Title: Hartford Smith Jr. Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1966-2021

Creator:

• Smith, Hartford, Jr.

Call Number: M2021-022; Audio 2007A

Quantity: 0.4 cubic feet (1 archives box), 61 audio recordings, and 2 compact discs
Repository:

Housed at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives and Museum Collections; owned by the Wisconsin Center for Film & Theater Research

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Papers of Hartford Smith Jr., a social work professor and media creator best known for his radio series Seeds of Discontent (1968). Included are correspondence, scripts, reports, press releases, and clippings. The collection contains files related to the radio series and a media organization (also called Seeds of Discontent), as well as Smith's research and teaching. Topics present in the papers include the planning and production of the radio series Seeds of Discontent, proposals for a television series, and Smith's career at Wayne State University, including his involvement in the Federal Metro College program for civil servants. The audio includes the 26 episodes of the radio series, the raw interviews recorded during its production, and various other recordings from Smith's personal collection.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-m2021022

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The collection is divided into two series: papers and audio recordings. Papers are arranged in the order they were donated, except for the biographical data folder, which contains material compiled from other folders. Original folder titles were also maintained in processing, with the addition of dates, types of documents, and occasional title clarification. Audio recordings materials are arranged by topic.

The folder and audio titles use the term "African American" for consistency and to follow archival convention, although multiple terms including some outdated language exists in the audio and papers.

The papers contain material from the late 1960s to 2021, and predominantly consist of writing, notes, correspondence, reports, and proposals related to the radio series Seeds of Discontent, which explored discontented social groups and organizations attempting to improve their conditions in the United States. The papers also involve an organization called Seeds of Discontent Inc., which was established after the success of the series, with the intention of creating meaningful programs communicating the realities of life in American society. In addition to the series and the organization Seeds of Discontent, the papers document Smith's career as an educator and related projects through correspondence, press releases, clippings, reports, teaching evaluations, and course materials, and the papers include press clippings about race in the United States, with an emphasis on events in Detroit, collected by Smith.

The audio recordings contain episodes 1-26 of Seeds of Discontent and the raw interviews captured during its production. Also includes, recordings from radio stations WDET and WJZZ, a class guest lecture by an African American Vietnam veteran, two recordings of albums, a report on children's view of the juvenile court system from the Children's Charter of the Courts of Michigan Inc., and four professionalization sessions for social workers and public servants. When available, the titles for audio materials are based on descriptions provided by Smith through labels, the raw audio itself, or the completed episodes.

The audio and paper documents in this collection have been digitized. Researchers can access the digital files of most of the audio and paper documents on the WCFTR's Internet Archive page.

This collection also includes photographs in the WCFTR Name File.

Hartford Smith Jr. is a social work professor and media creator. He was born in Fayette, Alabama, on July 2, 1937, and he attended Morehouse College in Atlanta before transferring to Wayne State University, where he majored in Political Science and Public Administration. He earned his masters at Wayne State's School of Social Work in 1965, and he also completed law classes while working on his graduate degree. He then worked for the State of Michigan on problems between the juvenile court and the state's social services, developing a program to connect resources across state programs for juvenile offenders. In 1968, he co-created, wrote, and hosted the radio program Seeds of Discontent, which explored discontented social groups and organizations attempting to improve their conditions in American society. Seeds of Discontent was distributed by the National Educational Radio Network and awarded a certificate of merit by the National Association of Educational Broadcasters. He later worked on adapting the series and its approach to other media. From 1968 to 2011, he taught in the School of Social Work and directed the Division of Community Education at Wayne State University. His teaching areas included social problems in urban communities and community organizing.

Most of the papers and audio files in the Hartford Smith Jr. collection have been digitized and are available through the WCFTR Internet Archive page.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Hartford Smith Jr., Madison, Wisconsin, in 2021. Accession Number: M2021-022

Processing Information

Processed by Matt St. John in 2021.

