Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ducasse family papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ducasse family papers
- Date
- 1924-1949, 1961, undated (inclusive)
- Extent
- 0.07 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Family.
- French language.
- Immigrants
- Letters.
- Legal documents.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0327: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ducasse family papers, 1924-1949, 1961, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- John Peter Ducasse (1887-1957) emigrated from France to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1902. According to his naturalization documents he was married to Gabrielle Larripe, however Louisiana Marriage Index lists Ducasse as marrying Marie Louise Larripe (1885-1971) in 1906. Ducasse had two sons, Alexander Jean Baptiste Ducasse (1907-1908) and Joseph Justin Adrien Ducasse (1910-1967). It is believed Marie/Gabrielle and John divorced, because by 1932, Marie has remarried to Henri Plaa (1887-1941), a French immigrant living in California.
- 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 Ducasse family papers (dated 1924-1949, 1961, undated; 0.07 cubic feet; 3 folders) comprise letters, legal documents, and photographs that document the existence of the Ducasse, Larripe, Plaa, and Bana families in France, Louisiana, and California in the twentieth century. The letters are sent from the various family members, mostly written in French, discussing trips to visit family, Christmas gifts, membership in the Colonial Dames, and gravesite ownership issues. The two legal document consist of John Peter Ducasse's naturalization form and a notarized statement from Marie Querol concerning the ownership of a Ducasse family gravesite in New Orleans. The photographs include portraits of children and relatives, many in military uniforms.
- The Ducasse family papers 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.
