![[logo]](http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/logos/uva-sc.jpg)
University of Virginia Library
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library© 2011 By the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. All rights reserved.
Processed by: Special Collections Staff
There are no restrictions.
See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.
Gordon and Webster Family Papers, #14573, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.
This collection was a gift to the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections by Elizabeth Webster, William Webster, Armistead Webster, and Margaret W. McManus on March 12, 2009.
Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr. (1897-1953) was a professor of English Literature at the University of Virginia from 1919 to 1953. He married Cornelia Waddell and they had a daughter Ann Gordon (1929-1994), who became the main connection between the Gordon and Webster families through her marriage to Richard Henry "Harry" Webster (1924-2007). Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr. was born in Staunton, Virginia to Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. (1855-1931) and Maria Breckinridge Catlett Gordon (?-1930). Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. was the son of George Loyall Gordon (1829-1862) who died at Malvern Hill during the Civil War and was grandson of the politician, William Fitzhugh Gordon (1787-1858).
Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. was an attorney and a writer; graduated from the University of Virginia and William and Mary Law School; practiced law in Staunton, Virginia; was mayor of that city for two years and served as Commonwealth Attorney. He was a member of the Board of Visitors at the University of Virginia for sixteen years; was rector of the University of Virginia (1897-1898; 1906-1918) and was president of the Virginia State Bar Association. In addition to Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr., he had two other sons, James Lindsay Gordon (1895-1969) and George Loyal l Gordon, (1899-1918) and two daughters, Mary Daniels Gordon, (1893-1980] and Margaret Douglas Gordon [1891-1930's].
Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr. graduated from William and Mary College and entered military service in World War I at Camp Lee with his younger brother, George Loyall Gordon. Armistead was transferred to the Casual Department and the Gas and War defense. After the war, he received a scholarship to study and teach at the University of Virginia in 1919. He then, married Cornelia Waddell in 1922 and Ann Gordon was born in 1929. After teaching for many years at the University of Virginia, he was called into service during World War II as a Lieutenant General. After several weeks of training at Cambridge, Massachusetts, he was stationed in Washington D. C. Cornelia joined him in an apartment in the city and Ann Gordon was sent to board at St. Anne's Belfield School in Charlottesville, Virginia during the remaining years of the war.
Armistead's brother, James Lindsay Gordon (1895-1969) attended the University of Virginia and served in World War I on the U.S.S. Rijnland that went overseas. He wrote stories when he was younger and had some of them published along with illustrations from his sister, Mary. After the war, James worked full time at the Roanoke Valley and Tie Company in Lexington, North Carolina, and eventually bought the company in 1926. After the depression, he became the City Manager for Lexington, and eventually opened another business, Gordon Veneer Company. He was very outgoing and popular in Lexington. He married Adelaide Thompson Hargrave and they had two daughters, Mary Lindsay Gordon and Adelaide Hargrave Gordon. He wrote letters to his sister, Mary and brother, Armistead but was unable to visit often. Their family stayed in Lexington, North Carolina.
George Loyall Gordon,(1899-1918) named after his grandfather who died at Malvern Hill, attended William and Mary and died of sickness [tetanus] during World War I.
Mary Daniels Gordon was a writer and illustrator, and travelled with her father, Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. to New York to meet with publishers about her literary work. Some of her illustrations and stories were published. ("The Chrystal Ball," Little Brown Publishers , and Corks and Curls ) She was unmarried and took care of her father until he passed away in 1931. She later moved to Ridgeway Farm in Charlottesville, Virginia, and leased the family house in Staunton.
Armistead's sister, Margaret Douglas Gordon suffered from "nerves" and was admitted to Western State Hospital in Staunton, Virginia in 1917. She later became ill with tuberculosis in 1931, while still at the institution.
Ann Gordon Webster (1929-1994) was the only child of Armistead and Cornelia Gordon. She attended Stonefield School, St. Anne's Belfield School, and Wellesley College. Her husband, Harry Webster (1924-2007) was a graduate of Moses Brown School, Princeton University and attended Harvard Law School. Harry temporarily left Princeton to serve in World War II where he was stationed in Texas, Oklahoma, Hawaii, and Japan. He began his service as a Private and moved up to Corporal and then Sergeant in the medical corps (as an anesthetist, although he had no interest in becoming a doctor). (See Series II: William Webster: Box: 12 Letters to Edward and Alice Blodgett).
Harry and Ann were married in 1949 while she finished her last year of school at Wellesley and he accepted a job in the Foreign Service. He worked for the Central Intelligence Agency and served tours in Madrid; London; Salisbury, Rhodesia; The Hague, and traveled widely in Europe and Latin America. He retired from the Foreign Service in 1973. After retirement Harry continued to travel to his favorite places such as Europe, Costa Rico and his family vacation home in Weld, Maine.
Harry Webster was the son of atomic energy expert, William Webster (1900-1972) and Eleanore Blodgett Webster (?-1961). Eleanore was the daughter of Judge Edward "Peter" Blodgett and Alice Foster Blodgett. William "Bill" or "K" Webster graduated from the Naval Academy in 1920 and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1923. He served in the United States Navy as a Naval Constructor and an officer in the Construction Corps until 1928. He then worked for the New England Electric System in 1928 beginning as an assistant to the general manager and was promoted to vice president in 1942; director in 1950, president in 1959, chief executive officer in 1963, and retired from NEPA in 1970. He was credited with finding peaceful uses for atomic energy, and bringing atomic electric power to New England. He was widely known as the architect of Yankee Atomic Electric Company, and formed ten New England Electric Companies to produce one nuclear power plant.
He also held a number of important government positions, including the chairmanship of the Research and Development Board in the Department of Defense under President Harry S. Truman. One of his charges was to assess the effectiveness of the Hydrogen bomb. He also served in the Office of Scientific Research and Development from 1943 to 1946; was deputy for atomic energy to the Secretary of Defense in 1948; and chairman of the Military Liaison Committee to the Atomic Energy commission in 1951. He was a member and officer of many organizations including the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics; the Presidents Scientific Advisory Committee; the Army Scientific Advisory Panel; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; AETNA Life Insurance Company; Federal Reserve Bank of Boston; the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; the Huyck Corporation; and chairman of the Rand Corporation. After years of working in the Electric Power industry and serving the government and his country, he received many awards including, the John Fritz Medal of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. This award recognized him for notable scientific and industrial achievement, specifically leadership in developing peaceful uses of atomic energy. Although he still held many of these titles, he became ill in 1971 and died in 1972.
William Webster was the son of Richard Henry Webster and Harriet Archer Williams. William's mother was the daughter of Stevenson Archer Williams, a well known attorney in Bel Air, Maryland.
William Webster was the son of Richard Henry Webster and Harriet Archer Williams. William's mother was the daughter of Stevenson Archer Williams, a well known attorney in Bel Air, Maryland.
William's mother and father "parted company" in 1920 (but never divorced). His mother was a housemother for Oldfields school in Baltimore, Maryland. His father held a job as a bank teller for a short time, had a tomato canning business, was often broke, and had problems with alcohol. William financially supported both of his parents and several family members.
William Webster had a brother, Stevenson "Steve" Williams Webster (1903-1990), who became the headmaster of several schools including Saint James School. He attended the University of Virginia and developed a friendship with the Gordon family starting in the 1920's. He was very witty, loved to tell stories, and while he was very outgoing, he also enjoyed a quiet life of solitude and love of nature. He was responsible for introducing Harry Webster to Ann Gordon.
In addition to his brother, William also had two sisters, Anna ("Nan") Stump Webster Wolff and Ariel Hope ("Hope") Harlan. Hope and her husband Herbert Harlan had one daughter, Hope who married William Dallam. They had four children, Katie, William, Ariel, and David. Nan and her husband Miles Wolff (writer and Managing Editor of The Evening Sun and Executive Director of the Greensboro Daily News ) had two daughters, Eliza ("Lila") McCormick Wolff, Anna Wolff Dixon, Jr. and one son, Miles ("Bee") Hoffman Wolff, Jr.
In 1961, William Webster's wife, ("Roo") was tragically killed in an automobile crash while on a trip with him in North Carolina. The car accident resulted in a lawsuit against the Webster estate and William settled out of court the following year. Also in 1961 Harry Webster ("Tig") was assigned to Salisbury, Rhodesia. Harry left for his assignment, and Ann Gordon and the children stayed with William in Washington, D.C. to help him recover from his injuries and the devastating loss of his wife. In 1963, William married his secretary, Miss Vollie Sanderson, who worked for the New England Power Association and had handled the business and affairs of the Webster family for many years. The Webster family used nicknames from Winnie the Pooh characters, William was referred to as "K" for Kanga, Eleanore as "Roo," and Harry, as "Tigger" or "Tig."Harry and Ann Gordon Webster had four children, William ("Barney") Webster (1951-present,) Elizabeth ("Liza") Webster (1955-present,) Armistead ("Oppit") Webster (1957-present,) and Margaret ("Maggie") Webster (1959-present) and seven grandchildren including Kiely Webster, Stevenson Webster, Ariel Webster, Daniel Ladd, Sarah Ladd, Ellie McManus, and Rob McManus.
Harry and Ann Gordon Webster had four children, William ("Barney") Webster (1951-present,) Elizabeth ("Liza") Webster (1955-present,) Armistead ("Oppit") Webster (1957-present,) and Margaret ("Maggie") Webster (1959-present) and seven grandchildren including Kiely Webster, Stevenson Webster, Ariel Webster, Daniel Ladd, Sarah Ladd, Ellie McManus, and Rob McManus.
This collection is mostly family correspondence that documents the lives of the Gordon and Webster family members. Of particular interest are William "Bill" Webster (1900-1972), his son Richard Henry "Harry" Webster, (1924-2007) and Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr. (1897-1953). The Webster and Gordon families were connected through the marriage of Harry Webster and Ann Gordon (1929-1994) in 1949. Ann Gordon's father, Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr. (1897-1953) taught English Literature at the University of Virginia from 1919 to 1953 and was from Staunton, Virginia. There are also some letters from Ann Gordon's grandfather, Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. (1855-1931) who was a successful attorney, writer, and rector of the University of Virginia in 1897-1898 and in 1906-1918 (in Series I Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr. Boxes: 2- 9). Harry Webster's father, William Webster was president of the New England Power Company and chairman of the Research and Development Board for the Department of Defense (studying atomic power) under President Harry S. Truman. Harry Webster worked in the Foreign Service from the 1950's through to the 1970's with tours in Madrid, Spain; Salisbury, Rhodesia; London, England; The Hague, Holland; and secretly [Dominican Republic 1965-1966]
Although the collection is mostly personal family letters, topics of interest are the University of Virginia; Charlottesville, Virginia; English literature; the Atomic Energy Commission; the National Security Council; the United States Information Services; the Central Intelligence Agency; and the United States Navy. The collection is grouped into five series, Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr.; William Webster; Ann Gordon Webster; Webster family (Harry and Ann, and their children); and printed material. It consists of approximately 8,600 items, 41 Hollinger boxes, and 17 linear feet.
