Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Alvious Burleson papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Alvious Burleson papers
- Date
- 1920-1945, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Burleson, Alvious
- Extent
- 0.25 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Letters.
- Autograph albums.
- African Americans.
- Teachers.
- Women in education.
- College students.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by format. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0908: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Alvious Burleson papers, 1920-1945, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Alvious Y. Burleson (1903-1996) was born in Rockwood, Tennessee to Henry Burleson (b. 1859) and Mattie Meeks. She attended Roger Williams University and Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State Normal School for Negroes (now Tennessee State University), and became a teacher after graduation. In 1931, she married Roger Henry Simon (1900-1954) and together they had one child, Roger Henry Jr (1932-1990). The couple is listed as divorced on Roger's death certificate in 1954.
- 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 Alvious Burleson papers (dated 1920-1945, undated; 0.25 cubic feet; 1 box, 3 folders, 10 photographs) comprises letters, papers, and photographs that document the life of Alvious Burleson, an African American woman, in Tennessee in the first half of the twentieth century. The letters come from friends and family, discussing travel for work, visiting family and friends, and daily life. Along with the letters are greeting cards for holidays and birthdays. The papers include a lesson plan, event programs, and an autograph album with well-wishes from classmates at Roger Williams University and Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State Normal College (now Tennessee State University). The photographs depict students of Roger Williams and Fisk University, friendships held among students, graduations, and social events and get-togethers.
- The Alvious Burleson papers 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
Autograph album, 1920-1929
Letters to Alvious Burleson-Simon, 1930-1945, undated
Alvious Burleson papers, 1930, undated
Photograph album, 1930, undated
Photographs, 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.
