Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Marion D. Brown letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Marion D. Brown letters
- Date
- 1942-1945 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Brown, Marion D., 1910-1994
- Extent
- 0.05 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Correspondence.
- Illinois
- Letters.
- Medical care
- Recruiting and enlistment.
- World War, 1939-1945.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by sender. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0177: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Marion D. Brown letters, 1942-1945, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Marion Dudley Brown (1910-1994) was born in Ashmore, Illinois to Chandos D. Brown (1883-1970) and Jessie E. Williams (1884-1939). He had at least six siblings, William Gerald (1909-1991), Carolyn (1912-1988), Ronald (1916-2013), Lowell Eugene (1918-2015), Theodore Gail (1920-1993), and Freda E. (1925-2016). According to the 1940 US Census, Brown worked as a photographer. In 1938, he married Barbara Anne Bemis (1916-2005); however, they divorced sometime prior to 1946.
- 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 Marion D. Brown letters (dated 1943-1945; 0.05 cubic feet; 3 folders) comprise letters to Marion from family and friends that document the daily lives of soldiers, teachers, and farmers in Illinois and California during World War II. The letters are primarily from Marion's siblings. They discuss multiple topics, including work, their other siblings, finances, trips taken, social visits, dating, personal health, military training, and the weather. Letters from Marion's father also discuss finances, personal health, and the weather; however, they also discuss updates on neighbors, the local news, and having Carolyn move back from California to take care of him. There are a few letters from friends that discuss school, social visits, and an offer to purchase a melodeon from him.
- The Marion D. Brown 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.
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.
