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Updated as of 9-8-2021

REFERENCE CODE: AkAMH

REPOSITORY NAME:
Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center
Bob and Evangeline Atwood Alaska Resource Center
625 C Street
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: 907-929-9235
Fax: 907-929-9233
Email: resourcecenter@anchoragemuseum.org

Guide prepared by: Julie Varee, Community Outreach Archivist

TITLE: Samuel Fleming Collection

COLLECTION NUMBER: B2021.002

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Dates: Fairbanks, AK 1950s, Anchorage, AK 1960s

Extent: 2 Series
Series 1: 129 b&w and color prints and slides
Series 2: 3 8mm films and 1 reel-to-reel film

Language and Scripts: The collection is in English.

Name of creator(s): Samuel Fleming

Biographical History:

Samuel Fleming was born August 31, 1931 in Delaware, Ohio. His father, Charles Fleming was born on
April 15th
/ , 1860 in Louise County, Virginia, and his mother, Eunice Fleming was born March 24, 1888 in
Russell County, Virginia. Fleming’s father’s Grandmother Mary Jane Diggs was born in 1843 and is on
the Savannah, Georgia Inward Coastwise Slave Manifest 1848 -1849. Fleming’s mother and father met
in Delaware, Ohio, where they were married in 1930. His father was 70 years old when Samuel
Fleming was born. Samuel was the youngest of seven children.
Living in a small town, Mr. Fleming developed a determination and perseverance the prompted him at
an early age to join the Boy Scouts of America. He went on to earn the Eagle Scout Award, the highest
award a Scout can earn. Only 8% of Scouts achieve this award. Fleming also received The Order of
Arrow award, given to members exemplifying good character in their daily lives. This is the award of
which Fleming was the proudest.

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Updated as of 9-8-2021

Samuel Fleming attended Howard University for one year before deciding to enlist in the military,
three months before his 18th birthday. He served in the Air Force from 1949 to 1952 and was
stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska, and Washington, D.C., where he met Margret L. Stutely. Samuel and
Margret were married May 15th
/ , 1952 in Fairbanks, Alaska. They moved back to the Lower 48 in 1965,
after an earthquake that measured 9.2 on the rector scale. Fleming was one of the few African
Americans who worked for the Federal Aviation Administration in the late 60’s as a small airplane crash
inspector. His family settled in Decatur, Georgia in 1975 with his 4 children Greg, Randal, Sheldon, and
Kelly. Kelly was murdered in 1987, and Fleming’s wife of 35 years died in her sleep in 1989. Fleming
retired in 1985 to live on 10 acres with a private lake in Decatur, Georgia.
Scope and Content Description:

Photographs, slides, and films with images of the Fleming Family, Samuel Fleming’s fellow U.S.
Army members, and others in the Black communities of Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska in
the 1950s and 1960s, also includes images of aftermath of 1964 earthquake in Anchorage.

CONDITIONS GOVERNING ACCESS AND USE

Restrictions on Access: The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use:
The Anchorage Museum is the owner of the materials and makes available reproductions for
research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the
Anchorage Museum before any reproduction use. The Anchorage Museum does not
necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission
for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation: Samuel Fleming Collection, Anchorage Museum, B2021.002

ADMINISTRAVE INFORMATION

Acquisition and descriptions: Donated by Samuel Fleming with the assistance of his son,
Sheldon Fleming.

Processing Notes
All films in Series 2 digitized in 2021

Separated Materials
Digitized films

RELATED MATERIALS



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Updated as of 9-8-2021

SUBJECTS
Fleming, Gregory
Fleming, Kelly
Fleming, Margaret
Fleming, Randal
Fleming, Samuel
Fleming, Sheldon
African American families
African Americans—1950-1990
African Americans--Military service
Anchorage (Alaska)
Fairbanks (Alaska)

