Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Bruce Haldeman family letters

Abstract

The Bruce Haldeman family letters (dated 1933-1963, 1978, undated; 2.71 cubic feet; 6 boxes, 23 items) comprises letters, papers, and photographs that document the college life of Bruce Haldeman, his family, and friends in Kentucky and Virginia in the mid-twentieth century.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Bruce Haldeman family letters
Date
1933-1963, 1978, undated (inclusive)
Extent
2.71 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Correspondence.
Education, Higher.
Marriage
Military education
Letters.
Love-letters
Gossip.
College fraternity members.
College students.
Man-woman relationships -- United States -- 20th century
Long-distance relationships.
Sports.
Families.
Young men -- United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th century
Young women -- United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th century
Travel.
Arrangement
Collection is arranged by sender or recipient. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
Finding Aid Author
Sarah Coblentz
Preferred Citation
2009ms132.0169: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Bruce Haldeman family letters, 1933-1963, 1978, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
The Haldeman family members, of Louisville, Kentucky, included Walter N. Haldeman (1900-1981) and Jane H. Haldeman nee Norton (1909-1984) and their two children, Bruce Haldeman (b. 1936) and Janie W. Hope (1938-2015). Walter and Jane married in 1933; Walter was employed as a broker. From 1955 to 1958, Bruce attended the Virginia Military Institute, where he studied to become a civil engineer. While attending the institute he was a member of the Monogram Club and on the swim team, becoming co-captain his final year. 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 Bruce Haldeman family letters (dated 1933-1963, 1978, undated; 2.71 cubic feet; 6 boxes, 23 items) comprises letters, papers, and photographs that document the college life of Bruce Haldeman, his family, and friends in Kentucky and Virginia in the mid-twentieth century. The majority of the letters are sent to Bruce from his parents, they discuss daily life, receiving information about his college activities, their pride in his grades and athletic accomplishments, going on vacations, visiting family and friends, work, adopting new pets, running into friends of his at home, and updates on his younger sister's activities. His sister also writes to Bruce, discussing her love-hate relationship with school, going on dates with boys, studying for tests, applying to colleges, gossip about their mutual friends, getting into after-school clubs and organizations, and her relationship with their parents. Bruce also receives letters from numerous friends and girlfriends, discussing their feelings for him, attending different colleges, joining sororities and fraternities, meeting new friends, making plans to visit, arguments had, parties attended, class registration and attendance, trips taken, opinions about military schools, transferring colleges, struggles with getting dates, gossip about who is dating who, and plans for the future. Also in the collection are letters to Jane, Bruce's mother, from friends and family congratulating her on her engagement, birth of her first child, and how her husband hopes to make her happy. The papers show updates on the family, Bruce's footprints at birth, and a speech made at a wedding. The photographs depict daily life and the travels of the Haldeman family.
The Bruce Haldeman family 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
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

Peggy Brooks to Bruce Haldeman, 1955-1957, undated

  • Box 1, folder 1
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Martha Dean to Bruce Haldeman, 1953 July

  • Box 1, folder 2
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Martha Dean to Bruce Haldeman, 1953 August - September

  • Box 1, folder 3
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Martha Dean to Bruce Haldeman, 1953 October - December

  • Box 1, folder 4
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Martha Dean to Bruce Haldeman, 1954

  • Box 1, folder 5
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Martha Dean to Bruce Haldeman, 1955-1956

  • Box 1, folder 6
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Gail Folsom to Bruce Haldeman, 1955-1957

  • Box 1, folder 7
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Janie Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1954-1955

  • Box 2, folder 1
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Janie Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1956

  • Box 2, folder 2
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Janie Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1957, undated

  • Box 2, folder 3
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Jane N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1954

  • Box 2, folder 4
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Jane N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1955 January - March

  • Box 2, folder 5
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Jane N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1955 April - September

  • Box 2, folder 6
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Jane N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1955 October - December

  • Box 2, folder 7
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Jane N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1956 January - February

  • Box 2, folder 8
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Jane N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1956 March - April

  • Box 3, folder 1
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Jane N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1956 May - June

  • Box 3, folder 2
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Jane N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1956 September - October

  • Box 3, folder 3
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Jane N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1956 November - December

  • Box 3, folder 4
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Jane N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1957

  • Box 3, folder 5
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Jane N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, undated

  • Box 3, folder 6
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Walter N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1937-1946

  • Box 3, folder 7
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Walter N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1954 September

  • Box 3, folder 8
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Walter N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1954 October

  • Box 3, folder 9
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Walter N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1954 November

  • Box 3, folder 10
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Walter N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1954 December

  • Box 3, folder 11
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Walter N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1955 January - February

  • Box 3, folder 12
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Walter N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1955 March - May

  • Box 4, folder 1
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Walter N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1955 September - December

  • Box 4, folder 2
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Walter N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1956 January - February

  • Box 4, folder 3
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Walter N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1956 March - April

  • Box 4, folder 4
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Walter N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1956 May - June

  • Box 4, folder 5
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Walter N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1956 September - October

  • Box 4, folder 6
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Walter N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1956 November - December

  • Box 4, folder 7
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Walter N. Haldeman to Bruce Haldeman, 1957

  • Box 4, folder 8
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Lounette Humphrey to Bruce Haldeman, 1955-1957

  • Box 4, folder 9
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Polly Ketner to Bruce Haldeman, 1955-1956

  • Box 4, folder 10
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Betty Lewis to Bruce Haldeman, 1954-1955

  • Box 4, folder 11
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Judy Mosher to Bruce Haldeman, 1956-1957

  • Box 4, folder 12
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Ex Norton to Bruce Haldeman, 1944-1957

  • Box 5, folder 1
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Hugh Pritchett to Bruce Haldeman, 1954-1956

  • Box 5, folder 2
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Joe Richardson to Bruce Haldeman, 1955-1957

  • Box 5, folder 3
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Melinda Rosenbaum to Bruce Haldeman, 1956-1957

  • Box 5, folder 4
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Mary Stites to Bruce Haldeman, 1955

  • Box 5, folder 5
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Beverly Tatum to Bruce Haldeman, 1956-1957, undated

  • Box 5, folder 6
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Sandra Walte to Bruce Haldeman, 1954-1956

  • Box 5, folder 7
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Letters to Bruce Haldeman, 1938-1949

  • Box 5, folder 8
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Letters to Bruce Haldeman, 1954

  • Box 5, folder 9
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Letters to Bruce Haldeman, 1955

  • Box 6, folder 1
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Letters to Bruce Haldeman, 1956

  • Box 6, folder 2
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Letters to Bruce Haldeman, 1957, undated

  • Box 6, folder 3
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Letters to Jane N. Haldeman, 1933-1948, 1963

  • Box 6, folder 4
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Letters to Walter and Jane Haldeman, 1936-1953

  • Box 6, folder 5
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Haldeman family letters, 1933-1949

  • Box 6, folder 6
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Haldeman family papers, 1936, 1947, 1978, undated

  • Box 6, folder 7
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Photographs, undated

  • Box WH-100, item 1-23
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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.