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James W. Walker papers
Special Collections and Archives
James W. Walker papers
Special Collections and Archives
James W. Walker papers
| Repository: | Kent State University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives. |
| Title: | James W. Walker papers |
| Inclusive Date(s): | 1947-2016 |
| Bulk Date(s): | 1988-2000 |
| Author: | Finding aid prepared by Rennie Greenfield, February 2016 |
| Creation: | Finding aid encoded by Rennie Greenfield using the OhioLINK EAD Application in 2016 |
| Origination: | Walker, James W., 1947- |
| Extent: | 3.0 cubic feet (3 record storage boxes and 1 oversize folder) |
| Physical Location: | 12th Floor |
| Finding Aid Identifier: | OhKeUSC0174 |
| Abstract: | This collection contains the personal papers of Kent State University alumnus James W. Walker of Stark County, Ohio. It contains materials from his years of writing and teaching as well as his own photography. |
| Language(s): | The records are in English |
Biography of James W. Walker
James W. Walker was born in Akron, Ohio in February of 1947. Walker earned a journeyman's card as a pipe fitter in the apprenticeship program of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Akron, Ohio before receiving B.S. and Master's degrees from Kent State University in 1973 and 1979 respectively. Walker went on to teach mathematics and science at the middle and high school levels at Jackson Public Schools for 28 years. His advocacy for science and academic freedom brought him into conflict with Jackson Local School District. His insistence on the separation of church and state led to involvement in two cases with the school board, one in the Common Pleas Court and one in Federal Court. He won both cases before stepping down from Jackson Schools in 2004.
Walker continued to teach at Stark State College and the Massillon City Schools Adult Basic and Literacy Education (A.B.L.E.) program. He also served the community of Stark County on the board of the Stark County Hunger Task Force, the North Canton Friends of the Library, and Coming Together Stark County. He was president of the Board of Trustees of the Massillon Museum, and a founding member, as well as president, of the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Greater Canton.
He currently serves on the Teachers Advisory Board of the National Center for Science Education, headquartered in Berkeley, California. He continues to publish articles on a wide range of subjects and to pursue his passion for photography. Walker resides in Massillon, Ohio.
Scope and Content
The James W. Walker papers contain materials from a lifetime of teaching and service in Stark County, Ohio. These papers contain items from Walker's time teaching science at Jackson Middle School and Jackson High School as well as from his time teaching mathematics at Stark State College. There are also files from his service to various local entities such as the Stark County Hunger Task Force, the Massillon Museum, and Coming Together Stark County. Additionally, there are examples from Walker's years of award winning photography, personal writings, and publications. Walker's papers also reflect his advocacy for the separation of church and state in the public schools and include the court records of those efforts.
Statement of Arrangement
This collection has been arranged into the following ten series:
| Series 1: Personal Information | |
| Series 2: Writing | |
| Series 3: Publications | |
| Series 4: Jackson Schools | |
| Series 5: Stark State College | |
| Series 6: Teaching Materials | |
| Series 7: Court Records | |
| Series 8: Correspondence | |
| Series 9: Subject Files | |
| Series 10: Photography |
Separated Material
Photographs by James W. Walker related to the Kent State University gym annex protests are located in the May 4 Collection, Gym Annex Controversy (Tent City) records.
Preferred Citation
James W. Walker papers. Kent State University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives.
