Collections

Contains four copies of press conference typescripts of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, President of the United States, during his first year in office. Most of the press conferences deal primarily with the economy of the United States, including public works projects, the banking system, and the reorganization of government. Each copy of the typescripts is 658 pages long.

Collection contains letters documenting the life of Seaman First Class George B. Ward Jr. (1915-2008) of Phenix City, Alabama. The letters primarily document Ward's life while he was assigned to the USS Chicago and the Aerology School at Naval Air Station in Lakehurst, New Jersey. The collection also includes letters from Hawaii after Ward graduated from Aerology School.A multi page first hand account from Ward of the Hindenburg airship explosion in New Jersey to his mother is also contained in the collection. The Hindenburg, named for German president, Paul von Hindenburg, was the largest German rigid airship, LZ 129. It was designed to provide luxurious transatlantic travel between Germany, the United States and Brazil. It was also used as a propaganda tool for the Nazis as it contained the Swastika on its tail. The airship became engulfed in flames and was destroyed on May 6, 1937, while attempting to land at Lakehurst Naval Station in New Jersey. The fire killed 36 people and marked the end of transatlantic commercial airship travel. Ward was involved in rescuing people from the wreckage, which he described in the letter. Ward was discharged from the Navy in 1939 and later worked as a U.S. Navy civilian employee helping to salvage ships at Pearl Harbor. George Ward passed away in 2008.

Diaries, photographs, and clippings, 1935-1951, of Helen Minor of Baltimore, Maryland. Minor also seems to have spent time in Indiana and Ohio. Includes diary entries for almost every day from 1935 through 1948, with entries becoming more scattered between 1948 and 1951. Diary entries primarily concern Minor's day to day activities, including her job, people with whom she meets, events which she attends, and her lack of relationships with men. There are also photographs, primarily of an unidentified man during World War II. Finally, there are clippings contaning mostly quotes and aphorisms.

Six diaries, 1930-1943 (with gaps) of Max R. Decker describing his life during the Great Depression and World War II. Decker is located in Buffalo, Kansas, but he and his brothers hop freight trains traveling through Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Kansas and Iowa. The diaries also describe the family searching for work and camping at various locations. The family ends up in Gaither, Arkansas. Decker joined Civilian Conservation Camp # 743 in the Ozark National Forest. The final diary describes his days in the 302nd Battalion of Artillery at Fort Meade, Maryland, Camp A. P. Hill, Virginia and Camp McCoy, Wisconsin.

Diary of a worker, probably William J. Smith, of Visalia, Tulare County, California, recording his varying types of daily work, income and expenses, weather, health issues and social life for January through 11 November, 1937. The following description was provided by the seller: "This is a handwritten diary printed on the cover "The Clipper Diary 1937". Inside this diary is a Tulare County General Hospital Out-Patient Department card for William J. Smith of Visalia and a paper receipt from the Pacific Rural Press, San Francisco for Wm. J. Smith of Visalia California. Because of a reference to being in the hospital, I think that William J. Smith is the man who kept the diary. These items will be included with the diary. The diary measures 4 1/2" by 6 1/4". It contains 318 pages. The diary was started on Jan. 1, 1937 and continued until November 11, 1937. The pencil entries in the diary gave a day by day account of weather, who the man worked for, what type of work he did and how many hours he worked. It seemed that he did any kind of work for a variety of people. He picked crops, cleaned out barns, etc. There is also a section describing being in a hospital waiting for his surgery, telling about other patients, and information about his recovery. He talks about visiting other people and areas. This is a depression diary and shows how hard people had to work. It also tells about Edie canning large quantities of food. He went to see the circus come to town, he went to see a fire that was burning in the area. It is simply the daily life of an ordinary man and what he did each day. What is most impressive is that he is so calm about his life and never seems to be upset if he works one hour or thirteen hours a day. It is just what he does. There is one page in the back that lists when he was paid and how much he received from different people that had worked for. The diary ends on page 191. From 192 to 318 is a printed almanac; A pronunciation key for words commonly mispronounced; Constitution of the United States, U. S. Broadcasting stations including Call Letters, Klocycle, Meters, Location, Power; Population of the United States; Menus; Domestic and Foreign Postal Rates, etc. The Diary has white spots on the cover. The inside is in good condition."