A Guide to the Lollie Johnson Papers, 1940-2002

Biographical Note

Laura Lollie Johnson (1939-2001) was born in Beaumont, Texas, but moved to San Antonio in her youth and graduated from Brackenridge High School in 1956. A divorced mother of three, she worked for almost 10 years as a bartender before opening the Kali Club in 1971 (it closed in 1973). Many other bars followed, including the Hypothesis Club (1972-1976), The Zoo Club (1974-1979), Faces (1979-1983), and her longest running establishment, the Noo Zoo Company (1983-1993). During the 1980s, she also owned several smaller clubs with shorter life spans: LZ’s (opened 1982 closing date unknown), Broadway Cabaret (ca. early 1980s, exact dates unknown), and L.J.’s Place (1982-unknown).

The success of her nightclub businesses was credited to her total commitment to the San Antonio Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered community, which made up the majority of her customer base. Lollie was also active in the local community groups, including Alamo Human Rights Committee (co-chair in 1984), Lavender Alcalde (1976), and 1st Gay Conference in San Antonio. Additionally, she served as secretary on the Board of Directors of the San Antonio AIDS foundation (1988-1992) and was treasurer (1989-1992) and vice president (1986-1989) of the San Antonio Tavern Guild. She was included in the first edition of Notable Women of Texas (1982).

In 1994, having ended her nightclub ventures, Lollie became a Customer Service Representative for Teleservice Resources. In October 1995, she was promoted to supervisor and Resolution Agent for Teleservice Resources.

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Scope and Contents

The Lollie Johnson Papers include newspaper clippings, correspondence, printed materials, photographs, negatives, a small notebook, a wooden plaque for the Hypothesis Club, menus, programs, t-shirts, shoes, caps, a stained glass window from the Noo Zoo Company, Teleservice Resources records, Lollie’s résumé and her obituary. Photographs comprise the largest portion of the collection, recording Lollie’s family and friends, homes, clubs and vacations throughout her lifetime.

The photographs taken at her clubs show events such as Halloween parties, open-mic nights, New Year’s Eve parties, and female impersonator shows. Employees and bar patrons are well documented, as are her many house parties. Her t-shirt collection includes designs for special club events or work wear and for several of the local organizations in which she was active.

The collection also includes a book of poems written and assembled by her daughter, Cindy Milina, and photographs of her children Cindy Milina, Marleen Shaw, and Robin Johnson (Robin is the best documented of the three).

T-shirts and textiles in the collection have been photographed and digital images are availabe at Wearing Gay History

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This collection is housed at UTSA's Main Campus and must be accessed via the John Peace Library Special Collections reading room. To request access, please use the Collections Request Form.

Usage Restrictions

Permission to publish from the Lollie Johnson Papers must be obtained from University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Lollie Johnson Papers, MS 117, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.

Acquisition Information

Materials in this collection were donated by Cindy Milina, daughter of Lollie Johnson, in March of 2002 (Acc. 2002-012 and 2002-017).

Processing Information

Processed by Traci JoLeigh Drummond, February 2004.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Manuscripts and Printed Materials
Box	Folder
1	1		Biographical Information, 1983-2001 View Contents
	2		Hypothesis Club Plaque, circa 1972 View Contents
	3		Faces Bar, 1979-1981 View Contents
	4		LJ’z Bar, 1982, undated View Contents
	5		Broadway Cabaret, 1983, undated View Contents
	6		Noo Zoo Nightclub, 1983-1991 View Contents
	7		Alternatives, 1986-1987 View Contents
	8		Gay and Lesbian Yellow Pages and other printed materials, 1990, 2002, undated
	9		Teleservice Resources, 1994-1997
	10		Poetry by daughter Cindy Milina, undated

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Photographs
Box	Folder
1	11		Lollie, 1940, 1955, 1974, 1994, undated View Contents
	12		Lollie at HemisFair, 1968 View Contents
	13		Family and Personal, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s View Contents
	14		Hypothesis Bar, 1973 View Contents
	15		Zoo Club and Faces (and other clubs), [1974-1983] View Contents
	16		Zoo Club, 1976, undated View Contents
	17		Family of Lollie Johnson, 1976, undated
Box	Folder
2	1		Friends and Family, (1 of 2)1976-1983, undated View Contents
	2		Friends and Family, (2 of 2)1976-1983, undated View Contents
	3		Zoo Club – Contest, circa 1977 View Contents
	4		[At Zoo Club], 1978 View Contents
	5		Kenny Rogers Concert, circa 1978 View Contents
	6		New Orleans Trips, circa 1978, April 1986 View Contents
	7		Clubs/Nightlife, 1978-1982, 1990, undated View Contents
	8		Faces Club, 1979 View Contents
	9		Rodeo, 1979-1981, undated View Contents
	10		Noo Zoo Co., circa 1980s View Contents
	11		Awards Ceremony for Lollie, circa 1980s View Contents
	12		Open Mic Night, circa 1980s View Contents
	13		Lollie and Friend at Cancun 1900, circa 1980s View Contents
	14		Vacations, 1982, undated View Contents
	15		Bar Employees, 1982, undated View Contents
	16		Charity Events, 1982, undated View Contents
	17		Lollie at Home, 1982-1983, undated View Contents
	18		Disney World, [1984] View Contents
	19		At Home and at the Noo Zoo Company, [1985] View Contents
Box	Folder
3	1		Las Vegas Trip[s], undated
	2		Jesus Christ Superstar, undated View Contents
	3		Negatives, undated
	4		Lollie and friends at the beach, undated View Contents

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