Cassie Banks papers

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: MS 025.009

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Cassie Banks papers consists of personal items belonging to Cassie, Mary Cromwell, Ivan Cromwell and George Banks Jr.

The Cassie Banks series contains a variety of personal items. Things such as date books, envelopes and general correspondences are inside. There are some Greeting cards with messages inside and church related items such as handouts and verses. Notable items are invitations from Governor John Chaffee and Providence Mayor Joseph Doorley Jr. There are also meeting notes from the Good-will Gospel Chorus, which Cassie Banks served as director of.

The Mary Cromwell series contains certificates, two of which are related to care of the sick. The third is the marriage certificate of Mary and Ivan Cromwell. There is also a letter from Seamen’s Church Institute in relation to Ivan.

The Ivan Cromwell series contains documents of his military service in World War II.

The George H. Banks, Jr. series contains only his discharge from the Civilian Conservation Corps, which he served on from 1935 to 1937.

The rest of the collection contains photos of people and places associated with Cassie Banks, such as George Banks, Sr., John and Bobby Alford, clergymen from the Pond Street Baptist Church and photos of the John Hope Settlement House community.

Dates

Creation: Majority of material found within c. 1900-1971

Conditions Governing Access

RIBHS staff may determine use restrictions dependent on the physical condition of manuscript materials.

Biographical / Historical

Cassie Frances Banks was born on January 8th, 1880 and passed away January 26th, 1977. She was adopted by Annie and Peter Ayers at the age of six. In 1903 Cassie would marry George Banks and in 1905 they had their first child Mary. In 1907 Mary gave birth to twin boys Robert Banks and George Banks, Jr. George Banks, Sr., passed away three months before their birth. Robert passed away in infancy.

After working for twenty-one years as a housekeeper and maid for various families, Cassie would move back to Providence, where she worked as a nurse in the Home for Aged Colored Women, which later became the Bannister House.

After settling in Providence, Cassie would write her first cantata “The Green Hat”. In 1944, she began working as director of the Good-Will Gospel Chorus, remaining in this position until 1958. She would find success in her performances, being asked to perform in Massachusetts. She was well regarded in the community and was invited to events by politicians, such as Governor John Chaffee and Mayor Joseph A. Doorley, Jr.

Mary Cromwell, daughter of Cassie and George Banks, was born in 1905. She married Ivan Cromwell in 1941. Ivan Cromwell was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, May 2, 1903, and joined the Army on November 19, 1942 and was discharged on March 27, 1943. Ivan died on October 5, 1977.

George Banks, Jr., son of Cassie and George Banks, was born March 3, 1907. He joined the Civilian Conservation Corps where he served from 1935 to 1937. He attended St. Emma Industrial and Agricultural College in Rock Castle, Virginia. He died on March 11, 1993.