There are original manuscripts (poems and stories) by Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr. and family members. (Series I: Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr.: Manuscripts: Box: 1) Armistead's sister, Mary Daniels Gordon (1893-1980), was a writer and illustrator of children's books. It is mentioned that she did some illustrations for the University of Virginia Corks and Curls and had at least one book published, ("The Chrystal Ball" by Brown & Little Co.) (Series I: Armistead Churchill Gordon: Gordon family correspondence Boxes: 3-7)
There is correspondence concerning the publication of Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr.'s dissertation in 1923, "Fugitive Verses of Virginia Writers." (Series I: Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr.: General correspondence Box: 2)
The collection also has correspondence that mentions University of Virginia faculty and members of the Charlottesville community, including Atcheson and Virginia Hench, Carl and Margaret Speidel, William and Elizabeth Weedon, George and Virginia Zehmer, Frank and Jeanette Geldard, James and Betty Kindred; William Cabell Bruce, Phillip Bruce, Philippa Bruce, Art Shepperson, John Luck, Edward Younger, Dr. Paul and Anna Barringer, and Colgate Darden. The correspondence mostly mentions daily activities of the faculty and their families such as travel, general health, bridge, tennis, and social engagements. (Series I: Armistead Churchill Gordon: Gordon family correspondence Boxes: 3-7; and Series III: Ann Gordon Webster: family correspondence Boxes: 13-17).
Included in the general correspondence are letters from John Cooke Wyllie and James Southall Wilson. There are letters from and about John Armstrong Chaloner, a famous and eccentric member of the Astor family of New York, who lived at Merrie Mills, Cobham, Virginia and was a friend of the Gordon family. (Series: 1 Armistead Churchill Gordon: general correspondence: Box: 2 and Gordon family correspondence Boxes: 3-7)
The family correspondence is from 1914 to 1931 and includes Armistead Gordon, Jr. and his siblings, James Lindsay Gordon, George Loyall Gordon, Mary Daniels Gordon, Margaret Douglas Gordon, and their parents, Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr., and Maria ("Ria") Breckinridge Catlett Gordon of Staunton, Virginia. The letters describe college life at William and Mary and the University of Virginia in 1917 as well as military service during World War I. (Series I: Armistead Churchill Gordon: Gordon family correspondence Boxes: 4-8) Armistead's youngest brother, George Loyall Gordon died from an illness (tetanus from contact with a rusty nail?) during the war. In 1918 Armistead's sister, Margaret Gordon, was sent to Western State Hospital in Staunton, Virginia where Dr. Joseph DeJarnette diagnosed her with tuberculosis in 1931. There is very little mention of Margaret but there is a letter in which she wrote to her father pleading with him to let her return home. Her later letters seem to suggest that she didn't mind staying there and that the hospital was a nice retreat and the people were very pleasant. (Series I: Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr. Gordon family correspondence: Box: 5)
There are minutes of the Board of Visitors from 1931 to 1936 with notes by Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. and a dedication to James Southall Wilson and Wilson Hall by Fredson Bowers. (Series I: Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr.: University of Virginia Box: 9) There is also a proposal to move the medical school to Richmond, Virginia (Series I: Armistead Churchill Gordon: Gordon family correspondence Box: 6)
There is early correspondence of the Webster family in which Harry Webster wrote letters to his grandparents, Peter and Alice Blodgett describing his daily life in the service in World War II in Texas, Oklahoma, Hawaii, and Japan. (Series II William Webster: Box: 12).
The correspondence of William and Harry Webster includes letters from government officials such as Robert Ellison; William T. Golden; Robert Cutler; William Spraque; David E. Lilienthal,Chairman U. S. Atomic Energy Commission; James Forrestal, Secretary of Defense; J. E. Hull, Lieutenant General, Office of the Secretary of Defense; Art Davis, Rear Admiral United States Navy, Director, Joint Chiefs of Staff; George F. Kennan, The Counselor, Department of State; and Presidents Richard M. Nixon, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Harry S. Truman. J. Robert Oppenheimer is mentioned by name but no detailed information about him is included in the collection.
There are reports from the Research and Development Board of the United States Defense Department which was sometimes referred to as the "Gaither's Committee." There are secret reports regarding the Atomic Energy Commission and National Security Council (Series II: William Webster Box: 10)
There is also genealogical information about both the Gordon and Webster families, including a will for James Lindsay in 1782 in which he specified the sale of his slaves. (Series I: Armistead Churchill Gordon: Genealogy: Coleman) In the Webster family, there is genealogical information about William Webster's grandfather, Stevenson Archer Williams, a successful attorney in Bel Air, Maryland from 1851-1932. (Series II: William Webster: Box: 12)
There is also a court transcript of a lawsuit against William Webster in which his wife, Eleanore Blodgett Webster was the driver in a car accident that killed her and several individuals from another car. (Series II: William Webster: Box: 12)
There are miscellaneous news clippings about Theodore Roosevelt, American politics, and the CIA in Series IV Webster family (Harry and Ann) Box: 37.
The Webster family letters include letters from William Webster and his son, Harry Webster, as well as letters from other close family members such as William's brother Stevenson Williams Webster. The letters between William Webster and Harry Webster reveal only vague sketches of their work such as names of conferences, travel dates, court hearings, government officials, and colleagues, but they do allude to important people and events. There are letters from Ann Webster to Harry Webster referring to the danger in Santo Domingo in 1965.
The collection also includes information and correspondence with Harry and Ann Gordon Webster 's four children, William ("Barney") Webster, Elizabeth ("Liza") Webster, Armistead ("Oppit") Webster, and Margaret ("Maggie") Webster McManus and their children (Harry and Ann's grandchildren). There are also letters from various uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews of the Webster and Gordon families.
The collection is arranged into five series: Series I Armistead Gordon, Jr.; Series II William Webster; Series III Ann Gordon Webster; Series IV The Webster family (Ann and Harry Webster and their children); and, Series V Printed material from both families.The folders are arranged alphabetically by subject categories and the letters are arranged chronologically within each folder.
There is a typewritten biography of Jones and a news clipping. There is also a typewritten essay on Henrik Ibsen.
"Delhi Dominoes"
"The Fish that Got Away"
There are various unpublished hand written and typed manuscripts by A.C. Gordon, Sr.; A.C. Gordon, Jr.; and sisters Mary and Margaret Gordon.
There are various unpublished manuscripts.
There are various unpublished manuscripts.
There are various unpublished manuscripts
There is a story in typescript about poker.
There is a class roster and notes on modern British drama, English 104, an essay on Poe by [a student] and an essay about teaching and the use of textbooks.
James Waddell was Armistead Gordon's father-in-law
Earnest J. Oglesby congratulated Armistead on receiving the Cary Scholarship. Theodore P. Campbell wrote about a vacancy in the English Department at Virginia Tech paying twelve hundred dollars per year. There are also letters about renting the Gordon home. Some of the correspondents include H. A. Watt; Charles Gordon; Frances Courtenay Baylor; J. Leslie Hall; card signed by Nell Battle Lewis; Frank Dodd; Sallie Baylor Landrum; Rosewell Page; Captain A. G. Pape; Robert M. Hughes; George Fawcett; James P. C. Southall; J. William McCutchan; Charlie Doughtie; Patricia E. Best; Stan R. Durkee; G. Ray Thompson; Stevenson Williams Webster; Ruth Ford; Florence Leutz; Pleas Conquest; R. E. Higginbotham; Charlie Darling; John F. Latimer; Francis Coleman Rosenberger; Steve Webster, and Mrs. J. Austin (Mary Blackburn) Devine
There are letters from friends, students, and colleagues from the military and letters from Armistead Gordon regarding Ann's wedding. Correspondents include Mrs. J. Austin Devine; Reymond Cochrane; Letha and Claude Solterbeck; G. R. Thompson; Sherman L. Whipple; [W. P. C.;] Mrs. R. H. B. Wade; Jerry Burrows, Stan R. Durkee; Pam Morten; and Don Lewis
Armistead mentioned that John Hartwell Cocke was not adept at poetry or humor but was a "prolific scribe." He also wrote about local gossip and news of marriages such as, [Shepperson] and Philippa Bruce. There is a letter from John Cook Wyllie about being in the Signal corps and "secret weapon balderdash"
There is a thank you letter to Ann Gordon from James Southall Wilson signed "her godfather;" Southall wrote to Armistead about his teaching in the English Department at Louisiana State University; about Jack Hunter's reward for his work on Shakespeare; politics in the state of Louisiana and the state support for Eisenhower. Others mentioned are Nathan Coffe, Professor Kirby, Watson, and Joan Miller.
There is a letter from John Armstrong Chaloner in which he wrote that he wanted to increase his visits to the Gordon clan for supper but not to stay for long discussions afterwards. He was concerned that his "unusual" mental state not be exposed to anyone. He also mentioned his lawsuit being almost over so that he could focus on writing romances and reading his manuscripts to the Gordon's.
There is a 1953 letter from Cornelia to Mrs. Eleanore Webster ("Harry's mother) alluding to Ann's miscarriage of their second child, Susan Webster. She died before delivery.
There are sympathy letters and acknowledgements to Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr. regarding his father's death. There is a resolution made by the University of Virginia in honor of Gordon. Also included are letters from Harry Clemons; John B. Jenkins, Jr.; Mrs. Edwin Anderson Alderman; Dumas Malone; Meno Lovenstein; William Cabell Bruce; Susie M. E. Smith; William Draper Lewis; Pipe Wright; William P. Trent; George Gordon Battle; R. H. Dabney; Agnes Symmers; J. M. Bulloch; James W. Vander Voort; Tazewell Taylor, Jr.; John J. Meara; Temple Bodley; George H. Denny ; Alex Dumas; George Fawcett; Frank [ ] Washington and Lee; James P. C. Southall; [James K. Sylliers;] Hugh H. Young; and the Board of Supervisors for Augusta County. There are also letters about a portrait of Gordon for his courtroom.
Cousin Alberta J. Gillingham wrote to Mary Gordon asking for help in preventing(Alberta's) estate and gold mine from being sold for nothing during the depression (January 1932;) and a negative response from Mary is included. There is correspondence with Nell Battle Lewis and Mary Gordon; and various thank you letters and postcards from friends and family including Cornelia's sister, Margaret
Armistead Gordon wrote to various publishers and colleagues in an attempt to ask Virginia authors for permission to publish selections of their verse in his book. There is a letter from his father advising him on the legal aspect of copyright. Included are James Branch Cabell, Thomas Nelson Page, William Peterfield Trent (with original poems), Amelié Rives Troubetzkoy (attached is an original unpublished poem titled "To Death,") William Cabell Bruce, Phillip Alexander Bruce, Nancy Byrd Turner, Beverly D. Tucker, Virginia T. McCormick, C. Alphonso Smith; Evan R. Chesterman; E. G. Swem; James P. Nelson; Robert M. Hughes; Lyon G. Tyler; Mary Page Bird; J. L. Hall; Rosewell Page; William [Counscon;] Frank P. Brent; Katharine Pearson Woods; Kate Langley Bosher; George Wayne Anderson; [Clonway] Baker; A. L. McWhelan; Mary Johnston; Fairfax Harrison; R. A. McCabe; Benjamin Sled; Edward V. Valentine; C. M. Newman; James Thomley Clarke; R. T. W. Duke, Jr.; Henry T. Touthan; John S. Patton; C. W. Coleman; Thomas Lomax Hunter; G. T. Snead; Ellen Seawell; Josephine Johnson; John Ruffin; G. W. Moreland, Henry Holt; and various publishers.
