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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): | 1947-2024 |
| Bulk Date(s): | 1988-2014 |
| 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: | 4 cubic feet (2 half-size record storage boxes, 8 document cases, 1 slim document case, 1 oversized folder) |
| Physical Location: | 11th Floor |
| Finding Aid Identifier: | OhKeUSC0174 |
| Abstract: | This collection contains the 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. |
| Revision(s): | |
| June 2024 - Updated and revised by Cara Gilgenbach |
| 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 pipefitter 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 math and physics at Stark State College for 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 also served 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 physics and 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 including a 2003 personal memoir, Before I Go: My First Fifty-six Trips Around the Sun, 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.
Controlled Access Headings
The following 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) | |
| Massillon City School District (Massillon, Ohio). A.B.L.E. Program | |
| Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company | |
| Places: | |
| Stark County (Ohio) | |
| Akron (Ohio) | |
| Occupations: | |
| Middle school teachers | |
| High school teachers | |
| College teachers | |
| Journey workers | |
| Pipe fitters | |
| Material Types: | |
| Court records | |
| Correspondence | |
| Photographs | |
| Teaching materials | |
| Poetry | |
| Publications (documents) | |
Detailed Description of the Collection
Series 1: Personal Information, 1947-2017
| Box 1 / Folder 1 |
| Birth Certificate, 1947 |
| Restrictions on Access | |
| This item is restricted at this time. | |
| 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 |
| Kent State Alumni Information, 2003, 2008, 2016-2017 |
| Box 1 / Folder 6 |
| Partial List of Published Writing, undated |
| Box 1 / Folder 7 |
| Family Photographs, undated |
Series 2: Writings, 1980-2023
| 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 |
| Chalk Talk: All the Things Left Out of Teacher Education: Unpublished Manuscript, undated |
| 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 2 / Folder 1 |
| Submitted Manuscripts, 1980-1989 |
| Box 2 / Folder 2 |
| Submitted Manuscripts, 1990-1998 |
| Box 2 / Folder 3 |
| Submitted Manuscripts, 2000-2010, 2023 |
Series 3: Publications, 1980-2023
| Box 2 / Folder 4 |
| Publications, 1980-1989 |
| Box 2 / Folder 5 |
| Publications, 1990-1993 |
| Box 2 / Folder 6 |
| Publications, 1994-1995 |
| Box 2 / Folder 7 |
| Publications, 1996-1998 |
| Box 2 / Folder 8 |
| Publications, 1999-2000 |
| Box 2 / Folder 9 |
| Publications, 2001-2002 |
| Box 2 / Folder 10 |
| Publications, 2003-2004 |
| Box 2 / Folder 11 |
| Publications, 2005-2007 |
| Box 2 / Folder 12 |
| Publications, 2008-2009 |
| Box 2 / Folder 13 |
| Publications, 2010-2011 |
| Box 2 / Folder 14 |
| Publications, 2012-2013 |
| Box 2 / Folder 15 |
| Publications, 2014-2016 |
| Box 2 / Folder 16 |
| Publications, 2017-2023 |
| Box 3 / Folder 1 |
| "Give 'em What They Want: A Strategy for Reading Growth" Ohio Media Spectrum, 1980 |
| Box 3 / Folder 2 |
| "My Square Meter: A Student Exploration" The Ohio Journal of Science, 1985 |
| Box 3 / Folder 4 |
| "The Treasure Found in a Junk Box" Horizon, 1987 |
| Box 3 / Folder 5 |
| "Science and Society in England" The Ohio Journal of Science, 1987 |
| Box 3 / Folder 6 |
| "Density Detectives" Science Scope, 1987 |
| Box 3 / Folder 7 |
| "From Trophies to Test Tubes" Science Scope, 1987 |
| Box 3 / Folder 8 |
| "Rube Goldberg Rides Again" Science Scope, 1987 |
| Box 3 / Folder 9 |
| "A Nobles Pond Experience: Middle School Students Unearth Paleo-Indian Artifacts" The Ohio Journal of Science, 1989 |
| Box 3 / Folder 10 |
| "Primary Science in England: An Overview, Summer '86" Science Education in Ohio, 1989 |
| Box 3 / Folder 11 |
| "Getting Them Unstuck: Some Strategies for the Teaching of Reading in Science" School Science and Mathematics, 1989 |
