Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Willard Billy H. Hasey letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Willard Billy H. Hasey letters
- Date
- 1914-1918 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Hasey, Willard H., 1890-1918
- Extent
- 0.11 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Courtship
- Education, Higher.
- Letters.
- Marriage -- United States
- World War, 1914-1918.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0145: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Willard Bill H. Hasey letters, 1914-1918, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Willard H. Hasey (1890-1918) was born in Dighton, Massachusetts to Harrison H. Hasey (1847-1920) and Mary W. Hasey (1853-1920). He attended the Massachusetts Agricultural College in Amherst, Massachusetts (now the University of Massachusetts Amherst) and graduated in 1913. After college, he worked as a traveling salesman for the George E. Keith Company in Brockton, Massachusetts. In 1917, Hasey married his long-term girlfriend Ethel Grossenbacher (1892-1975), of Toledo, Ohio. Months prior to his marriage to Ethel, Hasey registered for the draft and ultimately was selected. He was a 1st lieutenant in the 26th infantry, 1st division of the American Expeditionary Forces. On July 20, 1918, he was killed in action during the Battle of Soissons and was buried overseas in the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial. Ethel eventually remarried to Pierre Pasquier in 1927, and remained in Toledo, Ohio for the remainder of her life.
- 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 Willard "Bill" H. Hasey letters (dated 1914-1918; 0.11 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise thirteen letters that document the long-distance relationship between Ethel Grossenbacher and Willard Hasey from Ohio to Massachusetts during World War I. The majority of the letters are from Ethel to Willard, and she discusses life at home with her family, wishing she could be back at school at Smith College, her excitement over getting married, and missing Willard due to the distance between them. There are two letters from Willard to Ethel that discuss the details of his job, buying a ring for her, and attending some sporting events. The final letter from Ethel is dated six days prior to Willard's death, and is marked as return to sender due to recipient being deceased.
- The Willard "Bill" H. Hasey 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.
Contents of the Collection
Letters to Willard Hasey, 1914-1918
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.
