The collection is open for research.
Permission to publish material from Fay M. Thomas Letters to Edward L. Stone must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Fay M. Thomas Letters to Edward L. Stone, Ms2017-038, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
The Fay M. Thomas Letters to Edward L. Stone were purchased by Special Collections in May 2017.
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Fay M. Thomas Letters to Edward L. Stone was completed in October 2017.
Edward Lee Stone was born September 15, 1864, in Liberty, Virginia (now known as Bedford, VA) and died in 1938. After working for John P. Bell's printing company, Stone was promoted and eventually took over the business. He became a wealthy and prominent citizen of Roanoake through his business, the Stone Printing and Manufacturing Company. He also played an important role in his local community through various civic organizations and clubs.
Additional biographical information is available online: http://snaccooperative.org/view/60110172
Fay M. Thomas was born in Iowa aout 1891. Prior to 1920, he married Willie Mae. By 1920, the couple was living in Richmond, where Thomas mas managing a cafeteria. By 1930, they were in Roanoke, where Thomas was managing the Hotel Patrick Henry. The couple had at least one child around 1921. It is unknown how long they lived in Roanoke, but Thomas appears to have gone on to manage other hotels in Louisiana, New York, and Michigan by the early 1940s.
The Fay M. Thomas Letters to Edward L. Stone consists of two letters from Thomas, manager of the Hotel Patrick Henry in Roanoke, Virginia, to Stone, the president of Stone Printing and Manufacturing Co. The August 27, 1931, letter thanks Stone for sending a publication to Thomas, who notes that he has lent it to someone else (Mr. and Mrs. Mayer), but intends it to be returned for his own collection. The August 31, 1931, letter indicates that the Mayers would like a copy of the publication referenced in the last note and that Thomas would be happy to discuss upcoming travel plans of a Miss Belle da Caste Green.
Special Collections includes several collections that relate to the Stone Printing & Manufacturing Co., as so several other archives in Virginia. A list is available online.