Most of the correspondence is between his editorial supervisor, James B. Kenyon for James T. White & Co. and Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr. There are also letters from Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. advising Armistead on the publication and contract. Other correspondents include William Peterfield Trent; Thomas Nelson Page and his introduction for the book; Raymond P. Barnes; Jim Stephens; Thomas Lomax Hunter; William Cabell Bruce; M. Page Bird; and Landon C. Bell (and several typewritten poems) Also included are miscellaneous poems by James Alston Cabell.
Gordon wrote about his reviews, and future writing projects. Correspondents include William Cabell Bruce; Clifford Smyth, Literary Digest International Book Review ; W. C. Stouffer, The Roanoke Times ; George Herbert Clarke; Ellen Seawell; Alexander Wilbourne Weddell ; John Lloyd Newcomb, Virginia E. Savidge, (about writing a biography of John Hartwell Cocke;) He also gave advice to Miss Pearl Gayton on her sketch of Robert E. Lee. He also corresponded with Clarence R. Stone, Southern Life and Literature series; Nash Burger regarding reviews for the New York Times Book Review ; Charles A. Ford, John C. Winston Company regarding authorship of textbooks for Virginia School Children; Atcheson Hench and Roy Land (about withdrawing an introduction for James Southall Wilson's book). Included with correspondence, is a manuscript "In Honor of James Southall Wilson" by Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr.
There is correspondence between Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr. and Duke University Press concerning the publication of his father's manuscript on George Mason. After Duke Press asked Gordon, Jr, to correct four volumes of the manuscript, and Gordon complied, the Duke Press claimed that they did not have the funds to publish it due to the depression.
There are rejection notices from McClure's Magazine , Charles Scribner's Sons ; F. Graham Cootes; Harper & Brothers ; and The Dial
Included is a letter from Henry W. Holt to Mary Gordon thanking her for her note when he was sick. There is also a letter from Armistead Gordon Jr. to William "Bill" Tuck pleading against the appointment of Wiliam S. Hildreth for the Board of Visitors vacancy.
There are letters from Armistead Gordon, Sr. to hi wife, Maria, and their children. Also included are letters from his brother, Uncle James Lindsay Gordon, to the the children. John Armstrong Chaloner is mentioned throughout the family correspondence from 1912 to 1923.
Armistead Gordon, Jr. wrote to his family about life at William and Mary College.
There are more letters from Armistead Gordon, Jr. about college life.
James Gordon wrote to his family about life at the University of Virginia. References are made to Ada Bantz Beardsworth, Dr. Edwin Anderson Alderman's return from Europe, and enthusiasm for the Yale football game.
There are letters from Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. to his wife Maria, and letters from their children, Margaret, James, Armistead, and George. There are references to Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr.'s literary piece, "Baytop" ("Ommirandy") which was published in Scribner's Magazine in May, 1915.
There are descriptions of various professors such as C. Alphonso Smith in which James Gordon wrote, "[Smith's ]line of drool is getting so familiar as to be gummy;" and he wrote that Chuckie Kent "jumps up and down like a pea on a hot shovel"(January 11, 1915).
Armistead and James mentioned their fraternities and classes at William and Mary and the University of Virginia.
Armistead Gordon's mother mentioned hearing John Powell play his music (while she was visiting Colonel Gordon McCabe in Richmond, October 15, 1915) She also wrote that Colonel McCabe was happy about a cotton business deal with England; James had a story published called "The Princess, the Tower, and the Councilors' Beards" with illustrations by Mary Gordon; John Armstrong Chaloner wrote about visiting the Gordons (October 22, 1915).
Armistead mentioned playing football for William and Mary and discussed his courses and asked about family visits with John Armstrong Chaloner. James and Armistead mentioned reading their father's poem and thought it very good.
Armistead wrote to Mary about John Armstrong Chaloner and mentioned Mary's illustrations for Corks and Curls . He also wrote about campaigns to raise money for Robert Gooch to drive ambulances in France; and sending "Wild Bill Brockman" from Madison Hall to China. James wrote that DuPont was planning to build a plant in Williamsburg. Also mentioned is the "grippe" and that George was sick.
There are letters from Margaret Gordon to her family while she and her mother visited their cousins at Natural Bridge. James worked at the Valley Tire and Lumber branch and Gordon was working for the Virginian Power Company in Cabin Creek, West Virginia during the summer. Correspondence shows that Gordon received a Cary Isaac scholarship for his next session of school. James was working for the tie company in Washington D. C. and mentioned various topics such as “suffragettes,” and Union strikes. Margaret wrote about their father visiting the McCabes and the estimated height required to be drafted for the war. Mary wrote Armistead teasing him about girls and sleeping late and George wrote about his life at home as a “worm” and all the trouble everyone gave him about his chores.
James wrote about his automobile, working in Washington D. C., and Norfolk, prohibition, and the official instructions for the draft (which required a weight between 166 and 214 pounds for a height of six foot three and that would make him too light-to the delight of his family). Armistead received a raise as a dispatcher, and was selecting a roommate for George at William and Mary for the following year. Other topics mentioned are their father’s work to be published, “Omirandy Stories,” and the infantile paralysis (polio) quarantine.
Mentioned is a conversation between Armistead Gordon, Sr. and Philip Bruce about the “degeneracy of the students at the University in the last decade.” Also included is Armistead’s brother, George Gordon’s witty commentary on not needing a degree and his dislike for the Germans. George also wrote that their sister, Margaret was suffering from nervous spells again. Armistead wrote that the University of Virginia students were upset that the library was not open in the evenings and that “Tony” [Alderman] refused to open it. Armistead wondered if his father or the Board of Directors had heard about it.
Topics include George being annoyed by his roommate, shortages of sugar, the draft, drill marches, uniforms, and Professor Leonidas Whipple. James moved to Lexington North Carolina as part of his job with the Valley Tie and Lumber Company and liked it very much. Armistead was staying at Stonefield, enjoyed the quiet home like atmosphere and mentioned a loan from Mr. Carruthers. Armistead Sr. warned that the country was going to be facing hard economic times.
James was paying for Armistead to attend classes at UVA (for graduate school). Armistead’s mother mentioned her husband’s work on “An Account of Jefferson Davis’s Life.” She also mentioned John Chaloner’s trip to New York. George and James wrote about the impact that the war was having on William and Mary and the University of Virginia. On March 13, 1918, Armistead’s sister, Margaret, who had been admitted to Western State Hospital and was recovering from her “nervous collapses” wrote to their father, “that, if you take me home, I won’t run away any more,-never, never, never! Woman’s place is home, and I was a vain foolish girl not to realize it.”
May 17, 1919 Armistead's father wrote (to his wife) that Mary visited
Margaret at Western State Hospital. James was stationed at St.
Helena Training Station, Norfolk and to the cargo ship, U.S.S.
Rynland (name changed to Rijnland). Armistead got a job in Norfolk
at the Naval Base and was later assigned to the 36
Armistead mentioned that his unit was quarantined due to the Spanish flu; his brother George died, (ill- September 23, death mentioned (tetanus?) on November 7) Armistead was transferred from the hospital detail in the Casual Detachment Department to the Gas and Flame division in the Chemical War Service Department where he worked at the felt plant in Boston, Massachusetts. James was in France with the U. S. S. Rynland (November 12)
January 19, 1919 Armistead was discharged from the war, visited his family in Staunton for a few weeks and was attending classes at the University of Virginia and James resumed his job in Lexington, N.C.
Armistead's mother wrote that Mary had a children's book published ("The Chrystal Ball;") She also mentioned that Armistead Gordon, Sr. sold "Dagger of D'Aubrey" to the Country Gentlemen. Armistead (Sr.) went with George Michie to see the George Rogers Clark Statue, and John Armstrong Chaloner described a play he had written on being in an asylum.
Letters mention a lack of coal, that many people had the flu, that ACG, Sr. was elected President of the Virginia State Bar Association, and the death of Captain Gordon McCabe.
Armistead wrote that Dr. Bruce was working on his centennial history of the University of Virginia, and James marriage to Adelaide Hargrave took place on November 10th (Newspaper clipping of the wedding included.)
Armistead gave chapters of his dissertation, “Virginian Writers of Fugitive Poetry” to his father to read and his father wrote him back with praise and suggestions. Armistead Sr. wrote letters to his wife, “Ria” while she was vacationing at Atlantic City. He mentioned that there were mostly Jews there and the “Hebrew children have taken possession there as everywhere else on this country.”
Armistead’s mother vacationed at Atlantic City. Armistead received his Ph.D. and was sending his manuscript (dissertation) to publishers. He was courting Cornelia Waddell. James described poor financial conditions of the banks, schools and farming in Lexington, N. C.
Armistead wrote that the fate of the UVA medical school was in the hands of the Senate since the House was trying to pass a bill to have it moved to Richmond. Armistead married Cornelia Waddell (wedding invitation included). Tom Page wrote an introduction for Armistead’s dissertation. Armistead was working on biographical sketches of Robert Eden Scot, John Daly Brock, and William Henry Brodmax. Armistead was made Associate Professor and was paid eighteen hundred dollars per year. Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. was working on the life of Gordon McCabe. Attached to a letter are news clippings about Gordon family genealogy for Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr.
James T. White & Co. published Armistead’s dissertation, “Virginian Writers of Fugitive Poetry.” There is a newspaper clipping about John Armstrong Chaloner from James Gordon. Armistead wrote about the differences in teaching women students, and the publication of his volume. Their mother went on a vacation in Atlantic City.
James wrote that his wife, Adelaide, had bobbed her hair “along with the rest of the flappers.” Armistead and his father wrote about the reviews of his recently published dissertation, including a thank you letter to Dr. Woodberry.
Armistead described his attitude toward some students when he wrote, "…arguing myself blue in the face with a few of the Northern gentry (mostly of the tribe of Israel)" who he described as being too ambitious for their own good. Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. finished his book on William Gordon McCabe. There are also letters about the death of Cornelia's father, James Nelson Waddell and an obituary.
Armistead was busy with his classes, biographical essays, reviews, and his textbook of essays. Armistead’s father advised him to not be critical in his book reviews because it would make him have enemies.
