Jean Flynn Papers

Children’s book author Jean Flynn began donating her papers to the Southwestern Writers Collection/The Wittliff Collections in 2006. Flynn’s books include Jim Bowie: A Texas Legend (1980), Stephen F. Austin the Father of Texas (1981), William Barret Travis (1982), Lady: The Story of Claudia Alta (1991), James Butler Bonham the Rebel Hero (1984), Anson Jones: The Last President of the Republic of Texas (1997), Annie Oakley: Legendary Sharpshooter (1998), Texas Women Who Dared to Be First (1999), and Henry B. Gonzalez: Rebel With a Cause (2004). Flynn’s husband, Robert Flynn, is also a writer with archives at the Southwestern Writers Collection/The Wittliff Collections.

Listed below is an archival inventory of the Jean Flynn holdings. Note that access to unprocessed materials is granted on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the Archivist for details about access to the Jean Flynn Collection.

Accession 2006-076

Materials from Jean Flynn’s writing career, materials include brochures from the Ruth Taylor Theater & the Dallas Theater, correspondence, research materials used for stories, manuscripts, thank you notes, newspaper clippings, posters, audiocassettes, drafts, various hats, and one Royal typewriter.

BOX # 703

Miscellaneous materials with individual labeled folders, titles are listed below followed by a description of their contents:

• Ruth Taylor Theater Opening – various brochures, f. 1

• Dallas Theater Center / Ruth Taylor – brochure and correspondence, f. 1

• BAMC: Burn Center – notes, drafts, photo copies of articles relating to burn centers and one copy of Universal Family, f. 1

• James W. Fanning, Jr.: “Remember Goliad” final copy of manuscript – brochures from Refugio Texas and typed manuscript, f. 1

• Crosby Elementary School – correspondence, f. 2

• Newspaper travel articles – newspaper clippings, photocopies of articles, and a typed copy of Rafting Alaska’s Hulahula River, f. 2

• Missions of Texas (video-Matson-multi-media) – notes, research materials, and annotated copies of The Spanish Missions of San Antonio, f. 2

• Light women of the wk/Exp. News career service – newspapers and correspondence, f. 3

• Newspaper clippings – various clippings, f. 3

• How the Tooth Fairy came to Crete – typed annotated draft by Jean and Robert Flynn, f. 3

• Texas Widows – newspaper clippings, correspondence, notes and other research materials, f. 3

• Jean Flynn – miscellaneous personal items and correspondence, f. 4

• Jean – correspondence and holiday cards, f. 4

• Jean Personal – copies of the Austin Writer newsletter, correspondence, certificates, and copy of “How Large is Your World?” by Jean Flynn, f. 5

• Stephen F. Austin – notes and typed copy of Stephen F. Austin: The Father of Texas, f. 5

• Fannin – hand written copies of draft, photocopies of articles relating to Fannin, various note cards and materials related to Refugio County, f. 6

• Jean Flynn file – newspaper clippings and correspondence, f. 7

• William Barret – typed manuscript William Barret Travis: “Victory of Texas” by Jean Flynn, f. 7

• NISD – complete copy of Northside Independent School District Middle School Integrated Curriculum Guide of Library Skills developed by Jean Flynn and others, f. 8

• Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad – notes and copies of teacher’s guide, f. 8

• Continuing Ed – copies of Who In The Hell Needs It, Practical Approach to Writing and various poems, f. 8

• Teachers Guide – notes and other miscellaneous materials related to the Alamo, f. 9

• Faces of Homeless – certificate, notes and materials related to homeless populations, f. 9

BOX # 704

Miscellaneous materials with individual labeled folders, titles are listed below followed by a description of their contents:

• Clippings – various newspaper clippings, f. 1

• The Texian Calendar, f. 2

• Copies of Texas Women-A Celebration of History, Humanities-Based Curriculum for Gifted and Talented, Curriculum Guide for Grades 7 – 12, Using Literature to Teach Texas History, and NOW Making a Difference, f. 2

• Materials related to Jim Bowie – notes and drafts, f. 3 – 4

• William B. Travis rough draft, f. 5

• Annotated draft The Austin Family, f. 6

• Personal files of Jean Flynn – mostly correspondence and clippings, f. 7 – 11

BOX # 705

• Personal files of Jean Flynn – mostly correspondence and clippings, f. 1

• Miscellaneous materials with individual labeled folders, titles are listed below followed by a description of their contents:

• Miscellaneous photos – numerous photos of Jean Flynn, Robert Flynn, family and friends. Includes the Flynns’ wedding photo. Many of the photos are annotated with names of subjects, f. 2

• Professional Evaluations Correspondence – certificate, evaluation forms, correspondence and typed copy of Reading Autobiography by Jean Flynn dated April 7, 1973, f. 2

• Poetry – notes and various pages of handwritten poems, f. 2

• Henry B. Gonzalez – photos, notes and correspondence, f. 3

• Lady Bird Johnson – correspondence and various b/w photocopies of photos, f. 3

• Annie Oakley – correspondence, f. 3

• Of Risk, Courage and Women – annotated typed draft Sharecropper’s Daughter f. 3

