F. Gerald Handfield collection
Collection
Identifier: L731
Scope and Contents
This collection includes correspondence, papers, pamphlets, newspapers, newsletters, periodicals, photographs, postcards, ephemera, notes, and oral history papers, transcripts, and audio cassette tapes from F. Gerald Handfield in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Washington, ranging from 1815 to 2004 and undated, regarding Handfield's career and work in the history and archives fields, including at the Indiana State Library, Indiana Historical Society, Indiana State Archives, and Washington State Archives. Of particular interest are the various notes, research, publications, transcripts, and audio materials related to his work as an oral historian and the projects he consulted on and conducted, including the projects of the Golden Rule Insurance Company, Indiana Extension Homemakers Association, and National Extension Homemakers Council (1977-1987). There are also materials from his personal involvement in organizations like the Indianapolis Press Club and the Indiana Democratic Party.
Handfield collected items of historical interest over the years, including correspondence, papers, postcards, pamphlets, publications, ephemera, and a VHS tape concerning people and events in Indianapolis, the state of Indiana, and the United States. Among the collected items are postcards and a letter from Bessie and Ralph Shackelford of Indianapolis (1906-1934); transcribed letters from the Rufus King family in New York and Ohio (1815-1863); a moving postcard showing the four candidates of the 1912 U.S. presidential election; cartoons from Glenn Curtis (1974-1978); and materials celebrating the new millennium (1998-2000).
Oversize materials include three issues of Womankind (1978-1979); several issues of the Indiana Extension Homemakers Association's newsletter, Hoosier Homemaker (1980-1984); a 1971 political newspaper advertisement regarding the uncertain state of education in Indianapolis; a Mayday publication from the People's Coalition for Peace and Justice (1971); a 1972 inventory titled, "Indiana Postsecondary Educational Opporunities," from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education; campaign literature from Birch Bayh and Fred Harris for the Democratic primary of the 1976 U.S. presidential election; two issues of the Indiana Democratic Times (1994-1995); and an article from the April 24-May 1, 1997 issue and the July 24-31, 1997 issue of NUVO (OBC167). Other oversize materials include the February 17, 1877 issue of hte Indianapolis Sun; the August 16, 1883 issue of the Indianapolis Journal; a February 29, 1912 mortgage from Mark and Donna Elliott for property in Thorntown, Indiana; a list of Broad Ripple business phone numbers in Indianapolis (ca. 1920); a 1961 street map of Dale, Indiana; and an "I'm for Andy: Andy Jacobs for Congress" bumper sticker (circa 1980-1994) (OBD071).
Handfield collected items of historical interest over the years, including correspondence, papers, postcards, pamphlets, publications, ephemera, and a VHS tape concerning people and events in Indianapolis, the state of Indiana, and the United States. Among the collected items are postcards and a letter from Bessie and Ralph Shackelford of Indianapolis (1906-1934); transcribed letters from the Rufus King family in New York and Ohio (1815-1863); a moving postcard showing the four candidates of the 1912 U.S. presidential election; cartoons from Glenn Curtis (1974-1978); and materials celebrating the new millennium (1998-2000).
Oversize materials include three issues of Womankind (1978-1979); several issues of the Indiana Extension Homemakers Association's newsletter, Hoosier Homemaker (1980-1984); a 1971 political newspaper advertisement regarding the uncertain state of education in Indianapolis; a Mayday publication from the People's Coalition for Peace and Justice (1971); a 1972 inventory titled, "Indiana Postsecondary Educational Opporunities," from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education; campaign literature from Birch Bayh and Fred Harris for the Democratic primary of the 1976 U.S. presidential election; two issues of the Indiana Democratic Times (1994-1995); and an article from the April 24-May 1, 1997 issue and the July 24-31, 1997 issue of NUVO (OBC167). Other oversize materials include the February 17, 1877 issue of hte Indianapolis Sun; the August 16, 1883 issue of the Indianapolis Journal; a February 29, 1912 mortgage from Mark and Donna Elliott for property in Thorntown, Indiana; a list of Broad Ripple business phone numbers in Indianapolis (ca. 1920); a 1961 street map of Dale, Indiana; and an "I'm for Andy: Andy Jacobs for Congress" bumper sticker (circa 1980-1994) (OBD071).
Dates
- 1815-2004, undated
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Biographical Note
Francis Gerald "Jerry" Handfield, Jr. was born in July, 1944 to Edna and Francis G. Handfield, Sr. (1927-2009) in Connecticut. He was the oldest of eight children and grew up on the family dairy farm. Handfield attended school in a one-room schoolhouse in his hometown before graduating high school at Norwich Free Academy in 1962. In 1965, he attained a bachelor's degree from Yankton College in South Dakota after specializing in diplomatic history. Handfield received an M.A. from South Dakota State University and his Ph.D. in History from Indiana University. He married Joann M. "Pat" Bragdon (1947-) on September 9, 1967, in Franklin, Connecticut and they had a son, Francis Gerald, III. The couple divorced by 1988. Handfield married again on December 19, 2009, to Val J. Wood in Windham County, Connecticut.