Armistead was working with Dr. Metcalf on the “Library of Southern Literature.” Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. had “Gordon McCabe” published. He also mentioned his work on “Allegra.”Armistead wrote to his father about Dumas Malone’s negative review of “Gordon McCabe” and mentioned that Dr. James Southall Wilson should have let Dr. Bruce write the review instead of Malone. Also mentioned are Reddy Echols, and Ivey Lewis. Armistead wrote his mother that he got a raise in salary to twenty five hundred dollars per year. Armistead’s father mentioned a ceremony at Monticello honoring [Claude G.] Bowers with the Jefferson medal and remarked that Dr. Philip Bruce’s “History of the University” was more deserving of the award. Armistead’s father complained that the University of Virginia was not committed to the needs of the library. James Gordon bought out the Valley Tie & Lumber Company in Lexington, North Carolina.
Armistead and his father corresponded about biographical sketches, and books that they were reading. Armistead’s mother visited James and her grandchildren in Lexington N.C.
Armistead and Cornelia sailed to France and England on the S.S. Olympic of the White Star Line and wrote about their travels.
Armistead wrote that he was very busy with teaching at UVA and extension courses in Richmond, and that it took from twelve to fourteen hours a day to prepare for lectures. He continued to send his biographical sketches to his father for suggestions. Ann Gordon was born in May. Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. was working on a biography of George Mason. The health of Dr. Philip Bruce was mentioned, as was a visit from Mr. and Mrs. James Alston Cabell, and the suicide of Bruce Williams.
Armistead received sympathy from Dr. Paul and Anna Barringer, Dr. Metcalf, Ivey Lewis, Albert Balz and many others regarding his mother’s death. (March 11, 1930) Armistead mentioned John Cook Wyllie and his research of the Staunton River and how Staunton got its name from William Byrd. Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. finished his book on the Shenandoah Valley and was starting “The Red Hills of Piedmont.” Armistead wrote that Nell Lewis had been very ill but had improved. Gordon, Sr. wrote about the rumors that Fred Scott was named Rector of the University because he was giving the money for the athletic field. He also mentioned Edwin Anderson Alderman, Founders Day and needing money for the library. There were student riots against the prices of the movie theaters. Mrs Paul Goodloe McIntire told Armistead that they made three thousand dollars on the Garden Club of Virginia’s book on historic Virginia gardens. Also included is a description of Dr. Barringer; comments about the Hoover economy and a news clipping about the library receiving money for Virginian materials.
Armistead wrote that he had been given the assignment to write a biography of the Reverend John William Jones. He also mentioned meeting Fred Scott and wrote criticisms of Scott for donating to athletics instead of the library. He also described his theory that Jefferson substituted tobacco leaves for classical acanthus on the capitals of the columns of the Rotunda but it turned out to be untrue. (Also mentioned are the Board Meeting Minutes of the University of Virginia on the restoration of the Rotunda June 18, 1902) Another research project that he discussed was whether it was Jack Jouett Sr. or Jr. that warned Jefferson that the British were coming. He also wrote to his father that Dean “Billy” Thornton was having his leg amputated. James wrote about his businesses closing down due to the depression (November 24, 1930) and Armistead mentioned that people were knocking on his door and begging for food.
Armistead’s father wrote that Dr. Joseph DeJarnette at Western State diagnosed Armistead’s sister, Margaret with tuberculosis. It was mentioned that Scott stadium was not properly braced and a section of it had sunk before it had even been used. Armistead’s father passed away (October?) several months after Edwin Anderson Alderman (April). (Classes were suspended for Alderman’s funeral) Correspondence from the death of Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. can be found in Series I Armistead Churchill Gordon, General Correspondence Box: 2 Folder: 7. James wrote that he was thankful for his new job as an accountant for the City. He also wrote about hard times and that his salary was going to pay overdue grocery bills.
Armistead and James wrote to their sister Mary about visiting her, installing a telephone for her, buying property in Charlottesville, selling their father’s books and updates on their daily lives.
James wrote that the only bank in Lexington, North Carolina “had closed up.” Armistead was working on a biography of John Hartwell Cocke. He (Armistead) mentioned that Phillippa Bruce was to marry Arch Shepperson. James and Armistead wrote about prohibition and alcohol tax in North Carolina.
James mentioned infantile paralysis; and the cotton mill strike hurting business in Lexington. There are also cases of infantile paralysis in Charlottesville and Armistead wrote that there was so much concern some parents were taking their children out of the area. He also mentioned taking trips with Fiske Kimball to Bremo (home of General Cocke as Armistead was working on a manuscript about Cocke. There is a newspaper clipping of an obituary for Nannie Jacquelin Minor (1874-1934) daughter of John B. Minor. Included are letters from Ann Gordon.
Armistead and Cornelia took a trip to Charleston, South Carolina and Lexington, North Carolina. James was working as the City Manager. Included in the correspondence are letters from Ann Gordon, her cousins, ("Gordie" and "Bill") and (Aunt) Mary Gordon
There is a letter from Armistead to Mary and Scribners Magazine about permission to use part of his father's story for teaching purposes, and Armistead mentioned the death of his friend, John Luck.
Armistead and James wrote to Mary about their busy lives. Armistead and Cornelia were taking Ann to the World's Fair in New York.
There are letters from James and his wife Adelaide about the family and their health including a description of their daughters, Mary Gordon ("Gordie") and Adelaide Gordon, "Bill." In 1951 James wrote his sister, Mary that he took out a loan so that he could pay off her mortgage for her.
Cornelia wrote to Armistead while he was stationed in Washington, D. C. during the war and at Cambridge, Massachusetts where he was training.
James wrote to Armistead and Cornelia about his new veneer business, and that he hoped to be able to attend Ann Gordon's wedding
There are reviews about Armistead's book from the Literary Digest , Virginia Historical Magazine , UVA Alumni News , Alumni Bulletin (Philip Alexander Bruce,) Virginia Law Register , Philadelphia Public Ledger , and the Boston Evening Transcript
There is a legal agreement designating trust funds for Ann Gordon and a lease agreement for a tenant at 1616 Jefferson Park Avenue
There is a trust fund settlement of Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr., and a deed of trust for the Gordon house on Beverly Street in Staunton
There are real estate and insurance papers pertaining to rental properties
There is a copy of a will for James Lindsay from 1782 that leaves instructions about the sale of his slaves; a Coleman Farming Record; and correspondence from 1894 about the Coleman and Lindsay side of the family
There are miscellaneous postcards to the members of the Daniel's family about their health.
Included is a letter from George Gordon Battle, Sr. describing his relationship as first cousin to Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. and the closeness of their families. There are also photographs of tombstones for the Fitzhugh Gordons and letters requesting copies of Gordon books on genealogical information. Also included are [unknown] family letters from 1893
Included are stamp collections, invitations, typed poetry, an address book, and photographs of Senator Thomas S. Martin, and W. B. McHugh. There is a printed application for Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. as a candidate for the position of court reporter (1881).
There are blueprints for the Gordon family home (for alterations to the house) in Staunton
There are miscellaneous news clippings about Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. and a description of Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr. as a great educator, and an engagement announcement for Ann Gordon. There are also numerous clippings about a variety of subjects that interested or amused the Gordons, including cartoons, and recipes.
There is a miscellaneous article about the death of Colonel William Gibbs Kable (1872-1920,) the head of Staunton Military Academy, and son of its founder, Captain William Hartman Kable (1837-1912)
There is a University of Virginia completion of courses certificate for James Lindsay Gordon; and College of William and Mary report cards for George Loyall Gordon, Jr.
There are certificates including the Certificate of Satisfactory Service; Certificate of appointment as Lieutenant Commander; dog tags; letters of commendation from the Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal; original orders; Officer's Qualification Record Jacket; and a letter from Gordon to the National Inventors Council in which he suggested the combining of incendiary bomb with explosive bomb as a weapon of offensive-defense. There are also photographs
There are travel reimbursement forms and miscellaneous information on uniforms, payroll, and training
Included is a resolution to honor Edwin Anderson Alderman at his passing; minutes from 1933 regarding the Board of Visitors failure to appoint a new president; a letter from the faculty recommending John Lloyd Newcomb as president to the Rector and Board of Visitors; included are handwritten notes about general faculty procedures and a list of teachers, or "officers of instruction"
Included are documents and correspondence from the Gas Defense Division, Chemical Warfare Service of the War department. There are notices to appear for physical examination; promotion letter; honorable discharge; and a letter from President John Lloyd Newcomb granting Gordon a leave of absence from his professorial duties to take his commission as a lieutenant in the United States Naval Reserve.
There are photographs of Armistead, Cornelia, James, Margaret, Mary, Ann Gordon (including her wedding,) and many relatives and friends. There is also a photograph of the Aviator statue after it was first placed in front of the library.
Included are Margaret Douglas Gordon, Mary Daniels Gordon, Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr., and Maria Breckinridge Catlett Gordon
Included are pen pals from France, Armistead and Cornelia, Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr., John Gordon [1885;] John A. [Lynney;] Lyon Gardiner Tyler; two portraits of Reuben Lindsay by St. Menin,
One where he is a young man with [colleagues] and another in which he is seated on the lawn with nine men (Board of Visitors?)
[Armistead and Cornelia in Europe and pictures of Ann at age2?]
There is a document titled, "Reasons for Supporting a Minimum Shelter Program of Protection from Fallout" marked "secret" in pencil with notes by William Webster. There are also memos from the General Advisory Committee about the role of the AEC.
There is a letter (and negative) from President Richard M. Nixon to William Webster congratulating him on winning the John Fritz Medal Board of Award. (Original is in vault) There are press releases, a banquet program, and numerous congratulations as well as thank you letters from Webster. He was also named outstanding engineer in 1964 from the Engineering Societies of New England, Inc. There is a resolution of the Yankee Atomic Electric Company recorded with profound sorrow the death of William Webster; an Atomic Energy Commission Citation; and excerpts and poems about William Webster.
Bailey Island is located in Weld, Maine and was bought by William Webster as an investment and a shared a vacation spot with the Fletcher family. Included is a deed for parcel of land on Bailey Island to Abbott and Eileen Fletcher for one dollar; deed to Avery M. Fides; and letters from Abbott and Eileen Fletcher and the Webster's. There is also an article about Yankee Power Company by Abbott Fletcher, and Weld maps and newsletters.
With the help of his brother, Steve Webster, William Webster purchased Cool Branch Farm with Steve Close;(who paid a much smaller percentage) Included are descriptions of the costs of farm contents; map and photographs of the farm; and letters between William Webster and Steve and Beverly Close.
Description of cows and heifers with detailed alphabetical names, and costs; lists of receipts and income.
Income tax returns for the farm
Article about William Webster being elected Chairman of the Board in 1967; correspondence from Rodney T. Clarke outlining travel arrangements for William Webster
Booklet of names of [government] employees or potential employees and notes [by William Webster] about their individual strengths related to employment in various government positions.