• Jean Flynn Prayers – typed church prayers along with brochures, f. 3

• Homeless – typed essay Homeless: Beverly Durand by Robert Flynn, f. 3

• Advent Song – type lyrics to song, f. 3

• Eakin Press 22nd Anniversary folder packet, f. 4

• Texas Sesquicentennial History Calendar, f. 4

• Page proofs for Stephen F. Austin: Father of Texas by Jean Flynn, f. 4

• Various book signing invitations, f. 4

• Materials related to Lady: A biography of Claudia Alta (Lady Bird) Johnson – typed manuscript, drafts, notes, copy of newsletter from Trinity Today dated May 1979, magazine titled Ultra dated March 1990, research material, note cards, and audio cassette tapes of an interview with Alan Johnson Cox (LBJ’s cousin), f. 5 – 10

BOX # 706

• Materials related to Annie Oakley: A Biography by Jean Flynn – drafts, note cards, various research materials, notes, typed manuscript, correspondence, book catalogs, clippings, photocopies of photos, books, photocopies of articles relating to Annie Oakley, copy of Anson Jones: The Last President of the Republic of Texas by Jean Flynn, and one copy of Montana: The Magazine of the Western History dated Summer 1995, f. 1 – 5

• Materials related to Henry B. Gonzalez – various notes, correspondence, drafts, note cards, newspaper clippings, photocopies of articles relating to Henry B. Gonzalez, and 5 audio cassettes containing interviews with Gail Beagle, Maury Maverick, Congressman Charles Gonzalez, Lucille Santos and Bertha Gonzalez, f. 6 – 9

• Materials related to Texas Women Who Dared to be First, materials include individual labeled folders, which are listed below and contain mostly notes, early drafts, newspaper clippings, and research materials such as photocopies of articles:

- Women First, f. 10

- Adair Christia, f. 10

- Annie Webb Blanton, f. 10

- Mary Eleanor Brackenridge, f. 10

- Linda Chavez Thompson, f. 10

BOX # 707

•  (Cont’d form box previous box) Materials related to Texas Women Who Dared to be First, materials include individual labeled folders, which are listed below and contain mostly notes, early drafts, newspaper clippings, and research materials such as photocopies of articles:

- Maggie Cousins, f. 1

- Olive Ann Oatman Fairchild, f. 1

- Frances Tarlton Farenthold (Sissy), f. 1

- Bette Graham, f. 1

- Oveta Culp Hobby, f. 2

- Mary Austin Holley, f. 2

- Margo Jones, f. 2

- Lucy Ann Kidd-Key, f. 2

- Jane Y. McCallum, f. 2

- Patricia McCormick, f. 3

- Irma Rangel, f. 3

- Elizabeth M. Watson, f. 4

- Judith Zaffirini, f. 4

• Miscellaneous folder containing material on Irma Rangel, copies of Eakin Press catalogs, and two audio cassettes, f. 5 – 6

• Slightly annotated page proofs of Slouching Toward Zion and More Lies by Robert Flynn, f. 7

• Typed manuscript titled If You’re There, God, Pick Up by Robert Flynn, f. 8

HAT BOX, BOX # 708

• Square shaped hat box, which contains 3 hats purchased in the late 1960s – note inside box reads “Last hats purchased in late 1960s, when Jackie Kennedy was First Lady, she wore hats only when she absolutely had to because it messed up her bouffant hairstyle. By the early 1970s women stopped wearing dress hats for any occasion.”

HAT BOX, BOX # 709

• Round shaped hat box, which contains 2 hats purchased in the mid 1960s – note inside box reads “Purchased at Joskes of San Antonio in mid 1960s”

HAT BOX, BOX # 710

• Hexagon shaped hatbox, which contains 1 hat purchased in 1963 – note inside box reads “Purchases at Saks in Waco for Mother’s Day, 1963 (in original box)”

SHOE BOX (in doc case), BOX # 711 of the Unprocessed Accessions

• One pair of old shoes along with one garter belt – note inside shoebox reads “White satin wedding shoes purchased at Goldfeder’s where I worked after morning classes. The Baylor garter was purchased in the bookstore at Baylor. Bob decided that he didn’t want me to wear it because he didn’t want his friends to see that much of my leg. June 1, 1953”

• ROYAL TYPEWRITER, marked # 712

• OVERSIZED POSTERS located in 705AL Map case Drawer 17

- 22x28 poster that reads “Welcome Jean Flynn author of Jim Bowie story time & signing Sun., February 18th 1:00pm”

- 22x28 poster that reads, “Barnes & Noble welcomes Jean Flynn author of Anson Jones signing Fri., February 20th”

- laminated 17x11 poster that reads, “Meet author Jean Flynn author of Texas Women Who Dared to be First”

- two newspaper articles from The San Antonio Light mounted on cardboard, titles of articles read, “Education is Her Salvation” and “Therapist Shuns Safe ‘Harbors’”, both articles dated August 1981

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