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Correspondence, Papers, Photographs, c. 1880-1981
Manuscript Collection 637
Born in Benton County, Lee A. Seamster (1888-1960) was the son of Martin Luther Seamster and Nancy Cole Seamster. He was a school teacher and rural letter carrier who studied law with Bentonville lawyers and was admitted to the bar in 1913. Seamster was Chancery Judge of the 13th District, 1925-42 and 1949-50 and served in the Arkansas Legislature, 1914-20 and 1947-48. Governor Orval Faubus named him Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1955, a post he held until 1957.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE COLLECTION
The Lee A. Seamster Papers include Seamster's correspondence, copies of his judicial decisions, and legal documents. Fannie Presley Seamster, Seamster's wife, was a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy; her papers, and Seamster's collection of sermons, are contained here as well. The collection concludes with family photographs.
The Lee A. Seamster Papers were donated by Seamster's daughter, the late Margaret Seamster Schwieger (1914-1987) of Fayetteville, Arkansas, on March 5, 1987.
Prepared by Janet G. Tucker, Special Collections Division, University
of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville, Arkansas, in May 1988.
CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION (2 linear feet)
Series 1. Political and Professional Papers. Box 1.
Subseries 1. Correspondence.
Subseries 2. Legislative and Judicial Papers.
Subseries 3. Private Legal Practice and Selective Service Papers.
Series 2. Family
and Genealogical Papers. Box 2.
Subseries 1. Biographical and Genealogical Papers.
Subseries 2. Anecdotes and Religious Materials.
Series 3. Photographs. Boxes 3-4.
Series
1. Seamster's Political and Judicial Papers (Box 1)
Seamster held several political offices in the course of his long career.
He was the mayor of Bentonville (Benton County), Arkansas, 1921-22, and
a Chancery Court Judge in 1925, 1927, 1931, 1937, and 1949.
Seamster served in the Arkansas General Assembly as a Representative of
Benton County, 1919-20, and of Washington County, 1947-48. Appointed
Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court by Governor Orval Faubus in
1955, Seamster held this post until the expiration of his term on December
31, 1956. Materials dealing with Seamster's employment as a rural
letter carrier are present, as are papers relevant to his membership on
the Selective Service Boards of Benton and Washington Counties, Arkansas.
Subseries 1. Correspondence.
Box 1
1. Correspondence, 1908-53.
2. Correspondence, 1955-57.
3. Correspondence, 1960-86.
Subseries 2. Legislative and Judicial Papers.
Box 1 (cont.)
4. Arkansas General Assembly materials, 1921-57.
5. Arkansas General Assembly, Certifications of Office, proceedings,
1947-61.
6. Opinions, Chief Justice, Jan-Mar, 1956.
7. Opinions, Chief Justice, Apr-June, 1956.
8. Opinions, Chief Justice, July-Oct, 1956.
9. Opinions, Chief Justice, Nov-Dec, 1956.
Subseries 3. Governmental Papers.
Box 1 (cont.)
10. Rural letter carrier, examinations materials, 1908.
11. Affirmations of Office, 1909-55.
12. Attorney's license, admittance to the Bar, 1913-39.
13. Selective Service materials, 1919-40.
14. Resolutions honoring Seamster, 1938-61.
15. Clippings, 1912-36.
16. Clippings, 1939-50.
17. Clippings, 1955-61.
Series 2.
Family and Genealogical Papers (Box 2)
This series contains biographical materials pertaining to Seamster.
Genealogical papers related to Fannie Presley Seamster's membership in
the United Daughters of the Confederacy are also present, as are papers
concerning Seamster's role as judge at the Freedoms Foundation Washington's
Birthday awards ceremonies at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1957. The
assortment of anecdotes attests to Seamster's attraction to regional customs
and language, and his interest in the Methodist Church of Arkansas is reflected
in a collection of sermons and related materials.
Subseries 1. Biographical and Genealogical Papers.
Box 2
1. Seamster, biographical materials, 1927-61.
2. Seamster's teacher's license and contracts, 1906-07.
3. Freedoms Foundation materials, 1956-60.
4. Scrapbook, Young Men's Professional Club, 1896-1942.
5. Fannie Presley Seamster genealogical materials, 1948-78.
6. United Daughters of the Confederacy materials, 1954-60.
7. Prairie Grove Battlefield materials, 1957-58.
8. Clippings, 1949-71.
Subseries 2. Anecdotes, Religious Materials.