National security report marked secret security document written by CIA representatives and chemical and electric company executives appointed by the President of the United States, to study National Security. Included are the minutes from meetings and a draft of a report by William Webster; a list of names for the Army Scientific Advisory Panel (September 10, 1956;) a presentation by the Security Resources Panel to the National Security Council Program marked "secret" (November 7, 1957) a thank you letter to William Webster from Robert Cutler on behalf of the President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower; and a press release telegram. Other correspondents include William L. White, Stanford Research Institute; Horace Rowan Gaither, Jr.; Gordon Gray, Office of Defense Mobilization; Robert Sprague; and William C. Foster, Office of Defense Mobilization; and [James Phinney Baxter,] President of Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts. There is a list of Gaither Associates; and an Army Scientific Advisory Panel printed booklet.
There is a report titled, "The Market for the Domestic Use of Electricity" which is a survey of the market situation with recommendations for the executives and company managers.
There is an article from the Rand Corporation newsletter, The Random News, about William Webster being elected to replace Horace Rowan Gaither as Chairman of Rand; a list of Rand trustees with biographies; and a list of attendants for 1967 and 1968 meetings.
There are notes by William Webster and correspondence (some marked secret) and reports related to his work with the Military Liaison Committee and as Director of the Research and Development Board of the Defense Department. Included are Webster's personal goals for his role in the group; a certificate of participation; reports written by Webster; and many thank you letters to Webster. Correspondents include David E. Lilienthal, Chairman U. S. Atomic Energy Commission; James Forrestal, Secretary of Defense; J. E. Hull, Lieutenant General, Office of the Secretary of Defense; Art Davis, Rear Admiral United States Navy, Director, Joint Chiefs of Staff; George F. Kennan, The Counselor, Department of State; George T. Felbeck, Vice President, Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Corporation; [Joe,] The Chief of Staff, U. S. Army; and William T. Golden. There is a letter from Louis Johnson offering Webster the chairmanship on behalf of President Truman telling him that they would not take no for an answer.
Paper by William Webster on "Planning and Financing a Nuclear Plant"
There are letters and information about donations from William Webster, including a scholarship for the boys at Saint James School, and contributions to the memory of Horace Rowan Gaither, Jr. at Harvard Medical School.
Programs from the ceremony to start building a chapel in memory of Eleanore Blodgett Webster and letters about Webster donating up to ninety thousand dollars for the chapel.
There are letters from Stevenson Williams Webster about William Webster donating funds for two stained glass windows in the Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Bel Air, Maryland. There is also a letter from Lewis F. Cole, Jr. about William Webster's funeral service.
Mostly there are family letters of Eleanore and William Webster, his brother Stevenson Williams Webster ("Steve") and their parents and grandparents. Eleanore and William wrote to Eleanor's parents, Edward ["Peter'] and Alice Blodgett describing the birth of their son, Richard Henry ("Harry") Webster. Steve Webster wrote about the financial struggles of their mother and sister in 1933. There are also letters from William Webster's son, Harry Webster to the Blodgetts (his maternal grandparents) about his service in World War II in Texas, Oklahoma, Hawaii, and Japan from 1943 to 1946. There is a letter from William Webster's father about having to sell his store and the difficulties of finding a job. (1932) [Poem by Eleanor Blodgett Webster in 1908?]
There are letters from Eleanore describing her trip to the west coast. There are letters from Elanore's parents, Peter and Alice Blodgett to Harry, his wife Ann Gordon Webster and their new son, William "Barney" Webster. According to an enclosed itinerary, William Webster was scheduled to meet Colonel Fred Clarke, Colonel E. B. Kelly, Lieutenant Colonel S. L. Stewart, and Colonel Arthur H. Frye, Jr. in California, and Washington State about work on national security and atomic energy. In his notes, he mentioned that J. Robert Oppenheimer was away from Berkeley until May. (1947)
There is correspondence between William Webster and his secretary (and second wife,) Vollie Sanderson about his itineraries, business meetings, stock prices, and settlements of business and family affairs. There is a letter from Paul B. Metcalf who wrote about being stationed in London with the blackouts, and mentioned his sympathy for the British, and the high wages received by the American Army as compared to the British (1944). There is a letter about William T. Golden in which Golden suggested that Webster look into Delhi-Taylor Oil controlled by the Murchison's who wanted to liquidate it in 1963. Some correspondents include John A. Lynney; Lewis L. Strauss; Donald F. Chamberlain; Alva B. Morgan; and Steven W. Close.
Lydia and Ivor Rees (pen pals from South Wales, Britain) corresponded with Mrs. Webster about rations, the high prices and scarcity of goods in Britain, updates on her husband and daughters, and appreciation to Mr. and Mrs. Webster for the parcels of food that Eleanore continually sent them.
There are more letters from Lydia and Ivor Rees thanking them for food and clothes and comparing news about their grandchildren.
Congratulation letters on Vollie's engagement and marriage to William Webster.
First cousin of Harry Webster (niece of William Webster and daughter of his sister, Ariel Webster Harlan) wrote to Harry and Ann and Aunt Eleanore and Uncle Bill Webster about her activities in school and later about her own family.
Webster family member
Anna Stump Webster Wolff ("Nan") was one the two sisters of William Webster and Stevenson W. Webster. Included are two letters from Nan to Vollie Sanderson Webster; an article about Nan, and her family attending an event at the White House with President Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson to honor her husband, Miles for becoming President of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and his colleagues. There is an obituary marking the death of Nan, dated March 4, 1974.
There is a handwritten note from President Eisenhower to William Webster sending love to Harry's son, "Barney, and a letter from President Richard M. Nixon to William Webster (See Awards Box: 11 Folder: 2). Originals are in vault.
Some correspondents include Bob Brandt; Patricia McGrath Nash; Ogden E. Sawyer; Don Allen; Harold and Mary Morris; Sydney Baltzer Dodds; Edward Morehouse; Herbert Scoville; Manson Benedict; Julius Adams Stratton; Carroll L. Wilson; Richard Helms, Director of Central Intelligence who wrote "Bill gave this Agency a great deal of his talent and time over many years;" John O. Pastore; Raymond A. Gibson; Harry W. Wilcott; Sybil Shugg; Robert and Florence Spraque; James R. Schlesinger, Atomic Energy Commission; James T. Ramey; L. Ralston Thomas; Dudley W. Orr; George and Margaret Stoddard; Vince A. Fulmer, Vice President of Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Omond M. Solandt; Jerry Tape; Norman F. Ramsey; Robert L. Wells; Paul M. Fye; Edwin L. Goldwasser; James A. Perkins; Howard Vesper; J. R. Goldstein, Rand Corporation; Clyde Williams; Roger E. Batzel; Mrs. J. R. Killian; S. J. Buchsbaum; Duane C. Sewell; Avis K. Bellows; Stephen P. Jeffries; Andrew Onderdonk; Caroline Covent; Mrs. Sherman R. Knapp; Claiborne Pell, United States Senate; Jack E. Corette; Edward A. Mason; John H. Kane; Albert A. Cree; Thomas C. Desmond; Herman Kahn; Robert E. Quinn, United States Court of Military Appeals; Hallie Begg; Elsie Hoffman; Florence Mancuso; Cieb and Irwin L. Moore; Mrs. Leeds Armstrong Wheller; Kay Moore; Robert F. Bacher; Mrs. D. E. Mosely; Tina Anderson; Louisa Fletcher; Esther Von; Greta Brandt; Laura Lejeune; Mildred Sugden; Don Vandenburgh; Albert and Nancy Wheelon; Mrs. Alton Wilson Barstow; Charles Allen Thomas; W. H. Prentice, General Electric; Bill Bell; Helen and Ed Russo; Rosemary Tomei; Lillian Pulling; Martin A. O'Malley; Mrs. henry Gerald Carroll; Walter and Edna LoShots; Kay Foley; Ruth Robbins Green; Mrs. C. Joseph Gooch; Anne and Mac Hall; W. M. Hall; Jane Hall; Jacqueline O'Reilly; David A. Shepard; Herbert M. Johnson; Richard Wilson; Pat and Jim Sterner; Doris and Howard Cole; William T. Brightman, Jr.; Marge McGuiness; and Roger J. Coe, Vice President of Yankee Atomic Electric Company
Included are obituaries and resolutions commending the life of William Webster.
William Webster's wife, Eleanore was killed instantly while driving their automobile in North Carolina. There are news clippings about the fatal accident and letters from attorneys about lawsuits against the Webster estate by the families, Doyle and Bellflower who also lost family members in the accident. There are also medical reports; notes made by William Webster and his diagrams of the accident.
There is a will; requests for funeral arrangements; a biography of Stevenson Williams Webster by Harry Webster; and an application to the Massachusetts Society of Colonial Wars. There is also information to his beneficiaries about many stocks that he owned, such as Duke Power Company, New England Electric Systems, Rockwell International Corporation, Bell Atlantic; and various contributions and pledges.
There is an income tax return for 1942 and itemized list of the costs of William Webster's possessions after his death in 1972. There are also notes by William Webster and insurance and travel forms. According to the tax return, William Webster was making almost eighteen thousand dollars per year in 1942.
There is a letter from Stevenson Archer Williams, (1851-1932) a famous Maryland judge and attorney and William Webster's grandfather. He wrote to William Webster about his relations with the Squibb family. There are biographical notes on the judge's life; an invitation for a testimonial dinner in honor of his eightieth birthday; correspondence about his portrait for the court house; and a typed autograph file of letters by his Princeton classmates. (1870) There are also photocopies of news clippings about the testimonial dinner; death notices, and other news clippings including an obituary of Edwin H. Webster and articles about Bel Air, Maryland.
Stevenson Archer Williams was a descendant of the well known Judge Stevenson Archer Williams mentioned above (1851-1932). He was the son of Lewis J. Williams and was killed when flying over the Gulf of Mexico during World War II. There is a telegram, a letter from William Webster's mother, and news clippings about the crash.
There are notes on the constellations; a list of favorite expressions; and travel brochures.
There is printed information on "The Cruiser;" merit roll for a class of 1920; Directory of the Members of the Association of the Class of 1921; Petty Officer's Appointment; tax form for 1925; reporting orders; list of members of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers; requests for leave of absences; and his resignation letter.
Included with news clippings about William Webster and atomic power is an article about Robert Oppenheimer.
There are intelligence and personality tests taken by William Webster.
There are photographs of William Webster and his colleagues; an Archie Alexander photograph signed for William Webster. There are unidentified photographs of men in business, government and the Navy.
There are resumes and biographical information about William Webster including a report about him by his great granddaughter, Sarah Nemiah Ladd
There are handwritten notes by William Webster outlining his retirement plans.
There is a Commencement address by William Webster to Bryant College.
Steve Websters' Thesis from the University of Virginia, "The American Scene in the Novels of Edith Wharton"
There is correspondence between NARA and Mr. and Mrs. Webster about the placement of his papers.
