David Parks, son of the late Gordon Parks, visited Wichita State University Tuesday, March 4.

He was given a campus tour, including visits to the Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art and Special Collections in Ablah Library.

Parks was able to view the facilities where his father's collection of papers, manuscripts, photos and other items will be permanently housed.

He was also given an opportunity to open a box of his father's items recently received by the university.

Bust of Gordon Parks

Coinciding with Parks' visit was the unveiling of a bust of Gordon Parks sculpted by Wichitan Clara Redmond. It is on loan to Special Collections for three months.

Earlier in February, WSU announced that the Gordon Parks Foundation in Chappaqua, N.Y., had accepted a proposal from the university to receive the collected papers of Parks, a deceased photographer, author, filmmaker and composer from Kansas.

It will take about two years of fully processing the materials before Special Collections expects to publish an online guide, or finding aid, describing the contents of the Gordon Parks Papers.

Gordon Parks

Gordon Roger Alexander Buchannan Parks (Nov. 30, 1912-March 7, 2006) was a groundbreaking American photographer, musician, poet, novelist, journalist, activist and film director. He is best remembered for his photo essays for Life magazine, his many books, including "The Learning Tree," and as director of the 1971 film "Shaft."