Stephen Micheal Lenton

A Guide to the Stephen Micheal Lenton Papers, 1941-2002
Call Number Mss1 L5495 a FA2


Abstract

Main Entry:Lenton, Stephen Micheal, 1941-2001.
Title: Papers, 1941-2002.
Size:3,110 (ca.) items (8 boxes).
Biographical Statement:Stephen Micheal Lenton (1941-2001), of Whittier, Calif., but also a long-time resident of Richmond, Va.; Peace Corps volunteer, university assistant dean of student life, professional therapist, and a political and gay rights activist.
Summary: Represent the entire life experience of Stephen Lenton. His perspective as an emerging gay man in the last half of the twentieth century is preserved in his diaries, scrapbooks, correspondence, writings, lesson plans, and oral history interviews, among other mediums present in this collection. Service to the community and society at large was the cornerstone of his life and this collection helps to illustrate that by outlining his experiences in the Philippines in the first wave of U.S. Peace Corps volunteers, in his innovative outreach to university students at Virginia Commonwealth University, in his communal living arrangement for fourteen years, in his transition from university counseling to serving the gay community of Richmond as a professional therapist, in his continued financial and emotional support of his “adopted” Filipino family and his activism in Haiti, in his sharing of his struggle with AIDS in the last eight years of his life, and, possibly even more significantly than in any other role, in his service in the Roman Catholic Church.
Provenance:Gift of Margaret R. Buchanan, Richmond, Va., 3 July 2002.
Restrictions:None.
Arrangement:Organized into thirty-seven series, chiefly by document type, and arranged chronologically where possible. Categories of materials include diaries and scrapbooks (Series 1), correspondence (Series 2), writings by Lenton (Series 3), educational materials (Series 4), conference materials (Series 5), professional certifications (Series 6), high school publications (Series 7), Peace Corps materials (Series 8), Gay Alliance materials (Series 9), employment contracts (Series 10), award nominations (Series 11), Resumes and press releases (Series 12), Haiti materials (Series 13), Diaconate ordination materials (Series 14), genealogical notes (Series 15), miscellaneous (Series 16), photographic materials (Series 17-20), memorabilia (Series 21), awards (Series 22), newspaper articles (Series 23), videotapes (Series 24), oral history materials (Series 25-26), Life Magazine issue (Series 27), UC Berkeley yearbooks (Series 28), Peace Corps publications (Series 29), GAP RAP (Series 30), Mulberry Preserves (Series 31), high school newspaper (Series 32), drawings (Series 33), and oversize materials (Series 34-37).

Collection Description

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Series 1. Diaries and Scrapbooks, 1962-2001.

Include bound and unbound diaries and scrapbooks of Stephen Lenton covering his entire adult life and career. Include discussion of service in the Peace Corps in the Philippines starting in 1962; experiences in the Mulberry Family commune starting in 1972; early advocacy for gay rights; years as an Assistant Dean of Student Life beginning in 1970 (in 1977 title changed to Assistant Dean of Student Services) and Instructor of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University; change of employment to therapist with the Psychiatric Institute of Richmond and Commonwealth Professional Services, both ca.1980; vacations, especially a return trip in 1974 to the Philippines to visit his extended adopted family, which is documented in a bound diary entitled “Walking Backward: A Journey Into the Now and Then” (handwritten and typed copies available in Folder 5); personal relationships with partners; and involvement in the Catholic Diocese of Richmond as an active gay layman. Arranged chronologically by the beginning date of the diary or scrapbook. Scrapbooks can contain diverse items including correspondence, pictures, wedding and funeral programs, musical programs, organizational programs, and news articles, all interspersed with daily diary entries.

 

Folder 1-41962-1986                                                                                                                                                                        
Folder 51974-1975
Folder 61976-1978
Folder 71977-1978
Folder 81980-1984
Folder 9-111987-1988
Folder 121987
Folder 131988-1989
Folder 141990
Folder 151991
Folder 161992
Folder 171993-1994
Folder 181996
Folder 191997
Folder 201998
Folder 21-221998
Folder 231999
Folder 242000
Folder 252001

Series 2: Correspondence, 1961-2001.

Includes loose letters to and from Stephen Lenton that were not otherwise included by Lenton in his diaries and scrapbooks. Letters mainly concern jobs offered to Lenton, as in the 1961 letter from President John F. Kennedy congratulating him on being in the first group of Peace Corps volunteers; his many public speaking engagements on all aspects of homosexuality, including his participation in a human growth and social development training program for staff and patients in Virginia state mental hospitals and mental retardation training centers in 1977, in a Planned Parenthood workshop in 1978, as well as classes at the College of William and Mary and the Medical College of Virginia, also in 1978; formation of the first gay studies group in Richmond in 1977; application for a Virginia state license for professional counseling with approval in November 1980; certification or recertification in such organizations as the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists in 1980 or the National Board for Certified Counselors in 1983; activism in promoting the equal treatment of gay men and lesbians on the Virginia Commonwealth University campus in 1982; and personal letters and cards to celebrate the highlights of his life, such as his ordination in the Catholic Church as a deacon in April 2001. Arrangement is chronological within each folder.

