Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Underwood family papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Underwood family papers
- Date
- 1924-1959, undated (inclusive)
- Extent
- 0.07 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Families.
- Ohio
- African Americans.
- World War, 1939-1945.
- African Americans -- Military service.
- Real property
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by format. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0891: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Underwood family papers, 1924-1959, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- The Underwood family of Kentucky and Ohio was an African-American family that consisted of Henry Lawrence Underwood (1865-1928), his wife Carrie L. Underwood (1884-1971), and their five children, Nellie Underwood Richardson (b. 1911), Henry L. Underwood, Jr. (b. 1913), Carrie Louise Underwood (b. 1915), Virginia Alice Underwood Vaughn (1919-1995), and Agnes Underwood (b. 1920). Patriarch Henry worked as a private detective, potentially working on the Pearl Bryan murder case in 1896, and traveling salesman. Henry Jr. worked at Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc., in Indianapolis, Indiana and later served in the army during World War II. Nellie went on to marry Thomas Richardson (b. 1900). Virginia married Eugene Floyd Vaughn (b. 1921) and during World War II, she worked in the Army Red Cross. It is unknown if Carrie or Agnes ever married.
- 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 Underwood family papers (dated 1924-1959; 0.07 cubic feet; 1 folder, 9 photographs) comprises papers and photographs that document the lives of the members of the Underwoods, an African-American family, while living in Ohio in the first half of the twentieth century. The papers include utility bills, contracts for purchasing a home, Social Security insurance policies, unemployment information, wedding invitations, forms for children born abroad, Civil Service exam results, and a short biography on Henry Lawrence Underwood, Sr. The photographs depict members of the Underwood family at home, at school, participating with the war effort, and one with President Harry S. Truman.
- The Underwood family 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
Underwood family papers, 1924-1959, undated
Photographs, 1936, undated
Portrait of Virginia Alice Underwood as a toddler, undated
Portrait of three unidentified African American women, undated
Portrait of an unidentified African American man, undated
Portrait of an unidentified African American man in a military uniform, undated
"Botany Class - Hughes High School" [L to R, kneeling]: Esther Rose [xine?], Mary Louise Fleck, Bessie Hoff, Mary Ann Stolz, Frank Lienhart, Harvey Berman, Edward V. Solegel; [L to R, first row standing]: unidentified woman, "Me" [Virginia Underwood], Emma Boboff, Virginia Harold, Ruth [Savers?], Audrey Bruce, unidentified man, unidentified man, unidentified woman, Dorothy Steinmann, Nellie Benison; [L to R, second row standing]: Margaret Green, Verna Hickman, Harry Schroeder, [Mc?], unidentified man, Fred Banen, unidentified man, Eddie Cara, 1936
View of Hotel Ritschard, undated
Portrait of Virginia Underwood in Army Red Cross uniform, "To the family, with love, Virginia", undated
Portrait of Virginia Underwood in Army Red Cross uniform, undated
Virginia Underwood [standing, far right] with President Harry S. truman [seated, center] and unidentified men and women of the Army Red Cross, 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.