Box 2
9. Anecdotes, 1929-37.
10. Sermons collected by Seamster, 1956.
11. Central Methodist Church, Fayetteville (Washington County),
Arkansas; Central Methodist Church, Little Rock (Pulaski County), Arkansas,
materials, 1927-61.
12. Religious notes, 1949.
13. Religious notes, 1957-58.
Series 3. Photographs (Boxes 3-4)
This series consists of individual and group photographs of Seamster and Fannie Presley Seamster. Photographs of their children Bernal, Nancy Louise Seamster, and Margaret Jane Seamster Schwieger, of Margaret Seamster Schwieger's husband Sam Schwieger, and of the Seamster grandchildren are present, as are other family pictures. All photographs are black and white unless otherwise noted. Photographs are listed in chronological order, with dated photographs first.
Folder 1. Bernal Seamster, individual and group.
1. Bernal Seamster, c. 1932.
2. Bernal Seamster, 1943.
3. Bernal Seamster, 1960.
4. Bernal Seamster, n.d.
5. Bernal Seamster, group photograph, n.d.
Folder 2. Fannie Seamster, individual.
6. Fannie Seamster, 1928.
7. Fannie Seamster, 1932.
8. Fannie Seamster, 1961.
9. Fannie Seamster, 1965.
10. Fannie Seamster, n.d.
Folder 3. Fannie Seamster, group.
11. Fannie Seamster, back row, last on left, 1905.
12. Fannie Seamster (in dark dress), 1906.
13. Fannie Seamster holding Nancy Louise Seamster, 1920.
14. Fannie Seamster with Nancy Louise Seamster, 1920.
15. Fannie Seamster with Margaret and Nancy Louise Seamster, 1920.
16. Fannie Seamster on right, 1953.
17. Fannie Seamster with her Seamster in-laws, n.d.
18. Fannie Seamster with Margaret and Nancy Louise Seamster, n.d.
Folder 4. Lee Seamster, individual, dated.
19. Seamster, 1919.
20. Seamster, 1936. 5 x 7 negative removed to Folder 12.
21. Seamster, 1953. Polaroid.
22. Seamster, 1955.
23. Seamster, 1960.
Folder 5. Photographs 24-28, Lee Seamster, individual, n.d.
Folder 6. Lee Seamster, group, 1905-14.
29. Seamster fifth from left, last row, 1905.
30. Seamster on right, 1906.
31. Seamster, Fannie Seamster, couple on left, 1908.
32. Seamster, lower right, c. 1910. Removed to Manuscript Oversize Box 2.
33. Seamster, with Fannie Seamster and Bernal Seamster, 1911.
34. Seamster at wheel of car, with father Martin Luther Seamster,
c. 1914.
Folder 7. Lee Seamster, group, 1915-57.
35. Seamster, front row, right, with siblings, 1915.
36. Seamster on left, with uncle Lee Seamster, 1924.
37. Seamster, Fannie Seamster, 1941.
38. Seamster center, with justices of the Arkansas Supreme Court, 1955.
39. Seamster, Freedoms Foundation photograph album, 1956.
40. Seamster, fifth from left, second row; Orval Faubus, second
from right, front row, 1957.
Folder 8. Lee Seamster, group, undated.
41. Seamster, third from left, with parents Martin Luther Seamster and Nancy Cole Seamster, brothers, one sister, n.d.
42. Seamster on left holding Margaret Seamster, his brother Alvin Seamster holding Yvonne Seamster, n.d.
43. Seamster, center, with his brothers, n.d.
44. Seamster on left, n.d.
45. Seamster on left, back to camera, n.d.
46. Seamster on left, n.d.
47. Seamster, center, n.d.
48. Seamster, center, with his brothers, n.d.
49. Seamster in framed photograph, n.d.
Folder 9. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, individual.
50. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, 1915.
51. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, 1919.
52. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, 1920.
53. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, 1928.
54. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, 1931.
55. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, 1935.
56. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, 1935.
57. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, 1937.
58. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, n.d.
Folder 10. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, group, dated.
59. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, Bernal Seamster, 1918.
60. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, Bernal Seamster, 1919.
61. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, Bernal Seamster, 1920.
62. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, Louise Seamster, 1923.
63. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, eighth from left, second row, 1930.
