Title: Eldon Murray Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1938-2007

Creator:

• Murray, Eldon

Call Number: UWM Manuscript Collection 256

Quantity:

• 4.2 cubic ft. (10 boxes)
• 7 safety film negatives
• 1,974 digital files (194 GB)

Repository:

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives Department

Archival Location:

UW-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives / Milwaukee Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Abstract:

Eldon Murray's papers include correspondence, photographs, writings, and files that document his pioneering role in the national gay rights movement. Collection also includes extensive clippings files compiled by Murray dating from 1947 to 1974 on the topic of homosexuality.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-mil-uwmmss0256

Eldon Murray was born on March 1, 1930 to Lawrence Gilbert Murray and Eleanor Agnes Murray (née Hobson) in Vincennes, Indiana. Eldon was the youngest of four children born to the couple, who had separated several months before his birth. Siblings included Rosalee, Robertine, and George. Upon graduating from Lincoln High School in 1948, he moved to Chicago, where he worked various jobs and, for a brief period, attended evening classes at Northwestern University. In September 1951, Murray enlisted in the U.S. Army, then served in Korea as a forward artillery officer. At the end of his service, he returned to Chicago and took up a career in finance. He lived there until the mid-1950s, when he relocated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In fall 1970, Murray attended meetings of the Gay Liberation Organization, a recently formed student organization at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, at which he met Alyn Hess, Donna Utke, Shelia Sullivan, and others who would become close friends and allies in the gay rights movement. In early 1971, GLO-UWM reorganized itself as the Gay Peoples Union and emphasized its identity as a resource for the entire local community. Distancing itself from the radical politics of the New Left, GPU adopted a politically moderate approach to social change, emphasizing education and legal reform. The organization actively embraced mainstream and alternative media outlets in order to educate the general public about homosexuality. Murray edited the organization's newsletter, GPU News, from 1971 to 1981; participated in the production of Gay Perspective, a half-hour radio program broadcast locally from 1971 to 1972; and spoke eloquently on the topic of gay rights at numerous public events.

Following the first reported cases of AIDS in Wisconsin in the early 1980s, Murray was instrumental in raising funds for the Milwaukee AIDS Project, which was later reorganized as the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin. In December 1993, he founded SAGE/Milwaukee, the first organization in Wisconsin dedicated to serving the needs of older gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. He served as the board chair from 1993 to 2003 and represented SAGE/Milwaukee on an advisory board to the Commissioners of the Milwaukee County Department on Aging.

Murray received local and national awards for his work in the LGBT community, such as Pridefest Milwaukee's Stonewall Award and the Human Rights League's Cream City Brick Award. He was elected to the Cream City Business Association's Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 1986. In 1998, ONE Institute and the International Gay and Lesbian Archives recognized him as one of thirty-two "pioneers of the movement."

Murray passed away on March 5, 2007, at the age of 77.

Murray's childhood and adolescence in Vincennes, Indiana is represented in grade school reports, high school yearbooks and related materials, and photographs. Incoming correspondence from the 1950s and 1960s sheds light on his relationship with his mother, Eleanor Littleton (previously Murray), and his circle of gay friends and sexual partners. Of particular interest is incoming correspondence from Lt. George Lawson, who wrote to Murray from Ellington Air Force Base in Houston, Texas, often commenting on "gay life" in the officer training program. Murray's outgoing correspondence from this period consists of drafts to various correspondents, including Lawson, and the original correspondence sent to his mother, returned to Murray presumably upon her death.

Murray's political activism in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is represented in files pertaining to various local organizations such as the Business Association of Milwaukee, the Council on Religion and the Homosexual, the Milwaukee AIDS Project, and SAGE/Milwaukee. The series of SAGE/Milwaukee records consists of Murray's personal copies of materials. Murray's involvement with the Gay Peoples Union is well-represented in the editorial files of the Gay Peoples Union records, a related collection held by the UWM Libraries Archives Department.

The collection includes an extensive series of newspaper and magazine clippings compiled by Murray and documenting coverage of homosexuality in print media from 1947 to 1974. Many clippings were taken from the Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Sentinel, although coverage is national in scope.