Subject Headings
The following subjects are found in this collection:
| Subjects: | |
| Photography, Artistic--Ohio | |
| Mathematics--Study and Teaching--Ohio | |
| Science--Study and Teaching--Ohio | |
| Church and state--United States--History--20th century | |
| Organizations/Corporations: | |
| Jackson Local School District (Stark County, Ohio) | |
| Stark State College | |
| Jackson High School (Massillon, Ohio) | |
| Jackson Memorial Middle School (Massillon, Ohio) | |
| Places: | |
| Stark County (Ohio) | |
| Occupations: | |
| Middle school teachers | |
| High school teachers | |
| College teachers | |
| Material Types: | |
| Court records | |
| Correspondence | |
| Photographs | |
| Teaching materials | |
Detailed Description of the Collection
Series 1: Personal Information, 1947-2008
| Box 1 / Folder 1 |
| Birth Certificate, 1947 |
| Box 1 / Folder 2 |
| Resume, 2001 |
| Box 1 / Folder 3 |
| Certificates and Awards, 1960-1962 |
| Box 1 / Folder 4 |
| Biographical Sketch Written by James W. Walker, 2016 |
| Box 1 / Folder 5 |
| Walker Information in The Kent State Magazine, 2003-2008 |
| Box 1 / Folder 6 |
| Partial List of Published Writing, undated |
| Box 1 / Folder 7 |
| Family Photographs, undated |
Series 2: Writings, 1980-2010
| Scope and Content | |
| James W. Walker's writings cover a wide range of subjects and styles. He has written poetry and the memoir Before I Go. He also has published several articles in scholastic and scientific journals. This series of writings contains his drafts with hand written corrections, as well as unpublished manuscripts, and submitted manuscripts. | |
| Box 1 / Folder 8 |
| Before I Go: Hand Written Draft: Chapters 1-15, undated |
| Box 1 / Folder 9 |
| Before I Go: Hand Written Draft: Chapters 16-24, undated |
| Box 1 / Folder 10 |
| Before I Go: Hand Written Draft: Chapters 25-31, undated |
| Box 1 / Folder 11 |
| Before I Go: Typed Draft With Corrections: Chapters 1-12, undated |
| Box 1 / Folder 12 |
| Before I Go: Typed Draft With Corrections: Chapters 13-22, undated |
| Box 1 / Folder 13 |
| Before I Go: Typed Draft With Corrections: Chapters 23-31 and Cover Art, undated |
| Box 1 / Folder 14 |
| Bridges to Wholeness: Unpublished Poetry Manuscript, 1987 |
| Box 1 / Folder 15 |
| My Turn Now: Unpublished Manuscript, undated |
| Box 1 / Folder 16 |
| Ontolocon: Unpublished Manuscript, 2002 |
| Box 1 / Folder 17 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Writings, 1984-1988 |
| Box 1 / Folder 18 |
| Submitted Manuscripts, 1980-1989 |
| Box 1 / Folder 19 |
| Submitted Manuscripts, 1990-1998 |
| Box 1 / Folder 20 |
| Submitted Manuscripts, 2000-2010 |
Series 3: Publications, 1980-2013
| Box 1 / Folder 21 |
| Publications, 1980-1989 |
| Box 1 / Folder 22 |
| Publications, 1990-1993 |
| Box 1 / Folder 23 |
| Publications, 1994-1995 |
| Box 1 / Folder 24 |
| Publications, 1996-1998 |
| Box 1 / Folder 25 |
| Publications, 1999-2000 |
| Box 1 / Folder 26 |
| Publications, 2001-2002 |
| Box 1 / Folder 27 |
| Publications, 2003-2004 |
| Box 1 / Folder 28 |
| Publications, 2005-2007 |
| Box 1 / Folder 29 |
| Publications, 2008-2009 |
| Box 1 / Folder 30 |
| Publications, 2010-2011 |
| Box 1 / Folder 31 |
| Publications, 2012-2013 |
| Box 1 / Folder 32 |
| "Give 'em What They Want: A Strategy for Reading Growth" Ohio Media Spectrum, 1980 |
| Box 1 / Folder 33 |
| "My Square Meter: A Student Exploration" The Ohio Journal of Science, 1985 |
| Box 1 / Folder 34 |
| "The Treasure Found in a Junk Box" Horizon, 1987 |
| Box 1 / Folder 35 |
