Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Milam Tandy papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Milam Tandy papers
- Date
- 1919-1953, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Tandy, Milam F., 1904-1957
- Extent
- 1.58 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Engineering -- Study and teaching
- Civil engineering.
- African Americans -- Colonization -- Liberia
- World War, 1939-1945.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged alphabetically into two series: Correspondence and Personal Papers. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0286: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Milam Tandy papers, 1919-1953, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Milam Tandy (1904-1957) was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky to M. Howell Tandy (1863-1929) and Mary T. Flack (1874-1953). He attended Georgetown College, graduating in 1925 with a Bachelor of Arts in math and physics, and then attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating with a Bachelor's of Science in civil engineering in 1928. In the 1930s, Tandy married West Virginia native Gladys Melton (1905-1988). From 1939-1942, Tandy and his wife moved to Liberia in West Africa to work for Firestone Plantations Company on their rubber plantation as the Chief Engineer Power Developer in Africa. After the completion of the project on the rubber plantation, Milam and Gladys returned to Kentucky and lived there for the remainder of their lives.
- 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 Milam Tandy papers (dated 1919-1953, undated; 1.58 cubic feet; 4 boxes, 1 flat folder) comprise correspondence, Firestone Plantations Co. employment information, newsletters, financial papers, and photographs that document the life of Milam Tandy and his family in Kentucky and Liberia from the 1920s-1950s. The Correspondence series comprises letters between Milam, his family, coworkers, staff, and business contacts. Milam mainly receives letters from his mother, Mary Flack Tandy, and his wife, Gladys Tandy. These letters discuss family affairs, the death of Milam's father, financial difficulties with his mother, events attended, visits from friends and family, finding employment, moving apartment and homes, and wedding and birth announcements. Milam also communicates with his Uncle concerning his financial standing and loan requests. There are also letters to Gladys and Mary Flack, these come from each other, Milam, and other family members. These letters discuss personal health, the move to Liberia, the storage and use of furniture, events attended while in Liberia, thoughts on the outbreak of war in Europe and North Africa, and family gossip. Additionally, there are many letters to and from Milam that are professional in nature, recommendations and applications for positions, project updates, requests for assistance from plantation staff and laborers, and the effects of the war on their business.
- The Personal Papers series consists of financial documents for Milam and his mother, health documents required for the move to Liberia, handwritten notes, photographs of life in Liberia, and a series of newsletters from the Firestone Overseas Club that provide updates and information on the activities of the company and residents of the plantation. There are also documents given to Milam from Firestone after being hired that outline life on the rubber plantation, operating standards and rules, and salary information.
- The Milam Tandy papers 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
- 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
Correspondence, 1929-1953, undated
Letter from Milam Tandy, 1940
Business letters to Milam Tandy re: Firestone Plantation, 1940-1942, undated
Letters to Milam Tandy from Firestone plantation employees, 1940-1942, undated
Personal papers, 1919-1943, undated
Certificate of Registration of Arms, 1941 July 2
Health documents, 1942, undated
Pressure Variations in Pipe Lines blueprint, 1921
Progress track sheet, 1940-1942
Firestone Plantations Co. plantation divisions map, 1939
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.