He taught history at the Indiana University and Purdue University at Indianapolis and worked as a historian and field agent for the Indiana State Library (1976-1982) and Indiana Historical Society (1982-1987). Handfield was appointed as Indiana State Archivist (1987-2001) and headed the Indiana Commission on Public Records. During his long career he conducted countless oral histories with Hoosiers, such as the Indiana Extension Homemakers Association Oral History Project.
Handfield grew interested in digital archives during the 1980s and became a pioneer in the field. He appointed Indiana’s first electronic records archivist in 1993. In 2001, Handfield was recruited to become the Washington State Archivist (2001-2013) and established the Washington State Digital Archives, the first government digital archive there in the United States, in 2004. Handfield also served as state coordinator for the National Historic Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), and became a member of the commission in 2009. After leaving his position as Washington State Archivist in 2013, he became a consultant of governmental records and digital archives, which he remains in 2026. He currently lives in Olympia, Washington.
Sources:
Items in the collection.
Ancestry.com. "Francis G. Handfield." 1950 United States Federal Census. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://www.ancestryinstitution.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis G. Handfield." Connecticut, U.S., Marriage Index, 1959-2012. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://www.ancestryinstitution.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis G. Handfield, Jr." U.S., Index to Public Records, 1994-2019. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://www.ancestryinstitution.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis Gerald Handfield, Jr." U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-2016. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://www.ancestryinstitution.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis G. Handfield." Washington, U.S., Marriage Index, 1969-2017. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://www.ancestryinstitution.com.
Belcher, Amy. "Indiana Extension Homemakers Association Oral History Project." Finding aid. Indiana Historical Society, June 30, 2005. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://indianahistory.org/wp-content/uploads/indiana-extension-homemakers-association-oral.pdf.
City of San Diego. “Basics of Archives Workshop’ with Jerry Handfield and Aditi Worchester.” Lecture Series 2019. Accessed October 2, 2023. https://www.sandiego.gov/digitalarchives/community/lecture-series.
Library of Congress. “Jerry Handfield: Digital Preservation Pioneer.” Digital Preservation Pioneers. Accessed October 2, 2023. https://www.digitalpreservation.gov/series/pioneers/handfield.html.
Washington Secretary of State. "Hat's Off to the State Archivist." State of Washington, October 1, 2009. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://www.sos.wa.gov/about-office/from-our-corner/general/hats-state-archivist.
He taught history at the Indiana University and Purdue University at Indianapolis and worked as a historian and field agent for the Indiana State Library (1976-1982) and Indiana Historical Society (1982-1987). Handfield was appointed as Indiana State Archivist (1987-2001) and headed the Indiana Commission on Public Records. During his long career he conducted countless oral histories with Hoosiers, such as the Indiana Extension Homemakers Association Oral History Project.
Handfield grew interested in digital archives during the 1980s and became a pioneer in the field. He appointed Indiana’s first electronic records archivist in 1993. In 2001, Handfield was recruited to become the Washington State Archivist (2001-2013) and established the Washington State Digital Archives, the first government digital archive there in the United States, in 2004. Handfield also served as state coordinator for the National Historic Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), and became a member of the commission in 2009. After leaving his position as Washington State Archivist in 2013, he became a consultant of governmental records and digital archives, which he remains in 2026. He currently lives in Olympia, Washington.
Sources:
Items in the collection.
Ancestry.com. "Francis G. Handfield." 1950 United States Federal Census. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://www.ancestryinstitution.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis G. Handfield." Connecticut, U.S., Marriage Index, 1959-2012. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://www.ancestryinstitution.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis G. Handfield, Jr." U.S., Index to Public Records, 1994-2019. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://www.ancestryinstitution.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis Gerald Handfield, Jr." U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-2016. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://www.ancestryinstitution.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis G. Handfield." Washington, U.S., Marriage Index, 1969-2017. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://www.ancestryinstitution.com.
Belcher, Amy. "Indiana Extension Homemakers Association Oral History Project." Finding aid. Indiana Historical Society, June 30, 2005. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://indianahistory.org/wp-content/uploads/indiana-extension-homemakers-association-oral.pdf.
City of San Diego. “Basics of Archives Workshop’ with Jerry Handfield and Aditi Worchester.” Lecture Series 2019. Accessed October 2, 2023. https://www.sandiego.gov/digitalarchives/community/lecture-series.
Library of Congress. “Jerry Handfield: Digital Preservation Pioneer.” Digital Preservation Pioneers. Accessed October 2, 2023. https://www.digitalpreservation.gov/series/pioneers/handfield.html.
Washington Secretary of State. "Hat's Off to the State Archivist." State of Washington, October 1, 2009. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://www.sos.wa.gov/about-office/from-our-corner/general/hats-state-archivist.