64. Margaret Seamster Schwieger on left, 1936.
65. Margaret Seamster Schwieger and husband Sam Schwieger, 1940.
66. Margaret Seamster Schwieger and husband Sam Schwieger, 1940.
Folder 11. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, group, undated.
67. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, Bernal Seamster, n.d.
68. Margaret Seamster Schwieger on right, n.d.
69. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, Bernal Seamster, n.d.
70. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, Nancy Louise Seamster, n.d.
71. Margaret Seamster Schwieger second row, second from right, Bernal Seamster left, Nancy Louise Seamster one of babies, n.d.
72. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, back row, sixth from left, n.d.
73. Margaret Seamster Schwieger, Sam Schwieger, son Lee, n.d.
74. Margaret Seamster Scheiwger, Sam Schwieger, daughter Jane, son Lee, n.d.
Box 4
Folder 1. Martin Luther Seamster, group.
75. Martin Luther Seamster, third from right, 1910.
76. Martin Luther Seamster, Nancy Cole Seamster, n.d.
77. Martin Luther Seamster, Nancy Cole Seamster, n.d.
78. Martin Luther Seamster on left, n.d.
Folder 2. Nancy Louise Seamster.
79. Nancy Louise Seamster, 1920.
80. Nancy Louise Seamster on left, 1920.
81. Nancy Louise Seamster, 1942.
82. Nancy Louise Seamster, front, on left, n.d.
83. Nancy Louise Seamster on right (?), n.d.
Folder 3. Photographs 84-86, Lee Schwieger (Seamster's grandson), n.d.
Folder 4. Seamster grandchildren, group.
87. Lee Schwieger on left, Jane Schwieger on right, c. 1948.
88. Seamster, Fannie Seamster with grandchildren. Left to right: Jane Schwieger, Seamster, Anne Seamster, Fannie Seamster, Joan Seamster (on Fannie Seamster's lap), Thomas Lee Seamster, Lee Schwieger. 1950.
89. Seamster, Fannie Seamster with grandchildren. Left to right: Jane Schwieger, Seamster, Anne Seamster, Fannie Seamster, Joan Seamster (on Fannie Seamster's lap), Thomas Lee Seamster, Lee Schwieger, 1950.
90. Children of Bernal Seamster and Margaret Ann (Martin) Seamster. Left to right: Thomas Lee Seamster, Joan Kelton Seamster, Mary Haddad Seamster, John Presley Seamster, Ann Reid Seamster, 1955.
91. Jane Schwieger, Lee Schwieger, n.d.
Folder 5. Sam Schwieger.
92. Sam Schwieger on right, 1928.
93. Sam Schwieger, his sister Esther, 1928.
94. Sam Schwieger, 1940.
95. Sam Schwieger holding a baby, n.d.
Folder 6. Other Individuals.
96. Orval Faubus, 1960.
97. Williamson Shaw Seamster, father of Martin Luther Seamster, tintype, n.d.
98. Samuel Kelton, grandfather of Fannie Presley Seamster. n.d.
99. Unidentified woman, tintype, n.d.
Folder 7. Other Groups, identified.
100. Peabody Training School, third grade class, 1922.
101. Washington County Bar Association, 1950. Removed to Manuscript Oversize Box Number 2.
102. Washington County Bar Association, 1960. Removed to Manuscript Oversize Box Number 2.
103. Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, University of Arkansas, 1960-61. Removed to Manuscript Oversize Box Number 2.
104. Parents of Nancy Cole Seamster, tintype, n.d.
105. Margaret Kelton Presley, Joseph C. Presley, parents of Fannie Presley Seamster, n.d.
106. Arkansas Industrial University cadets, n.d.
Folder 8. Photographs 107-109, three tintypes of unidentified groups, n.d.
Folder 9. Family Homes.
110. Cabin of Bernal Seamster, 1935.
111. Home of Lee Seamster and Fannie Seamster, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 1969.
112. Home of Rev. and Mrs. Ferdinand Schwieger, parents of Sam
Schwieger, n.d.
Folder 10. Sites.
113-114. Winter view of low water bridge at Marshal's Ford, on King's River, Madison County, Arkansas. Road leading from Old Alabam to Metalton, color, 1973.
115. Meadow with Model-T cars, c. 1920.
Folder 11. Objects.
116. Seamster car, 1919.
117-118. Food at Seamster family reunion, c. 1920.
Folder 12. Negative to Photograph number 20.