| "Science and Society in England" The Ohio Journal of Science, 1987 |
| Box 1 / Folder 36 |
| "Density Detectives" Science Scope, 1987 |
| Box 1 / Folder 37 |
| "From Trophies to Test Tubes" Science Scope, 1987 |
| Box 1 / Folder 38 |
| "Rube Goldberg Rides Again" Science Scope, 1987 |
| Box 1 / Folder 39 |
| "A Nobles Pond Experience: Middle School Students Unearth Paleo-Indian Artifacts" The Ohio Journal of Science, 1989 |
| Box 1 / Folder 40 |
| "Primary Science in England: An Overview, Summer '86" Science Education in Ohio, 1989 |
| Box 1 / Folder 41 |
| "Getting Them Unstuck: Some Strategies for the Teaching of Reading in Science" School Science and Mathematics, 1989 |
| Box 1 / Folder 42 |
| "Creation v. Evolution: Why Not Both?" Liberal Religious Education, 1991 |
| Box 1 / Folder 43 |
| "Cereal Box Bridge" Science Scope, 1996 |
| Box 1 / Folder 44 |
| "Bang" Ohio Poetry Association - Best of 1999, 1999 |
| Box 1 / Folder 45 |
| Before I Go: My First Fifty-Six Trips Around the Sun, 2003 |
Series 4: Jackson Schools, 1976-1999
| Box 2 / Folder 1 |
| Middle School, 1976-1987 |
| Box 2 / Folder 2 |
| Middle School, 1988 |
| Box 2 / Folder 3 |
| Middle School, 1989-1994 |
| Box 2 / Folder 4 |
| Middle School Yearbook, 1992 |
| Box 2 / Folder 5 |
| High School, 1994-1996 |
| Box 2 / Folder 6 |
| High School, 1997-1999 |
| Box 2 / Folder 7 |
| High School, 2000-2004 |
| Box 2 / Folder 8 |
| Religion at Jackson Middle School, 1971-1997 |
| Box 2 / Folder 9 |
| High School Choir Prayer, 1998 |
| Box 2 / Folder 10 |
| Ohio Education Association Documents, 1988-1990 |
| Box 2 / Folder 11 |
| Issues and Severance Contract, 1999 |
| Box 2 / Folder 12 |
| Recognition, 1981-1990 |
| Box 2 / Folder 13 |
| Recognition, 1991-2000 |
| Box 2 / Folder 14 |
| Recognition, 2001-2011 |
| Box 2 / Folder 15 |
| Evaluations, 1976-1998 |
| Box 2 / Folder 16 |
| Notes from Students, undated |
| Box 2 / Folder 17 |
| Medical and Sick Leave records, 1998-1999 |
Series 5: Stark State College, 1988-2010
| Box 2 / Folder 18 |
| Correspondence and Teaching Materials, 1988-2010 |
| Box 2 / Folder 19 |
| Math 101 Lecture Notes, undated |
| Box 2 / Folder 20 |
| Math 125 Notes and Tests, 2010 |
| Box 2 / Folder 21 |
| Physics, 2007-2008 |
Series 6: Teaching Materials, 1987-2013
| Box 2 / Folder 22 |
| General Science, 1996-1998 |
| Box 2 / Folder 23 |
| 7th Grade Lab Science, undated |
| Box 2 / Folder 24 |
| "Science Shorts" Newsletter, 1987 |
| Box 2 / Folder 25 |
| Nobles Pond, 1988 |
| Box 2 / Folder 26 |
| Miami University Field Geology, 1992 |
| Box 2 / Folder 27 |
| Canton Country Day, 2000 |
| Box 2 / Folder 28 |
| Student Tests, 1997-1998 |
| Box 2 / Folder 29 |
| Adult Basic Literacy Education (ABLE), 2003-2013 |
Series 7: Court Records, 1988-1991
| Box 3 / Folder 1 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Complaint, Judgement Entry, and Settlement Agreement., 1988-1991 |
| Box 3 / Folder 2 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Deposition of James Walker., 1991 |
| Box 3 / Folder 3 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Deposition of Robert Glassburn, 1991 |
| Box 3 / Folder 4 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Defendant's Closing Argument, 1991 |
| Box 3 / Folder 5 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Stipulations (1 of 3)., 1988-1990 |
| Box 3 / Folder 6 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Stipulations (2 of 3)., 1988-1990 |
| Box 3 / Folder 7 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Stipulations (3 of 3)., 1988-1990 |
