Celeste Royster Thompson Happy Hour scrapbook
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Celeste Royster Thompson Happy Hour scrapbook
- Date
- 1929-1930 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Crosby, Celeste Thompson
- Extent
- 0.33 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- College students -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Ephemera.
- Women's and gender history
- Preferred Citation
- 2012ua028: [identification of item], Celeste Royster Thompson scrapbook, 1929-1930, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Celeste Royster Thompson Crosby was born October 11, 1911, in Lexington, Kentucky, to Arlene Worthington and Clifton Lewis Thompson. She had two siblings: Clifton Lewis Thompson, Jr., and Elizabeth Thompson. Her family lived at 347 Linden Walk until they moved to a newly-built house at 141 South Hanover St. in 1927.
- Thompson was a member of Henry Clay High School's first graduating class in 1929. She attended the University of Kentucky (UK) from 1929 to 1934. While at UK, she was a member of the Chi Omega sorority and majored in Botany. In 1936, she studied landscape architecture at Cornell University.
- Thompson married John Peirce Crosby on December 18, 1937. After her studies, she worked as a landscape architect in Louisville with Mary Louise Speed and then in her own practice in Lexington. During World War II, she worked with the hemp seed program at the seed-testing lab at the UK Experiment Station. During the 1970s, Thompson worked as a bus tour guide in Lexington, especially covering horse farms.
- Thompson was a member and officer of several social and civic clubs including; the Junior League, Garden Club of Lexington (President, 1957), Garden Club of Kentucky (second Vice President, 1959-1960), the Fayette Rose and Garden Club, the book club, and the bridge club. Thompson had a passion for gardening and volunteered to help establish the garden at Ashland, the home of Henry Clay. She also was a member of Christ Church Cathedral. She served as chair for her 50th high school class reunion in 1979
- Thompson passed away July 7, 1993.
- Scope and Content
- The Celeste Thompson "Happy Hours" school scrapbook (dated 1929-1930; 0.33 cubic feet, 2 boxes and 1 folder) documents Thompson's freshman year and student life at the University of Kentucky (UK), particularly her participation in Chi Omega, a campus sorority. Materials include her class schedule; a letter to her beaux "Bill" from his friend "Bud" discussing, among other topics, Bill's former girlfriend's comments about Thompson dating Bill; clippings about UK Greek system activities and UK athletics, especially football; invitations to, programs, and place cards from social engagements, especially dinner dances and a Lexington Opera House playbill; illustrated bridge score tally cards; photographs, especially of people on horseback; and University of Kentucky memorabilia, including texts of school songs and a UK pennant, pasted on to the front of the scrapbook. Also includes a Centre College pin.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- Property rights reside with the University of Kentucky. The University of Kentucky holds the copyright for materials created in the course of business by University of Kentucky employees. Copyright for all other materials has not been assigned to the University of Kentucky. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Special Collections Research Center.
Special Collections Research Center - Closed
The Breckinridge Research Room will be closed starting May 11, 2026, and anticipates re-opening Fall semester 2026 in an alternate location for the duration of the King Library renovation.
Reproduction requests will still be available during the closure.
Contact SCRC with questions.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
Special Collections Research Center - Closed
The Breckinridge Research Room will be closed starting May 11, 2026, and anticipates re-opening Fall semester 2026 in an alternate location for the duration of the King Library renovation.
Reproduction requests will still be available during the closure.
Contact SCRC with questions.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