Folder 26Undated                                                                                                                                                                                            
Folder 271961
Folder 281964
Folder 291974
Folder 301976
Folder 311977
Folder 321978
Folder 331979
Folder 341980
Folder 351981
Folder 361982
Folder 371983
Folder 381984-1985
Folder 391987
Folder 401988
Folder 411989
Folder 421990
Folder 431991
Folder 441992
Folder 451993
Folder 461994
Folder 471995
Folder 481996
Folder 491997
Folder 501998
Folder 511999
Folder 522000
Folder 53-542001

Series 3. Writings, ca. 1956-2001.

Series 3.1. Bound Writings, 1972-1999.

Include brochures, 1972-1978, from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) promoting the educational opportunities available on campus in 1972 for learning about cultural diversity, race relations, and promoting interaction and communication among the various races represented on campus, which later in 1973 resulted in a more extensive semi-annual program entitled the Awareness Series: A Program for Personal and Organization Development, until Fall 1977 when the name changed. Retreats, mini-classes, workshops, and weekend encounter groups were offered on topics such as group relations, education of self, personal growth, human sexuality, leadership skills, organizational planning, women’s studies, and cross-cultural communication. Lenton helped to create this series and taught several classes each semester through Spring 1978.

Include eight Awareness Series journals kept by Lenton from September 1972 to July 1973, describing how he organized the Awareness Series courses he taught at VCU. These journals were submitted by Lenton as part of the curricular requirements for the doctorate program in applied behavioral sciences at Union Graduate School, a union of 34 experimenting colleges and universities and include Lenton’s own reflections on his life as he taught these courses.

Also, include a summary written ca. 1975-1976 by Lenton, probably submitted also as part of the curricular requirements for the doctorate program. The subject is a summary of the work done to complete his master of arts at VCU and to complete his doctorate at Union Graduate School. An abstract is given at the end of the program summary describing his dissertation on the residential urban group or commune that Lenton started in 1972 in Richmond, Va.

Also, include Lenton’s dissertation entitled “Mulberry Family Scrapbook: An Intentional Community Presented as an Experiment in Creative Recordation” and completed in 1976.

Also, include “A Vase of Voices: A Bouquet of Faces: A Report to Bishop Walter F. Sullivan,” from Lenton as chair of the AIDS Task Force of The [Catholic] Diocese of Richmond, Va., written in 1999. This report served as a training manual for use in the Richmond Diocese at the parish level, as a reflective tool for the individual reader, or for use in HIV workshops.

Folder 55Brochures/Awareness Series (VCU)                                                                                                                           
Folder 56-63Journals/Awareness Series (VCU)
Folder 64Program Summary (Union Graduate School)
Folder 65Mulberry Family Scrapbook (dissertation)
Folder 66A Vase of Voices: A Bouquet of Faces

Series 3.2. Unbound Writings, ca. 1956-2001.

Include essays and poetry written by Lenton and organized alphabetically by title or subject.

Folder 67Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon assignments
 Christology, Introduction to, and 19 other religious essays and tests for the Diaconate training program of The [Catholic] Diocese of Richmond, Va.
Folder 68Chuck: Portrait of a Communard (Mulberry Family member)
 Comments on Talking: I Am My Speaking Self
 Education of Self by William H. Duvall and Stephen M. Lenton (description of an Awareness Series workshop)
 Eulogy (example of how to complete an assignment for one of the Awareness Series courses or workshops)
Folder 69Facts and Myths About Homosexuality
 Gay Counseling Accountability
 Haiti (3 writings related to his mission trips to Haiti sponsored by The [Catholic] Diocese of Richmond)
 High School Poems
 Homilies (2 homilies delivered at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on Haiti Solidarity Sundays)
Folder 70My Life as a Middle-Aged Teenage Eunuch (prepared for Group and Interpersonal Projections course)
 Note from a Winter Journal (written after the funeral of a shooting victim in a gay bar “Bar Wars,” in the late 70s)
 Notes on Fund Raising: Virginia Gay Alliance Annual Convention, 1983
 Personal Awareness: Identity and Image
 Philippine Nationalism: A Movement in Search of Its Self (assignment for political science course)
Folder 71Purpose Portrait
 Reflections on “On Birth and Death” and Student Development (description of Awareness Series workshop content)
 Sebastian’s Schooling (doctorate coursework)
 Statement of the Mental Health Association of Virginia to the General Assembly Joint Meeting of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees (report by Lenton as a board member of the Mental Health Association of Virginia asking for a larger appropriation for community services for the mentally disabled)
 Union Graduate School Internship Report (about formation of an off-campus non-institutional gestalt therapy seminar)
 Who is Gay? What’s Wanted? (defines what the term “gay” means and what rights gay people feel entitled to in society, possibly written in the mid 1970s)
Folder 72Miscellaneous Writings (including poetry by Lenton and others)

Series 3.3. Notebook of Writings, ca. 1991-1997.

Includes several types of writing, especially essay assignments probably for workshop or class purposes and poetry written by Lenton and others. These are in the order as found in a notebook created by Stephen Lenton.

 

Folder 73Notebook of writings                                                                                                                            

Series 3.4. Published Articles, 1973-1997.

