Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Wilson W. Wyatt, Jr. letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Wilson W. Wyatt, Jr. letters
- Date
- 1962-1966 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Wyatt, Wilson W., Jr.
- Extent
- 0.28 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Letters.
- Love-letters
- Man-woman relationships -- United States -- 20th century
- Long-distance relationships.
- College students.
- Friendship.
- Education
- Education, Higher.
- College fraternity members.
- Travel.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0967: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Wilson W. Wyatt, Jr. letters, 1962-1966, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Wilson W. Wyatt, Jr. (b. 1943) was born in Louisville, Kentucky to Wilson W. Wyatt, Sr. (1905-1996) and Anne Duncan (1906-2001). Wilson's father was Mayor of Louisville from 1941-1945 and Lieutenant Governor from 1959-1963. In the 1960s, Wilson Jr attended Sewanee: University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. In 1964, he married Jane Clay (1943-1976), however the couple divorced by the early 1970s. In 1978, he remarried to a woman named Jacqueline, and the couple divorced in 1995. He received a degree in English and Creative Writing, making a career in journalism, communications, and marketing. He is a founding editor of The Delmarva Review and a member of the Board of Directors for The Writer's Center.
- 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 Wilson W. Wyatt, Jr. letters (dated 1962-1966; 0.28 cubic feet; 7 folders) comprises letters from Wilson Wyatt to his girlfriend Jane Clay that document their long-distance relationship and college experiences in Tennessee and Kentucky in the early 1960s. In the letters, Wilson discusses being a member of a fraternity, his interest in medical school, classes he is taking, spending time with friends, and updates on his father's political endeavors. He also writes to her about making plans to visit each other, either him going to Vanderbilt where she attends school, her coming to visit him at Sewanee, or them both returning to Louisville for secret rendezvous. He writes about their plans for marriage, purchasing her an engagement ring, and how his family feels about their relationship. There are also a few letters to Jane from her father and Wilson's father, discussing her education, relationship with Wilson, spending holidays and vacations together, and thanks for gifts or letters sent by Jane.
- The Wilson W. Wyatt, Jr. letters 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
Wilson W. Wyatt, Jr. to Jane Clay, 1962
Wilson W. Wyatt, Jr. to Jane Clay, 1963 January - February
Wilson W. Wyatt, Jr. to Jane Clay, 1963 March - May
Wilson W. Wyatt, Jr. to Jane Clay, 1963 September - December
Wilson W. Wyatt, Jr. to Jane Clay, 1964
Letters to Jane Clay, 1962-1963
Letter to Wilson W. Wyatt, Jr., 1966
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.
