Delegate: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A 1975 issue of Delegate magazine published by MelPat Associates. The cover of the magazine shows a collage of black and white photographic portraits with a red tinted band on the top third, a white band in the middle, and a blue tinted band on the bottom third. There is a yellow ribbon badge at the top left that reads [1975 / DELEGATE]. White text in a black box at the bottom right reads [PLEASE TURN TO PAGES DEVOTED TO YOUR CONVENTION].

The magazine’s content opens with “A Message to Delegate Readers” from the National Association of Broadcasters in support of broadcast license renewal legislation, followed by an article titled “Black Leaders Oppose Pay-Television.”

The content continues with articles and profiles of African American business organizations, business leaders, community organizations, sororities, fraternities, doctors, dentists, politicians, actors, and journalists. This includes the Opportunities Industrialization Center of America, National Pan-Hellenic Council, National Association of Black Social Workers, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, The Girl Friends, Inc., Duke Ellington, National Medical Association, Prince Hall masons, National Newspaper Publishers Association, Chi Delta Mu Fraternity, John Albert Morsell, NAACP, Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Lambda Kappa Mu Sorority, National Insurance Association, National Urban League, National United Church Ushers Association, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, National Dental Association, CBS Broadcasting, Inc., American Bridge Association, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Phi Delta Kappa Sorority, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Elks of the World, Nettie B. Smith, The National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs, National Medical Association, National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, John Warren Davis, Shriners, Congressional Black Caucus, National Business League, National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees, 369th Veterans Association, Association for the Study of African American Life and History, National Council of Negro Women. There is also an article titled “The Negro Convention Movement Before the Civil War,” by Clifton H. Johnson.

The issue concludes with an editorial note, masthead and table of contents on the final page. There are 258 pages with black and white photographs and advertisements throughout, as well as a few advertisements in color. The back cover of the magazine features a full page advertisement for Viceroy cigarettes.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1975
• Published by: MelPat Associates, American, 1965 - 1986
• Created by: C. Melvin Patrick, American, died 1985
• Subject of: National Association of Broadcasters, American
• Subject of: Opportunities Industrialization Center of America, Inc., American, founded 1964
• Subject of: National Pan-Hellenic Council, American, founded 1930
• Subject of: National Association of Black Social Workers, American, founded 1968
• Subject of: Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., American, founded 1911
• Subject of: The Girl Friends, Inc., American, founded 1927
• Type: magazines (periodicals)
• Medium: ink on paper
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 10 13/16 × 8 7/16 × 3/8 in. (27.5 × 21.4 × 0.9 cm)
• Place made: Harlem, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Advertising
• Topic: Associations and institutions
• Topic: Black Press
• Topic: Business
• Topic: Calypso (Music)
• Topic: Communities
• Topic: Fraternal organizations
• Object number: 2012.167.9
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Anne B. Patrick and the family of Hilda E. Stokely
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Public domain Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.