Papers and memorabilia belonging to the family of former Arlington Mayor Elzie Odom have been added to Special Collections at the University of Texas at Arlington library. These papers include dozens of scrapbooks and personal letters, not to mention historical city documents and even some genealogical information.

These culturally-rich documents and memorabilia from former Mayor Odom and his wife Ruby Odom cover more than 40 years of the mayor’s service to the Arlington community. And now, they’re part of the Special Collections at UTA.

Recently announced

UTA had a luncheon this week to celebrate the new permanent collection. These artifacts are expected to bring researchers, students and all of Arlington a glimpse into the Odom family, including stories of Elzie Odom’s courage as Arlington’s first African American mayor and his many lasting contributions to Arlington.

UTA President Dr. Vistasp M. Karbhari was reported saying that the university is “truly honored to be able to house them at UTA, making them available for study, for inspiration, and for history, enabling his legacy to live on and provide motivation and direction for generations yet to come.”

The response

Elzie and Rub Odom, who have been married for 72 years, were at the event to thank UTA and the City of Arlington, along with members of the community and of their church. “This is such a blessing,” said Ruby Odom. “We are grateful, and we thank you.”

You can see more photos from the event on Flickr or go straight to the Special Collection at UTA on the 6^th floor of the Central Library, 702 Planetarium Place.