Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ronald H. Davis letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ronald H. Davis letters
- Date
- 1954-1955 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Davis, Ronald H., 1937-2015
- Extent
- 0.25 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Long-distance relationships.
- Love-letters
- Military service, Voluntary
- Mississippi
- Soldiers -- Correspondence
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged alphabetically by sender's last name where possible. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0279: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ronald H. Davis letters, 1954-1955, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Ronald H. Davis (1937-2015) was born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin to Melvin Davis (1913-1960) and Beatrice S Brigham (1916-2014). He had two siblings, an older brother, William (1936-2014), and a younger sister, Donna (1938-2015). Davis enlisted in the Air Force around 1955 and was stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. In 1992, he married Jayne Kathryn Curtis (b. 1942).
- 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 Ronald H. Davis letters (dated 1954-1955; 0.25 cubic feet, 8 folders) comprise letters that document the everyday life and military service of friends and family in Wisconsin and Texas while Ronald Davis was stationed in Mississippi in 1955. The letters are primarily from Davis's then-girlfriend Jean Schroeder, she writes about going to school, fights with her father, attending parties with friends, being sick, seeing extended relatives and Davis' family, and her desire to marry him. His family writes often, his mother writes about needing financial assistance for bills, moving houses, and how much she misses her son, his sister writes about leaving school and hanging out with his girlfriend Jean, and his father writing about getting his car fixed. Davis' brother writes from Texas where he is stationed at a different Air Force base and discusses getting drunk, meeting girls and his frustration at having to complete tests and tasks for the Air Force. Other letters come from friends back home in Wisconsin, discussing seeing Davis' family and other persons who enlisted. There are a few letters from friends that attempt to clarify a situation where rumors were being spread about Jean being unfaithful to him.
- The Ronald H. Davis 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
- 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
Letters from Beatrice Davis, 1955
Letters from Donna Davis, 1955
Letter from Marvin Davis, 1955
Letters from William Davis, 1955
Letters from Ruthie P, 1955
Letters from Jean Schroeder, 1954-1955
Letters from Bruce and Ainnie Singstock, 1955
Letters from friends, 1955
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.
