Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ivan Martin letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ivan Martin letters
- Date
- 1943-1945, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Martin, Ivan
- Extent
- 0.15 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Letters.
- Military life.
- Family.
- Love-letters
- World War, 1939-1945.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Japan
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Pacific Ocean
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Naval operations, American.
- Marriage
- Friendship.
- Travel.
- Military education
- Gossip.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0791: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ivan Martin letters, 1943-1945, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Ivan Martin (1912-1978) was born in Indiana to Ivan Martin (1882-1918) and Estella Vance (b. 1886). After moving to Louisville, Kentucky by 1920, he went on to marry Lucille Virginia Kyser (1913-1989), it is unknown if the couple ever had children. Martin served in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1945. No other biographical information available.
- 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 Ivan Martin letters (dated 1943-1945, undated; 0.15 cubic feet; 3 folders) comprises letters from Ivan Martin to his wife that document his experiences serving in the navy during World War II. In the letters, Ivan writes about taking classes to figure out what duties he is able to do, learning where he is going to be deployed to, what duties he would prefer to have, life on the USS Colhoun and USS Piedmont, sailing to Japan, going on liberties, spending time with friends, sightseeing in Hawaii and Tokyo, building and manning radios for the ships he serves on, and his desire to return home to his wife. He also discusses other letters he receives from family members, gossip he hears from other soldiers and family, promotions he receives, and thoughts on his wife finding employment and furnishing their home.
- The Ivan Martin 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.
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.
