Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Dessie (Gumm) Sharp letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Dessie (Gumm) Sharp letters
- Date
- 1919-1945 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Sharp, Dessie (Gumm), 1900-2001
- Extent
- 0.15 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Courtship -- Kentucky.
- Letters.
- World War, 1939-1945.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Prisoners and prisons.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0084: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Dessie (Gumm) Sharp letters, 1919-1945, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Dessie Celia (Gumm) Sharp (1900-2001) was born in Butler, Ohio to William H. Gumm (1873-1911) and Addie Witt (1876-1920). She married Roy Sharp (1889-1936), a recruiter for the U.S. Army, in 1920 and together they had one son, Edward (b. 1921). Edward enlisted in the Army Air Corps during World War II and was a prisoner of war from 1944 to 1945 at Stalag Luft IV camp and Wöbbelin camp until its liberation in May 1945 by the British.
- 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 Dessie (Gumm) Sharp letters (dated 1919-1945; 0.15 cubic feet; 3 folders) comprise letters during World War I that document the life of an Army recruiter and during World War II that document the experiences of a soldier who was a prisoner of war. The majority of the letters are from Roy Sharp to Dessie that discuss his travels as a recruiter during World War I, plans for their impending marriage, and thoughts on a job outside the U.S. Army. There are a few letters from her son, Edward, that discuss being able to go home for the birth of his child and how he is recovering from his time in a prisoner of war camp.
- The Dessie (Gumm) Sharp letters are 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
- The 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.
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.