Include articles about or by Stephen Lenton. Especially noteworthy are “Mulberry Family Scrapbook,” an article by Lenton which appeared in 1976 in Communities: A Journal of Cooperative Living (published by Twin Oaks Community of Louisa, Va.); “Two Alumni Receive Humanitarian Award,” a 1989 article in VCU Voice about Stephen Lenton and Donnie Conner, one of his partners in Commonwealth Professional Services, who both received the Gilbert and Kathleen Wrenn Award for a Humanitarian and Caring Person from the American Association for Counseling and Development; articles (1990-1992) in several publications of the Central Virginia AIDS Services and Education (CVASE) [organization] by Lenton; and “Diocesan Aids Ministry,” written by Lenton in 1997 and having appeared in The Health Care Education Ministry Newsletter of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond.

Folder 74Published articles.                                                                                                 

Series 4. Workshop, Course, or Lecture Outlines, 1974-1997.

Series 4.1. Lesson Book, 1974-1976.

Includes Lenton’s outlines for courses and workshops, probably in the VCU Awareness Series, with notes on some speaking engagements and notes from GAP RAP (Gay Awareness in Perspective newsletter) meetings.

Folder 75Lesson book                                                                                                 

Series 4.2. Lesson Plan for Cross-Cultural Communication, 1975.

Includes all teacher’s guidelines and handouts for students for a course in cross-cultural communication taught in Spring, 1975, by Lenton.

Folder 76Lesson plans                                                                                              

Series 4.3. Miscellaneous Outlines, 1979-1997.

Include outline for weekend workshop on “Building Community” held February 1979 for the Gay Alliance of Students, probably at VCU; outline for a presentation at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1980 on “Training Your Staff To Deal with Homosexuality in Residence Halls,” presented by Stephen Lenton with Michael A. Kollar and Nancy King; and a 1988 Virginia Counselors Association conference program proposal entitled “To Test or Not to Test: An AIDS Issue.”

Folder 77Miscellaneous outlines                                                                                   

Series 5. Conferences, 1976-1997.

Series 5.1. Notebook of Conferences Attended, 1976-1985.

Includes a notebook listing conferences Lenton attended or spoke at from 1976 to1985. Also includes a typed list, 1980-1983, of continuing education opportunities participated in or taught by Lenton.

Folder 78Conference notebook                                                                                       

Series 5.2. Conference Programs, 1977-1997.

Include programs for organizations as the Virginia Juvenile Officers Association, Inc. (1977), Second Annual Virginia Conference on Human Sexuality (1978), Virginia Council on Social Welfare (1979), Virginia Mental Health Counselors Association (1983), Virginia Association of Clinical Counselors (1990, 1992), Virginia Counselors Association (1990), and Sexual Minority Student Alliance of VCU (1995). Also, includes announcement flyers for upcoming programs such as Lenton’s 1988 support group for gay men who have AIDS or ARC, held in conjunction with his counseling business, Commonwealth Professional Services.

Folder 79Conference Programs                                                                                    

Series 6. Certification, 1980-1999.

Series 6.1. Continuing Education Certificates, 1980-1999.

Include certificates for workshop attendance or course completion by Lenton awarded by the American Personnel and Guidance Association (1980, 1983), The Center for Continuing Education in Mental Health of the Psychiatric Institute Foundation (1985), American Psychological Association (1989, 1994), Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Virginia (1991), American Association for Counseling and Development (1992), Institute for Advanced Clinical Training, Inc. (1992), and Midwest Center for Psychotherapy & Sex Therapy (1997-1998), among others.

Folder 80Continuing Education Certificates

Series 6.2. Certifications and Renewals, 1983-1995.

Include initial and renewal applications for professional certification in the following associations: American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists with copies of his AASECT Certified Sex Counselor certificates to last until the end of 1983, 1992, and 1995; The National Academy of Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselors; Virginia Counselors Association; and Virginia Mental Health Counselors Association.

Folder 81Certifications and Renewals

Series 7. Publications from Whittier High School, Whittier, CA, 1959-1999.

Include graduation booklets for Lenton’s high school class of 1959 and reunion booklets for 1969, 1979, 1984, 1989, and 1999.

Folder 82Publications, Whittier High School

Series 8. Peace Corps Biographies, 1962.

Include a booklet entitled “Biographies: Peace Corps Philippines Training Program,” held at San Jose State College during June 21-August 29, 1962, and gives a brief sketch and picture of each trainee, including Stephen Lenton.

Folder 83Peace Corps biographies

Series 9. Gay Alliance of Students, Inc. (VCU), 1975.

Includes legal documents, a summary of legal action, and notes related to the efforts of the Gay Alliance of Students at Virginia Commonwealth University to use the legal system to gain full organizational status on the campus. Lenton was involved in this effort.

Folder 84Gay Alliance, VCU

Series 10. Employment Contracts, 1983-1985.

Include an employee evaluation report on Stephen Lenton completed on June 2, 1983, by his supervisors at the Psychiatric Institute of Richmond (PIR) and two employment agreements, 1983 and 1985, for the Education Development Center of PIR.

Folder 85Employment contracts

Series 11. Award Nominations, 1990-1992.

Includes the nomination forms, both submitted in 1990, for VCA Counselor of the Year and VCA Humanitarian and Caring Person Awards with recommendation letters written by colleagues, supervisors, and patients. Then, in 1992, there is an additional recommendation from the executive director of CVASE (Central Virginia AIDS Services and Education) probably recommending Lenton for an award from the Greater Richmond Community Foundation (Richmond, Va.) and a copy of the announcement letter written by the executive director of the Greater Richmond Community Foundation awarding Stephen Lenton the 1992 Award for Outstanding Humanitarian Service to the greater Richmond community in the field of AIDS. A press release from CVASE dated October 15, 1992, announces this award and an additional award, the Bishop Walter F. Sullivan Ministry award, to be presented October 22-24, 1992, at the [Catholic] Ministries Conference in Hampton, Va.