Series 1: Box 1 Folder 1, 12 b&w images
1 — Right to left: Sheldon Fleming, 4 years old, Randal Fleming, 1 year old, Greg Fleming, 7 years old, Anchorage, 1963 [apartments on 9 th Street]
 2 — Front row on left, Greg Fleming, 9 years old, Anchorage, 1963 [with childhood friend]
 3 — Left to right, Sheldon Fleming, 6 years old, Greg Fleming, 10 years old, Randal Fleming, 3 years old, Anchorage, October 25, 1964 [on the side of the apartments on 9 th Street]
 4 — Left to right, Greg Fleming, 11 years old, and Sheldon Fleming, 7 years old, Anchorage, 1965 [at the apartments on 9 th Street, sitting in the living room in their army fatigues]
 5 — In the middle in hat, Randal Fleming, 4 years old, Anchorage, 1965 [with friends at a picnic in a park]
 6 — Margaret Fleming, 34 years old, Anchorage, 1962 [in front of family car, note on back: 4/29/62 Anchorage, Alaska]
 7 — Left to right, Greg Fleming, 10 years old, Sheldon Fleming, 5 years old, Anchorage, 1963 [in their Sunday best ready for church]
 8 — Fleming neighbors [one man, one woman, and one child standing with a tree and laundry line directly behind and two cameras on the ground at left, houses in the background}
 9 — Doc Quarles, Theresa Quarles [on New Year’s Eve]
 10 — Samuel Fleming, third from left, with Reginald Hunt, Parnell Simmons and others, Ladd Air Force Base, Fairbanks, 1949-1952
 11 — Theresa, far left, Cliff and others, Anchorage [New Year’s Eve]
 12 — Parnell Simmons and wife Folder 2, 57 b&w and color images
 13 — Margaret Fleming, 27 years old, with son, Greg, 3 years old, Fairbanks, 1957
 14 — Samuel Fleming, 21 years old, Ladd Air Force Base, week of October 8, 1951 [note on back written by Margaret Fleming: “Going to the movie”]
 15 — Left to right, Greg Fleming, Samuel Fleming, Fairbanks, January 1957
 16 — Right to left, Sargent Minor, Samuel Fleming, Fairbanks, early 1950s [note on back: Sam Sargent Minor]
 17 — Samuel Fleming holding Sheldon Fleming, 4 months old, Anchorage, December 1958
 18 — Right to left, Larry’s wife, Margaret Fleming, Greg Fleming, Larry, Fairbanks, January 1957 4 Updated as of 9-8-2021
 19 — Samuel Fleming, Fairbanks, early 1950s [checking power lines]
 20 — Samuel Fleming, second from the right, Ladd Air Force Base, Fairbanks, February 1952
 21 — Right to left, Samuel Fleming, Larry, unknown, Fairbanks, October 1951
 22 — Samuel Fleming, Margaret Fleming, Fairbanks, 1952 [in the early years of their marriage]
 23 — Right to left, Samuel Fleming, 20 years old, Larry, unknown, Ladd Air Force Base, Fairbanks, October, 1951
 24 — Samuel Fleming, 20 years old, Fairbanks, October 1951 [note on back: dressed and ready for platoon inspection]
 25 — Samuel Fleming, 24 years old, Fairbanks, January 1953 [across the street from the first house he bought]
 26 — Left to right, Margaret Fleming, Mrs. Simmons, Theresa Quarles, Fairbanks, January 1952 [after getting their hair done]
 27 — Left to right, Greg Fleming in white shirt, Sheldon Fleming in plaid shirt, Theresa Quarles, Anchorage, early 1960s [dinner time]
 28 — Left to right, Theresa Quarles, Margaret Fleming, Anchorage, early 1950s [fixing lunch]
 29 — Samuel Fleming, Ladd Air Force Base, early 1950s [at his desk as Avionics Technician responsible for repairing airplane radios]
 30 — Left to right, Sheldon Fleming, Margaret Fleming with Randal Fleming on lap, Theresa Quarles, Doc Quarles, Anchorage, 1964 [during the holiday season]
 31 — Samuel Fleming, Kelly Fleming, Anchorage, 1964 [Samuel Fleming holding Kelly Fleming, who’s wearing Margaret Fleming’s wig]
 32 — Randal Fleming, around 8 years old, Anchorage, 1962
 33 — Right to left, Larry, Greg Fleming, Larry’s son, Larry’s wife, Fairbanks, 1957 [cooking some hot dogs on an open fire]
 34 — Greg Fleming, Ester, 1956 [note on back: “This is where we went to get the rocks for our walkway 8 miles from Fairbanks”]
 35 — Left to right, Greg Fleming, Samuel Fleming, Sargent Minor, Gladys Minor, Fairbanks, 1953 [Friends sharing a meal]
 36 — Mr. and Mrs. Parnell Simmons, Fairbanks, 1960s
 37 — Reginald Hunt, Samuel Fleming, Parnell Simmons, Ladd Air Force Base, Fairbanks, week of February 11, 1952
 38 — Fleming neighbors, Fairbanks, early 1950s
 39 — Theresa Quarles, Fairbanks, 1950s [enjoying a relaxing moment]
 40 — Samuel Fleming, 32 years old, Fairbanks, November 1963 [in front of his 1959 Chevrolet Brookwood blue station wagon]
 41 — Left to right, Theresa Quarles, Mrs. Simmons, Margaret Fleming, Fairbanks, 1960s [ showing off their hair styles]
 42 — Margaret Fleming, Randal Fleming
 43 — Left to right, Samuel Fleming, Sheldon Fleming, Margaret Fleming, unknown couple, Anchorage, 1958 [by apartments on 9 th Street]
 44 — Samuel Fleming, Fairbanks, week of January 19, 1953