Finally, the collection includes materials created by Louis Sullivan, born Shelia Sullivan, a transgender community activist with whom Murray became acquainted through the Gay Peoples Union. Sullivan moved to San Francisco in 1975 and became a pioneer in the female-to-male transsexual community. The collection includes a signed presentation copy of Sullivan's ground-breaking Information for the Female-to-Male Crossdresser and Transsexual, as well as research notes on homosexuality and transgender issues, and miscellaneous writings.

Citation Guide for Primary Sources

Selections from this collection are included in the Gay Peoples Union Collection, an online resource created by the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections in collaboration with the UWM Libraries and opened in March 2009.

• Brady East STD Clinic Records. UWM Manuscript Collection 238.

• Gay Peoples Union Records. UWM Manuscript Collection 240.

• SAGE Milwaukee Records. UWM Manuscript Collection 329.

• Senior Action Coalition Records. UWM Manuscript Collection 23.

In addition to this manuscript collection, the Estate of Eldon Murray also donated Murray's extensive book collection. Catalog records of items selected for acquisition include the following note: "From the collection of Eldon Murray/Gay Peoples Union."

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the collection, which is open to all members of the public in accordance with state law.

Use Restrictions

The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

Acquisition Information

The Estate of Eldon Murray donated this collection in June 2007 (accession 2007-001).

Processing Information

Rachel Arndt processed the series of SAGE/Milwaukee records in September 2007. Michael Doylen processed the remaining materials between August and December 2007.

In September 2011, Bob Jaeger removed 7 safety film negatives from the collection and placed them with other safety film negatives.

One box of SAGE-related materials (box 7) were removed from the collection and integrated into the SAGE Milwaukee records in October 2013.

