Albin Joseph Krebs Papers (Z/2390)
Collection Details:
Collection title and number: Albin Joseph Krebs Papers (Z/2390).
Creator/Collector: Albin Krebs and others.
Date(s): 1950-1957; 1962-1963; 1976; 1995; 2021; n.d.
Size: 0.40 cubic feet.
Language(s): English.
Processed by: Laura Heller, 2023; Biographical sketch by Will Pickering, 2023.
Provenance: Gift from Robert P. Krebs, of Pascagoula, MS, on September 14, 2022; Z/U/2022.036.
Repository: Archives & Records Services Division, Mississippi Department of Archives & History.
Rights and Access:
Access restrictions: Collection is open for research.
Publication rights: Copyright assigned to the MDAH. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to Reference Services. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the MDAH as the owner of the physical items and as the owner of the copyright in items created by the donor. Although the copyright was transferred by the donor, the respective creator may still hold copyright in some items in the collection. For further information, contact Reference Services.
Copyright Notice: This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).
Preferred citation: Albin Joseph Krebs Papers (Z/2390), Mississippi Department of Archives & History.
Biography/History:
Albin Joseph Krebs was born March 5, 1929, in Pascagoula, Jackson County, Mississippi to lifelong Pascagoula native Clarence Preston Krebs (September 2, 1889 - September 6, 1966) and Agnes Marie Ory of St. James Parish, Louisiana (May 19, 1893 - January 8, 1970), a child among six siblings. His siblings were Preston Clarence Krebs, Jr. (January 8, 1918 - February 21, 1976), Edmund Ory Krebs, Sr. (July 27, 1920 - December 10, 1995), Marjorie M. Krebs Holley (December 13, 1922 - March 15, 2012), Stephen Wise Krebs (November 16, 1927 - June 1980), Marie Krebs Lea (April 2, 1931 - January 24, 2002), and Eleanor Anne Krebs Mansfield (December 29, 1933-).
While in school, Albin Krebs was the editor of the Pascagoula High School newspaper, Panther Pen. After he matriculated at the University of Mississippi, he was the 1950-1951 editor of the student newspaper The Mississippian. He was the first student editor to write editorials advocating for the integration of the university and for the improvement of race relations. The response to his outspokenness was a burning cross found outside his dormitory window and an encounter with a mob attempting to storm his dormitory room. A petition was circulated to fire Krebs from the student paper. Newspapers throughout the state reported on his editorial with vitriol. Even the University of Mississippi Chancellor J.D. Williams went on record stating that Krebs did not speak for the school. Another student newspaper editor, Lowrey Varnado of the Purple and White at Millsaps College, agreed that the state-funded universities should be desegregated. Ironically, twelve years later in 1962, Krebs would report on the integration of the university by James Meredith for Newsweek.
Krebs would serve in the Air Force for four years as a press censorship officer in Korea and Japan. He attended Columbia University School of Journalism, where he won a Pulitzer traveling fellowship for travel and study in Europe, starting in Spain.
His journalism career began at The Chronicle Star in Pascagoula, where he met and learned from his mentor Ira Harkey, before he moved on to The Times-Picayune in New Orleans. Krebs would go on to work at the United Press International, Newsweek, and The New York Herald Tribune until it closed in 1966. His reporting covered major events in history, including the tragedy of the cruise ship Andrea Doria in 1956 and the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. He joined the obituary staff in 1969 for The New York Times, working for twenty years before retiring in 1989. During the 1980s, he also wrote a column titled "Notes on People" about public personalities. Of note, some of the prominent artists, performers, and politicians whose advance obituaries he authored included novelist Truman Capote, historian James W. Silver, actress Bette Davis, singing cowboy Gene Autry, defense lawyer Roy M. Cohn, author Pearl S. Buck, and food critic James Beard. One of his last obituaries was for fellow Mississippian Eudora Welty, who preceded him in death the previous year.
Albin Joseph Krebs died at age 73 from cancer on May 31, 2002, in his Key West home in Monroe County, Florida. A self-identified gay man, Albin Krebs left in his will a contribution of $250,000 to AIDS Help, Inc., the only community-based HIV/AIDS service organization in the Florida Keys helping people survive and thrive in spite of living with HIV/AIDS. He also endowed $250,000 to the University of Mississippi to establish the Albin Krebs Journalism and New Media Scholarship for any journalism students in need.
Albin Joseph Krebs said: "If we are ever to face life intelligently and constructively, we must realize that in many cases, we should not propose to simply follow tradition, but to create it."
Scope and Content Note:
The Albin Joseph Krebs Papers primarily consist of correspondence from Krebs to his mentor Ira Harkey and friend Easton King from 1950 through 1962. The collection contains a speech presented by Krebs for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, possibly in 1950. There are newspaper clippings from The Mississippian, a student newspaper for the University of Mississippi, including his editorial titled "A Stand for the Negroes" published October 27, 1950, followed by commentary from the public in subsequent issues. There are three photographs, one of which is of Albin Krebs at his editorial desk. Lastly, there are legal documents pertaining to his last will and testament, power of attorney, and letter to his nephew explaining recent changes to these documents.
Series Identification:
Series 1: Correspondence, 1950-1957; 1962-1963; 1976.