Poverty.Social workers.Social work education -- United States.African Americans -- Social conditions.Documentary radio programs -- United States -- History -- 20th century.Detroit (Mich.) -- Social conditions.Manuscript collection.Sound recordings.WCFTR-owned

M2021-022	Series: Papers
Box   1   folder 1	Biographical data, undated
	Seeds of Discontent
Box   1   folder 2	Miscellaneous documents, notes, and proposal 1966-1968, undated
Box   1   folder 3	Articles of incorporation, 1969
Box   1   folder 4	Correspondence and proposals, 1969, undated
Box   1   folder 5	Correspondence, writing, and notes 1967-1968, undated
Box   1   folder 6	Correspondence, writing, and registration 1969, undated
Box   1   folder 7	Writing and reports (various), 1969, undated
Box   1   folder 8	Publicity, 1972, undated
Box   1   folder 9	The Promised Land, proposals 1967-1968, undated
Box   1   folder 10	Personnel records and correspondence, 1969-1996
Box   1   folder 11	State of Michigan documents re: Federal Metro College, 1974
Box   1   folder 12	Center on Budget Policy and Priorities report: Fulfilling Work's Promise, 1990
Box   1   folder 13	Course syllabus and assignments, undated
Box   1   folder 14	Media appearances and press, correspondence 1978, 1985-1986
Box   1   folder 15	Edith Harris memorial lecture, student reports 2003
Box   1   folder 16	Student evaluations, 1985, 2010-2011
Box   1   folder 17	Contemporary press, 2003, 2015, 2019-2021, undated
Box   1   folder 18	Citizens' Perspective on the Problem of Juvenile Delinquency and Crime in Metropolitan Detroit, report and correspondence 1969, 1976-1989, 2019
Audio 2007A	Series: Audio recordings	⇧
	Seeds of Discontent
Audio   2007A/72	Episode 1: “delinquent young men” ; and Episode 2: “hippies”, undated
Audio   2007A/27	Raw interview with “delinquent” young men for episode 1, undated
Audio   2007A/1	Episode 2: “hippies”, undated
Audio   2007A/22	Raw interview with hippies for episode 2: introduction, undated
Audio   2007A/38	Raw interview with hippies for episode 2: drug reaction, undated
Audio   2007A/2	Episode 3: “subculture of poverty, African American families” ; and Episode 4 “subculture of poverty, medical care and Southern white families” undated
Audio   2007A/33	Raw interview with African American family for episode 3, undated
Audio   2007A/47	Raw interview with African American family for episode 3, undated
Audio   2007A/3	Episode 4: “subculture of poverty, medical care and Southern white families” undated
Audio   2007A/35	Episode 4: “subculture of poverty, medical care and Southern white families” undated
Audio   2007A/32	Raw interview with Southern white family for episode 4, undated
Audio   2007A/34	Raw interviews with mother of thirteen and man using wheelchair for episodes 4 and 5, undated
Audio   2007A/4	Episode 5: “subculture of poverty, welfare system” ; and Episode 6: “historical perspective on African Americans, Northern migration” undated
Audio   2007A/41	Raw interviews with mother regarding Aid to Dependent Children and woman from apartment building for episode 5, undated
Audio   2007A/5	Episode 6: “historical perspective on African Americans, Northern migration” undated
Audio   2007A/26	Raw interview with men from Detroit for episodes 6-8, undated
Audio   2007A/6	Episode 7-8: “riots, African Americans, and the future” undated
Audio   2007A/7	Episode 9: “African Americans and entertainment, Odetta” undated
Audio   2007A/28	Episode 9: “African Americans and entertainment, Odetta” introduction undated
Audio   2007A/73	Episode 9: “African Americans and entertainment, Odetta” ; and Episode 10: “African Americans and entertainment, Leslie Grinage“ undated
Audio   2007A/8	Episode 10: “African Americans and entertainment, Leslie Grinage” undated
Audio   2007A/9	Episode 11: “African American entertainers on larger problems of African Americans” and Episode 12: “African American entertainers on their philosophies”, undated