Extent
3.52 Cubic Feet (10 manuscript boxes, 2 large oversize folders, 1 extra-large oversize folder)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in the following series:
Series 1: Personal and professional papers, circa 1951-2003
Subseries 1.1: Subseries 1.1: Correspondence, papers, and photographs, circa 1951-2003
Subseries 1.2: Miscellaneous oral history papers, 1973-2000, undated
Subseries 1.3: Indiana Extension Homemakers Association (IEHA) and National Extension Homemakers Council (NEHC) oral history projects, 1977-1987
Subseries 1.4: Golden Rule (GR) Insurance Company Oral History Project, 1957-1996
Series 2: Indiana and U.S. history materials, 1815-2004
Subseries 2.1: Collected papers and ephemera, 1815-2000
Subseries 2.2: Political materials, 1951-2004
Subseries 2.3: History research and publications, 1922-2001
Series 1: Personal and professional papers, circa 1951-2003
Subseries 1.1: Subseries 1.1: Correspondence, papers, and photographs, circa 1951-2003
Subseries 1.2: Miscellaneous oral history papers, 1973-2000, undated
Subseries 1.3: Indiana Extension Homemakers Association (IEHA) and National Extension Homemakers Council (NEHC) oral history projects, 1977-1987
Subseries 1.4: Golden Rule (GR) Insurance Company Oral History Project, 1957-1996
Series 2: Indiana and U.S. history materials, 1815-2004
Subseries 2.1: Collected papers and ephemera, 1815-2000
Subseries 2.2: Political materials, 1951-2004
Subseries 2.3: History research and publications, 1922-2001
Custodial History
This collection was recieved by Rare Books and Manuscripts as donations from F. Gerald Handfield on 2020/08/13; ; .
Accruals
No further additions to the collection are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2023/10/04 by A.J. Chrapliwy. EAD finding aid created 2023/10/04 by A.J. Chrapliwy. Collection reprocessing completed 2026/01/21 by Brittany Kropf. EAD finding aid revised 2026/01/21 by Brittany Kropf.
- Advertising cards
- Anderson, Ira J.
- Angola (Ind.)
- Audiocassettes
- Ballet Internationale
- Ballet dancers
- Bars (Drinking establishments)
- Bayh, Birch Evans, 1928-2019
- Bayh, Evan, 1955-
- Branigin, Roger D. (Roger Douglas), 1902-1975
- Broad Ripple (Indianapolis, Ind.)
- Business enterprises
- Buttons
- Campaign literature
- Carson, Julia, 1938-2007
- Clinton, Bill, 1946-
- Conrad, Larry Allyn, 1935-1990
- Correspondence
- Debs, Eugene V. (Eugene Victor), 1855-1926
- Democratic Party (Ind.)
- Democratic Party (U.S.)
- Dickinson, Jesse Lee, 1906-1982
- Elwood (Ind.)
- English's Opera House (Indianapolis, Ind.)
- Ephemera
- Fleming, Charles F., 1907-1984
- Gilroy, Sue Anne
- Golden Rule Insurance Company (Indianapolis, Ind.)
- Goodall, Hurley, 1927-2021
- Hamilton, Lee, 1931-
- Handfield family
- Hogsett, Joe, 1956-
- Home economics
- Home economics -- Indiana
- Homemakers
- Humphreys, Katherine
- Indiana -- Politics and government
- Indiana -- Politics and government -- 20th century
- Indiana Extension Homemakers Association
- Indiana Historical Society
- Indiana Housing Coalition
- Indiana State Archives
- Indiana State Library
- Indianapolis (Ind.)
- Indianapolis Ballet Theatre
- International Women's Year, 1975
- Jacobs, Andrew, 1932-2013
- Jeffers, Timothy
- King, Edward, 1795-1836
- King, Rufus, 1755-1827
- King, Rufus, 1817-1891
- League of Women Voters of Indianapolis (Ind.)
- Lugar, Richard Green, 1932-2019
- Menus
- Meyers, George Walter, 1902-1981
- Michigan City (Ind.)
- Modisett, Jeffrey A., 1954-
- National Extension Homemakers Council (U.S.)
- Nicholson, Roberta West, 1903-1987
- Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994
- Nominations, Political
- O'Bannon, Frank, 1930-2003
- Oral history -- Indiana
- Oral history interviews
- Pamphlets
- Peter, Sarah Worthington King, 1800-1877
- Phone numbers
- Political campaigns -- 20th century
- Political conventions -- Indiana
- Politicians
- Politicians -- Indiana
- Politicians -- United States -- 20th century
- Postcards
- Programs
- Republican Party (Ind.)
- Restaurants -- Indiana
- Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
- Shackelford, Mary Bessie Van Scyoc, 1846-1928
- Shackelford, Ralph W., 1909-1983
- Stevenson, Lillian Brown, 1922-2019
- Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930
- Transcriptions
- Videocassettes
- Welsh, Matthew E. (Matthew Empson), 1912-1995
- Whitton, Roy P., 1922-2017
- Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
- Women -- History
- Wray, Jim
- Title
- F. Gerald Handfield collection
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
