Freedom Rider Files, 1960-1966 Series 2985
This is a collection of records transferred from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to the Department of Archives and History in March 2026. The files document Commissioner Thomas Butler (T. B.) Birdsong’s response to civil rights events in Mississippi during the early 1960s. Of primary interest are Birdsong’s files and correspondence related to the Freedom Rides during the summer of 1961. Individuals throughout the country sent letters expressing support for and opposition to Commissioner Birdsong’s statements regarding the Freedom Riders. There are also nine folders of Freedom Riders’ arrest records and mug shots, which appear to be duplicates of material found in the State Sovereignty Commission Records. A few memoranda also mention James Meredith’s March Against Fear in 1966. The bulk of the material is newspaper clippings related to the Civil Rights Movement, and also general articles of interest to DPS at the time. All pages were scanned and can be accessed here. The original documents can be viewed in the William F. Winter Archives and History Building. Ku Klux Klan related documents transferred by DPS are also available for research.
Read MoreThis is a collection of records transferred from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to the Department of Archives and History in March 2026. The files document Commissioner Thomas Butler (T. B.) Birdsong’s response to civil rights events in Mississippi during the early 1960s. Of primary interest are Birdsong’s files and correspondence related to the Freedom Rides during the summer of 1961. Individuals throughout the country sent letters expressing support for and opposition to Commissioner Birdsong’s statements regarding the Freedom Riders. There are also nine folders of Freedom Riders’ arrest records and mug shots, which appear to be duplicates of material found in the State Sovereignty Commission Records. A few memoranda also mention James Meredith’s March Against Fear in 1966. The bulk of the material is newspaper clippings related to the Civil Rights Movement, and also general articles of interest to DPS at the time. All pages were scanned and can be accessed here. The original documents can be viewed in the William F. Winter Archives and History Building. Ku Klux Klan related documents transferred by DPS are also available for research.
| File Name | Folder Title | Description | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 173108-16-060.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from Jackson Daily News, "Crackdown Called On State Roads In Effort To Slow Heavy Death Toll" by Associated Press. | 1966-12-17 |
| 173108-16-061.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Clarion-Ledger, "Scene of Horror, Yet It May Come 50 More Times" by Kenneth Fairly. | 1966-12-18 |
| 173108-16-062.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Clarion-Ledger, "Patrol Will Crack Down To Cut Highway Slaughter." | 1966-12-18 |
| 173108-16-063.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Mississippi Sun, "State Wins Honors In Pedestrian Contest." | 1966-12-29 |
| 173108-16-064.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Hattiesburg American, "A helpful new system." | 1966-12-20 |
| 173108-16-065.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from Jackson Daily News, "Install IBM Service: Renew Drivers License Without Leaving Home." | 1966-12-17 |
| 173108-16-066.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from Jackson Daily News, "Highway Patrol Tells Suspensions." | 1966-12-16 |
| 173108-16-067.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from Jackson Daily News, "Mississippi Wins Again." | 1966-12-20 |
| 173108-16-068.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Clarion-Ledger, "Congratulating." | 1966-12-18 |
| 173108-16-069.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Mississippi Sun, "State Wins Honors In Pedestrian Contest." | 1966-12-29 |
| 173108-16-070.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Mississippi Sun, "Mississippi Wins Again!" | 1966-12-29 |
| 173108-16-071.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from an unknown newspaper, "Birdsong Warns Motorists Of Danger During The Holidays." | 1966-11-16 |
| 173108-16-072.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Daily Herald, "Off-Duty State Officer Beats Off Attackers." | 1966-12-27 |
| 173108-16-073.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from Jackson Daily News, "3 Kansas Men Nabbed After 11-Hour Chase" by Pic Firmin. | 1966-12-12 |
| 173108-16-074.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Clarion-Ledger, "Driver License Renewal Service Convenient For State Motorists." | 1967-01-03 |
| 173108-16-075.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Carthaginian, "New Patrolman Is Assigned To Carthage." | 1966-12-08 |
| 173108-16-076.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Hattiesburg American, "Motor vehicle inspection time." | 1966-12-30 |
| 173108-16-078.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Enterprise-Tocsin, "Safety Is Urged On Hiways." | 1966-11-24 |
| 173108-16-079.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Clarion-Ledger, "Police Chiefs Point To Public Not Criminal For Rising Crime" by Stephen M. Aug. | 1966-12-02 |
| 173108-16-080.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Commercial Dispatch, "Bob McRaney Jr. Named Manager Of WLBT, WJDX." | 1966-11-22 |
| 173108-16-081.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Commercial Dispatch, "Bernie Lewis Graduates From Police Academy." | 1966-12-01 |
| 173108-16-082.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Clarion-Ledger, "Auto Checks Begin Jan. 1." | 1966-12-29 |
| 173108-16-083.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from the Madison County Herald, "Searches And Seizures." | 1966-11-24 |
| 173108-16-084.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Carthaginian, "Patrolman Of Year' Sought." | 1966-12-08 |
| 173108-16-085.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Hattiesburg American, "Pedestrian safety." | 1966-12-12 |
| 173108-16-086.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Mississippi Sun, "State Wins Honors In Pedestrian Contest." | 1966-12-29 |
| 173108-16-087.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from Jackson Daily News, "Public Relations Officers," photo by Mike Jones. | 1966-12-09 |
| 173108-16-088.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from The Clarion-Ledger, "Barber Wounded By Shot During Unexplained Attack" by Kenneth Fairly. | 1966-05-05 |
| 173108-16-089.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from Jackson Daily News, "2 Jailbreakers Apprehended In Short Order." | 1966-12-08 |
| 173108-16-090.pdf | Traffic Safety and General DPS Clippings, Part 2 of 2 | Newspaper clipping from Jackson Daily News, "Early Auto Inspection By State Motorists Urged." | 1966-12-12 |