Box   8-10	Awards and Plaques, 2000-2007, undated
Box   1 Folder   1	Arrest Records, 1987, 2000
Box   1 Folder   2	Birth Certificate, 1993 Note: Date corresponds to date of issue
Box   1 Folder   3	Business Association of Milwaukee, 1979-1980, undated
	Certificates of Recognition
Box   1 Folder   4	1986-2000
Box   11 Folder   2	circa 2005
Box   1 Folder   5	Checklist of Lesbian, Variant, and Homosexual Fiction 1960 with Supplements , 1961, 1962
	Clippings
	1947-1965 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 1\   Folder 6\	Digital Physical Description: 123 digital files (13.5 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   1 Folder   6	Physical
	1971 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 1\   Folder 7\	Digital Physical Description: 80 digital files (9.92 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   1 Folder   7	Physical
	1972 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 1\   Folder 8\	Digital Physical Description: 122 digital files (13.4 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   1 Folder   8	Physical
	1973 January-April View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 1\   Folder 9\	Digital Physical Description: 101 digital files (9.85 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   1 Folder   9	Physical
	1973 May-August View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 1\   Folder 10\	Digital Physical Description: 108 digital files (11.9 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   1 Folder   10	Physical
	1973 September-December View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 2\   Folder 1\	Digital Physical Description: 100 digital files (9.97 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   2 Folder   1	Physical
	1974 January-June View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 2\   Folder 2\	Digital Physical Description: 120 digital files (13.4 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   2 Folder   2	Physical
	1974 July-October View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 2\   Folder 3\	Digital Physical Description: 77 digital files (9.2 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   2 Folder   3	Physical
	undated View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 2\   Folder 4\	Digital Physical Description: 41 digital files (4.32 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   2 Folder   4	Physical
	Milwaukee Sentinel Series, 1965 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 2\   Folder 5\	Digital Physical Description: 7 digital files (1.31 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   2 Folder   5	Physical
	Correspondence
	Incoming
Box   2 Folder   6	"Chips," 1950-1969
Box   2 Folder   7	General Correspondence, 1938-1949
Box   2 Folder   8	General Correspondence, 1950-1958
Box   2 Folder   9	General Correspondence, 1960-2007, undated
Box   3 Folder   1	Lawson, George, 1951 January-May
Box   3 Folder   2	Nance, Dana, 1948-1951
Box   3 Folder   3	Sullivan, Sheila, 1975
	Outgoing
Box   3 Folder   4	General Correspondence, 1952, 1984
Box   3 Folder   5	Lawson, George, 1951
Box   3 Folder   6	Littleton, Eleanor, 1949-1950
Box   3 Folder   7	Littleton, Eleanor, 1951
Box   3 Folder   8	Littleton, Eleanor, 1952 January-July
Box   3 Folder   9	Littleton, Eleanor, 1952 August-1953
Box   3 Folder   10	Sullivan, Sheila/Lou, 1975, 1984, undated
Box   3 Folder   11	Third Party, 1951-1981
	Council on Religion and the Homosexual, 1973-1974 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 3\   Folder 12\	Digital Physical Description: 161 digital files (25.8 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   3 Folder   12	Physical
	Diplomat Review (Program of a Drag Show), circa 1950 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 11\   Folder 3\	Digital Physical Description: 4 digital files (503 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   11 Folder   3	Physical
Box   4 Folder   1	Eastside Coalition, 1971-1972
Box   4 Folder   2	Field Artillery, Battery C, 3rd Battalion, Yearbook, circa 1951
	Gay Liberation Organization [GLO-UWM] Manifesto, circa 1970 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 11\   Folder 1\	Digital Physical Description: 15 digital files (3.64 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   11 Folder   1	Physical
Box   4 Folder   3	Grade School Reports, 1938-1939
	Hess, Alyn
Box   4 Folder   4	Funeral Register, 1989
Box   4 Folder   5	Obits and Death Notices, 1989
Box   4 Folder   6	High School Commencement, 1948
Box   4 Folder   7	High School Diploma, 1948
	High School Yearbook
Box   4 Folder   8	1947
Box   4 Folder   9	1948
Box   4 Folder   10	Interviews, 1994
Box   4 Folder   11	Military Records, 1951-1952
	Milwaukee AIDS Project, 1985-1987, undated View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 5\   Folder 1\	Digital Physical Description: 49 digital files (8.2 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   5 Folder   1	Physical
	Milwaukee Area Lambda League, undated View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 5\   Folder 2\	Digital Physical Description: 7 digital files (1.72 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   5 Folder   2	Physical
Box   5 Folder   3	Milwaukee County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame 2000 Awards Ceremony, 2000
Box   5 Folder   4	Passports, 1960, 1976
	Photographs
	circa 1960s-1980s View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 5\   Folder 5\	Digital Physical Description: 16 digital files (389 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   5 Folder   5	Physical Note: Negatives of some of these prints are housed with other 4" x 5" safety film negatives.
	circa 1990s-2000s
Electronic Folder     \Box 5\   Folder 6\	Digital, Folder 6 View selections from the folder here. Physical Description: 39 digital files (1.11 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Electronic Folder     \Box 5\   Folder 7\	Digital, Folder 7 View selections from the folder here. Physical Description: 25 digital files (1.47 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   5 Folder   6-7	Physical
	undated View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 5\   Folder 8\	Digital Physical Description: 13 digital files (249 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   5 Folder   8	Physical