| Box 3 / Folder 12 |
| "Creation v. Evolution: Why Not Both?" Liberal Religious Education, 1991 |
| Box 3 / Folder 13 |
| "Cereal Box Bridge" Science Scope, 1996 |
| Box 3 / Folder 14 |
| "Bang" Ohio Poetry Association - Best of 1999, 1999 |
| Box 3 / Folder 15 |
| Before I Go: My First Fifty-Six Trips Around the Sun, 2003 |
Series 4: Jackson Schools, 1976-2011
| Box 4 / Folder 1 |
| Middle School, 1976-1987 |
| Box 4 / Folder 2 |
| Middle School, 1988 |
| Box 4 / Folder 3 |
| Middle School, 1989-1994 |
| Box 4 / Folder 4 |
| Middle School Yearbook, 1992 |
| Box 4 / Folder 5 |
| High School, 1994-1996 |
| Box 4 / Folder 6 |
| High School, 1997-1999 |
| Box 4 / Folder 7 |
| High School, 2000-2004 |
| Box 5 / Folder 1 |
| Religion at Jackson Middle School, 1971-1997 |
| Box 5 / Folder 2 |
| High School Choir Prayer, 1998 |
| Box 5 / Folder 3 |
| Ohio Education Association Documents, 1988-1990 |
| Box 5 / Folder 4 |
| Issues and Severance Contract, 1999 |
| Box 5 / Folder 5 |
| Recognition, 1981-1990 |
| Box 5 / Folder 6 |
| Recognition, 1991-2000 |
| Box 5 / Folder 7 |
| Recognition, 2001-2011 |
| Box 5 / Folder 8 |
| Evaluations, 1976-1998 |
| Box 5 / Folder 9 |
| Notes from Students, undated |
| Box 5 / Folder 10 |
| Medical and Sick Leave records, 1998-1999 |
Series 5: Stark State College, 1988-2010
| Box 6 / Folder 1 |
| Correspondence and Teaching Materials, 1988-2010 |
| Box 6 / Folder 2 |
| Math 101 Lecture Notes, undated |
| Box 6 / Folder 3 |
| Math 125 Notes and Tests, 2010 |
| Box 6 / Folder 4 |
| Physics, 2007-2008 |
Series 6: Teaching Materials, 1987-2013
| Box 6 / Folder 5 |
| General Science, 1996-1998 |
| Box 6 / Folder 6 |
| 7th Grade Lab Science, undated |
| Box 6 / Folder 7 |
| "Science Shorts" Newsletter, 1987 |
| Box 6 / Folder 8 |
| Nobles Pond, 1988 |
| Box 6 / Folder 9 |
| Miami University Field Geology, 1992 |
| Box 6 / Folder 10 |
| Canton Country Day, 2000 |
| Box 6 / Folder 11 |
| Student Tests, 1997-1998 |
| Box 6 / Folder 12 |
| Adult Basic Literacy Education (ABLE), 2003-2013 |
Series 7: Court Records, 1988-1991
| Box 7 / 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 7 / Folder 2 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Deposition of James Walker., 1991 |
| Box 7 / Folder 3 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Deposition of Robert Glassburn, 1991 |
| Box 7 / Folder 4 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Defendant's Closing Argument, 1991 |
| Box 7 / Folder 5 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Stipulations (1 of 3)., 1988-1990 |
| Box 7 / Folder 6 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Stipulations (2 of 3)., 1988-1990 |
| Box 7 / Folder 7 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Stipulations (3 of 3)., 1988-1990 |
| Box 7 / Folder 8 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Second Set of Stipulations., 1988 |
| Box 7 / Folder 9 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Third Set of Stipulations, 1988-1989 |
| Box 7 / Folder 10 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education. Case Number 88-1785-3. Plaintiff's Post Trial Brief., 1991 |
| Box 7 / Folder 11 |
| James Walker v Jackson Local Schools Board of Education et al. Case Number 5:89CV0537., 1991 |
| Box 7 / Folder 12 |
| Correspondence Regarding Court Cases, 1991 |
Series 8: Correspondence, 1982-2021
| Box 8 / Folder 1 |
| Correspondence, 1982-1988 |
| Box 8 / Folder 2 |
| Correspondence, 1989 |
| Box 8 / Folder 3 |
| Correspondence, 1990-1991 |
| Box 8 / Folder 4 |
| Correspondence, 1992-1993 |
| Box 8 / Folder 5 |
| Correspondence, 1994-1999 |
| Box 8 / Folder 6 |
| Correspondence, 2000-2003 |
| Box 8 / Folder 7 |
| Correspondence, 2004-2006 |
| Box 8 / Folder 9 |
| Correspondence, 2007-2009 |
| Box 8 / Folder 10 |
| Correspondence, 2010-2013 |
| Box 8 / Folder 11 |
| Correspondence, 2014 |
| Box 8 / Folder 12 |
| Correspondence, 2015 |
| Box 8 / Folder 13 |
| Correspondence, 2016 |
| Box 9 / Folder 1 |
| Correspondence, 2017 |
| Box 9 / Folder 2 |
| Correspondence, 2018 |
| Box 9 / Folder 3 |
