Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Winifred Hesser letters

Abstract

The Winifred Hesser letters (dated 1926-1939, undated; 4.5 cubic feet; 10 boxes) comprises letters sent to Winifred Hesser from her boyfriend, friends, and family that document life and relationships in Ohio in the early twentieth century.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Winifred Hesser letters
Date
1926-1939, undated (inclusive)
Creator
Hesser, Winifred
Extent
4.5 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Letters.
Love-letters
Man-woman relationships -- United States -- 20th century
Long-distance relationships.
Ohio
College students.
Women teachers.
Education, Higher.
Pharmacists.
Medicine
Friendship.
College fraternity members.
Sports.
Travel.
Gossip.
Employment -- Ohio.
Families.
Marriage
Arrangement
Collection is arranged chronologically and by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
Finding Aid Author
Sarah Coblentz
Preferred Citation
2009ms132.0981: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Winifred Hesser letters, 1926-1939, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
Winifred Hesser (1908-1996) was born in Crestline, Ohio to Frederick Hesser (1884-1978) and Grace Lashel (1883-1968). Between 1930 and 1940, she married Herbert William Leicy (1908-1999) and together they had at least one child. Winifred worked as a teacher and Herbert owned his own drug store.
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 Winifred Hesser letters (dated 1926-1939, undated; 4.5 cubic feet; 10 boxes) comprises letters sent to Winifred Hesser from her boyfriend, friends, and family that document life and relationships in Ohio in the early twentieth century. The majority of the letters are sent to Winifred from her long-term boyfriend, Herbert William Leicy. In his letters he discusses attending school, participating in a fraternity, thoughts about medical school and pharmacies, participating in his college's band, taking trips with fraternity brothers, making plans to see Winifred, thoughts on employment, returning home for school breaks, participating in sports events, spending time with both of their families, taking a break from school to work and save money, the death of a friend, visiting potential professional schools to attend, and his feelings for Winifred. Other letters from friends and family discuss visiting relatives, attending school, asking about how her teaching is going, and local gossip.
The Winifred Hesser letters 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

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1928

  • Box 1, folder 1
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Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1929 January - October

  • Box 1, folder 2
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Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1929 November

  • Box 1, folder 3
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Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1929 December

  • Box 1, folder 4
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Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1930 January

  • Box 1, folder 5
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1930 February

  • Box 1, folder 6
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1930 March

  • Box 2, folder 1
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1930 April

  • Box 2, folder 2
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1930 May

  • Box 2, folder 3
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1930 June

  • Box 2, folder 4
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1930 July

  • Box 2, folder 5
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1930 August

  • Box 2, folder 6
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1930 September

  • Box 2, folder 7
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1930 October

  • Box 3, folder 1
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1930 November

  • Box 3, folder 2
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1930 December

  • Box 3, folder 3
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1931 January

  • Box 3, folder 4
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1931 February

  • Box 3, folder 5
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1931 March

  • Box 3, folder 6
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1931 April - May

  • Box 3, folder 7
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Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1931 June - August

  • Box 4, folder 1
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Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1931 September

  • Box 4, folder 2-3
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Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1931 October

  • Box 4, folder 4
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1931 November

  • Box 4, folder 5
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1931 December

  • Box 4, folder 6
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1932 January

  • Box 5, folder 1-2
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1932 February

  • Box 5, folder 3-4
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1932 March

  • Box 5, folder 5-6
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1932 April

  • Box 6, folder 1
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1932 May

  • Box 6, folder 2-3
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1932 June

  • Box 6, folder 4-5
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1932 July

  • Box 6, folder 6-7
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1932 August

  • Box 7, folder 1
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1932 September

  • Box 7, folder 2-3
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1932 October

  • Box 7, folder 4-5
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1932 November

  • Box 7, folder 6-7
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1932 December

  • Box 8, folder 1-2
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1933 January

  • Box 8, folder 3-4
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1933 February

  • Box 8, folder 5
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1933 March

  • Box 8, folder 6
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1933 April

  • Box 8, folder 7-8
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1933 May

  • Box 9, folder 1-2
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1933 June

  • Box 9, folder 3-4
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1933 July

  • Box 9, folder 5
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1933 August

  • Box 9, folder 6-7
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1933 September

  • Box 10, folder 1
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1933 October

  • Box 10, folder 2
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1933 November

  • Box 10, folder 3
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1933 December

  • Box 10, folder 4
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1934 January

  • Box 10, folder 5
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, 1934 February - March

  • Box 10, folder 6
To top

Herbert Leicy to Winifred Hesser, undated

  • Box 10, folder 7
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E.K. Bennett, Jr. to Winifred Hesser, 1928-1929

  • Box 10, folder 8
To top

Family to Winifred Hesser, 1930

  • Box 10, folder 9
To top

Winifred Hesser letters, 1926, 1939, undated

  • Box 10, folder 10
To top

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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.

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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.