The bulk of the collection is the correspondence series where Albin Krebs writes to his mentor Ira Harkey and friend Easton King from 1950 through 1962. There is a carbon copy of a letter from Albin Krebs to John Hohenbery dated January 24, 1963. Also included are photocopies of two letters between Albin Krebs and his friend Ned Nelson dated March 1976; These were sent by Mark Albin Nelson, son of Ned Nelson, to the donor per his request.
Box 1, Folders 1-35
Series 2: Speech, n.d. [circa 1950].
Albin Krebs presented a speech for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, possibly in 1950.
Box 1, Folder 36
Series 3: Newspaper clippings, 1950.
This series consists of newspaper clippings from The Mississippian, a student newspaper for the University of Mississippi, in 1950. This includes the editorial by Albin Krebs titled "A Stand for the Negroes" published October 27, 1950, followed by commentary from the public in subsequent issues. Additionally, there is a June 19, 1962 newspaper clipping regarding the death of William M. Lauderdale, editor of The Leader-Advertiser in Brookhaven.
Box 1, Folders 37-40
Series 4: Photographs, n.d.
There are three undated photographs in this series. One photograph is of a young Albin Krebs at his desk at The Mississippian in Oxford, Mississippi. The second photograph is of his sisters Marjorie Krebs Holley, Marie Krebs Lea, and Anne Krebs Mansfield. The third photograph features his sister Marjorie Krebs Holley and brother-in-law William Holley.
Box 1, Folders 42-44
Series 5: Legal Documents, 1995.
In April of 1995, Albin Krebs wrote to his nephew Robert P. Krebs to inform him of changes he had made to his last will and testament. This series includes that letter along with photocopied legal documents, a power of attorney signed and dated April 27, 1995, and an unsigned undated copy of his last will and testament.
Box 1, Folders 45-47
Series 6: Ephemera, 1952.
Among the donated materials was a slip of paper with a mailing address for Albin Krebs dated May 1952.
Box 1, Folder 41
Box List:
Box 1
Folder 1: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey and Easton King, October 7, 1950.
Folder 2: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey and Easton King, October 21, 1950.
Folder 3: Letter, James A. [last name unknown] to Ira Harkey, November 9, 1950.
Folder 4: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey and Easton King, November 19, 1950.
Folder 5: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey and Easton King, Sunday [circa 1950].
Folder 6: Letter, Albin Krebs to [Ira Harkey], April 1, 1951.
Folder 7: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, October 28, 1951.
Folder 8: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey and Easton King, April 8, 1952.
Folder 9: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey and Easton King, July 18, 1952.
Folder 10: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, September 10, 1952.
Folder 11: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, October 1, 1952.
Folder 12: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, November 19, 1952.
Folder 13: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, n.d. [circa late 1952-early 1953].
Folder 14: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, March 18, 1953.
Folder 15: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, June 24, 1953.
Folder 16: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, July 10, 1953 (signed by Ira Harkey).
Folder 17: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey and Mr. & Mrs. Easton King, November 20, 1953.
Folder 18: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey and Easton King, December 16, 1953.
Folder 19: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, January 13, 1954.
Folder 20: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, March 7, 1954.
Folder 21: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, April 11, 1954.
Folder 22: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, December 13, 1954.
Folder 23: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, January 13, 1955.
Folder 24: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey and Easton King, February 26, 1956.
Folder 25: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey and Easton King, May 23, 1956.
Folder 26: Letter, Albin Krebs to [Ira Harkey and Easton King], n.d. [circa February-May 1956].
Folder 27: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey and Easton King, June 22, 1956.
Folder 28: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey and Easton King, October 6, 1956.
Folder 29: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, December 16, 1956.
Folder 30: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, July 6, 1957.
Folder 31: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, July 24, 1962.
Folder 32: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, October 15, 1962.
Folder 33: Letter, Albin Krebs to Ira Harkey, October 25, 1962.
Folder 34: Letter, Albin Krebs to John Hohenberg, January 24, 1963 (carbon copy).
Folder 35: Letter, Mark Albin Nelson to Robert P. Krebs, May 18, 2021; Enclosures are letters between Albin Krebs and Ned Nelson, March 1976 (photocopies).
Folder 36: Speech by Albin Krebs to the NAACP, n.d. [circa 1950].
Folder 37: Newsclipping, "A Stand for the Negroes" by Albin Krebs, The Mississippian, October 27, 1950.
Folder 38: Newspaper, The Mississippian, November 3, 1950 (page 3-4).
Folder 39: Newsclippings, RE: Albin Krebs editorial in The Mississippian, circa October-November 1950.
Folder 40: Newspaper, The Leader-Advertiser (Brookhaven, MS), June 19, 1962, RE: William M. Lauderdale, editor, died.
Folder 41: Note, Albin Krebs mailing address, May 1952.
Folder 42: Photograph, Albin Krebs at his desk at The Mississippian, n.d.
Folder 43: Photograph, Marjorie Krebs Holley, Marie Krebs Lea, and Anne Krebs Mansfield, n.d.
Folder 44: Photograph, William Holley and Marjorie Krebs Holley, n.d.
Folder 45: Letter, Albin Krebs to Robert P. Krebs, April 28, 1995.
Folder 46: Power of Attorney, April 27, 1995 (signed and dated copy).
Folder 47: Last Will and Testament, n.d. (unsigned, undated copy).