About Digital Collections
Browse
Search only public domain materials
Search Browse About
Search only public domain materials
Items Collections Divisions
Digital Collections Using Images Using Data
Collections Olivia Pleasants Frost papers
 

Olivia Pleasants Frost papers

Navigation About Filters

This collection is also available in Archives & Manuscripts
View In Archives »

Collection Data

Description
The Olivia Pleasants Frost Papers, 1937-1994, provide information on Dr. Frost's career as a research consultant to numerous social organizations and educational institutions.
Names
Frost, Olivia P. (Olivia Pleasants), 1915- (Creator)
Dates / Origin
Date Created: 1937 - 1994
Library locations
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
Shelf locator: Sc MG 430
Topics
African American children
African American families -- New York (State) -- New York (N.Y.)
African American sociologists
African American teenage girls -- New York (State) -- New York (N.Y.)
African American teenage mothers -- New York (State) -- New York (N.Y.)
African American teenagers -- New York (State) -- New York (N.Y.)
African American women -- New York (State) -- New York (N.Y.)
African American youth
African Americans -- Education
African Americans -- Education
African Americans -- Employment
African Americans -- Housing
African Americans -- Mental health
African Americans -- Professional education
African Americans -- Psychology
African Americans -- Research
African Americans -- Social conditions
African Americans -- Study and teaching
African Americans in the professions
Occupational training -- New York (State) -- New York (N.Y.)
Race discrimination -- New York (State) -- New York (N.Y.)
Real estate business
Social work with African American children
Universities and colleges
Youth -- Mental health services
Bedford-Stuyvesant Youth in Action
City University of New York. Search for Education and Knowledge Program
Committee on Civil Rights in East Manhattan
Harlem Mortgage and Improvement Council
HARYOU-ACT (Organization)
Metropolitan Applied Research Center
New York City Youth Board
New York Urban League
Olivia Frost Research Associates
Notes
Content: 6.8 linear feet (16 boxes)
Biographical/historical: Olivia Pleasants Frost, sociologist, educator, administrator and research consultant for educational, social service and community-based organizations, was born in 1915 in New Jersey and raised in Washington, D.C. and New York City. She received her bachelor's degree in 1936 from Hunter College, City University of New York, and in 1951 obtained her master of arts degree in sociology from Columbia University. She later undertook doctoral studies at the School of Education of New York University and was awarded the Ph.D. in 1972. In her professional career, Dr. Frost held numerous positions with governmental, educational, social service and civil rights organizations primarily in their research departments. Her research and program specialities were in the areas of housing discrimination, education and training of black youth, employment and labor, day care, and multi-problem families. Her responsibililties often included program development and evaluation. At the start of her career, during the late 1930s and early 1940s, Dr. Frost worked for several governmental agencies preparing reports on labor supply, national income, and wages for unionized workers. From 1945-1949, she served as the Research Secretary for the New York Urban League (NYUL), where she investigated and prepared reports on black life in Queens and Harlem for its black residents, as well as on day care facilities, housing and education. In 1965 she returned to the NYUL, this time as the Director of Research. Among her responsibilities in the latter position was the development of studies which were to be used as the basis for NYUL programs and to coordinate research activities with program activities. From 1950 to 1956 Frost was the Director of Research for the Harlem Mortgage and Improvement Council and worked with the chairman/founder, George T. Davis, who was one of the forces behind the development of the residential complex at 345 West 145 Street built by the Bowery Bank. At HMIC one of her projects involved the investigation of the realty investment market in Harlem and the policies of savings banks towards making loans in that community, which was also the subject of her master's thesis. During the 1950s she also worked for the volunteer organization, Committee on Civil Rights in East Manhattan, which focussed on relieving discrimination in housing and restaurant services. In 1962 through 1963, Dr. Frost was employed as a Research Associate for the Community Council of Greater New York, supervising a study of unmarried mothers who kept their first child. From there, Dr. Frost moved to HARYOU (Harlem Youth Opportunities Unlimited) where she was Senior Research Associate (1963-1964). Her responsibilities in that capacity included writing two chapters on demographic patterns and employment for the research document, “Youth in the Ghetto.” In addition, she worked for HARYOU-ACT as Associate Research Director for six months (June-December 1964). As the Director of Research and Program Evaluation for Bedford-Stuyvesant Youth in Action (1965-1968), Frost complied and analyzed data describing activities sponsored by the organization, including a training program entitled, “A Light is Shining in the Ghetto.” Frost developed her own consulting business, the Olivia Frost Research Associates (OFRA), in the late 1960s. The firm provided technical assistance to community-based organizations serving minority groups, and specialized in survey research, program planning and evaluation. Among the firm's clients were the Council on Interracial Books, National Council of Negro Women, and the Young Men's Christian Association, Harlem Branch. Frost also worked as a consultant for two Columbia University programs: the Columbia University Center for Community Education at Teacher's College, 1971; and the Columbia University School of Library Science, where she evaluated the master's degree library media program, 1973-1974. As a research consultant from 1973 to 1974 for the Metropolitan Applied Research Center which was founded and directed by Kenneth and Mamie Clarke, Frost assisted in developing the research design which was submitted to the Manpower Administration of the Department of Labor under the title “Adolescent Minority Females in an Urban Labor Market,” 1973. Although the head of her own consultant firm, Frost continued to hold staff positions with other organizations. In 1968, she became the Research Associate for the Development and Training Center for the Distributive Trades of District 65, the retail, wholesale and department store union. In this position, she administered psychological and other tests to trainees in the program. From 1971-1977, Dr. Frost was associated with the City University of New York, primarily working with the SEEK (Search for Excellence in Education and Knowledge) Program. She was hired as a consultant at City College in 1971 and developed plans for evaluative procedures for counselors in the SEEK Program. At SEEK Central, she was employed from 1972-1975 as Director of Program Development and coordinated efforts for the development of procedures for assessing the SEEK program at the ten senior colleges. In 1975 she assumed the position of Associate Professor at Medgar Evers College in the Office of Institutional Research. Her responsibilities were to coordinate all research efforts, college-wide. Frost was not reappointed to this position in 1977 and subsequently joined in a class action suit against the City University of New York (Melani et al v. the Board of Higher Education of the City University of New York) which charged the university with discrimination against women. Frost has been an active member of the community most of her adult life. She has served on several boards, committees or been a member of many New York City civic and professional organizations, principally those impacting on the lives of black people. Some of the organizations to which she gave her support include the Coalition of 100 Black Women, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Urban League, New York City Association of Social Workers, National Association of Black Social Workers, Association of Black Women in Higher Education, Queensboro Tuberculosis and Health Association, and the Schomburg Corporation. Olivia Frost was married to Charles Frost and has three children, Carolyn Olivia, James Williams and Charles S., Jr.
Content: The Olivia Pleasants Frost Papers, 1937-1994, provide information on Dr. Frost's career as a research consultant to numerous social organizations and educational institutions. The collection does not consist of the records of the organizations for which she worked, but rather documents her work and role with these organizations. The reports, articles and papers she wrote have been placed with the organizations for which they were created. Her master's thesis and doctoral dissertation and research leading to the latter are included.
Content: Greeting cards and news clippings about Tom Feelings; news clippings about Romare Bearden; and invitation for Ademola Olugebefola and Humbert Howard transferred to Art and Artifacts Division
Type of Resource
Text
Identifiers
Other local Identifier: Sc MG 430
NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b15591062
MSS Unit ID: 20882
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 79ae0590-e4fd-013a-dbd9-0242ac110003
Show filters Hide filters
2 results found