Ann and her parents corresponded while she was away for the summers at Camp Allegheny in Greenbrier County, West Virginia (1938-1939) and Camp Cherrilomac, in Cowart Northumberland County, Virginia (1940). Included are letters from Aunt Mary, (Mary Daniels Gordon, sister of Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr.) her grandmother Mrs. J. N. Waddell, her best friend, Margaret ("Peggy," "Piglet") R. MacLeod, and a tent counselor report for Ann.
Ann and her parents corresponded while Ann was boarding at St. Anne's Belfield School and her parents were in Washington D. C. during the war. Armistead was a Lieutenant Commander in Army Intelligence and his wife Cornelia worked as an air drill warden and housemother for Waves.
Also included are letters from her Aunt Mary (Mary Daniels Gordon, sister of Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr.).
Ann Gordon and her parents corresponded while Ann was at St. Anne's Belfield School and her parents were in Washington D. C. during the war.
Included are letters from Aunt Mary (Mary Daniels Gordon) who had moved to Ridgeway Farm in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Ann's last year at St. Anne's and her parents were preparing to move back to Charlottesville.
Ann and her parents corresponded while she was at Wellesley College. Armistead mentioned Rufus Jones and praised his sermons.
Armistead mentioned that the University Faculty petitioned the Board of Visitors for salary increases to meet the cost of living. He also commented that President Colgate Darden was likely to curtail the fraternity parties.
Included are news clippings from Cornelia Gordon (Ann's mother).
Also included is correspondence between Cornelia and Armistead while he was in Washington, D.C.
Ann Gordon married Richard Henry Webster ("Harry," "R. H.," "Tig") on
September 9
There are no letters from Ann's father in this time period,although there are comments from him in her mother's letters. Her father did write his own letters to Ann and they are currently in the possession of Ann Gordon's daughter. There is a news clippings about the death of football player Gene Edmunds.
Cornelia's letters to Ann from 1950 to 1969 describe UVA faculty members and her daily life along with advice for Ann on every subject. She often enclosed news clippings of local events and advertisements of women's and men's fashions and household needs of the day. Cornelia mentioned the Korean War and wanted Harry to apply for officers training so that he would not get drafted. She also mentioned that Al Balz and Buzzie Chamberlain had been called up and she hoped that Armistead would not be called for Navy reserve. Cornelia also wrote that they were very upset that Frank Geldard had a heart attack.
Cornelia wrote that Ed Chamberlain had a bad heart and was not well. There are news clippings about Dr. Philip Hench, brother of Atcheson Hench, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine and Atcheson Hench receiving an honorary degree at Lafayette College.
Armistead was writing the preface to a memorial volume for James Southall Wilson's retirement and he made a note to Ann that it was "the hardest thing I've ever tried to write." He also mentioned a dinner at Keswick for James Southall Wilson and that Clifton Waller Barrett spoke at the McGregor room. Ann and Harry had their first child, a son, William Webster III ("Barney").
Cornelia wrote that James Kindred had a heart attack. She also wrote about her concerns regarding the Korean War; and mentioned that Armistead had aged. Ann and Harry were preparing to go to Madrid, Spain.
Cornelia wrote about a variety of current topics such as Joseph McCarthy; the Supreme Court decision to end segregation; eleven students were expelled by President Darden; Walt Harding was not being kept on at UVA; James Southall Wilson was to teach at Hollins; and new evidence for how harmful it was to smoke. Cornelia took a job at Monticello as a tour guide; and Ann was pregnant with Liza. Armistead died in 1953 (but the circumstances were not mentioned, probably heart attack) she wrote about not having any purpose in life without him and that Atcheson and Virginia Hench were her best friends.
Cornelia wrote about Nell Lewis and that her brother, Dr. Ivey Lewis was considered by the faculty to be a "nit wit." There is also an editorial by Nancy Hale Bowers(March 9, 1955) about desegregation and Nell Lewis. Cornelia wrote about a new broadcast (and LP) by Reuben Ship that was a satire on Joseph McCarthy and was very popular in the United States and Britain. Cornelia mentioned Phil Williams' suicide, and that Archie Hill was leaving to teach in Texas.
Cornelia mentioned the deaths of Jerry Ann Kean, and Lillian Dabney (Mrs. Archie Dabney).
Cornelia took in students and wrote a colorful description of her student boarder. She also wrote that the Geldards were going to England for work with the Navy. There is a letter from Harry Clemons praising the Gordon family (starting with General William Fitzhugh Gordon to George Loyall Gordon, to Rector Armistead Churchill Gordon, Sr. to Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr.) for their contributions to the University of Virginia. The UVA Library purchased a collection of rare books in honor of the memory of Armistead Churchill Gordon, Jr. and Cornelia sent the letter to Ann. Harry and Ann had their third child, Armistead Webster "Oppit."
Ann and Harry had a fourth child, Maggie (1959). There is a news clipping about an eclipse; their next tour in Rhodesia, South Africa; and news clippings about Africa.
Cornelia travelled to New Orleans and Mexico. Armistead's brother, James Gordon was very ill with a brain tumor and had an operation. Nannie Saunders died,and Frank Geldard had surgery for prostrate trouble. Cornelia included news clippings about Africa in many of her letters during this period.
The Webster family returned to Washington D. C. William (Barney) Webster attended Groton. Cornelia retired from working at Monticello. Cornelia wrote that the portrait of James Southall Wilson was "dreadful." She also mentioned the retirements of James Kindred and Carl Speidel; and the divorce of Laura Speed Elliot and Bill Brown, a school friend of Ann's. There is a news clipping about the death of UVA librarian, Louise Savage.
Cornelia travelled to Florida. She wrote about her long friendship with James Southall Wilson which went back to when Armistead was a student at William and Mary and Wilson was a teacher there. She also included more news clippings about Africa.
Cornelia wrote that Mrs. Bessie Walker died (in the Seven Society). There are news clippings about a grant to the University of Virginia from the National Science Foundation. Also included is biographical information about Francis Pickens Miller.
Cornelia wrote that Frank Geldard was to be best man in Raymond Bice's wedding, and that Dr. Henry B. Mulholland died. There is a news clipping that Edward Younger was named Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
There is news clipping about a bomb threat at Cabell Hall. The Webster's were in their next assignment in The Hague, The Netherlands.
There is a news clipping from the Daily Progress about a Charlottesville woman, named Anna Anderson who claimed to be Anastasia Romanov. There is also a letter from Ann Webster to Caroline Conant who was visiting the Websters at the same time as Cornelia.
There are more news clippings about Anna Anderson and her marriage to University of Virginia History Professor, John E. Manahan. Cornelia mentioned that Atcheson Hench attended the student rallies for more pay for UVA employees and racial equality. There is also a news clipping about Dr. Oron J. Hale, professor of history being awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the German Federal Republic. Cornelia also wrote that the train carrying Eisenhower to his funeral stopped in Charlottesville and about a "revolutionary movement" in colleges. It is also mentioned that James Lindsay Gordon, Armistead's brother, died; and that Armistead's sister, Mary Gordon was being cared for by friends.
[There are no more letters because Cornelia Gordon died from sleeping pills in September 1969].
Letters between Ann Gordon and her friends including Peggy Macleod and Margaret Hench
Correspondents of Ann's (while she was attending St. Anne's during the year and living with her parents in Washington D. C. in the summer) include Jeannette Atkins; Martha "Martee" Chanutin; Constance "Connie" Adams Stoney; Dillon; Mary Louise Frey; Gordon "Mac" Morrison; Peggy Macleod and Margaret "Margie" Hench.
There is correspondence from friends while Ann was at home in the summer and at Wellesley College in the fall. Correspondents include Peggy Macleod; Margaret Hench; Connie Stoney; Veneesh Fawcus;]Gigi MacKnight; Lois Ann Lehman; Pat Bancroft; Cadet George Mason; Ellen Underwood; Gordon Morrison; Hugh Weedon; [Dillon;] and William "Regis" Chauvenet.
Correspondents include Margaret Hench; Derwood Chase, Jr.; Gigi MacKnight, William "Regis" Chaubenet; Hugh Weedon; Zachary Morfogen; Gordon Morrison; Martha "Martee" Chanutin; Randy Neal; Art; Jean; Brady; Johnathon; Sallie Merritt; Johnnie Welch; and Cadet George Mason.
Correspondents of Ann's while at Wellesley include [Moo; ][Appie;] [Coleman; ][Yankee; ]William "Regis" Chauvenet; Ellen Underwood; [Brady;] Jeanette and Marie Louise Frey; [Jean;] Peggy Macleod; Gigi Macknight; Peter S. Mansfield; [Van;] Donald J. Sterling, Jr.; Gordon Morrison; Charles Makepeace; J. H. Call; and [Newt;].
Correspondents of Ann's while at Wellesley include Pat Bancroft; Peggy Macleod; Martha "Martee" Chanutin; [Barber;] [Claire;] Donald J. Sterling, Jr.; William "Regis" Chauvenet; Margaret Hench; [Rick; ]William and Eleanore Webster; Gigi MacKnight; Cadet George Mason; [Jean;]Grace A. Fletcher; and Abbot Fletcher
Correspondents of Ann's while at Wellesley include Donald J. Sterling, Jr.; Pat Bancroft; Abbot Fletcher; and Hugh Weedon. There is also a letter from Ann to William Spencer.
Correspondents of Ann while she was at Wellesley include Donald J. Sterling, Jr.; Mary Louise Frey; Sallie Merritt; Lieutenant John Ordway; [Dillon; ]Jeannette Atkins; Gordon Morrison; Cadet George Mason; and Abbot Fletcher.
Collection of stories, poems, and art work by Ann Gordon
one bound diary
Ann was boarding at St. Anne's School and wrote about her friends and school. There are also a couple of stories by Ann, including a girl being raped by a German soldier.
There are small pages of poems; an autograph book; 2 bound diaries; and three date books.
There are loose pages from a notebook about her first dates with Harry, and Charles Makepeace.
There is a notebook on expenses.
There are loose pages from a notebook about travels by Ann or Harry Webster.
Ann's notebooks about feedings for children and family tasks.
Ann's report cards from Camp Alleghany; The Stonefield School (1935-1938;) Saint Anne's School (1940-19450 and Wellesley College (1946-1947)
There are mostly essays and stories by Ann Gordon from Saint Anne's and Wellesley including several drafts of "Literature as a Social Criticism".
There are letters to Ann Gordon from Miss Roy Land, John Cook Wyllie, and Harry Clemons.
There are correspondence, permissions, and invitations related to Wellesley College.
Class reading materials and questions that Ann Gordon wrote for the classes she was teaching.
The Webster family had Winnie-the-Pooh nicknames: William was "K" for Kanga, Eleanore was "Roo," and Harry was "Tig" or "Tigger." Harry wrote to his parents from Camp O-AT-KA about his activities (tennis, baseball, initiation, scotch bridge and rifle try outs). He wrote that they left the ball field to hear President Roosevelt's talk over the" tel-a-tak." He mentioned his friends, Bob Allyn and Abbot Fletcher (For letters about Harry's days in the service in WWII, see Series II William Webster Box 12, in Harry's correspondence with his grandparents)
Included is the letter from Harry Webster inviting Ann to the Harvard-Yale football game and her response.
