Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Gladys Coryell papers

Abstract

The Gladys Coryell papers (dated 1914-1923; 0.13 cubic feet; 4 folders) detail the activities of a middle-class 18-year-old Los Angeles woman on the cusp of beginning her college career at the University of Southern California.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Gladys Coryell papers
Date
1914-1923 (inclusive)
Creator
Coryell, Gladys, 1899-1978
Extent
0.13 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Education, Higher.
Letters.
Women and religion.
Teachers.
Women teachers.
Women in education.
Arrangement
Collection is aranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
Finding Aid Author
Ashley Sorrell, Sarah Coblentz, Hanna Rumbarger
Preferred Citation
2009ms132.0070: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Gladys Coryell papers, 1914-1923, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
Gladys Coryell (1899-1978) lived with her mother and father in Los Angeles, California, and attended the University of Southern California in 1917. After college, she worked as librarian and lecturer at the University of California. She remained single until marrying Malborne Watson Graham (1898-1965) in 1958. Graham was a political science professor who also worked at the University of 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 Gladys Coryell papers (dated 1914-1923; 0.13 cubic feet; 4 folders) detail the activities of a middle-class 18-year-old Los Angeles woman on the cusp of beginning her college career at the University of Southern California. The first diary was kept from February 23, 1914 to May 20, 1914 and then shifts to June 22, 1917 at the end of diary. This diary documents high school affairs, chores around the house and time spent with friends. In 1914, Gladys was a tenth grader and at the end of the diary when she starts writing again, she is about to attend her first year of college. The second diary was kept from August 12, 1917 to June 1918 and includes entries related to church activities. In particular, there are many entries describing religious services conducted in the vein of popular early-twentieth-century evangelist, Billy Sunday. These diary entries also include Coryell's preparations for attending college in the fall and detail her first day of school at the University of Southern California. Included with the diary are three letters discussing schoolwork and philosophy from Malbone Wilson Graham, Jr., whom Gladys Coryell married in 1958. The third diary is written a few years later, and the entries detail Gladys's efforts to get a teaching position, trips around town with her family and friends, driving a car, getting hired by a school, and teaching different classes to students.
The Gladys Coryell 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
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

Gladys Coryell incoming letters, 1917 June

  • Box 115, folder 1
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Gladys Coryell diary, 1917-1918

  • Box 115, folder 2
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Gladys Coryell diary, 1922-1923

  • Box WH-32, folder 6
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Gladys Coryell diary, 1914, 1917

  • Box WH-52, folder 5
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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.

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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.