Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Barry Brannen family papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Barry Brannen family papers
- Date
- 1896-1964, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Brannen, Barry
- Extent
- 0.28 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Letters.
- Correspondence.
- Family.
- Lawyers.
- Education, Higher.
- Marriage
- Child rearing
- Health
- Domestic Life -- United States -- 20th century
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject and format. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0715: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Barry Brannen family papers, 1896-1964, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- P. Barry Brannen (1902-1987) was born in Tucson, Arizona to Phillip C. Brannen (1864-1928) and Elizabeth Barry (1869-1939). Phillip Brannen was a clothier, director of Gila Land & Cattle Company, and director of the Consolidated National Bank of Tucson. Alongside their son Barry, Phillip and Elizabeth also had two daughters, Dorothy (1898-1991) and Phillippa (1900-1989), who they occasionally referred to as "Phil" or "Phyllis". Dorothy married Henry Exall (1892-1956) in 1919 and together the couple had three children. Phillippa married James E. Babbitt (1902-1944) in 1933 and together the couple had two children. Barry did not marry, he attended UCLA and Harvard, was admitted to the California Bar in 1925, and had a very well-known and distinguished career. His clientele included the rich, powerful, and celebrities. During World War II he served in the navy, becoming the assistant operations officer for the Assault Force that made the attack on the coast of France and received a Purple Heart for injuries sustained at Omaha Beach. He spent 15 months in Romania as a representative of the Allied Control Commission and received the Legion of Merit for his work, and in 1946, he became a captain in the Naval Reserve.
- American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.
- Scope and Content
- The Barry Brannen family papers (dated 1896-1964, undated; 0.28 cubic feet; 9 folders, 19 photographs) comprises letters sent between the members of the Brannen family of Tucson, Arizona and Los Angeles, California in the early twentieth century. The majority of the letters are from Barry Brannen to his mother and sister, he writes about attending law school, taking exams, his social life, practicing as a lawyer in Los Angeles, providing legal advice to his family, sending gifts and money, his happiness at visiting them, and congratulations on his sister's marriage. Other letters discuss birthdays, raising children, updates about employment and addresses, attending school, business, and daily life. Additionally, the collection includes one bargain and sale deed and a portrait of Phillip C. Brannen.
- The Barry Brannen family papers collection is part of the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Barry Brannen to Elizabeth Brannen, 1923-1936, undated
Barry Brannen to Phil C. Brannen, 1923-1925, undated
Barry Brannen to Phillippa Brannen Babbitt, 1925-1939, 1952, undated
Letters to Elizabeth Brannen, 1896-1905, 1922-1935, undated
Letters to Phillippa Brannen Babbitt, 1926-1933, 1955, undated
Letters to Phyllis Babbitt, 1934, 1952-1964
Brannen family letters, 1913-1924, undated
Brannen family papers, 1909, undated
Newspaper clipping on Babbitt store, 1955
Photographs, 1943, undated
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
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.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
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.