 45 — Samuel Fleming, Fairbanks, 1950s [in his office with radios he repaired] 5 Updated as of 9-8-2021
 46 — Samuel Fleming Portage Glacier, November, 1963
 47 — Sheldon Fleming, Portage Glacier, November 1963 Folder 3, 34 b&w images
 48 — Samuel Fleming, Fairbanks, Alaska, early 1950s [Mr. Fleming is doing yard work in his yard.]
 49 — Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, early 1950s [Mr. Samuel Fleming worked here during the early 1950s, note on front: Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Campus, Britt works here]
 50 — Left to right, Reginald Hart, Samuel Fleming, Parnell Simmons, Fairbanks, Alaska, week of February 11, 1952 [Standing in front of their barracks at Ladd Airforce Base]
 51 — Kelly Fleming, Anchorage, Alaska, 1961 [Kelly Fleming learning to stand on her own.]
 52 — Margaret Fleming (standing), left to right, Kelly Fleming, Randal Fleming, Anchorage, Alaska [Fleming family moment]
 53 — Samuel Fleming, Fairbanks, Alaska, early 1950s [Picture taken after Church.]
 54 — Left to right, Sheldon Fleming, Samuel Fleming, Kelly Fleming, Randal Fleming, Greg Fleming, Anchorage, Alaska, 1964 [The Fleming children standing with their father.]
 55 — Left to right, Sheldon Fleming, Greg Fleming, Anchorage, Alaska, 1962 [Sheldon and Greg are standing in front of Portage Glacier]
 56 — Samuel Fleming, Fairbanks, Alaska, early 1950s [Mr. Fleming has lined off his sidewalk with a string at his 1 st home in Fairbanks Alaska.]
 57 — Greg Fleming, Rex, Fairbanks, Alaska, 1956 [Gregory is 2 years old with his Rex his first dog.]
 58 — Samuel Fleming, Margaret Fleming, Fairbanks, Alaska, week of January 19, 1953 [Newlyweds in their first home]
 59 — Left to right, Sheldon Fleming, Greg Fleming, Anchorage, Alaska, 1962 [Sheldon and Greg are mining for gold during a daytrip]
 60 — Left to right, Randal Fleming, Gregory Fleming, Kelly Fleming, Sheldon Fleming, Anchorage, Alaska, November, 1964 [The Fleming children taking a group picture, note on back: Stutely, 3720 – 29 th St #E, Please return]
 61 — Gregory Fleming, Rex, Fairbanks, Alaska, 1952 [Gregory playing with his first pet Rex the dog]
 62 — Left to right, Gregory Fleming, Samuel Fleming, Anchorage, Alaska, week of January 12, 1957 [Gregory Fleming with his father, Samuel Fleming, condition note: hole in phtograph]
 63 — Left to right, Randal Fleming, Gregory Fleming, Samuel Fleming, Kelly Fleming, Sheldon, Fleming, Anchorage, Alaska, 1964 [Proud father taking a photo with his children.]
 64 — Samuel Fleming, Fairbanks, Alaska, early 1950s [Samuel Fleming preparing to leave for work, note on back: getting ready to go to work]
 65 — Kelly Fleming, anchorage, Alaska, 1966
 66 — Unidentified
 67 — Kelly Fleming, Randal Fleming, anchorage, Alaska, 1965 [Sister and brother]
 68 — Samuel Fleming, Gregory Fleming, Fairbanks, Alaska, 1963 [Father holding son] 6 Updated as of 9-8-2021
 69 — Samuel Fleming, Fairbanks, Alaska, early 1950s
 70 — Left to right, Sheldon Fleming, Samuel Fleming, Gregory Fleming, Anchorage, Alaska, 1961 [Family headed to church.]
 71 — Left to right, Randal Fleming, Kelly Fleming, Anchorage, Alaska, 1965 [Brother and sister playing]
 72 — Left rear, Samuel, others unknown, Fairbanks, Alaska, early 1950s [Friends celebrating]
 73 — Left front, Theresa Quarles, Fairbanks, Alaska, early 1950s [Friends having a party]
 74 — Left to right, unidentified woman, Doc Quarles, Gregory Fleming, Fairbanks, Alaska, early 1950s [A quiet moment]
 75 — Cliff and his wife, Bernice, Fairbanks, Alaska, early 1950s [Friends at a social event]
 76 — Left, Samuel Fleming, others unknown, Fairbanks, Alaska, early 1960s [Friends celebrating a birthday]
 77 — Left to right, unidentified women, Gregory Fleming, Fairbanks, Alaska, week ending November 12, 1955 [Neighborhood friend holding Gregory Fleming]
 78 — Left to right, Gregory Fleming, Samuel Fleming, Fairbanks, Alaska, 1955 [Proud father with Gregory, his first born]
 79 — Left to right, Margaret Fleming, Sheldon Fleming, Theresa Quarles, Doc Quarles, Anchorage, Alaska, December, 1959 [Friends over at the Flemings after church.]
 80 — Gregory Fleming, Fairbanks, Alaska, week ending January 12, 1957 [Gregory experiencing his first outdoor bathroom moment at his house.]
 81 — Left to right, Margaret Fleming, Theresa Quarles, Doc Quarles, Gregory Fleming, Anchorage, Alaska, December, 1959 [Friends over after Church]
 82 — Samuel Fleming, Fairbanks, Alaska, week of February 11, 1952 [Samuel Fleming in front of his barracks.] Box 1 Folder 3, 51 color slides
 83 — .112 - Slides with images of Fleming family members and friends
 113 — .125 - Slides with images of Fleming family visits to other Alaska communities
 126 — .129 - Slides with images of aftermath of 1964 earthquake, Anchorage, 1964 Guide written: September 8, 2021