Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Corinne Berg letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Corinne Berg letters
- Date
- 1954-1955 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Berg, Corinne, 1902-1973
- Extent
- 0.04 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Family.
- Letters.
- Mentally ill -- Care -- Illinois
- Mentally ill -- Committment and detention -- Illinois
- Mental health
- Schizophrenia
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0176: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Corinne Berg letters, 1954-1955, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Corinne Berg (1902-1973) was born in Illinois to Swedish immigrants, Lars Berg (1873-1955) and Anna Berg (1873-1955). She had two younger sisters, Gladys (1904-1983) and Elennora (1908-2002). Corinne worked as a stenographer and never married. She spent a majority of her life taking care of her sister, Gladys, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 1954. Prior to the diagnosis, Gladys worked as a clerk in a furniture factory. For over ten years, Gladys was transferred between multiple private hospitals for treatment, namely Clearview Sanatarium in Davenport, Iowa before being admitted 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 Corinne Berg letters (dated 1954-1955; 0.04 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises eight letters that document the difficulties faced by Corinne Berg and her family with a sister who is mentally ill in Illinois in the mid-1950s. The letters are primarily between Corinne and Dr. A.H. Wolff at the East Moline, Illinois State Hospital concerning her sister Gladys and if she would be able to be released from the hospital in the future. The letters discuss Gladys's mental state, responses to tests, and steps needing to be taken to have her released home. There are two letters in the collection, one to Corinne from a friend in California, and one to Eleanor from a friend, both letters update the sisters on their lives.
- The Corinne Berg 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.
