Pinellas County American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Collection Raymond and Margaret Yazell Files

 

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Introduction and Provenance

The Pinellas County American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Collection presently consists of the personal archives and research files of Raymond and Margaret Yazell.  These materials were donated to the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library in 1995 by Dr. Raymond O. Arsenault, professor of History at USF St. Petersburg and president at the time of the Pinellas County ACLU chapter.  Items in this collection fall under the Local and Regional History provenance of the USF St. Petersburg library’s Special Collections and Archives department.  Restrictions/Preservation Note The acidic paper often used on printing presses has promoted the rapid physical deterioration of some materials in this collection, most notably newspaper clippings and fliers.  To prevent further damage to items in the Pinellas County ACLU Collection, refrain from placing any additional stress on the paper fibers by folding or creasing newspapers, or by exposing items to light for an extended period of time.  Please report any tears or other damage so library staff may take appropriate preservation or conservation measures.  Employees will evaluate photocopying requests on an individual basis to ensure the long-term preservation of this unique collection. Due to the confidential nature of client/attorney communications, certain materials in the legal panel case review files require consent of or membership in the Pinellas County ACLU Chapter prior to inspection.  Please ask for further information from personnel in the special collections reading room.  Materials in this collection do not circulate.  Scope and Contents The Pinellas County ACLU Collection includes two distinct series. Materials in the three archival document boxes constitute the Ray Yazell ACLU research files.  This series contains board meeting minutes, administrative materials, newspaper clippings, legal research reports, and subject files on civil liberties issues.  Copies of Come Unity, an underground/community action newspaper, reside in a newspaper storage box and form the second series.  Biographical Note A native of Kentucky, Raymond "Ray" Milton Yazell retired from the military as a lieutenant colonel and moved to St. Petersburg in 1968.  He immediately became involved in civil liberties issues, serving as chairman of the Greater St. Petersburg ACLU chapter in 1971, as acting executive director of the state chapter in 1973, and as a long-time delegate on the Pinellas County and state executive boards.  Yazell encouraged members of the community to understand and appreciate their cherished freedoms and the Bill of Rights.  Through the court observer program and regular correspondence to municipal authorities, he worked with local officials to guarantee that courts extended constitutional protections to defendants.  In addition to his ACLU responsibilities, Yazell also advocated criminal justice reform through regular discussions with law enforcement administrators and his Coalition for Alternatives to Jail Expansion (CAJE) organization.  After the reinstatement of the death penalty, Yazell served as a co-founder of Tampa Bay Citizens to Abolish the Death Penalty.  Along with his wife, Margaret "Margo" Yazell, he edited Come Unity, a St. Petersburg-based social action newspaper.  While attending classes on the USF St. Petersburg campus, Ray and Margo played an important role in the development of a student ACLU chapter.  Ray and Margo continued to enroll in seminars and classes at USF into the early 1990s. In 1993, the Florida ACLU chapter awarded Ray and Margo Yazell the Nelson Poynter Civil Liberties Award for their tireless efforts on behalf of the community.  On 4 November 1995, Ray Yazell passed away at the age of 81 due to complications caused by cancer.    Additional Sources of Information The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida Papers offer another important primary source.  Covering the period from 1955 to 1981, this collection includes eleven boxes (4.58 linear feet) of correspondence and miscellaneous materials on subjects such as crime, school integration, and the legal status of women.  This collection resides at the P. K. Yonge Library of Florida History, Special Collections Department, University of Florida (call number: PKY ms 2). As part of a National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) grant, the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library at Princeton University has compiled information about repositories that possess ACLU affiliate holdings.  For more information, contact the library at 65 Olden Street, Princeton, NJ 08544-2009, by telephone at (609) 258-6345, by FAX at (609) 258-3385, or by electronic mail to Mudd@pucc.princeton.edu.

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