Included is a letter from Armistead Gordon, and letters from Harry's parents.
Harry mentioned that his father's job became official and William Webster would begin working full time the next week as [James Vincent] Forrestal's deputy for atomic affairs in the Pentagon. Harry graduated from Princeton and travelled to Mexico and Cuba.
Included is correspondence from other family members including Alice Blodgett, (Harry's maternal grandmother) and his parents.
Included are news clippings of Harry and Ann's engagement.
Harry discussed with his father the advantages and disadvantages of his father accepting the position of Chairman of the Research and Development in the Department of Defense (being offered by the President of the United States, Harry S. Truman.) Also enclosed are copies of news clippings about Webster's appointment.
Bob Ellsworth was visiting William Webster. Harry wrote about their college friends and his son, William Webster "Barney and the "Grub."
Harry, Ann, and son Barney (William Webster III) were living in Madrid, Spain. Ann travelled to Frankfurt, Germany for her friend, Sallie Merritt's wedding. Included is correspondence with Alice Blodgett and Vollie Sanderson.
Madrid, Spain; There is a letter from Ann to her doctor describing the medical situation in which she had a miscarriage of her second child, Susan Webster. There is also information about her burial.
Madrid, Spain
Madrid, Spain. Letter from William Webster on August 12 in which he mentioned the Oak Ridge, Tennessee Strike.
Alexandria, Va. William Webster mentioned his various trips including San Juan, Puerto Rico; sparring with Denny Roberts; and testifying before joint committee. Irwin Conham was in negotiation with the convicts; Snowden Skinner died of lung cancer. Birth of daughter Liza.
William and Eleanore Webster were in Jamaica. Eleanore Webster mentioned Bill's comment that the Compton dinner talk was "high fair but could have been better" but Bill had a cold. Included are letters to and from Stevenson Williams Webster. Harry was staying in London.
London, England; Birth of Armistead (Oppit) 1957; birth of Maggie (1959) William Webster wrote about a business trip to Canada with William T. Golden and others. He also mentioned that the opening of Yankee was to be delayed.
Harry Webster was in Salisbury, Rhodesia and Ann was taking care of William Webster and the kids after Eleanore was killed in a car accident.
Salisbury, Rhodesia. Ann sailed with children to Rhodesia. There are also letters from Steve Webster and Hope Dallam.
Harry was in Washington D. C. with his father and Ann was in Rhodesia with the children. She took a job teaching geography at the local school. Vollie Sanderson and Bill Webster were married.
William Webster wrote about the Wolff's and an event at the White House with President Lyndon B. Johnson. (April 17, 1964) He also mentioned that he was presented with the outstanding engineer in New England award. He wrote that he attended Yankee and Rand meetings, and raved about a conference at Sterling Forest. He mentioned that he was ready to retire. He wrote that he appointed Fitz Leigh to succeed Harry Hanson. William (Barney) was accepted into Groton.
Ann wrote to Harry while he was in [Santo Domingo] about being careful there. She mentioned that she was looking for a glimpse of him on the news every day. She did not want the children to know his location since they could see how dangerous it was there.
William Webster continued writing about his many meetings with New England Electric System, Hyuck, MItre, Atomic Energy Commission and efforts by many people to create one atomic power plant. Harry mentioned talking with Robert Ellsworth. William and Vollie Webster travelled to Europe and the Caribbean.
Ann and Harry and children were living in Holland. William and Vollie Webster travelled to the west coast and Hawaii. William Webster wrote notes about various colleagues as candidates for high positions in power companies. He was preparing to transfer his leadership role in NEES and EEI so he could retire. There are letters about his Atomic energy citation.
William wrote about his busy schedule and various trips and meetings. There are also letters from William (Barney) at Groton, and Liza.
William wrote about his trip out west and that Steve Webster was not well. He also mentioned career plans of some of his colleagues. William referred to their "Brazil Deal." Topics mentioned but not detailed, were that labor negations were slow and that Cool Branch Farm had lost a lot of money; the power company lost their gas case with the Supreme Court; gold crisis; atomic desalting plant with the Israeli's; and the death of Martin Luther King. He also made a comment about civil rights saying that "the country has a pretty tough road to walk…" William advised Harry to keep in touch with Robert Ellsworth because he was an important contact in government.
William Webster wrote about his visit to Ann and Harry in Holland; and news about AETNA, Hyuck , New England Electric System, and other meetings and stocks.
William wrote about United States Security and Exchange Commission hearings, Atomic Energy Commission's General Advisory Committee and other meetings including an invitation by Lewis Strauss to join scientists working for President Nixon. William wrote that the scientists were referred to as the "dinosaur wing" of the scientific community. Harry wrote about conflicts with his boss, X and studied alternative courses of career options with William. His boss was trying to force him into an assignment in Saigon. Harry and William were meeting with Robert Ellsworth to obtain a position for Harry as a liaison to Ellsworth.
Harry was travelling to Madrid, Spain. Harry was still writing to William about his career. Ellsworth had just been appointed secretary to President Richard M. Nixon. Harry was considering leaving his current position in July.
Harry was working in Madrid, Spain and [Granada] There is a newspaper clipping about Robert Ellsworth being appointed to the position of Ambassador of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), and suggests that Ellsworth was becoming out of favor with the administration. William wrote that [Richard] Helms agreed that Robert Ellison could use a liaison man (Harry). According to William, Ellsworth felt President Nixon would support his efforts to hire Harry. William was attending and testifying in SEC hearings. There is also information about stocks including the Rock of Ages.
William wrote about the Security and Exchange Commission hearings, Atomic Energy Commission's General Advisory Committee and Hyuck meetings. Circumstances made it difficult for Ellsworth to follow through on the liaison position. Harry and Ann prepared for their move back to the United States.
Harry asked for a six month leave without pay and resigned. Cornelia
Gordon died of a pill overdose during the night of September 21
Harry travelled through the southern United States and met with ministers and news paper editors including Rev. John Spong (brother of the Senator), Staige Blackford, Jr., Oliver Jones, and Overton Jones about possible jobs and contacts. Harry wrote that he met with [Donald] Rumsfeld and [Frank C.] Carlucci (who became Deputy Director of the CIA in 1978) and ran the Office of Economic Opportunity, William Tyler, (Ambassador of the Hague) Peter Flannigan, Dick Loeb, and Roemer McPhee. William wrote accepting a short term job as senior technical advisor to the AEC (Atomic Energy Commission) and IAEC (International Atomic Energy Agency) for the United Nations International Conference in Geneva on peaceful uses of atomic energy while maintaining his positions with NEPOL, MIT, Hyuck, EEI, NEES, Rand and others. William also mentioned a meeting with the United Nations Scientific Advisory Committee. He also described labor strikes and negotiations with [Spraque. ]Enclosed is a copy of a speech William gave at MIT.
Harry wrote William about contacts and leads, including Henry Loomis, Bob Krause, Roger Jones, Arthur Arundel , (newspaper owner and head of Piedmont Environmental Council), Lewis Strauss, George McGhee, and Julian Stein. He was working part time with [the Essex Institute] in Alexandria regarding issues in Puerto Rico. He decided to return to his previous job but in new area called "U. S. Army Personnel Research and Assessment Group," to be referred to a Department of Defense by family and friends. There is a note from William T. Golden. William Webster wrote that he was asked to host Neil Armstrong. Included is a letter from Liza Webster describing protests against the Vietnam War. William Webster started undergoing dialysis.
Harry wrote about an easy return to work and fifty percent of his time to be spent in New York working for [Rod Rodgriquez].
William wrote that he was reappointed to the Board of NEES and chairman of Yankee but had given up everything else. William Webster III graduated from Princeton; Harry was working in West Germany.
Harry was working in Indonesia; and Lusaka, Zambia. Death of William Webster; and Life insurance information from William Webster's estate.
Letters of sympathy from friends of Harry and William Webster include Robert Ellsworth, Peter Mansfield, Irwin L. Moore, Andrew Onderdonk, Roger Coe, Don Allen, Caroline Conant, and many others.
Harry was planning his retirement. Ann wrote to Harry about Watergate and commented on how the Nixon administration worked.
There is mostly family correspondence with Ann, Harry, their children, Steve Webster and Vollie Webster.
Harry wrote to Vollie that there had been a lot of information about his old outfit in the news and he was glad that he got out when he did.
Harry travelled to San Jose, Costa Rico; Guatamala; and Columbia. He had been planning to work with Hubert Humphrey, Joe Crangle and Paul Simon's campaign but it fell through. He was also involved in fund raising for Daniel Patrick Moynihan for the Senate Committee and wanted a permanent job working for him. He also mentioned sitting next to Barry Goldwater and described him as a "warm guy."
Harry went to San Jose ("his favorite small country") and Columbia for presidential primaries.
Harry travelled to Mexico, San Jose, Ecuador, and other places in Central America. Harry wrote that he attended a small political gathering at Sargent Shriver's place and was not impressed with Shriver.
Ann and Harry travelled to Canada. Harry wrote to Vollie that he had been talking to several "Bush men" and might start working for them part time.
Ann and Harry travelled to Mexico. Harry visited San Jose, and sent Vollie news clippings about the Reagan/Bush victory. Harry wrote to Vollie that they were invited to the inauguration and parties.
Harry visited San Jose and Honduras. Ann and Harry travelled to England, France, Greece, Turkey, and Israel. Ann and Harry also went out west to visit their children. Ann finished undergraduate and graduate courses in Anthropology and became an Anthropology teacher at George Washington University.
Harry went to San Jose and Ann travelled to England and France.
There is a letter to Harry from Rod Rodgriquez (who was his boss and friend in the CIA). Rodriquez mentioned that the thought of Kissinger coming back made him "… sick at my stomach" There is a letter from [Clyde] who was a close colleague of Harry's and the George H. W. Bush family.
Letters reveal that Harry was visiting their daughters out west, and in Mexico. There are also letters from Steve Webster and to the family, including Vollie Webster.
There are photographs of Ann and Harry's first grandchild, Sarah Nemiah Ladd (daughter of Liza and John Ladd).
Harry, Ann, and their daughter Maggie travelled to Mexico, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and Bogota.
Harry was in Ireland; Weld, Maine; and Canada.
Harry visited San Francisco and Europe with his son Armistead Churchill Gordon ("Oppit"). There is a description of Harry's grandfather, Judge Edward "Peter" Willard Blodgett (-1949) written by Harry.
Harry was on his annual trip to Weld. Ann was in Europe and Nairobi. Harry wrote two accounts of his trips abroad and Holland. Ann was recovering from an illness from her trip abroad. Harry mentioned Paul Simon's presidential campaign.
Harry travelled to Costa Rica, Holland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Rumania, and Istanbul with his daughter, Liza.
Ann and Harry continued to travel to their favorite places around the world.
Death of Steve Webster
Ann Gordon Webster died in November.
