Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Mary Swords letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Mary Swords letters
- Date
- 1933-1934 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Swords, Mary, 1916-2005
- Extent
- 0.14 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Farm life -- Ohio
- Female friendship -- United States.
- Letters.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0037: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Mary Swords letters, 1933-1934, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Mary E. Swords was born September 14, 1916 in Ohio to Homer Edwin Swords (1895-1975) and Serena Thornton (1893-1982). On August 8, 1936, she married Robert B. Ellis (1913-1963) with whom she had two children, a son and a daughter. Mary passed away on October 21, 2005.
- 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 Mary Swords letters (dated 1933-1934; 0.14 cubic feet; 7 folders) comprise letters between Mary and two friends discussing adolescent life in rural Ohio. Letters between Mary and Kathleen focus more on discontent with living in a rural area and the desire to move to an urban area along with jokes on becoming old maids together. Letters between Mary and Melba detail a romantic friendship between the two girls.
- The Mary Swords 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
Mary Swords letters, 1933-1934
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.
