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Walter E. Barton papers

 Collection
Identifier: L252

Scope and Contents

The collection contains Walter E. Barton’s articles and speeches including those for the Rigby Star describing the nation’s capital and others on the topic of taxation; legal briefs regarding cases Barton argued before the U.S. Supreme Court; and the manuscripts of his two memoirs, The Lost Heritage and In the Twilight of My Memory, as well as published copies. Also included is a portrait photograph of Barton.

Dates

  • 1912-1981

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

Walter Elbert Barton was born on November 7, 1886, in Wadesville, Posey County, Indiana, to Anson and Sophia Ann (Blackburn) Barton. In 1914, Barton received his LL.B. degree from George Washington University. He was admitted to the Indiana bar the following year and practiced law in Evansville, Indiana. On December 6, 1917, he married Martha R. Browning and they had three daughters: Eleanor, Martha, and Mary Ellen.

During World War I, Barton served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army and was stationed in France. In 1920, he moved to Washington, D.C. to practice tax law before the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. On April 1, 1955, he married his second wife, Isabelle Stockett Nixon. Barton wrote numerous articles and books on tax law. Late in his life, he wrote two historical memoirs, The Lost Heritage (1978) and In the Twilight of My Memory (1981). Barton died on October 21, 1983, in Washington, D.C.

Source:

Items in the collection.

Thompson, Donald E., comp. Indiana Authors and Their Books, 1917-1966. Crawfordsville, IN: Wabash College, 1974.

Extent

0.6 Cubic Feet (2 manuscript boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by subject.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from Walter Barton on 1978/12/21; American Heritage Center on 2007/05/28.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

Collection processing completed 2006 April by Christina Baich. EAD finding aid created 2006 April by Christina Baich. EAD finding aid revised 2015/11/09 by Edythe Huffman. EAD finding aid revised 2024/12/03 by Brittany Kropf.
Title
Walter E. Barton papers
Status
Under Revision
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