| Correspondence, 2019 |
| Box 9 / Folder 4 |
| Correspondence, 2020 |
| Box 9 / Folder 5 |
| Correspondence, 2021 |
Series 9: Subject Files, 1968-2024
| Box 9 / Folder 6 |
| Animal Compliance Officer Campaign, 2016-2021 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Includes information regarding Walker's efforts for the reinstatement of a dedicated animal compliance officer and enforcement of dog-related ordinances in the city of Massillon. | |
| Box 9 / Folder 7 |
| Canal Fulton Mules Vintage Baseball, 1996-1998 |
| Box 9 / Folder 8 |
| Coming Together Stark County, 2005-2010 |
| Box 9 / Folder 9 |
| City Council Campaign, 2005 |
| Box 9 / Folder 10 |
| Fire Station 3 (Massillon, Ohio), 2016 |
| Box 9 / Folder 11 |
| Fort Industry Resolution (Proposed), 2005 |
| Box 9 / Folder 12 |
| Gallia County Genealogical Society, 2008-2010 |
| Box 9 / Folder 13 |
| Gilbert N. Porter Project, 2023 |
| Box 9 / Folder 14 |
| Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, 1968-1976 |
| Box 9 / Folder 15 |
| Hospice, 1999-2003 |
| Box 10 / Folder 1 |
| James W. Walker Scholarship for the Teaching of Science, 2015-2017 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Includes materials related to the scholarship established by Walker which was open to public high school students who intend to make a career teaching science at the secondary level in Ohio, preferably in Stark County. | |
| Restrictions on Access | |
| Some of the materials in this file are restricted at this time. | |
| Box 10 / Folder 2 |
| John Hall School, 2015-2016 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Materials related to Walker's efforts to get the former Hall Industrial School listed on the National Register of Historic Places. | |
| Box 10 / Folder 3 |
| Kent State University, 1979-2013 |
| Box 10 / Folder 4 |
| Local Authors Events, 2016-2017 |
| Box 10 / Folder 5 |
| Massillon Museum (1 of 3), 2001-2003 |
| Box 10 / Folder 6 |
| Massillon Museum (2 of 3), 2002-2003 |
| Box 10 / Folder 7 |
| Massillon Museum (3 of 3), 2001-2003 |
| Box 10 / Folder 8 |
| Massillon Museum: The Massillon Connection Committee, 2009-2015 |
| Box 10 / Folder 9 |
| Massillon Public Library Focus Group, October 5, 2022 |
| Box 10 / Folder 10 |
| Rubber Worker Stories and Statue Project, 2019-2024 |
| Box 10 / Folder 11 |
| School Recognition Plaques, undated |
| Scope and Content | |
| Includes a flyer Walker distributed urging fellow citizens to install commemorative plaques or other markers to note locations where Massillon schools once stood. | |
| Box 10 / Folder 12 |
| Spring Hill Historic Home, 2019-2021 |
| Box 10 / Folder 13 |
| Stark County Hunger Task Force, 1988-1994 |
| Box 10 / Folder 14 |
| Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Greater Canton, 1992-2009 |
| Box 10 / Folder 15 |
| Wheels of Fortune (book): Walker Interviews, 1996-1999 |
| Box 10 / Folder 16 |
| 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 11 / Folder 1 |
| 35mm Slides, 1978-1983 |
| Box 11 / Folder 2 |
| 7th Grade Football, undated |
| Box 11 / Folder 3 |
| Birding Workshop, 1989 |
| Box 11 / Folder 4 |
| Circus, undated |
| Box 11 / Folder 5 |
| Jackson Middle School Football, circa 1970s |
| Box 11 / Folder 6 |
| Nobles Pond, 1988 |
| Box 11 / Folder 7 |
| Oklahoma Negatives and Contact Sheets, 1982 |
| Box 11 / Folder 8 |
| Personal Negatives, 1975-2003 |
| Box 11 / Folder 9 |
| Physique Contest, undated |
| Box 11 / Folder 10 |
| Stan Hywet and the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1976 |
| Box 11 / Folder 11 |
| Track and Field, undated |
| Box 11 / Folder 12 |
| Trip West, 1993 |
| Box 11 / Folder 13 |
| Unidentified Negatives and Contact Sheets (1 of 2), undated |
| Box 11 / Folder 14 |
| Unidentified Negatives and Contact Sheets (2 of 2), undated |
| Box 11 / Folder 15 |
| Unidentified Negatives, undated |
| Box 11 / Folder 16 |
| Weightlifting Meet, undated |
| Box 11 / Folder 17 |
| Wyoming Geology, 1992 |
| Box 11 / Folder 18 |
| First Place Photo - 11th Annual Exhibition of Nature Photography, 1981 |
| Physical Location: 11th Floor Map Case |
