KSMU, the public radio station at MSU, recently broadcast a story about Alberta’s Hotel that featured the new Ora (“Cricket”) Logan special collection at the MSU Libraries. Tracie Gieselman-Holtaus, the Archivist at the MSU Libraries, was interviewed by the reporter, Jessica Balisle.

The Ora “Cricket” Logan Collection is a collection of materials that document the life and accomplishments of former Springfield resident, Ora Logan, in addition to the life and accomplishments of her mother, Alberta Northcutt Ellis, and other generations of the family.

Ora’s early years were spent in Springfield, Missouri, surrounded by the Bedell and Crittenden families. She graduated from Lincoln High School, married Irving B. Logan, and had three children. The family was active in the Springfield community, and Ora is remembered as the last PTA President of Lincoln School prior to desegregation. In the late 1950s, Ora moved to St. Louis, where she attended college and worked for numerous social services organizations. She was a founding member of the St. Louis Chapter of the Springfield Reunion Club and helped establish the Club scholarship fund. Ora was also active in genealogy research, working alone, or with MSU’s Dr. Katherine Lederer, and participated in Missouri State University Libraries’ Greater Springfield Route 66 Oral History Project, as well as Washington University’s documentary film titled, “From Jim Crow to Barack Obama.”

After Ora passed away in 2016, her children began donating her materials to Missouri State University’s Special Collections and Archives. Over 24 cubic feet of photographs, documents, clippings, and research materials document Ora’s life, the Springfield and St. Louis communities, genealogy, and her children’s involvement in various organizations, such as the Lincoln School Rosenwald Historic Committee and History Book. A portion of these materials focus on Alberta Northcutt Ellis’ life and business ventures, including Alberta’s Hotel. A Tourist Register from Alberta’s Hotel and Snack Bar documented guests from 1955-1957, including the Harlem Globetrotters.

The Ora “Cricket” Logan Collection is available to researchers, but it is currently not fully processed. The Archives does have a detailed list of the materials, so researchers can request specific items from the collection. For more information, contact MSU’s Special Collections and Archives.

• Greater Springfield Route 66 Oral History with Ora “Cricket” Logan: https://youtu.be/sbL5o-Y5kgY

• Greater Springfield Route 66 Oral History with Ora “Cricket” Logan and Bert Adams: https://youtu.be/3Hi6uvv1_8c

• Greater Springfield Route 66 Oral History with Irv Logan, Jr.: https://youtu.be/QCKU6cFg_s0