Elva Norman ‘Theta Sigma Phi’ Collection

The Elva K. Norman ‘Theta Sigma Phi’ Collection ranges 19311990 with the bulk of the materials from 1951-1988.  The collection consists of correspondence, reports and other materials relating to her membership and work in Theta Sigma Phi, the St. Louis chapter of Theta Sigma Phi, and the organization under its later name Women in Communications, Inc.  There also are files on other organizations that Norman was involved with:  American Women in Radio and Television, Citizenship Education Clearing House, Delmar Baptist Church, Delta Kappa Gamma, Psi chapter, Industrial Press Association of Greater St. Louis, Journalism Foundation of Metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri Press Women, Inc., National Federation of Press Women, Sigma Delta Chi, the University of Missouri School of Journalism and the YWCA.  There is a small amount of personal correspondence and information.

Elva Kuykendall Norman(1911-1993) was born in Waxahachie, Texas.  She earned a bachelor’s degree from Mary Hardin-Baylor University, which named her Outstanding Alumna in 1981.  In Texas, she worked as a reporter for the Mineral Wells Index.

Coming to St. Louis in 1931, Norman worked for the Community Chest, forerunner of the United Way.  In the 1940s, she conducted the public relations campaign for the bond issue that established the St. Louis County Library system.  She served as public relations director for the St. Louis Metropolitan YWCA and assistant executive director for the St. Louis Suburban Teachers Association and editor of its Suburban Educator, a publication for teachers in St. Louis and St. Charles County.  

Norman was active in several public relations, journalism and other community organizations.  She became the second woman in St. Louis accredited by the National Public Relations Society.  She served four times as president of the St. Louis chapter of Theta Sigma Phi, later Women in Communications.  She also was national public relations director of Theta Sigma Phi, a national women’s journalism fraternity, and chair of its 1955 St. Louis convention.  During the 1959, 1960 and 1962 national conventions, Norman served as Public Relations chair.  She was a long-time member of the National Federation of Press Women, the parent organization of Missouri Press Women, and the first woman member of the St. Louis chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.  Norman received many awards, among them the Quest Award from the Missouri Press Women and the Spirit of the YWCA Award.  She was cited for her educational publications and for her “Teacher-In-Politics” campaign, which encouraged political activity by teachers.

Norman wrote scripts for radio and television programs.  She was the author of Biography of a Church, the history of the early St. Louis Baptist community 1817-1877, and Delmar Baptist Church which emerged from it, 1877-1977 (1978).  She also wrote And lived to tell the tale, an unpublished account of her 1979 journey to Nepal and trek in the Himalayas.

Norman lived in University City enjoyed a long career in public relations in St. Louis. She was married to Isaac D. Norman, a food broker, who died in 1976.

The collection is organized into six subseries:

Series 1:  Biographical
Series 2:  Correspondence
Series 3:  Organizations
Series 4:  Theta Sigma Phi Series 5:  Photographs
Series 6:  Publications

Arranged alphabetically within series.  Theta Sigma Phi National Convention materials organized chronologically.  

Webster University School of Communications annually awards the Elva Norman Memorial Scholarship.                    

Jean Gosebrink interfiled the Women in Communications St. Louis chapter material in the Women in Communications Collection on 8/6/2008.  

Life Lines– 

     -Special News Bulletin Aug 1965; 

     -Vol. 23, no. 5, Nov 1965; 

     -Vol. 23, no. 6, Dec 1965; 

     -Vol. 24, no. 1, Apr 1966; 

     -Vol. 25, no. 1, Apr 1966;    

     -Vol. 27, no. 2, May 1969; 

     -Vol. 36, no. 5, Nov 1978

The Listening Post

     -Vol. 15, no. 11, Nov 1966; 

     -Vol. 16, no. 1, Jan 1967; 

     -Vol. 16, no. 4, Apr 1967;

     -Vol. 16, no. 5, May 1967; 

     -Vol. 16, no. 6, Jun 1967

     -Vol. 16, no. 7, Jul 1967

     -Vol. 16, no. 8, Aug 1967; 

     -Vol. 16, no. 11, Nov 1967; 

     -Vol. 17, no. 3, Mar 1968; 

     -Vol. 17, no. 4, Apr 1968; 

     -Vol. 17, no. 6, Jun 1968;

     -Vol. 17, no. 7, Jul 1968; 

     -Vol. 17, no. 8, Aug 1968;

     -Vol. 17, no. 9, Sept 1968

The Matrix, 1930s  

     -Vol. 21, no. 4, Apr-May 1936

The Matrix 1940s

     -Vol 26, no. 2, Dec 1940-Jan 1941;

