Oral History Interview with Arthur Morrisett

Object Details

General: Arthur Morrisett's last name is sometimes misspelled as Morrisette or Momett.
Local Numbers: AV002902

Names: Anacostia National Bank; Frederick Douglass Memorial Home; German Orphan Home of the District of Columbia; Bradshaw, John; Koontz, Wilbur Ledru, 1902-1982; Morrisett, Arthur, 1914-1996; Qualls, Charles E., 1932-1984
Collection Creator: Anacostia Community Museum

Place: Anacostia (Washington, D.C.); Barry Farms (Washington, D.C.); Anacostia Community Museum

Topic: Banks and banking; African Americans in business -- 1930-1940; Community organization; Anacostia Neighborhood Museum; exhibit

See more items in: Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records; Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records / Series 2: Interviews

Sponsor: Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).

Extent: 1 Sound recording ((1 data disk DVD-R digital, 24-bit 96kHz WAV.))); 1 Sound recording ((1 sound disk CD-R (00:58:59). digital, 16-bit 44.1 KhZ)); 1 Sound recording ((1 sound cassette (00:58:59)))

Type: Archival materials; Audio; Sound recordings; Oral histories (document genres)

Collection Citation: Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Collection Rights: Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Scope and Contents note: Arthur Morrisett, a white man born around 1914, discusses his memories of Anacostia and the changes in the community since he moved there in 1949. The first major change he talks about was the construction of public housing in Southeast Washington D.C. He describes the inequality in housing between white and African American families and how the younger generation has the education to improve Anacostia's quality of life. Banking is another issue he discusses, explaining how mainstream banks let down Anacostia because of its strict policies about race and income requirements. Morrisett notes the different ways in which integration changed race relations in the neighborhood. Morrisett talks about historic landmarks in the area, such as the German Orphan Asylum and the Frederick Douglass House. He also describes how he formed the Committee of Concern, whose object was to communicate between different races in the community. He includes information about Dr. Charles Qualls' involvement in the committee and the Anacostia Business and Professional Men's Association. Other community leaders mentioned are Carrie Davis and Ledru Koontz. Arthur Morrisett was interviewed by John Bradshaw on November 25, 1970. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.

Restrictions: Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.