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This collection details the history of the Offley Family from 1826 to 1916 through correspondences, diaries, photographs and personal effects. Its creators include multiple generations of Offleys and their associates. The papers provide insight into the daily life of the era as well as major geopolitical events such as the Greek War of Independence, the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, and World War I. Many of the Offleys served in the United States armed forces. The collection also includes photographs of individuals unrelated to, but, of the same era as, the Offley Family.

Papers, 1900-1946, of Joseph Allan Christian, a Presbyterian clergyman and his wife Evelyn Smith Christian who served pastorates in Virginia, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Includes correspondence, student notebooks of Christian while a student at Hampden-Sydney College and Union Theological Seminary (Richmond), memorabilia collected by Christian while doing YMCA work in France in World War I, sermons and prayers, papers relating to his work on the National War Labor Board for Baton Rouge, La., photographs, and notebooks and pocket diaries of both Joseph A. Christian and his wife (many pages are blank).

Notebook of newspaper clippings and jottings of Sara Spottswood Royall of Petersburg, Va. Clippings pertain to the Business and Professional Women's Club of Petersburg, Va. Collection includes correspondence, speech, photograph, copies of her obituary and materials relating to Samuel F. Royall's service in World War I in the United States Army. Additions to the collection are the obituaries of Samuel F. Royall, Jr., a Williamsburg, Va. printer, correspondence, clippings, publications, and two yearbooks of the American Association of University Women.

The papers consist chiefly of personal letters and correspondence of James H. Sheppard during his service in France in World War I. There is some information about his role in the development of the 155 mm Filloux gun. There is also material relating to Thomas Jefferson Sheppard, including a reminiscence of his life that mentions his Civil War service and detention in Andersonville prison; a piece of a stockade log from Andersonville; a manuscript of a speech given by Sheppard at the Franklin Literary Society of Denison University, ca. 1883; and a photograph of Sheppard.