Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: John R. Gallagher letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: John R. Gallagher letters
- Date
- 1909-1957, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Gallagher, John R., 1890-1957
- Extent
- 0.27 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Letters.
- Correspondence.
- Business correspondence
- Postmasters.
- Families.
- Travel.
- Friendship.
- Lobbying
- Legislation
- Gossip.
- Speeches, addresses, etc.
- Civil service
- Business enterprises
- Ohio
- Washington (D.C.)
- Politics
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0800: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: John R. Gallagher letters, 1909-1957, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- John R. Gallagher (1890-1957) was born in Ohio to Patrick Gallagher (1865-1951) and Rhoda Gallagher (1867-1925). He married Matilda Swartz (1893-1978) and together the couple had one child, Eleanor (1915-1988). John worked as a postmaster in Ludlow Falls, Ohio, where he lived with his family. He also owned and operated a small general merchandise 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 John R. Gallagher letters (dated 1909-1957, undated; 0.27 cubic feet; 9 folders) comprises letters and papers that document the life of John R. Gallagher, a postmaster in Ludlow Falls, Ohio in the early twentieth century. John receives letters from family, friends, and colleagues across the country, including Iowa, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. Letters sent to John from family and friends discuss personal health, employment, his daughter attending school, trips taken, and visits from family and friends. Letters sent to John from colleagues discuss employment, requests for endorsements of politicians, National League of District Postmasters meetings and gossip, bills proposed in congress, lobbying efforts, difficulties in finding new postmasters, meetings with the Postmaster General and US President, and opinions about the Civil Service exam. The papers include reports of John's ratings based on his scores on the Civil Service exams he has taken, a speech given at a state convention for the National League of District Postmasters, and receipts from a merchandising business that he ran outside of being a postmaster.
- The John R. Gallagher 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
Professional John R. Gallagher letters, 1914-1929
Professional John R. Gallagher letters, 1930-1939
Professional John R. Gallagher letters, 1940-1956
Frank G. Davis to John R. Gallagher, 1914
Personal John R. Gallagher letters, 1914-1957, undated
Eleanor Gallagher letters, 1929-1950, undated
Civil Service Commission ratings reports, 1909-1914
John R. Gallagher speech, circa 1939-1941
John R. Gallagher papers, 1956-1957
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.