     -Vol 26, no. 3, Feb-Mar 1941; 

     -Vol. 26, no. 5, Jun-Jul 1941; 

     -Vol 26, no 6, Aug-Sept 1941; 

     -Vol. 27, no.3, Feb-Mar 1942;

     -Vol 32, no. 5, Jun-Jul 1947;

     -Vol 32, no. 6, Aug-Sept 1947;

     -Vol 33, no. 4, Apr-May 1948;

     -Vol 35, no. 1, Oct 1949;

     -Vol 34, no. 3, Feb 1949; 

     -Vol 34, no. 4, Apr 1949; 

     -Vol 34, no. 5, Jun 1949; 

     -Vol 34, no. 6, Aug 1949; 

The Matrix 1950s

     -Vol 35, no 4, Apr 1950;

     -Vol 36, no 1, Oct 1950;

     -Vol 36, no 2, Dec 1950; 

     -Vol 36, no 3, Feb 1951; 

     -Vol 36, no 4, Apr 1951; 

     -Vol 36, no. 6, Aug 1951; 

     -Vol 37, no 1, Oct 1951; 

     -Vol 37, no 4, Apr 1952; 

     -Vol 37, no 6, Aug 1952; 

     -Vol 39, no 6, Aug-Sept 1954;

     -Vol 40, no 2, Dec 1954; 

     -Vol 40, no 3, Feb 1955; 

     -Vol 40, no 4, Mar 1955; 

     -Vol 40, no 5, Jun-Jul 1955 (2 copies); 

     -Vol 40, no 6, Aug-Sept 1955; 

     -Vol 41, no 4, Apr-May 1956;

     -Vol 41, no 5, Jun-Jul 1956; 

     -Vol 41, no 6, Sept-Oct 1956; 

     -Vol 42, no 2, Jan-Feb 1957;

     -Vol 42, no 4, May-Jun 1957

     -Vol 42, no 5, Jul-Aug 1957; 

     -Vol 42, no 6, Sept-Oct 1957;

     Vol 43, no 1, Nov-Dec 1957;

     Vol 43, no 2, Jan-Feb 1958;

     Vol 43, no 3, Mar-Apr 1958;

     Vol 43, no 4, May-Jun 1958;

     -Vol 44, no 1, Nov-Dec 1958; 

     -Vol 44, no 4, May-Jun 1959

8/1  The Matrix 1960s

     -Vol 46, no 1, Nov-Dec 1960; 

     -Vol 46, no 5, Jul-Aug 1961;

     -Vol 48, no 3, Mar-Apr 1963;

     -Vol 48, no 4, May-Jun 1963;

     -Vol 49, no 2, Jan-Feb 1964;

     -Vol 50, no 1, Oct 1964; 

     -Vol 50, no 2, Dec 1964; 

     -Vol 50, no 4, Apr 1965;

     -Vol 50, no 6, Jul-Aug 1965;

     -Vol 51, no 1, Oct 1965;

     -Vol 51, no 5, Jun 1966;

     -Vol 52, no 1, Oct 1966;

     -Vol 52, no 2, Dec 1966;

     -Vol 54, no 3, Feb 1969;

     -Vol 55, no 1, Fall 1969;

Matrix 1970s

     -Vol 56, no 1, Fall 1970

     -Vol 56, no 3, Spring 1971

     -Vol 56, no 4, Summer 1971

     -Vol 57, no 1, Fall 1971

     -Vol 57, no 2, Winter 1971-1972

     -Vol 57, no 3, Spring 1972

     -Vol 57, no 4, Summer 1972

     -Vol 58, no 1, Fall 1972

     -Vol 58, no 2, Winter 1972-1973

     -Vol 60, no 4, Summer 1975

The Press Woman 

     -Vol. 25, no. 11, Sept-Oct 1964; 

     -Vol. 26, no. 5, Sept-Oct. 1965; 

     -Vol. 27, no. 3, May-Jun 1966;

     -Vol. 39, no. 3, Mar 1976;

     -Vol. 40, no 7; Jul 1977;

     -Vol. 40, no. 8, Aug 1977;

     -Vol. 40,  no. 9, Sept 1977;

     -Vol. 40, no. 10, Oct 1977;

     -Vol 40, no. 12, Dec 1977;

     -Vol. 41, no. 10, Oct 1978;

     -Vol. 41, no. 11, Nov 1978;

     -Vol. 41, no. 12, Dec 1978; 

     -Vol. 42, no. 8, Aug 1979;

     -Vol. 42, no. 9, Sept 1979; 

     -Vol 42, no. 10, Oct 1979; 

     -Vol. 42, no. 11, Nov 1979

Veterans’ Voice 

     May 1957; 

     May 1959