Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Donald Irvine family letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Donald Irvine family letters
- Date
- 1937-1965, undated (inclusive)
- Extent
- 1.37 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Letters.
- Families.
- Travel.
- Marriage
- Education
- Health
- Parent and child.
- Moving, Household
- Business enterprises
- Antiques
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.1101: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Donald Irvine family letters, 1937-1965, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Donald V. Irvine (1917-1986) was born in Lexington, Kentucky to James Parsons Irvine (1886-1965) and Marie Hascal Bosworth (1889-1968). He had one older brother, James Bosworth (1914-2000). Donald was a professor of English at the University of Kentucky, reported for the Lexington Herald, and an attache for United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In 1948, he moved to Paris, France for his work with UNESCO and remained there for the rest of his life.
- 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 Donald Irvine family letters (dated 1937-1965, undated; 1.37 cubic feet; 3 boxes, 11 items) comprise letters, photographs, papers and clippings that document the life of Donald Irvine and his family in Kentucky and Europe in the mid-twentieth century. The letters are primarily sent from Donald to his mother, Marie, where he discusses his work with UNESCO, finding an apartment in Paris, traveling across Europe and the Middle East, dealing with the fear of communism in the US government, helping to draft statutes for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, working with Eleanor Roosevelt to promote UNESCO conferences and meetings, meeting with political leaders from across the globe, personal trips taken, his thoughts on his mother's antiques business, running into his old friend Truman Capote, plans to visit his parents, his difficulties with money, and personal health. Donald also writes to his father, James P., about many of the same topics. There are letters from Donald's brother, James B., to their parents, where he discusses his work as a chemist, his plans to get married, his gratefulness for his parents not abandoning him when he went against their wishes to get married, moving, having a child, and personal health. Letters between Marie and James P. discuss Marie's trip to Europe to visit Donald, her sightseeing adventures in England and France, and her informing him to only pay the insurance bill and none from her trip while she is still abroad. The papers include newspaper clippings about Donald's work at UNESCO, Marie's antique business, and daily interest pieces; itineraries for trips Donald went on, and hand written notes. The photographs depict Donald's apartment in Paris, the views from his room and the building, and the surrounding area.
- The Donald Irvine 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
- 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
Donald Irvine to Marie Irvine, 1948
Donald Irvine to Marie Irvine, 1949
Donald Irvine to Marie Irvine, 1950
Donald Irvine to Marie Irvine, 1951
Donald Irvine to Marie Irvine, 1952-1953
Donald Irvine to Marie Irvine, 1954
Donald Irvine to Marie Irvine, 1955
Donald Irvine to Marie Irvine, 1956
Donald Irvine to Marie Irvine, 1957
Donald Irvine to Marie Irvine, 1958
Donald Irvine to Marie Irvine, 1959
Donald Irvine to Marie Irvine, 1960-1961, undated
James B. Irvine to Marie Irvine, 1937
James B. Irvine to Marie Irvine, 1938, 1950-1952
Lester Littlefield to Marie Irvine, 1958-1960
Letters to Marie Irvine, 1937-1965, undated
Donald Irvine to Marie and James P. Irvine, 1948-1949
Donald Irvine to Marie and James P. Irvine, 1950
Donald Irvine to Marie and James P. Irvine, 1951
Donald Irvine to Marie and James P. Irvine, 1952-1954
Donald Irvine to Marie and James P. Irvine, 1955-1957
Donald Irvine to Marie and James P. Irvine, 1958
Donald Irvine to Marie and James P. Irvine, 1959
Donald Irvine to Marie and James P. Irvine, 1960-1961, undated
Marie Irvine to James P. Irvine, 1949-1958
Sons to James P. Irvine, 1937, 1954-1955, undated
Irvine family papers, 1956, undated
Newspaper clippings, 1952, 1958, undated
Photographs, 1952, undated
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.