	Chicago, circa 1950s View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 5\   Folder 9\	Digital Physical Description: 19 digital files (390 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   5 Folder   9	Physical Note: Negatives of some of these prints are housed with other 4" x 5" safety film negatives.
	Chicago, Gay Party, circa 1950s View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 5\   Folder 10\	Digital Physical Description: 25 digital files (324 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   5 Folder   10	Physical
	Childhood and Grade School, 1930-1943 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 5\   Folder 11\	Digital Physical Description: 32 digital files (646 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   5 Folder   11	Physical
	China, 1997 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 5\   Folder 12\	Digital Physical Description: 38 digital files (544 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   5 Folder   12	Physical
	Gay Pride Milwaukee, 1973 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 5\   Folder 13\	Digital Physical Description: 5 digital files (64.2 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   5 Folder   13	Physical
	Gay Pride San Francisco, 1976 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 5\   Folder 14\	Digital Physical Description: 30 digital files (445 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   5 Folder   14	Physical
	High School
	1945-1948
Electronic Folder     \Box 5\   Folder 15\	Digital Physical Description: 20 digital files (244 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   5 Folder   15	Physical
Box   11 Folder   4	1948
	Korea
	City and Town Life, circa 1950-1953 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 5\   Folder 16\	Digital Physical Description: 37 digital files (372 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   5 Folder   16	Physical
	Military Life, circa 1950-1953 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 5\   Folder 17\	Digital Physical Description: 83 digital files (1.7 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   5 Folder   17	Physical
	Nature, circa 1950-1953 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 5\   Folder 18\	Digital Physical Description: 21 digital files (416 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   5 Folder   18	Physical
4 x 5 Safety Film Box   2	Miscellaneous Images of Murray and Others (Not Matched with Prints), circa 1950s-1960s Physical Description: 4" x 5" Safety film negatives
	ONE Institute, 2000
Electronic Folder     \Box 6\   Folder 1\	Digital Physical Description: 9 digital files (310 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   6 Folder   1	Physical
	SAGE/Milwaukee, 2001
Electronic Folder     \Box 6\   Folder 2\	Digital Physical Description: 2 digital files (71.8 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   6 Folder   2	Physical
	Sullivan, Lou, undated
Electronic Folder     \Box 6\   Folder 3\	Digital Physical Description: 6 digital files (117 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   6 Folder   3	Physical
Box   11 Folder   5	Unidentified, circa 1950
Box   6 Folder   4	Rice, Lee, "Homosexuality and the Social Order," circa 1974
	SAGE/Milwaukee
	Affiliation Agreement, 1994 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 6\   Folder 5\	Digital Physical Description: 6 digital files (603 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   6 Folder   5	Physical
	Annual Reports, 1993-2003, 2005 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 6\   Folder 6-17\	Digital Physical Description: 174 digital files (25.7 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   6 Folder   6-17	Physical
	Articles of Incorporation, 1994 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 6\   Folder 18\	Digital Physical Description: 24 digital files (5.38 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   6 Folder   18	Physical
Box   6 Folder   19	Board of Directors Minutes, 1994-2000
Box   6 Folder   20	Bylaws and Amendments, 1994-1995
Box   6 Folder   21	Clippings, 1994-2004
Box   6 Folder   22	Correspondence, 1993-2005
	Grant Files
	Milwaukee County Commission on Aging-Advocacy Committee, 1994 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 6\   Folder 23\	Digital Physical Description: 18 digital files (4.13 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   6 Folder   23	Physical
	Remarks, Eldon Murray, 1994 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 6\   Folder 24\	Digital Physical Description: 9 digital files (2.06 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   6 Folder   24	Physical
	Sullivan, Shelia/Lou
	Information for the Female-to-Male Crossdresser and Transsexual, 1985 View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 6\   Folder 25\	Digital Physical Description: 52 digital files (1.64 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   6 Folder   25	Physical Note: Signed presentation copy
Box   6 Folder   26	Research Notes By, circa 1975
Box   6 Folder   27	Writings by, undated
Box   6 Folder   33	Terhardt, John, Reminiscences, 2018
	Writings by Eldon Murray
	Articles, undated View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 6\   Folder 28\	Digital Physical Description: 6 digital files (631 MB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   6 Folder   28	Physical
	Autobiographical, undated View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 6\   Folder 29\	Digital Physical Description: 17 digital files (1.76 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   6 Folder   29	Physical
	Literary, 1975, undated View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 6\   Folder 30\	Digital Physical Description: 41 digital files (4.12 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   6 Folder   30	Physical
	Reviews, undated View selections from the folder here.
Electronic Folder     \Box 6\   Folder 31\	Digital Physical Description: 18 digital files (1.88 GB)  Scope and Content Note: Digitized sample of folder
Box   6 Folder   31	Physical
Box   6 Folder   32	Speeches and Remarks, undated