Folder 86Award Nominations.

Series 12. Resumes and Press Releases, 1991-1995.

Include a 1991 release announcing the election of Lenton as president of the CVASE Board (Central Virginia AIDS Services and Education); an undated resume for Lenton probably prepared in 1992; and a 1993 release announcing Lenton’s departure for Haiti as a representative of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, which supported the Cry for Justice program of Pax Christi, an international peace organization. Lenton was sent for the fourth time in 1993 to be one of the visible witnesses to help decrease political violence and thus help restore President Aristide as the governing authority of Haiti. Also, include a 1995 release from the Commonwealth Professional Services (CPS) announcing Lenton’s retirement from full-time private practice but announcing that he intended to continue part-time counseling and serving as corporate president of CPS. This release was also significant for explaining that AIDS was the reason for his partial retirement. Lenton wanted to serve an an example to others who were gay to help them feel freer to express their gayness in a public forum.

Folder 87Resumes and press releases

Series 13. Haiti Trips, 1987-1999.

Includes an undated personal statement possibly from 1987 about Lenton’s qualifications to join a Haitian delegation; Lenton’s 1993 application to join the Haitian delegation from the [Catholic] Diocese of Richmond; a proposal for the 1999 (Cathedral of the Sacred Heart) Parish Pastoral Council Trip to Haiti; and un undated report from Lenton and three other delegates submitted after one of the Haiti trips.

Folder 88Haiti Trips, 1987-1999.

Series 14. Diaconate Ordination, 2001.

Includes the program bulletin of 1 April 2001 when Stephen Lenton was ordained a permanent deacon in the [Catholic] Diocese of Richmond; copies of the text spoken during the service, especially the remarks of Roxanne Cherry and Father Michael Renninger; copy of the dialogue between Bishop Walter F. Sullivan and Lenton in the service; newspaper article from The Catholic Virginian of 16 April 2001 concerning the ordination; a paper copy in black and white of digital images from the April service taken by Margaret Buchanan; official document of 18 May 2001 authorizing Lenton to perform marriage ceremonies in the Commonwealth of Virginia; two letters from Bishop Sullivan, the first one (April 5, 2001) congratulating him on his ordination and giving Lenton the faculties of the diocese, including proclaiming the Word of God within the liturgy, baptizing, and witnessing of marriages after acquiring a bond from the State of Virginia, and the second letter (August 7, 2001) urging Lenton to discontinue or ease up on his diaconate training in light of Lenton’s battle with AIDS; and a black and white photograph (8 x 10) of Lenton made around the time of his ordination.

Folder 89Diaconate Ordination, 2001.

Series 15. Genealogical Notes, Undated.

Include genealogical tracings for ancestors back to the nineteenth century in Birmingham, Eng., of Lenton’s father, Albert Hedrick Lenton of Los Angeles, Calif.

Folder 90Genealogical notes.

Series 16. Miscellaneous Papers.

Includes a birth certificate of 18 August 1941 for Stephen Lenton from Queen of Angels Hospital, Los Angeles, Calif.; a baptismal certificate of 3 March 1959 from a Roman Catholic Church, St. Mary’s Church of Whittier, Calif., testifying to his baptism of 9 August 1958; death certificate (1994) for a friend of Lenton, Roger J. Talbot, and announcement of two memorial services for Talbot; official transcript from Virginia Commonwealth University printed in 1987 and listing courses Lenton took at VCU from 1971 to 1986; report form (1983) showing Lenton’s Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (ENTJ); undated proposal by Lenton to Mulberry Group, Inc., the organizational remnant of the commune Lenton helped to start in 1972 and which ended formal living arrangements in 1986, asking for a charitable donation to one of his adopted Filipino families; photograph of George Washington Carver, one of Lenton’s first heroes; poetry of Kostas Pappas, a friend of Lenton’s; and an announcement and illustration (2002) of the AIDS panel designed and constructed by Margaret Buchanan in memory of Lenton, who died on 15 September 2001 of AIDS. This panel was joined to the AIDS Memorial Quilt of the Names Project Foundation of San Francisco, Calif.

Folder 91Miscellaneous papers.

Series 17. Photographs, 1941-2001.

Include two photograph albums prepared by Lenton of photographs mainly acquired or taken by Lenton during his training to become a Peace Corps volunteer in 1962 and during his initial years of service in the Philippines. These albums also have pictures sent to him in the U.S. in later years by his adopted Filipino family and friends. Near the end of Lenton’s life, he wrote identifications on post-it notes for many of these photographs which have been saved with the pictures.

Also, include a series of loose photographs that the arranging archivist put together in chronological order representing Lenton’s life journey from infancy, high school, college years at the University of California at Berkeley before and after his Peace Corps work, ten years on the Virginia Commonwealth University staff, two decades of his life serving as a therapist and continuing his life goal of being a social activist, to the last years of his life while battling with AIDS and continuing to live a purposeful existence as he studied for his ordination as a permanent Catholic deacon.