| Box 3 / Folder 8 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Second Set of Stipulations., 1988 |
| Box 3 / Folder 9 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Third Set of Stipulations, 1988-1989 |
| Box 3 / Folder 10 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Plaintiff's Post Trial Brief., 1991 |
| Box 3 / Folder 11 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education et al. Case Number 5:89CV0537., 1991 |
| Box 3 / Folder 12 |
| Correspondence Regarding Court Cases, 1991 |
Series 8: Correspondence, 1982-2014
| Box 3 / Folder 13 |
| Correspondence, 1982-1988 |
| Box 3 / Folder 14 |
| Correspondence, 1989 |
| Box 3 / Folder 15 |
| Correspondence, 1990-1991 |
| Box 3 / Folder 16 |
| Correspondence, 1992-1993 |
| Box 3 / Folder 17 |
| Correspondence, 1994-1999 |
| Box 3 / Folder 18 |
| Correspondence, 2000-2003 |
| Box 3 / Folder 19 |
| Correspondence, 2004-2006 |
| Box 3 / Folder 20 |
| Correspondence, 2007-2009 |
| Box 3 / Folder 21 |
| Correspondence, 2010-2014 |
Series 9: Subject Files, 1968-2013
| Box 3 / Folder 22 |
| Canal Fulton Mules Vintage Baseball, 1996-1998 |
| Box 3 / Folder 23 |
| Coming Together Stark County, 2005-2010 |
| Box 3 / Folder 24 |
| City Council Campaign, 2005 |
| Box 3 / Folder 25 |
| Gallia County Genealogical Society, 2008-2010 |
| Box 3 / Folder 26 |
| Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, 1968-1976 |
| Box 3 / Folder 27 |
| Hospice, 1999-2003 |
| Box 3 / Folder 28 |
| Kent State University, 1979-2013 |
| Box 3 / Folder 29 |
| Massillon Museum (1 of 3), 2001-2003 |
| Box 3 / Folder 30 |
| Massillon Museum (2 of 3), 2002-2003 |
| Box 3 / Folder 31 |
| Massillon Museum (3 of 3), 2001-2003 |
| Box 3 / Folder 32 |
| Stark County Hunger Task Force, 1988-1994 |
| Box 3 / Folder 33 |
| Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Greater Canton, 1992-2009 |
| Box 3 / Folder 34 |
| WRCW-AM Radio Program, 2001-2002 |
Series 10: Photography, 1975-2003
| Restrictions on Use | |
| All photographs are the work of James W. Walker and are for research purposes only. They can not be reproduced without written permission from James W. Walker. | |
| Related Material | |
| Additional black and white photographs and negatives by James W. Walker of the Kent State University Gym Annex protests (Tent City) can be found in the May 4 collection, Gym Annex Controversy (Tent City) records. | |
| Box 3 / Folder 35 |
| 35mm Slides, 1978-1983 |
| Box 3 / Folder 36 |
| 7th Grade Football, undated |
| Box 3 / Folder 37 |
| Birding Workshop, 1989 |
| Box 3 / Folder 38 |
| Circus, undated |
| Box 3 / Folder 39 |
| Jackson Middle School Football, circa 1970s |
| Box 3 / Folder 40 |
| Nobles Pond, 1988 |
| Box 3 / Folder 41 |
| Oklahoma Negatives and Contact Sheets, 1982 |
| Box 3 / Folder 42 |
| Personal Negatives, 1975-2003 |
| Box 3 / Folder 43 |
| Physique Contest, undated |
| Box 3 / Folder 44 |
| Stan Hywet and the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1976 |
| Box 3 / Folder 45 |
| Track and Field, undated |
| Box 3 / Folder 46 |
| Trip West, 1993 |
| Box 3 / Folder 47 |
| Unidentified Negatives and Contact Sheets (1 of 2), undated |
| Box 3 / Folder 48 |
| Unidentified Negatives and Contact Sheets (2 of 2), undated |
| Box 3 / Folder 49 |
| Unidentified Negatives, undated |
| Box 3 / Folder 50 |
| Weightlifting Meet, undated |
| Box 3 / Folder 51 |
| Wyoming Geology, 1992 |
| Box 3 / Folder 52 |
| First Place Photo - 11th Annual Exhibition of Nature Photography, 1981 |
| Physical Location: 11th Floor Map Case |
