Joan Norton scrapbooks, 1951-1959
A Guide to her Papers at the Indiana University Archives
Finding aid prepared by Matthew Malher
Summary Information
Repository
Indiana
University Archives
1320 East Tenth Street
Herman B Wells Library E460
Bloomington, IN 47405-7000
Phone: 812-855-1127
Email: archives@indiana.edu
http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives
Creator
Houston, Ellen Joan Norton
TitleJoan Norton scrapbooks, 1951-1959
Collection No.
C690
Extent
1.6 cubic feet (3 boxes)
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
Ellen Joan Norton (Houston) attended
Indiana University from 1952 through 1955 and was a member of several student
organizations. This collection contains two scrapbooks (1951-1955) and a small
amount of loose photographs and ephemera that mainly document Norton’s time at IU.
The scrapbooks include photographs of dances and other social functions, news
clippings, and academic awards received by Norton.
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research. Advance notice required.
Biographical Note
Ellen Joan Norton (Houston), who was known as “Joan,” was born in Indianapolis,
Indiana on February 26, 1932. She attended Arsenal Technical School, where she
graduated in 1950 as class secretary. After graduation, Joan briefly attended the
University of Indianapolis before coming to Indiana University in 1952. She was a
member of several student organizations while at IU, including Mortar Board, IU
Student Foundation, and the YMCA Council. She was also involved in campus Greek life
and eventually became the president of Zeta Tau Alpha. Her other memberships
included the Alpha Lambda Delta national honorary society and Panhellenic Council.
She was a regular honor student and became a Class Officer in her senior year.
After graduating from Indiana University with her B.S. in Business in 1955, Joan
moved to Dallas, Texas, where she met her future husband, Dr. Neal Bryan Houston
(1928-2009). The two married in late 1956. Houston began her career working for a
department store as a purchaser for their candy department. Later on, she became a
professional weaver.
Houston passed away in Nacogdoches, Texas, in 2014.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into one series with bound scrapbooks appearing first and loose material appearing at the end of
the collection.
Scope and Content Note
This collection consists of two scrapbooks and a small amount of loose clippings,
publications, photographs, and other memorabilia that document Joan Norton Houston’s
social and academic life at Indiana University. The scrapbooks that Houston created
span 1951-1955 and contain photographs, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and
memorabilia related to her participation in student organizations and attendance of
dances and other social functions. The collection also contains some loose
materials, including photographs from Houston’s graduation from IU, her diploma,
issues (1954-1955, 1959) of the Zeta Tau Alpha magazine
Themis, a 1955 copy of the
Indiana University
Alumni Magazine
, and a program for the fifth annual Little 500.
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Indexing Terms
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The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
IUCAT, the IU Libraries'
online catalog. Materials about related topics, persons or places can be found by
searching the catalog using these terms.
Related Material
Related photographs may be available in the
University Archives
Photographs Database
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Accession: 2014/123
Usage RestrictionsThe donor(s) of this collection have not transferred their copyrights for the
materials to the Trustees of Indiana University. For more information, please
contact the Indiana University Archives staff.
The Indiana University Archives respects the intellectual property rights of
others and does not claim any copyrights for non-university records, materials
in the public domain, or materials for which we do not hold a Deed of Gift.
Responsibility for the determination of the copyright status of these materials
rests with those persons wishing to reuse the materials. Researchers are
responsible for securing permission from copyright owners and any other rights
holders for any reuse of these materials that extends beyond fair use or other
statutory limitations.
Digital reproductions of archival materials from the Indiana University Archives
are made available for noncommercial educational and research purposes only. If
you are the copyright holder for any of the digitized materials and have
questions about its inclusion on our site, please contact the Indiana University
Archives staff.
Preferred Citation
[Item], Joan Norton scrapbooks, Collection C690, Indiana University Archives,
Bloomington.
Provenance
Donated to the University Archives by Joan Houston’s friend Frances Lostracco,
December 2014.
Processing InformationProcessed by Walker Byer.
Completed in 2018
Container List
Series:
Box 1
Joan Norton scrapbooks,1951-1959
Scrapbook 1951-1953
Note: This scrapbook chronicles Houston’s early years at Indiana
University. Arranged in chronological order, each page covers a
specific topics or attended events. These include grade reports and
certificates of achievement, programs for IU Theater productions, as
well as other areas of campus life. Photographs and memorabilia from
a variety of Indiana University dances such as the Dames Ball, Rose
Ball, Military Ball, and Prom are also present. Also included are
news clippings highlighting Houston’s sorority Zeta Tau Alpha, as
well as Indiana University and local events.
Box 2
Scrapbook, 1953-1955
Note: A continuation in the chronology of Houston’s time at Indiana
University Bloomington, this scrapbook spans from 1953 to 1955. Like the
previous book, this scrapbook includes correspondence, grade reports,
and certificates of recognition, as well as programs and news clippings,
which highlight a variety of experiences during Houston’s time at IUB.
Several pages highlight a trip by Houston to New York City. This
includes Broadway playbills and memorabilia from places such as Radio
City Music Hall and the Empire State Building, as well as a variety of
photographs of the city and the Statue of Liberty. This scrapbook also
covers Houston’s attendance to the Zeta Tau Alpha National Convention in
Miami.
Box 3
Clippings, 1954-1959
Scope and Content Note
Consists of articles pulled from the Indiana Daily Student, event
programs from the Mortar Board, Zeta Tau Alpha events, the
Alumnae-Senior Breakfast, Dames Ball, and Founders Day Exercises.
Commencement, 1955
Scope and Content Note
Contains Houston’s diploma and the program for the 1955 Commencement
Loose publications, 1954-1955
Scope and Content Note
Contains a copy of the Zeta Tau Alpha Creed and the 1954-1959 issues of
the ZTA magazine
Themis. Also included are
a copy of the 1955 Indiana University Alumni Magazine and a program for
the Fifth Annual Little 500.
Photographs, 1952-1959
Scope and Content Note
Includes images of Houston both during and just after her time at IU