Include Folders 101-111 of loose photographs arranged alphabetically by the subjects listed below.

Folder 92-95Album One                                                                                                                                                                            
Folder 96-97Album Two
Folder 98-100Chronological Photographs of Lenton’s Life
Folder 101CPS (Commonwealth Professional Services) Photographs
Folder 102Filipino Family, 1966-2000
Folder 103Haiti “Cry for Justice” Trips
Folder 104Houses (renovated for CPS)
Folder 105Manuel, Eddie (friend)
Folder 106Richmond Marathons
Folder 107Peace Corps
Folder 108Peg (friend)
Folder 109Ph.D. Buddies
Folder 110-1111999 Trip to the Philippines
Folder 112Miscellany

Series 18. Negatives.

Folder 113Related to Folder 101                                                                                    
Folder 114Related to Folder 104
Folder 115Related to Folder 100
Folder 116Related to Folder 110
Folder 117Related to Folder 99

Series 19. Slides.

Folder 118Students at University of Calif. at Berkeley (ca. 1970)
Folder 119Trip to Hong Kong (ca. 1968)
Folder 120“Mulberries” (members of the Mulberry Family commune (1986)
Folder 121Assistant Dean of Student Life at Virginia Commonwealth University (ca. 1972)
Folder 122Miscellany (ca. 1970-1976)

Series 20. Digital Images, 2001.

Two diskettes of JPG images of Lenton’s Diaconate Ordination Service (2001) made on a Sony Mavica digital still camera. Images on paper of these diskette images are available in Folders 89 and 100.

Folder 123Digital images.                                                                                       

Series 21. Memorabilia Box, 1941-1998.

Contains Lenton’s Baby Book (1941), grade school report cards (1949-1959), Whittier High School cheerleading letter (ca. 1956-1959), marathon patches (undated and 1979), assorted organizational pins (undated), and two passports (1986 and 1998).

Folder 124Memorabilia box.                                                                              

Series 22. Awards and Certificates, 1955-2001.

Include documents awarded to Lenton from Whittier Elementary School (Calif.) for completion (1955); Whittier High School (Calif.) for completion (1959); Philippine Women’s University of Davao for completion of a teaching seminar (1964); University of California at Berkeley for completion of a B.A. in Political Science (1970); Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court of Henrico Co., Va. for volunteer services (1981); National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc., for certification as a National Certified Counselor (1983), as a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (1985), and as a NBCC Approved Clinical Supervisor (1999); Bainbridge-Blackwell Family Counseling Center for volunteer services (1984); American Mental Health Counselors Association for chairmanship of the Gay & Lesbian Issues Task Force (1985); American Board of Sexology for certification as a Sex Therapist (1986) and a Certified Sex Therapist (1986); American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists for certification as an AASECT Certified Sex Counselor (to end 1992) and identical certifications to end 1995 and 2001; American Association for Counseling & Development for service on the Committee on Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues in Counseling (1988-1991); Lloyd G. Sinclair Master Sexuality Seminar and Workshops, S.C., for completion of the Sex Offender Evaluation and Treatment Training Program (1998); Center for Credentialing and Education, Inc., for certification as Approved Clinical Supervisor (1999); Alliance of Black Men for volunteer services (undated); and two oversized plaques filed separately in the same box as Folders 127 and 128. These two include a certificate from the United States of America Peace Corps for volunteer appointment (1962) and a service award (1989) from Dignity/Integrity of Richmond, Va., a support group for gay and lesbian Catholics and Episcopalians, their friends and families.

Folder 125-128Awards and certificates                                                                                                                  

Series 23. Newspaper Articles, 1965-2001.

Include the actual newspaper articles kept by Lenton of events significant to him. Users will be served the acid-free copies of these same articles that are filed in Box 8 and described in Series 37, Folders 162-163.

Folder 129Newspaper articles.                                                                             

Series 24. Videotapes, 1986-1989.

Include mainly videotapes made of reunion trips of the Mulberry Family or trips and other activities of individual Mulberry Family members. The Mulberry Family was the communal group started in 1972 in Richmond, Va., and which continued as a cohabiting group until 1986. After selling their home, the group has continued to keep the relationships strong through reunion trips, newsletters (available in Series 31, Folder 149), and annual meetings. The group maintains officers and financial resources, which are managed so that annual grants can be made to worthy causes.

Folder 130Mulberries in New York City (2 August 1986)
 Dorsey Bushnell and Kostas Pappas in Germany (January 1989)
Folder 131Mulberries in Hampton, Va. (12 September 1987)
 Mulberries in Duck, N.C. (June 1988)
Folder 132Mulberry Sweet 16 Reunion (August 1988)
 Ronnie Moseberth’s ACT UP Brunch for Costa (May 1988)
Folder 133Tape of Stephen Lenton (undated) answering questions for a course lecture on gays and the effect of aging on their sexuality

Series 25. Oral History Interviews of Stephen Micheal Lenton, 2000.

Include 6 oral history audio cassettes of Stephen Lenton and one cassette concerning the Mulberry Family.

Folder 134Interview-17 August 2000 (1 cassette)                                                                                                                      
Folder 135Interview-22 August 2000 (1 cassette)
Folder 136Interview-13 September 2000 (1 cassette)
Folder 137Interview-27 September 2000 (2 cassettes)
Folder 138Interview-18 October 2000 (1 cassette)
Folder 139Mulberry Party-24 May 1986 (1 cassette)

Series 26. Transcript of An Oral History of Stephen Micheal Lenton, 2000.

