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House (Melvin) Collection
SPC.2020.030
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Contributing Institution:
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
Title: Melvin House Collection
Creator:
House, Melvin Douglass
source:
Williams, Robert F. (Robert Franklin ), 1925-1996
Identifier/Call Number: SPC.2020.030
Physical Description:
1 box
Physical Description:
.42 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1929-1971; undated
Abstract: This collection contains material belonging to Melvin House, an African American electrician and high school gymnast living
in Los Angeles, California. Included in this collection are documents, photographs, ephemera, articles, booklets, pamphlets,
and other material relating to House's education, career, friends and family; as well as his interests in spirituality, politics,
religion, and the Nation of Islam.
Language of Material:
English
.
The Melvin House Collection (1929-1971; undated) contains 1 box and .42 linear feet of material belonging to Melvin House,
an African American electrician and high school gymnast living in Los Angeles, California. This collection contains mostly
documents, photographs, and other material related to House's education, employment, his time on a high school gymanstics
team; as well as articles, brochures, booklets, and pamphlets related to spirituality, politics, religion, and the Nation
of Islam.
Series One: Personal Papers contains documents, photographs, and ephemera regarding Melvin House. This includes: material
related to House's education including his school report cards, diplomas, and certificates from Oakland Public Schools, San
Jose Public Schools, and Lincoln High School; and photographs, varsity letters, and certificates related to House's time as
a gymnast at Lincoln High School. Also included in this series are documents related to House's schooling and employment as
an electrician, his employment as a custodian, material related to his time in the Navy Reserves, photographs of presumably
family and friends, and other personal documents such as identification and membership cards.
Series Two: Articles, Pamphlets, and Clippings contains documents related to House's interests in spirituality, politics,
civil rights, race, and religion. Topics featured in these documents include: revolutionary nationalism, Rosicrucianism, socialism,
Nation of Islam, self-determination, and other related topics.
Melvin Douglass House was born in 1940 to Louise House. At some point during his childhood, Melvin lived in the Oakland and
San Jose areas of California, but had moved to Los Angeles by the time he was thirteen. Melvin attended Lincoln High School
located in the Lincoln Heights area of Los Angeles where he was on the gymnastics team earning varsity letters and in 1957
won third place on the horizontal bar in the Southern Pacific Association (A.A.U.) Novice Gymnastic Championships. Melvin
graduated high school in 1958, and that same year was accepted as a member of the United States Naval Reserve. From approximately
1962-1964, Melvin worked as a custodian at Whittier Health Center, while also attending Los Angeles Trade Technical College
where he graduated in June 1964 with a certificate in Electrical Construction and Maintenance. Melvin worked for Square D
Company from 1964-1965, and in 1966 earned a certificate from Southern California Edison's Substation Operators School after
completing a course in substation operating and telephone and radio communications. An employee ID card located in this collection
indicates that Melvin worked for Southern California Edison in the 1970s.
Melvin also had interests in Rosicrucianism as a member of the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (Amore). Correspondence,
articles, and other material in this collection indicate his interest and involvement in the Nation of Islam and Muhammad's
Mosque No. 2. Other documents in this collection allude to Melvin's interests spirituality, religion, race, civil rights,
discrimination, and politics.
For information about citing archival material, see the
Citations for Archival Material guide, or consult the appropriate style manual.
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives
and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical
materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Race Discrimination
Education -- California
Electricians -- Training of
Electricians
Gymnastics
Spirituality
Politics
Los Angeles (Calif.)
Nation of Islam (Chicago, Ill.)
Williams, Robert F. (Robert Franklin ), 1925-1996