Edna Mae Phelps Political Memorabilia - Edmon Low Library
About the Collection
The Edna Mae Phelps Political Memorabilia Collection documents the life, public service, and political interests of Oklahoma State University alumna Edna Mae Phelps (1920–2001). Born in Tulsa and educated at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, Phelps spent most of her life in Seminole, Oklahoma, where she raised her family before becoming an influential figure in state and national politics. Her leadership roles included serving as president of the Seminole County Democratic Women’s Club, president of the Oklahoma Federation of Democratic Women’s Clubs, chairperson of the Oklahoma State Election Board, and a long-serving member of the Democratic National Committee. She also supported national advocacy efforts, including the Equal Rights Amendment and Senator John Glenn’s National Policy Council.
In the 1980s, Phelps dedicated significant energy to Oklahoma State University, serving as a member and chair of the OSU A&M Board of Regents. During this time, she founded the Friends of the OSU Library and became a strong advocate for strengthening library resources. Her commitment is reflected in her widely quoted statement, “I want the people of Oklahoma to know that this Board of Regents won’t stand by for a second-rate library.”
Central to this collection is Phelps’s extensive assemblage of more than 4,300 political campaign items. The collection includes buttons, lapel pins, ribbons, hand clickers, and other memorabilia related to presidential campaigns, Oklahoma politics, and social issues such as women’s rights and the Equal Rights Amendment. Phelps collected materials across the political spectrum, including items related to Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Robert Taft, Thomas Dewey, Wendell Willkie, and William Jennings Bryan. Donated to the OSU Library by her family after her death, the collection is preserved in Special Collections and University Archives. It serves as a rich resource for the study of twentieth-century political culture, activism, and civic engagement.
Access the Physical Collection
Materials from this collection are available in Special Collections and University Archives. For assistance or to request archival materials, contact (405) 744-6311 or libscua@okstate.edu.