Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Mary Freeman papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Mary Freeman papers
- Date
- 1955-1965, 1983, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Freeman, Mary Markham
- Extent
- 0.08 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Letters.
- Marriage
- Mental illness
- Psychology
- Universities and colleges -- Kentucky.
- Universities and colleges -- Faculty.
- Anti-communist movements -- United States
- Children
- Family.
- Spouse abuse
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0881: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Mary Freeman papers, 1955-1965, 1983, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Mary Markham Freeman (1912-1976) was born in Louisville, Kentucky to Benjamin Franklin Markham and Pearl Eblen. She was a student at the University of Louisville and studied psychology. In 1933, Mary secretly married Ellis Freeman (1896-1971), her professor from the University of Louisville. Ellis taught psychology at the University of Louisville and for a short time in Hills Bourgh, Florida. He wrote many well-known psychology books, including Social Psychology, Principles of General Psychology and His Conquering the Man in the Street. Mary and Ellis had two children together, twins Jack M. Freeman (b.1936) and Jane A. Freeman Gross (b.1936).
- 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 Mary Freeman papers (dated 1955-1965, 1983, undated; 0.08 cubic feet; 4 folders) comprises letters, notes and papers from latter part of the twentieth century documenting the life of Mary Freeman in Kentucky. Mary Freeman sends lengthy letters to various friends about her struggling marriage, declining mental health, strained relationship with her parents and raising her twin children. Mary explains in multiple letters that her husband is verbally abusive to her and manipulative. He is constantly belittling her and causing issues between her and her parents. She keeps a log in one letter that documents how many times she left the house to do something fun or by herself in one calendar year. She details how he is always moody, away for work, teaching in Louisville, Kentucky or writing his famous books on psychology. She writes down many notes on her depression and various notes on psychology. Included in this collection are multiple book pages from an unnamed University of Louisville Psychology Department publication summarizing the life and work of Ellis Freeman. The pages mention the American Legion investigating him on the grounds of spreading Russian Propaganda.
- The Mary Freeman 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
Mary Freeman to friends, 1955-1965, undated
Mary Freeman to Jane Freeman, 1959, undated
Psychology notes by Mary Freeman, undated
University of Louisville Psychology Department book excerpt on Ellis Freeman, 1983
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.
