Rex Quinn Papers

Collection

Identifier: MS 145

Scope and Content

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Correspondence, reports, financial statements, memoranda, photographs, publications. The collection primarily includes material created or collected by Quinn in his roles as Superintendent of the Seminole Agency and as Chief Tribal Operations Officer with the BIA in the 1950s and 1960s. A large portion of material pertains to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, including land use, cattle, housing, financial matters, tribal governance, health, welfare, and census data. Non-Florida tribes are well-represented in this collection as well, primarily through reports, publications, historical summaries, and Indian Claims Commission dockets and docket summaries. A significant portion of the collection deals with the administration and policy of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Topics include tribal governance, agriculture, funds, tribal relations, land use, constitutions and charters, claims, tribal operations, and legislation. Also included is the correspondence of K.A. Marmon, Seminole Agency Superintendent in the 1950s; Billie Osceola of the Seminole Tribe; and Virgil Harrington, Seminole Agency Superintendent from 1958 to 1963. A small number of photographs represent subjects such as Seminole housing and construction sites on the Seminole Reservations at Big Cypress and Brighton.

Dates

Creation: 1892-1970
Creation: Majority of material found within 1950-1968

Creator

Quinn, Rex, 1913-2001. (Person)

Access

The collection is open for research. However, due to the private nature of some materials, access to portions of the Rex Quinn Papers is restricted. The collection is restricted because files contain private information including sensitive financial information and biographical data. This restriction of access is indicated at the beginning of each series description in the guide to the collection. Access to restricted collections requires permission from Department Staff, and will be determined on a case by case basis

Biographical/Historical Note

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Reginald "Rex" W. Quinn served as Superintendent of the Seminole Agency in Hollywood, Florida, from 1965 until his retirement in 1968. A Sisseton Sioux, he was born April 27, 1913 in South Dakota and spent the majority of his adult life working for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, beginning in 1935. His field work with the BIA took him around the country to locations such as Nevada, South Dakota, North Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C. He served in several positions throughout his career, and by the 1950s he had become one of the BIA's leading experts in the development of tribal constitutions.

In 1956, he was appointed Chief Tribal Operations Officer for the BIA. In this position, Quinn worked closely with the Seminole Tribe in 1957 when it organized its Tribal Council and Board of Directors under a new constitution and charter. This relationship with the tribe eventually led to his appointment as Superintendent of the Seminole Agency in 1965. As Superintendent, he worked closely with tribal leaders such as Billy Osceola and the members of the Seminole Reservations at Brighton, Big Cypress, and Hollywood (Dania). His work focused on areas such as the Seminole cattle program, land use, housing, education, and tribal government, among other issues.

Extent

6.75 Linear feet (18 Boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Correspondence, reports, and other materials created or collected by Rex Quinn in his roles as Superintendent of the Seminole Agency and as Chief Tribal Operations Officer with the BIA in the 1950s and 1960s.