Includes 3 spiral-bound copies and one loose copy of the transcript of the 6 audiocassettes listed above in Series 25 (Folders 134-138). Katherine Randolph was the interviewer, and the project was sponsored by Betsy Brinson and Gordon Davies in August-October 2000.

Folder 140Oral history transcript                                                                                                                                         

Series 27. Life Magazine, 18 August 1941.

Stephen Lenton’s birthday was 18 August 1941; this item was apparently acquired to commemorate that day.

Folder 141Life Magazine, 1941 August 18                                                                                                                             

Series 28. Yearbooks from the University of California at Berkeley, 1960-1962, 1970.

Include four yearbooks from the University of California at Berkeley that Lenton attended for his undergraduate degree. He went into the Peace Corps in 1962, which accounts for the gap of time between Volumes 89 and 97.

Folder 1421960 Blue and Gold (Vol. 87)                                                                                                                                      
Folder 1431961 Blue and Gold (Vol. 88)
Folder 1441962 Blue and Gold (Vol. 89)
Folder 1451970 Blue and Gold (also labeled, “Tabula Rasa;” Vol. 97)

Series 29. Peace Corps Manuals developed in the Philippines, 1965-1968.

Include two educational manuals cowritten by Lenton specifically for use in the Philippines during his years of service in the Peace Corps, beginning in 1962.

Folder 146Buhangin District Science Manual by Luisa Polaez, John Beckley, and Stephen Lenton (ca. 1965). This is a teacher’s manual.
Folder 147Philippine Studies Notebook by Mark Levine and Stephen Lenton, (1968). This is a workbook only for Peace Corps volunteers assigned to the Philippines regarding Filipino culture.

Series 30. GAP RAP [Newsletter] 1975-1976.

Include paste-up copies of this newsletter written and issued by Gay Awareness in Perspective, Richmond, Va. Lenton was probably one of the assistant editors and has his name listed in the credits with just a first name of Michael (with the “ae” not switched as in his real name).

Folder 148GAP RAP                                                                                                                                                 

Series 31. Mulberry Preserves, 1980-2001.

Include newsletters of the Mulberry Family commune of which Lenton was a member. Newsletters have annual reports from the Mulberry Group, Inc., formed officially in December 1978.

Folder 149Mulberry Preserves, 1980-2001.                                                                                                                         

Series 32. Whittier High School Newspaper (Cardinal & White), 1955-1959.

Folder 150Cardinal & White, 1955-1956                                                                                                                                  
Folder 151Cardinal & White, 1956-1957
Folder 152Cardinal & White, 1957-1958
Folder 153Cardinal & White, 1958-1959

Series 33. Drawings, 1966-2001.

Include several cartoon caricatures and regular drawings of Lenton, probably by friends. Last drawing was done by Pat Peterson in 2001 as a gift to Lenton and entitled “School Girls of Lascahobas, Haiti (AFAL),”celebrating Lenton’s keen interest in decreasing political violence in Haiti.

Folder 154Drawings                                                                                                                                                 

Series 34. Oversize Photographs, 1967-2000.

Include mostly portraits of Lenton over the last 20 years of his life, but also include a picture taken of participants in the National Anthropological Conference called Baguio Religious Acculturation Conference, Dec. 27-29, 1967, held at the University of the Philippines, Baguio City. Lenton was still serving in the Peace Corps at that time.

Folder 155Oversize photographs.                                                                                                                                       

Series 35. Oversize Plaques and Certificates, 1976-1998.

Include Lenton’s Ph.D. degree (1976) mounted on board, three Richmond Marathon certificates (all undated) indicating his order of finish and running times, and two professional certifications from the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Folder 156The Union Graduate School, Yellow Springs, Ohio, April 25, 1976, Doctor of Philosophy diploma
Folder 157-158Richmond Newspapers Marathon certificates (one mounted on board)
Folder 159Virginia Board of Behavioral Science, Commonwealth of Virginia, authorization to practice as a professional counselor, November 22, 1980 (drymounted on foamcore)
Folder 160Board of Psychology, Commonwealth of Virginia, authorization to practice as a Sex Offender Treatment Provider, August 19, 1998

Series 36. Additional Oversized Plaque, 1973.

Include Lenton’s Master of Education diploma awarded by Virginia Commonwealth University on May 19, 1973 (mounted on board).

Folder 161Diploma, 1973                                                                                                                                              

Series 37. Newspaper Articles, 1965-2001.

Include acid-free copies of newspaper articles collected by Lenton of events significant to him, especially in relation to his service in the Peace Corps; his employment as the Assistant Dean of Student Life at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU); the legal battle of the Gay Alliance of Students versus VCU; events in the public life of the Richmond Gay community; his commune known as the Mulberry Family or Mulberry Group, Inc.; awards received by Lenton; death of close friends, such as Lee Steven Merkle (1950-1985); his counseling service that he started with three other therapists, Commonwealth Professional Services; activism of The [Catholic] Diocese of Richmond, especially in AIDS awareness and political strife in Haiti; and his ordination as a deacon.

