Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Eugene and Marjorie Campbell letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Eugene and Marjorie Campbell letters
- Date
- 1915-1919 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Campbell, Eugene, 1889-1964
- Extent
- 0.6 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Detroit (Mich.) -- 1890-1920.
- Letters.
- Women -- Suffrage -- United States.
- Women teachers.
- World War, 1914-1918.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0033: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Eugene and Marjorie Campbell letters, 1915-1919, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Eugene Campbell (1889-1964) was born to Samuel Ensign Campbell (1856-1925) and Jennie Elizabeth Reynolds (1862-1921) in Harrisville, Michigan. He worked as a manager with the rand McNally publishing company in Chicago, Illinois until he was drafted for World War I service in 1918. He served with the 81st "Wildcat" Infantry Division in France and returned from war in 1919. His wife, Marjorie Amanda Travis (1891-1975) was born in Whitehall, New York to William Travis (b. 1861) and Mary Travis (b. 1863). Eugene and Marjorie married May 29, 1917 in Detroit, Michigan and eventually had one son, Roderick Campbell (b. 1926). Marjorie worked as a schoolteacher for Hanover Public Schools, temporarily becoming the school's principal during WWI, and later went to housekeeping with Eugene.
- 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 Eugene and Marjorie Campbell letters (dated 1915-1919; 0.6 cubic feet; 2 boxes) comprise 468 letters between Eugene and Marjorie that document dealing with overseas military deployment and life in Michigan and Illinois during World War I. The letters highlight Marjorie's excitement over the passage of women's suffrage in Michigan and staying up to date with politics to make an informed voting decision along with being able to support herself while Eugene was overseas. Marjorie's letters reveal a new sense of independence for women, but also speak to entrenched societal constructions of femininity and masculinity. She appears conflicted with her self-supporting role and her role as a wife to an absent husband. There is also mention of the Spanish flu and the closing of schools in Michigan. Pictures, newspaper clippings, and a copy of the Masonic by-laws are also included in the collection.
- The Eugene and Marjorie Campbell 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.
Contents of the Collection
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.
