Files about lawsuit against Rev. Michael A. Noble

Files about lawsuit against Rev. Michael A. Noble, 1989-2000

Descriptive Inventory for the Collection at Chicago History Museum, Research Center

By Linda Montalbano, 2010; ed. by Peter T. Alter and Rachel Juris, 2011.

Please address questions to:

Chicago History Museum, Research Center

1601 North Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60614-6038

Website: http://www.chicagohistory.org/research

Processed with funding provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

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Title: Files about lawsuit against Rev. Michael A. Noble [manuscript], 1989-2000

Inclusive dates: 1989-2000

Size:

1.5 linear ft. (4 boxes)

Restriction: Box 1, folders 6-7 are closed until 2067 and have been removed to restricted storage.

Accession number: 2001.0232

Provenance statement: Gift of Odester Finley Clay (2001.0232).

Terms governing use: All rights owned by the donor, including copyright, were deeded to Chicago Historical Society. Copyright may be retained by the creators of items, or their descendents, as stipulated by United States copyright law, unless otherwise noted.

Please cite this collection as: Files about lawsuit against Rev. Michael A. Noble (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description, date, and box/folder number of a specific item.

This descriptive inventory contains the following sections:

Historical note,

Summary description of the collection,

Description of some material related to the collection,

List of online catalog headings about the collection,

Arrangement of the collection,

Detailed description of archival series in the collection,

List of contents of the collection.

Historical note:

Odester Finley Clay and Lillian Cain, both members of Olivet Baptist Church in Chicago (Ill.), legally challenged their church's leadership during the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Michael A. Noble (1992- ). The legal dispute began when Clay and Cain requested to review Olivet Baptist's financial records. They also attempted to terminate Noble's employment at Olivet Baptist, along with other strategies. Noble countered with his own legal complaints by trying to end Clay's church membership and seeking financial restitution for his legal fees, among other tactics.

Olivet Baptist Church is the oldest African American Baptist church in Chicago. The church located at 3101 South King Drive in the Douglas community area.

Summary description of the collection:

Correspondence, affidavits, depositions, court orders, motions, summaries, agreements, and other papers related to the legal battle over Rev. Dr. Michael A. Noble's leadership of Olivet Baptist Church in Chicago (Ill.). Also included are real estate records, meeting agendas and minutes, and other administrative records of Olivet Baptist Church.

Description of some material related to the collection:

Other collections related to Olivet Baptist Church include the Olivet Baptist Church (Chicago, Ill.) records (2000.0196); the Olivet Baptist Church photograph collection (2000.0196); the Rev. J. H. Jackson papers; and correspondence in the Claude A. Barnett papers.

List of online catalog headings about the collection:

The following index headings for this collection were entered in the online catalog.

Subjects:

Olivet Baptist Church (Chicago, Ill.)--Trials, litigation, etc.

Cain, Lillian--Trials, litigation, etc.

Clay, Odester Finley--Trials, litigation, etc.

Noble, Michael A.--Trials, litigation, etc.

3101 South Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Drive (Chicago, Ill.)

Actions and defenses--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

African American Baptists--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

African American clergy--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

African Americans--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Baptists--Clergy.

Baptists--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Chicago (Ill.)--Church history--20th century.

Chicago (Ill.)--Social conditions--20th century.

Douglas (Chicago, Ill.)

South Side (Chicago, Ill.)

Form/genre:

Affidavits.

Correspondence.

Depositions.

Legal documents.

Maps.

Minutes.

Photographic prints.

Added entries:

Cain, Lillian.

Clay, Odester Finley.

Noble, Michael A.

Olivet Baptist Church (Chicago, Ill.)

Arrangement of the collection:

The collection is arranged in two series:

Series 1. Olivet Baptist Church materials, 1989-2000 (box 1) Box 1, folders 6-7 CLOSED until 2067

Series 2. Legal proceedings, 1993-1998 (box 2-4)

Detailed description of archival series in the collection:

Series 1. Olivet Baptist Church materials, 1989-2000 (box 1)

RESTRICTION: Box 1, folders 6-7 CLOSED until 2067

Series 1 consists of by-laws, meeting minutes and agendas, board of trustees' resolutions, real estate documents, and other materials pertaining to Olivet Baptist Church. The series includes correspondence urging Rev. Dr. Michael A. Noble's termination. Also present are photographic prints and a map of a church in New Britain (Conn.) where Noble served prior to Olivet Baptist.

Series 2. Legal proceedings, 1993-1998 (box 2-4)

Series 2 contains legal documents and related exhibits filed by and/or against Odester Finley Clay, Lillian Cain, Rev. Dr. Michael A. Noble, and Olivet Baptist Church.

List of contents of the collection:

Box 1 Olivet Baptist Church materials, 1989-2000

[RESTRICTION: Box 1, folders 6-7 CLOSED until 2067]

Box 2-4 Legal proceedings, 1993-1998