Ada Mae Metcalf, grandmother of Dr. Brown-Chappell, was born in 1888 -- only decades after the Civil War. Affectionately known as Big Mama – she inspired her granddaughter because she overcame poverty, domestic abuse, and racial discrimination to successfully raise 7 children and to become the matriarch for an extended family that stretches coast to coast and to international shores. Big Mama’s example was a key source of strength while Dr. Brown-Chappell successfully completed her dissertation at the University of Chicago. This incident is detailed in Open Secrets: A Poor Person’s Life in Higher Education. Big Mama’s story was also featured in a 2020 Big Hearts for Seniors presentation sponsored by the University of Michigan and in a StoryCorps oral history. Big Mama’s family photographs and oral history inspired both Dr. Brown-Chappell and her husband, Michael Chappell, to sponsor this project. The Brown-Chappell digitization project (1888-2014) focuses on genealogical organization of photographs and professional materials for this multi-generational African American family. Archival professionals Alexis Braun Marks, Michelle McKinney and Katy Schroder provided technical leadership for the project while a number of student interns were instrumental in completion of the project. Also included in this series are scrapbooks created by Brown-Chappell in her childhood and college years and travel books that include both personal and professional travel.

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Archival Materials

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I.i.a: Betty Lou Brown-Chappell Bibliographic Albums, Book 1, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.i.b: Betty Lou Brown-Chappell Bibliographic Albums, Book 2, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.i.c: Betty Lou Brown-Chappell Bibliographic Albums, Book 3, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.i.d: Betty Lou Brown-Chappell Bibliographic Albums, Childhood Scrapbook, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.i.e: Betty Lou Brown-Chappell Bibliographic Albums, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.i.g: Betty Lou Brown-Chappell Bibliographic Albums, Travel Book 2, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.i.h: Betty Lou Brown-Chappell Bibliographic Albums, Travel Book 3, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.i.i: Gail Lee Brown Patterson_Sibling, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.iii: Frances Elaine Brown Ray_Sibling, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.i.j: Maternal Ancestors and Relatives of Michael James Chappell, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.i.k: Betty Lou Brown-Chappell, Friends of Betty and Her Parents, Benjamin Franklin and Clara Lucielle Brown, Book 1, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.i.l: Betty Lou Brown-Chappell, Friends of Betty and Her Parents, Benjamin Franklin and Clara Lucielle Brown, Book 2, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.iv: Sandra Maria Brown-Bingham_Sibling, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.ix: Ada Mae Woodson Brown Metcalf, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.v.a: Benjamin 'Frankie' Franklin Brown, Jr._Sibling, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.v.b: Benjamin Brown Jr. Letters of Recognition, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.vi: Carolyn Evonne Brown Rowles_Sibling, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.vii: David Sterling Brown_Sibling, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.viii: Daniel Scott Brown_Sibling, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.x.a: Michael Chappell_Husband, Book 1, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.x.b: Michael Chappell_Husband, Book 2, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.x.c: Michael Chappell_Husband, Book 3, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.xii.a: Michael Jahi Chappell_Child, Book 1, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.xii.b: Michael Jahi Chappell_Child, Book 2, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD

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I.xiii.a: Aisha Ebony Chappell_Child, Book 1, Betty L. Brown-Chappell PhD