Folder 162Undated, 1965-1988                                                                                                                              
Folder 1631989-2001

 

INDEX TO SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

 

  • Adopted Filipino family, 1, 16, 17
  • AIDS, 3.4, 4.3, 5.2, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 37
  • AIDS memorial quilt, 16
  • Al-Anon, 3.2
  • Alcoholics Anonymous, 3.2
  • Alliance of Black Men, 22
  • American Association for Counseling and Development, 3.4, 6.1, 22
  • American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists, 2, 6.2, 22
  • American Board of Sexology, 22
  • American Mental Health Counselors Association, 22
  • American Personnel and Guidance Association, 6.1
  • American Psychological Association, 6.1
  • Award for Outstanding Humanitarian Service (1992), 11
  • Awareness series, 3.1, 3.2, 4.2
  • Baguio Religious Acculturation Conference, 34
  • Bainbridge-Blackwell Family Counseling Center, 22
  • Beckley, John, 29
  • Birth certificate, 16
  • Bishop Walter F. Sullivan Ministry Award, 11
  • Board of Psychology (Va.), 35
  • Brinson, Betsy, 25, 26
  • Buchanan, Margaret, 14, 16
  • Buhangin District Science Manual, 29
  • Building Community, 4.3
  • Bushnell, Dorsey, 24
  • Cardinal & White, 32
  • Carver, George Washington, 16
  • Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Parish, 12, 13
  • Catholic Church, 1, 2, 3.2, 3.4, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 33, 37
  • Catholic Diocese of Richmond, 1, 2, 3.2, 3.4, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 33, 37
  • Catholic Virginian, 14
  • Center for Continuing Education in Mental Health of the Psychiatric Institute Foundation, 6.1
  • Center for Credentialing and Education, Inc., 22
  • Central Virginia AIDS Services and Education (CVASE), 3.4, 11, 12
  • Cherry, Roxanne, 14
  • College of William and Mary, 2
  • Committee on Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues in Counseling, 22
  • Commonwealth Professional Services, 1, 5.2
  • Commonwealth Professional Services (CPS), 1, 3.4, 11, 12, 17, 18, 37
  • Commune, 1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 19, 24, 31, 37
  • Communities: A Journal of Cooperative Living, 3.4
  • Conner, Donnie, 3.4
  • Continuing education, 5.1, 6.1
  • Counseling, 2
  • Counseling in higher education, 3.1
  • Counselors – Licenses, 2, 6.2
  • Cry for Justice (Pax Christi), 12, 13, 17, 37
  • Davies, Gordon, 25, 26
  • Deacons-Catholic Church, 2, 14, 20, 37
  • Diaries, 1
  • Dignity/Integrity of Richmond, 22
  • Diocesan Aids Ministry, 3.4
  • Diocese of Richmond, 1, 2, 3.2, 3.4, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 33, 37
  • Drawings, 33
  • Education Development Center (PIR), 10
  • Equality before the law, 2
  • Filipino family, 1, 16, 17
  • GAP RAP, 4.1, 30
  • Gay Alliance of Students, Inc. (VCU), 4.3, 9, 37
  • Gay & Lesbian Issues Task Force, 22
  • Gay Awareness in Perspective newsletter, 4.1, 30
  • Gay counseling, 1, 2, 3.2, 3.4, 5.2, 12, 22, 37
  • Gay rights, 3.2
  • Gay study groups, 2
  • Gilbert and Kathleen Wrenn Award for a Humanitarian and Caring Person, 3.4
  • Greater Richmond Community Foundation, 11
  • Haiti, 3.2, 12, 13, 17, 37
  • Health occupations licensing boards, 2
  • Health Care Education Ministry Newsletter, 3.4
  • Homilies, 3.2
  • Homosexuality 1, 2, 3.2, 3.4, 4.1, 4.3, 5.2, 9, 11, 12, 22, 24, 25, 26, 30, 37
  • Hong Kong, 19
  • Institute for Advanced Clinical Training, Inc., 6.1
  • Intercultural communication, 3.1, 4.2
  • Jesus Christ- Person and offices, 3.2
  • Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court (Henrico Co., Va.), 22
  • Kennedy, John F., 2
  • King, Nancy, 4.3
  • Kollar, Michael A., 4.3
  • Lascahobas, Haiti, 33
  • Lenton, Stephen Micheal, 1-37
  • Lesson Book, 4.1
  • Lesson plans, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3
  • Levine, Mark, 29
  • Life Magazine, 27
  • Lloyd G. Sinclair Master Sexuality Seminar and Workshops, S.C., 22
  • Manuel, Eddie, 17
  • Marathon running, 17, 21, 35
  • Marriage customs and rites, 14
  • Medical College of Virginia (MCV), 2
  • Mental Health Association of Virginia,.3.2
  • Mental retardation facilities, 2
  • Merkle, Lee Steven, 37
  • Midwest Center for Psychotherapy and Sex Therapy, 6.1
  • Moseberth, Ronnie, 24
  • Mulberry Family Commune, 1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 19, 24, 31, 37
  • Mulberry Family Scrapbook, 3.1, 3.4
  • Mulberry Group, Inc., 1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 16, 19, 24, 31, 37
  • Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, 16
  • Names Project Foundation, 16
  • National Academy of Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselors, 6.2
  • National Anthropological Conference, 34
  • National Board for Certified Counselors, 2, 22
  • Ordination, 14
  • Pappas, Kostas, 16, 24
  • Peace Corps, 1, 2, 3.2, 8, 17, 22, 29, 34, 37
  • Peg (friend), 17
  • Peterson, Pat, 33
  • Philippine nationalism, 3.2
  • Philippine Studies Notebook, 29
  • Philippines, 1, 2, 3.2, 8, 17, 18, 29, 34, 37
  • Philippine–Social life and customs, 29
  • Philippine Women’s University of Davao, 22
  • Planned Parenthood, 2, 6.1
  • Poetry, 3.2, 3.3
  • Polaez, Luisa, 29
  • Psychiatric hospitals, 2
  • Psychiatric Institute Foundation, 6.1
  • Psychiatric Institute of Richmond (PIR), 1, 10
  • Psychologists–Certification, 6.1, 6.2, 22, 35
  • Queen of Angels Hospital (Calif.), 16
  • Race relations, 3.1
  • Randolph, Katherine, 25, 26
  • Renninger, Father Michael, 14
  • Richmond Marathons, 17, 21, 35
  • Saint Mary’s Church (Whittier, Calif.), 16
  • Scrapbooks, 1
  • Self-help groups, 2
  • Sex instruction, 3.1
  • Sex offender treatment provider, 35
  • Sexual Minority Student Alliance of Virginia Commonwealth University, 5.2
  • Sullivan, Bishop Walter F., 14
  • Talbot, Roger J., 16
  • To Test or Not to Test: An AIDS Issue, 4.3
  • Training Your Staff To Deal with Homosexuality in Residence Halls, 4.3
  • Twin Oaks Community (Louisa, Va.), 3.4
  • Union Graduate School, 3.1, 3.2, 35
  • University of California at Berkeley, 17, 19, 22, 28
  • University of the Philippines, Baguio City, 34
  • University of Tennessee at Knoxville, 4.3
  • Vase of Voices: A Bouquet of Faces, 3.1
  • VCA Counselor of the Year, 11
  • VCA Humanitarian and Caring Person Awards, 11
  • VCU Awareness Series, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2
  • Virginia Association of Clinical Counselors, 5.2
  • Virginia Board of Behavioral Science, 35
  • Virginia Board of Psychology, 35
  • Virginia Commonwealth University, 1, 2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 9, 16, 17, 19, 36, 37
  • Virginia Conference on Human Sexuality, 5.2
  • Virginia Council on Social Welfare, 5.2
  • Virginia Counselors Association, 4.3, 6.2
  • Virginia Gay Alliance, 3.2
  • Virginia Juvenile Officers Association Inc., 5.2
  • Virginia Mental Health Counselors Association, 5.2, 6.2
  • Walking Backward, 1
  • Whittier Elementary School (Calif.), 22
  • Whittier High School (Calif.), 7, 21, 22, 32

