Christmas card from the Green Family to Paul B. Johnson Jr. and family (c1963)

Special Collections at the University of Southern Mississippi has a number of collections of prominent Mississippi politicians. These collections include correspondence and official documents relating to their public lives and work. What is often overlooked in these collections is the variety of materials not pertaining to political life often found in such collections.

The Paul B. Johnson Family Papers contain materials from the political and public lives of Mississippi Governor Paul B. Johnson Sr. (1940-1943), Mississippi Governor Paul B. Johnson Jr. (1964-1968),, and their families. The collection covers information on the Sovereignty Commission, Mississippi Highway Patrol, campaign materials, speeches, and many other areas. There are also a number of archival boxes that focus on the activities of Dorothy, Paul B. Johnson Jr.’s wife.

Dorothy (Dot) Powers Johnson’s materials focus on her activities as the wife of Johnson. These include her duties and activities as the first lady, collections of favorite recipes, and family correspondence (including Christmas cards). The featured Christmas card was received from the Green Family around 1963. Not only is the card humorous, but it also shows the importance of this card, since they did not discard it, as most of us do. Materials like this are examples of the “forgotten” materials found in archival collections.

To view this item or to find out more about the Paul B. Johnson Family papers, visit room 305 in McCain Library & Archives or contact Jennifer Brannock at or 601.266.4347. To see more Items of the Month, click here.

Text by Jennifer Brannock, Curator of Rare Books and Mississippiana