Morgan State archives acquire late U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings’ personal papers, items
Morgan State University has acquired the personal papers and several other belongings of the late U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, a longtime Maryland politician and civil rights activist, the university announced Tuesday.
The collection includes a collection, spanning 200 linear feet, of Cummings’ personal papers, framed artwork, photographs and other curated items from his estate, according to a news release. Bequeathed to Morgan State, the items will be housed in the university’s archives, located in the Earl S. Richardson Library’s Beulah M. Davis Research Room.
Cummings represented Maryland’s 7th congressional district from 1996 until he died in 2019. A Baltimore native, Cummings was also a well-known civil rights leader. He served on Morgan State’s board of regents from 1999 until his death. Morgan State granted him an honorary doctor of law degree in 2006.
Ida Jones, associate director of the MSU archives and special collections, said in the release that the collection will allow students to study Cummings to provide a clear picture of his legacy.
“Using his booming voice and skillful diplomacy while remaining accessible to the everyday person kept him grounded in working to provide equitable access for all Baltimoreans, Marylanders, and American citizens,” she said.
The university received constituency letters and “…various items depicting significant milestones and achievements in advancing policy and legislature,” the university said.
“Of particular interest are his constituency letters that allow the reader to understand the intersection of race, poverty, and access that frustrated many under-educated and under-employed Baltimoreans,” Jones said. “His collection will expose Morgan students to potential careers in information science, politics, finance, and business while being tempered with a thread of cultural stewardship.”
Morgan State, Maryland’s largest historically Black college, said it felt a connection to the records, as Cummings is an HBCU graduate himself. He received a bachelor’s degree from Howard University in 1973.
The school said it will now work toward securing funding that will assist with the archiving of the records.