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Henry E. Wahl collection

 Collection
Identifier: L172

Scope and Contents

The collection largely consists of letters to and from Henry E. Wahl, Jr. and his family in Bloomington, Indiana, California, Hawaii, the Philippines, and the Pacific theatre, ranging from 1936 to circa 1953, regarding family life, work after college, and experiences during and after World War II in the Pacific. There are also many letters from other family members to his parents, Maude and Henry Ethan Wahl, Sr., including those of his brother Donald Wahl, who was also serving in the U.S. Navy.

Additionally, the collection contains diary of a trip from Evansville, Indiana (1865) to Nashville, Tennessee with accounts, some regarding teaching in Gibson County, Indiana, as well as poems and a clipping during 1866-1869. There is also correspondence and family business papers of the Wampler family from Bloomington, Indiana (1910-1927), particularly regarding James Buell Wampler who died of pneumonia while at Camp Merritt during World War I, as well as a train ticket (1877) and a certificate of promotion for Grace Wicks from Bloomington Public Schools (1882).

There is also an oversize folder with two insurance documents for Henry E. Wahl, Sr. in 1921 (OB246).

Dates

  • 1865-1945

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Biographical Note

Henry Ethan Wahl, Jr. was born on November 30, 1914 to Henry Ethan (1887-1961) and Pearl Maude (Wampler) Wahl (1885-1982) in Bloomingotn, Indiana. He had a younger brother, Donald James (1916-1993) and his father worked as a baker and grocery merchant. Wahl graduated from Bloomington High School in 1932 and earned a B.S. in Business from Indiana University in 1936. He worked in the business field in Indianapolis, Indiana and Lansing, Michigan until the outbreak of World War II. He married Cecelia Barbara Hendricks (1916-1998) in 1939.

Wahl served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Following the war, he served seven years as an economics officer in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, both in the navy and with the U.S. Department of the Interior. Wahl attained an M.S. in Business from Indiana University in 1948. He and his wife returned to Bloomington in 1953, where he was employed by Indiana University as an assistant to the director of the Halls of Residence. Wahl remained in the naval reserves, rising to the rank of commander. He retired early from Indiana University and was involved in a number of community organizations. Wahl died on March 29, 2008 in Bloomington.

Sources:

Items in the colleciton.

Findagrave.com. "Henry Ethan Wahl, Jr." Find a Grave Memroail. Accessed July 10, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25654782/henry_ethan_wahl.

Extent

0.35 Cubic Feet (1 manuscript box, 1 medium oversize folder)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged chronologically.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from Henry E. Wahl on 1967/06.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

EAD finding aid revised 2021/02/18 by Brittany Kropf. Collection reprocessing completed 2024/07/11 by Brittany Kropf. EAD finding aid revised 2024/07/11 by Brittany Kropf.
Title
Henry E. Wahl collection
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671