Container list

Box 1

Series 1. Diaries and scrapbooks(folders 1-25)                                                               

Box 2

Series 2. Correspondence(folders 26-54)                                            
Series 3.1. Bound writings(folders 55-66)

Box 3

Series 3.2. Unbound writings(folders 67-72)
Series 3.3. Writing notebook(folder 73)
Series 3.4. Published articles(folder 74)
Series 4.1. Lesson book(folder 75)
Series 4.2. Lesson plan, Cross-Cultural Communications(folder 76)
Series 4.3. Misc. outlines(folder 77)
Series 5.1. Conference notebook(folder 78)
Series 5.2. Conference programs(folder 79)
Series 6.1. Continuing Ed. Certificates(folder 80)
Series 6.2. Certifications and renewals(folder 81)
Series 7. Whittier High School publications(folder 82)
Series 8. Peace Corps biographies(folder 83)
Series 9. Gay Alliance of Students, Inc.(folder 84)
Series 10. Employment contracts(folder 85)
Series 11. Award nominations(folder 86)
Series 12. Resumes and press releases(folder 87)
Series 13. Haiti trips(folder 88)
Series 14. Diaconate Ordination(folder 89)
Series 15. Genealogical notes(folder 90)
Series 16. Miscellaneous papers(folder 91)                                                                                                                             

Box 4

Series 17. Photographs(folders 92-112)                                        
Series 18. Negatives(folders 113-117)
Series 19. Slides(folders 118-122)
Series 20. Digital images(folder 123)

Box 5

Series 21. Memorabilia box(folder 124)
Series 22. Awards and certificates(folders 125-128)
Series 23. Newspaper articles(folder129)
Series 24. Videotapes(folders 130-133)
Series 25. Oral history interviews(folders 134-139)
Series 26. Oral history transcript(folder 140)
Series 27. Life Magazine(folders 141)                                                                    

Box 6

Series 28. UC Berkeley yearbooks(folders 142-145)                                                           
Series 29. Peace Corps manuals(folders 146-147)
Series 30. GAP RAP(folder 148)
Series 31. Mulberry Preserves(folder 149)

Box 7

Series 32. Whittier High School newspaper(folders 150-153)
Series 33. Drawings(folder 154)
Series 34. Photographs, Oversize(folder 155)
Series 35. Awards and certificates, Oversize(folders 156-160)                                                                                     

Box 8

Series 36. Plaque, Oversize(folder 161)                                                                                   
Series 37. Newspaper articles, Oversize(folders 162-163)

Last updated: August 21, 2002