Letters to Ann and or Harry include correspondents, Percy Redmund, Abbot Fletcher, Donald J. Sterling, Peter S. Mansfield, Mary Nold, Anne Hale, Don Manders, Thirsa Proctor, and James Page Elder.
Correspondents include Abbot Fletcher, Mrs. Thomas J. Rigney, Jr., Mrs. Richard C. Gillett, Mrs. Mathew Pratt, Corporal F. J.L. Brokaw, Mary Pierce, Mr. and Mrs. Kindred, Martha "Martee" Chanutin, Peter S. Mansfield, Margaret Macleod, and Robert M. Dinsmore.
Correspondents include Sallie Starker, Gertrude Fitzhugh, GiGi McKnight, Margaret Macleod, Donald J. Sterling, Frances Malther, and Mrs. (Julia) James Southall Wilson.
Correspondents include Eileen Fletcher, Charlotte W. Gibbons, Frances Walther, Maria M. Morgan, Brigadier General Harry A. Barber, Jr., Frank and Jeannette Geldard, Edward Peck Curtis, Jr., Charles M. Bounds, Jr., and Robert Owen.
Correspondents include Frances Walther, Thirsa Proctor, Sallie Starker, and Frances Walther.
Correspondents include Margaret Hench Underwood, Robert and Vivian Owen, Frances Walther, Abbot Fletcher, Mrs. Catherine Perkins, Don Larrimore, Norman and Jean Reddaway, and David Archie.
Correspondents include Charlotte Gibbons, Helen Kelly, Sally and John Baker, Maurice Wilson, Mrs. Mathew Pratt, Bill Gorman, Mrs. Peregrine Spencer Churchill, and Steve Close.
Mrs. Peregrine Spencer Churchill, James Page Elder, Allen E. Henkin, John Caswell, D. C. Stevens, Jeanne Robinson, Mary Bucknall, Joseph and Mary Crowley, Joan and Andrew Phelan, Mrs. A. E. Davidson, Jane C. Johnson, and Peter S. Mansfield.
Correspondents include Peter S. Mansfield, Eileen Fletcher, Nancy Laub, Mary Bucknall, James Page Elder, Jane C. Johnson, Gladys Briggs, Vivian Owen, Mary and John Lincoln, Sylvia Holden, Clive Robinson, Jans Johnson who mentioned his low opinion of Dr. Hasting Kamuzu Banda, Donald J. Sterling, Gordon M. Morrison (Mac), Sallie Close, Abbot Fletcher, Mike Holmes, Marion Wheeler, Mary Stackpole, Alida Davison, Clara and Art Rall, and Anna Williams.
Correspondents include Donald J. Sterling, Martin Ochs, Alice Morrison, Martin and Paddy McLaughlin, Cynthia and Philip Laundry, Peggy Macleod, John Caswell, Mary and Steve Stackpole, Bayne and Harry Carey, Grace Fletcher, Atkins Family, John and Sandy Bastek, Jean and Ron Pewter. Bob and Vivian Owen, Reid B. Morrison ("Zipper"), Anne and Pat Hale, John and Gloria Gibson, Eileen Fletcher, Jennifer Davidson, Dorothy Balz, Ted and Claire Curtis, Ruth Chinamano, Bud and Patty Foulke, Damaris Hayman, Norman and Jean Reddaway, Hans and Adelaide Welser, and a generic card with photograph from Mr. and Mrs G. Mennen Williams.
Correspondents include Helen Robbins, Marty Swan, Jeannette Atkins, Clint Green and a news clipping on Soviet Spy Training, Mrs. John Emmerson, John P. Nugent, Mary Novotny, Ann Driver, Brenda Morris, Jane Willems, and Ashton B. Collins.
Lewis J. Williams, Brenda Morris, Edward M. Korry ,(about his appointment as Ambassador to Ethiopa) Senator Vance Hartke, Barny Howard, (and his article on Free Speech) B. P. Whipple, Rufus Smith, Anna Williams, John P. Nugent, Charlie Rushing, Clive Robinson, Paul and Dorothy Barringer, Richard A. Fuller, Hilde Schnitzer, John Harper, and Reid B. Morrison. Included is a letter from Ann Webster to Edward and Pat Korr, and a letter from Ann Webster to William M. Spackman at the University of Colorado about an article on poetry. There is also a telegram notifying the Webster's that James Southall Wilson had died.
Correspondents include Mary Coon, Betty Mustard, Reid B. Morrison, ("Zipper") Lou DeAngelis, Robert Allyn, John Snelling, Abbot and Eileen Fletcher, and Mrs. Alan Davidson.
Correspondents include Pat Rice, Caroline Conant, Gordon D. Davis, Lou DeAngelis, Eileen Fletcher, Donald J. Sterling, Dr. L. Herbert Loeb, and June Whelan.
Letters between Maggie and her school friends
Correspondents include Frederick Brokaw, Alan Davidson, Evelyn [Wyllie] C. Taber, Caroline Conant, Mrs. Bruce Meeker, Dorothy Stevens, Kay Moore, Maxwell Fletcher, Herbert W. Warden, Joan Veitch, and J. M. Smith. There are also letters from Ann and Harry Webster to June Whelan.
Correspondents include Winfield Bennett, Robert S. Allyn, Cleveland C. Cram (who wrote about the death of CIA employee Paul Birdsall), and Caroline Conant. There are also letters from Ann Webster to Pam Ramsay, Caroline Conant, and others.
Correspondents include Robert S. Allyn, Caroline Conant, Billie Mansfield, Andrew Onderdonk, Reid B. Morrison ("Zipper") and Thomas J. Barrett. There is also a letter from Ann Webster to Caroline Conant.
Correspondents include Aristides George Lazarus, Peter Hesse, Helen Elder, and Caroline Conant.
Correspondents include Ruth Green, Aristides George Lazarus, Jeanne Delaney, Caleb L. Batten, Robert S. Allyn, and Caroline Conant.
Correspondents include Caroline Conant, Abbot Fletcher, Jonathan Kebbe, Margaret Hench Underwood, Bernard Zilberg, Jane Bradley, and Charlie and Alida Davison. There are letters from Harry to Andrew Onderdonk.
Correspondents include Caroline Conant, Phil Cherry. There are also letters from Harry to Andrew Onderdonk.
Correspondents include Caroline Conant, Pam Ramsay, Vivian and Robert Allyn, Malcolm Aste, Mary Louise Merritt ("Weezie") and Audrey Highberger. There are also letters from the Webster family to Caroline Conant and Andrew Onderdonk.
Correspondence includes Margaret Hench Underwood, Donald J. Sterling, Mary and Bill Wright, and Vivian Allyn. There are also letters from Harry to Andrew Onderdonk.
Correspondents include Judy Fletcher, Andrew Onderdonk, Margaret Hench Underwood, and Vivian Allyn. There are also letters from Harry to Andrew Onderdonk.
Correspondents include Vivian Allyn, Caroline Conant, Andrew Onderdonk, and Harry Webster.
There are letters from Vesta Lee Gordon (The Book Broker) asking Ann Webster to contribute to the Stonefield Memorial. Other correspondents include Ann Wolff, Hoffman Wolff, Joseph Y. Rowe, Jonathan [Krebb], Dottie Conant, Ronald Ratcliff, Suzanne Simms, Gordon Cameron, and Paris Manfredonia. There are also letters from Harry Webster to Andrew Onderdonk, and Ann Webster to Pat Rice. Also included is a letter from Maggie Webster to Nancy Webster Barnes.
Correspondents include Vicky and Peter Cram, Caroline Davidson, Barbara Cherry, Pat Rice, Ann K. Warren, Mike and Audrey Highberger, Edith and Hans Wyss, Jane Hawxhurst, Sallie Starker, and Donald J. Sterling, Harry wrote about the Ann Gordon Webster Fellowship at George Washington University. Ann Gordon Webster died in 1994.
There are many letters from Harry Webster to Pat Rice who was a good friend of Ann's and an intimate friend of Harry's after Ann's death. There are also letters from Webster family members to Pat Rice. Included are photographs from Douglas and Judy Woodbury.
Correspondence includes Andrew Onderdonk, Caroline Conant, Wyn Graham, Vivian Allyn, Wolfgang Arnicke, Donald Hopson, Alphonso Rodriquez, and Jean Holden.
Correspondents include Caroline Conant, Abbot Fletcher and others.
There is also correspondence concerning job opportunities for Harry from Roger W. Jones, Executive Office of the President; William P. Gormbley, Vice President of the Ford Foundation; William T. Golden; B. C. Christensen, IBM; Robert Ellsworth; William W. Scranton; Minos A. Zombanakis; Geoffrey Bell; Robert S. Allyn; and Grenville R. Holden, President of the Hyuck Corporation.
Included is an honorable discharge certificate from the United States Army.
There are documents and correspondence relating to salary, insurance, automobiles, rent and other financial issues.
Included are various tickets for passages, travel vouchers, travel authorizations and reimbursement forms.
There are lists of names and addresses for Government personnel in Madrid, Spain. There are also papers related to travel and work in Santo Domingo as well as a map of Santo Domingo with markings on it.
There is a signed document by Ann Webster describing the chain of events during the miscarriage of her second child. There are also doctor reports for her general health and for a gall bladder procedure in 1991.
There is correspondence about day care with various applicants and agencies.
There is correspondence related to bills, dues and maintaining the house. There is a letter from Harry A. George of Keller and George, Jewelers and letters requesting information on preparatory schools for the children.
There are passports for Ann and Harry Webster. There is also a birth certificate for Liza (Elizabeth Archer Webster) and "Oppit" (William Webster III).
These are mostly social invitations related to Harry's work.
Included is an invitation to the wedding of Ann Gordon and Harry Webster. There is also an invitation to the Queen of England's birthday party.
Included are wedding invitations for the weddings of William Webster III and also for Elizabeth Archer Webster (Liza).
There are news clippings about the death of the last Civil War Union Veteran; the sinking of the ship, The Andrea Doria; death of a "Salon Hostess" from prohibition; death of Humphrey Bogart, and other items of interest.
There are news clippings about the CIA.
Report card for Elizabeth A. Webster (Liza)
News letter for reunions photographs
Letter about the Alumni Association
Included is information about reunions and some classwork by Harry Webster.
School work and activities of Maggie Webster including a grade report from Tulane.
Includes photographs of Hoffman and Claire Wolff, Jim and Harriet Manning, and the children of James Elder.
Slides of Lindsay reunion and slides of Mexico (1985)
Group photograph with William Webster
Included is a passenger list of the S. S. Independence, programs for plays, Chelsea greeting cards, and miscellaneous brochures from the Gordon and Webster family.
newsletters and pamphlets about Princeton University, Bryant College, St. James School and John Marshall College Law School.
Magazines and articles about William Webster and atomic power including a brochure on the John Fritz Medal award.
Magazines and articles about William Webster including Contact Magazine, New England Electric Company Handbook, and Utility Spotlight.