Arts and letters, Ethnic groups, First Citizens, Prominent figures | 7 Comments

Rudy Davenport (African-American history series)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

Born in Georgia in 1928, Rudy Davenport grew up in Chicago, graduated from Roosevelt University, and moved to Springfield in 1966.  He worked for the State of Illinois and was an active volunteer with the NAACP. Davenport was one of … Continue reading →

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Ted Curtis (African-American history interviews)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

Ted Curtis, a Springfield native and U.S. Air Force veteran, became a real estate agent and later assistant real estate commissioner for the state of Illinois.  He served on the Springfield School Board for 10 years and was active in … Continue reading →

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John Crisp (African-American history interviews)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

John Crisp, a Springfield artist and jazz musician, discussed growing up in the John Hay Homes housing project, performing as a musician, and teaching music and art to youth in an interview for the Springfield African-American History Foundation series. 

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Bettie Allen (African-American history interviews))

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

Born in Springfield, Bettie Allen began working as a mechanic as a teenager and continued into adulthood, while also working for state government  She volunteered in the South, doing voter registration and civil rights work, in the 1960s. In an … Continue reading →

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Springfield African-American History Foundation interviews

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

As of late 2015, the Springfield African-American History Foundation, in conjunction with the oral history efforts of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, had published interviews with 30 black residents of Springfield. Those interviews can be found here. Interviewees are: Adams, Rosia: … Continue reading →

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Harry Loper (Springfield race riot)

Posted on September 7, 2014 by editor

Harry Loper, a successful white restaurateur, owned one of the few motorcars in Springfield in 1908. So when Sangamon County Sheriff Charles Werner wanted to move two black accused murderers out of the county jail before a white mob stormed the facility, … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Disasters, Local government, Prominent figures, Race riot of 1908, Restaurants | Leave a comment

Elizabeth Brown Ide

Posted on August 14, 2014 by editor

Elizabeth Brown Ide (1873-1978), who was born into money and married more, could have been merely a socialite. Instead, she became Springfield’s most prominent children’s advocate during the early 20th century. Ide’s parents were Christopher Brown and Caroline Owsley Brown, … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Medicine, Prominent figures, Public health, Social services, Springfield Survey, Women | Tagged , | 6 Comments