Audio   2007A/20	Episode 11: “African American entertainers on larger problems of African Americans”, undated
Audio   2007A/51	Raw interview with jazz musician Leslie Grinage for episodes 10-12, undated
Audio   2007A/25	Episode 13-14: “African American middle class”, undated
Audio   2007A/10	Raw interview with psychologist Orin Warden for episodes 13-15, undated
Audio   2007A/43	Raw interview with salesman Lennie Heslip for episodes 13-15, undated
Audio   2007A/52	Raw interview with newspaper editor AJ Dunmore for episodes 13-15, undated
Audio   2007A/12	Episode 15: “African American middle class” ; and Episode 16: “African Americans and public education”, undated
Audio   2007A/13	Episode 16 “African Americans and public education”, undated
Audio   2007A/42	Raw interview with Robert Kennon (Community Liaison Assistant) for episode 16, undated
Audio   2007A/14	Episode 17: “African Americans and public education” ; and Episode 18: “organizers in African American communities”, undated
Audio   2007A/37	Raw interview with Hershel Fort (Detroit Board of Education) for episode 17, undated
Audio   2007A/48	Raw interview with Rennie Freeman (director West Central Organization) for episode 18, undated
Audio   2007A/15	Episode 19: “African American junior high students” ; and Episode 20: “student activists from Wayne State University”, undated
Audio   2007A/30	Raw interview with Jefferson Junior High students for episode 19, undated
Audio   2007A/31	Raw interview with Spain Junior High students for episode 19, undated
Audio   2007A/16	Episode 21: “student activists from Wayne State University” ; and Episode 22: “public school teachers”, undated
Audio   2007A/39	Raw interview with college students Chuck Larsen, Art Johnson, and Lonnie Peek for episodes 20 and 21 undated
Audio   2007A/45	Raw interview with teachers Clarence Shelly, Karen Shelly, Carol Holdman for episode 22 undated
Audio   2007A/23	Episode 23 (United Community Services of Metropolitan Detroit), undated
Audio   2007A/29	Episode 23 (United Community Services of Metropolitan Detroit), undated
Audio   2007A/63	Episode 23 (United Community Services of Metropolitan Detroit), undated
Audio   2007A/36	Raw interview with Richard F. Huegley (United Community Services of Metropolitan Detroit) for episode 23, undated
Audio   2007A/50	Raw interview with Connie Fredrickson (president of the Community and Social Agency Employees Local 1640) for episode 23, undated
Audio   2007A/11	Episode 24 “Detroit's poverty program” ; and Episode 25 “Michigan legislature, Senator Coleman Young” undated
Audio   2007A/44	Raw interview with Richard Simmons (director of Mayor's Committe for Human Resources Development) for episode 24, undated
Audio   2007A/17	Episode 25: “Michigan legislature, Senator Coleman Young” undated
Audio   2007A/18	Episode 26: final episode, summary undated
Audio   2007A/40	Raw interview with Donald Bagley (director of North Woodward Interfaith Corporation), 1968 March 18
Audio   2007A/46	Raw interview with teacher Beverly Shephard, undated
Audio   2007A/24	“The American Negro: The Historical Perspective” (series excerpts), undated
	Other recordings
Audio   2007A/19	German Press Review, WDET recording 1967 September 15
Audio   2007A/49	Lecture on Vietnam experience by African American Marine veteran, undated
Audio   2007A/53	Experimental Tapes; Sensitizing Public Servants to Negative Attitudes, 1968
Audio   2007A/54	Intra-Agency Sensitivity Session, 1969 March 25
Audio   2007A/55	Perri, Celebrate undated
Audio   2007A/56	“The Child's View of the Juvenile Court and Its Related Services”, undated
Audio   2007A/57	Sly and the Family Stone, Fresh undated
Audio   2007A/60	Recording from WJZZ Detroit, undated
Audio   2007A/67	Recording from WJZZ Detroit, undated
Audio   2007A/70	Session with social workers, undated
Audio   2007A/71	Session with social workers, undated