Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Alexander P. Humphrey papers on J.B. Speed Art Museum
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Alexander P. Humphrey papers on J.B. Speed Art Museum
- Date
- 1925, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Humphrey, Alexander Pope, 1848-1939
- Extent
- 0.02 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Art museums.
- Building -- Planning.
- College art museums.
- Correspondence.
- Endowments.
- Legal documents.
- Letters.
- Press releases.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0423: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Alexander P. Humphrey papers on J.B. Speed Art Museum, 1925, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Alexander Pope Humphrey (1848-1928) was born in Louisville, Kentucky to Reverend Dr. Edward Porter Humphrey (1809-1886) and Martha Ann Fontaine Pope (1820-1886). He attended Centre College and the University of Virginia law school, ultimately becoming a noted lawyer and judge. In 1880, Humphrey was appointed as a chancellor of the Louisville, Kentucky Chancery Court. While serving on the bench, he was a member of the law firm Humphrey, Crawford, and Middleton; counsel to the Southern Railway Company along with many other corporations; and a member of the law firm of Barr, Goodloe & Humphrey. After retiring from the bench, he was a member of the law firm of Brown, Humphrey & Davie. In 1879, Humphrey married Mary Moss Churchill (1851-1926); the couple had five children: Ethel (1880-1938), Edward (1881-1889), Alexander (1883-1917), Churchill (1885-1970), and Mary (1887-1972). In 1884, Humphrey was part of the group of organizers that founded the Filson Club, now The Filson Historical Society, and in 1917, he was president of the Pendennis Club.
- The J.B. Speed Memorial Museum, now known as the Speed Art Museum, was built in 1927 by Arthur Loomis and is considered to be the oldest, largest, and foremost museum of art in Kentucky. It is located in Louisville next to the University of Louisville Belknap campus. Hattie Bishop Speed (1858-1942) built the museum as a memorial to her late husband, James Breckenridge Speed (1844-1912), and provided an endowment to fund the museum.
- 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 Alexander P. Humphrey papers on J.B. Speed Art Museum collection (dated 1925, undated; 0.02 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises correspondence, notes, legal papers, and a booklet that document the gifting and planning of the J.B. Speed Art Museum to the University of Louisville in 1925. The correspondence includes letters between Humphrey, University of Louisville (UofL) Chancellor John L. Patterson, UofL Board of Trustees Chairman Arthur Y. Ford, and Hattie Speed, which discuss the legal requirements of the gift, press releases, and building suggestions. The notes include edits on the gift agreement form, building plan suggestions, and requests of the University as stipulations for approval. The legal papers include a blank gift agreement form and blank copy of the deed of trust between Hattie Speed and the University. The booklet provides information on the University of Louisville, its background and expected future progress.
- The Alexander P. Humphrey papers on J.B. Speed Art Museum 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.
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.
