Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: William Curtis Sowle letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: William Curtis Sowle letters
- Date
- 1918-1919, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Sowle, William Curtis, 1898-1980
- Extent
- 0.15 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Correspondence.
- Military life.
- Soldiers -- Correspondence
- World War, 1914-1918.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0502: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: William Curtis Sowle letters, 1918-1919, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- William Curtis Sowle (1898-1980) was born in New Albany, Indiana to William D. Sowle (1862-1954) and Josephine Bohl (1864-1918). From 1918 to 1919, Sowle served in the US Navy. In 1923, Sowle married Kathryn Steller (1900-1978). Upon the death of his father in 1954, Sowle took over operations of the family business, William D. Sowle Tool & Die Company, and ran the company until his death in 1980.
- 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 William Curtis Sowle letters (dated 1918-1919, undated; 0.15 cubic feet; 3 folders) comprise letters and memos that document the lives of William's friends and family in Indiana while he served in the US Navy during World War I. The majority of the letters were written by Sowle's mother, in which she writes about sending goods and money to him, requests for him to write to family members, her fears about him serving in the military, life at home, and visits from friends. The letters from friends discuss visits to old haunts, updates about life at home, and wishes for a safe return. The memos include permission slips for Sowle to withdraw his pay at a later date and a request for leave.
- The William Curtis Sowle 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
- 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.
