Margaret Afflis Johnston

Margaret Afflis Johnston
L555, OB80
1933 - 1967
10 mss boxes, 1 os folder

Manuscripts & Rare Books Division
Indiana State Library

Return to the Alphabetical List of All Online Finding Aids

Processed by: Brent Abercrombie May, 2009

Biographical Note:

Margaret Afflis Johnston was born in 1907. She was active in community projects and known nationally in Democratic circles for her lifelong work with the party. Johnston’s political career included: the Deer Creek Township Trustee, Delphi, Carroll County (1930-1934); Carroll County Democratic Party Vice-Chairman (1930-1938); Second Congressional District Vice-Chairman (1932-1941); Democratic candidate for Congress opposing Rep. Charles Halleck (1946); State Probation Director (1941-1945, 1949-1953); member of the Indiana Women’s Prison Parole Board (1954-1967); Indiana Democratic National Committeewoman (1960-1964); president of the Indiana Women’s Democratic Club (1965-1967). She was the first woman to manage a license branch in Carroll County and organized the Psi Iota Xi Sorority in Delphi. Johnston was twice married, first with Delphi druggist William A. Afflis (1945) and then with Leroy O. Johnston (1951) of Indianapolis. Johnston is also the mother of the professional wrestler William “Dick the Bruiser” Afflis. Johnston died on April 17, 1967 from a heart attack at the age of 60.

Source:

Scope and Content Note:

The collection consists primarily of Johnston’s political and business correspondence and papers from: the Deer Creek Township Trustee (1933), Democratic Party Campaign (1936-1940), State Probation Director (1943, 1948-1953); 1946 Congressional campaign, Board of Parole of Indiana Women’s Prison (1953-1960s), Indiana and national Democratic Party press releases (1960-1967), Indiana Democratic National Committeewoman, Women’s National Committee (1930s-1960s). The collection also contains personal correspondence, personal financial papers (1940s-1950s), appointment books, notebooks (1938, 1942, 1960), and Christmas cards (1961, 1964). There are also correspondence, pictures, and mementos of her son, professional wrestler William “Dick the Bruiser” Afflis (1940s-1960s). Correspondents include John F. Kennedy, Andrew Jacobs, and Matthew E. Welsh.

Photocopying Policy:

Manuscript materials CANNOT be photocopied or digitized in their entirety. Photocopies and/or digital images cannot exceed 25% of a collection or a folder within a collection. In some cases, photocopying may not be permitted due to the condition of the item. Check with a Manuscript Librarian for other options.

Box and Folder Listing:

Box 1. 1933 - 1949

Folder 
1 Correspondence 1933 - 1936
2 Correspondence 1940 - 1944
3 Correspondence 1945 - 1946
4 Correspondence 1947
5 Correspondence 1948
6 Correspondence 1949
7 Correspondence 1949
8 Correspondence 1949

Box 2. 1949 - 1951

Folder 
1 Correspondence 1949
2 Correspondence 1950
3 Correspondence 1950
4 Correspondence 1950
5 Correspondence 1950
6 Correspondence 1951
7 Correspondence 1951

Box 3. 1951 - 1955

Folder 
1 Correspondence: Sept. – Dec. 1951
2 Miscellaneous 1951
3 Correspondence 1952
4 Correspondence 1953
5 Correspondence 1954
6 Correspondence 1955

Box 4.  1956 - 1960

Folder 
1 Correspondence 1956
2 Correspondence 1957
3 Correspondence 1958
4 Correspondence 1959
5 Correspondence: Jan. – May 1960
6 Correspondence: June 1960
7 Correspondence: July 1 – 10, 1960
8 Democratic National Convention 1960
9 Correspondence: July 11 – 31, 1960
10 Correspondence: Aug. 1960

Box 5. 1960 - 1961

Folder 
1 Correspondence: Sept. 1960
2 Correspondence: Oct. 1960
3 Correspondence: Nov. – Dec. 1960
4 Election Material 1960
5 Correspondence: Jan. 1961
6 Correspondence: Feb. – Mar. 1961
7 Correspondence: Apr. – May 1961
8 Correspondence: June 1961
9 Correspondence: July 1961
10 Correspondence: Aug. 1961

Box 6. 1961

Folder 
1 Correspondence: Sept. 1961
2 Correspondence: Sept. 1961
3 Correspondence: Oct. 1961
4 Correspondence: Nov. 1961
5 Correspondence: Dec. 1961
6 Christmas Cards 1961
7 Christmas Cards 1961

Box 7. 1962 - 1963

Folder 
1 Correspondence: Jan. 1962
2 Correspondence: Feb. – May 1962
3 Correspondence: June – Sept. 1962
4 Correspondence: Oct. – Dec. 1962
5 Correspondence: Jan. – June 1963
6 Correspondence: July 1963
7 Correspondence: Aug. 1963
8 Correspondence: Sept. – Dec. 1963

Box 8. 1964 – 1967, No Date

Folder 
1 Correspondence 1964
2 Christmas Cards 1964
3 Correspondence 1965 – 1967
4 Assorted Lists
5 Speeches
6 Biographical Sketches
7 Misc. Papers – Personal and Political
8 Misc. Pamphlets and Political Material
9 Misc. Folder

Box 9. No Date

Folder 
1 William Franklin Afflis “Dick the Bruiser”
2 Family Pictures
3 Scrapbook – “Dick the Bruiser”
4 Political Pictures
5 Political Pictures
6 Political Pictures
7 Newspaper Clippings
8 Newspaper Clippings

Box 10. No Date

Folder 
1 Misc. Speeches, Notes, etc.
2 Misc. Speeches, Notes, etc.
3 IN Democrats – Speakers Manual
4 Political Pictures

Collection Information

Size of Collection: 10 mss boxes, 77 folders, 1 os folder
Collection Dates: 1933-1967, no dates
Provenance: Leroy O. Johnston Oct., 1968
Access : The collection is open for research use
Restrictions: none
Reproduction Rights: Permission to reproduce, exhibit, or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Manuscript Section, Indiana State Library.
Language: Materials are entirely in English
Alternate Formats: None
Related Holdings: OB80
Notes: Photograph of Margaret Johnston with Senator Birch Bayh in Portraits (BA)