Gerald T. Cravey personal ledgers
Collection
Identifier: L497
Scope and Contents
This collection includes ledgers from Gerald T. Cravey in Indianapolis, Indiana, ranging from 1966 to 1995, regarding family life, utilities, car repair, school fees, medical prescriptions, and personal expenses for entertainment such as tickets to the movies, travel, and dining.
Dates
- 1966-1995
Creator
- Cravey, Gerald Tyson, 1919-2005 (Person)
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
Gerald Tyson "Jerry" Cravey was born on October 10, 1919, to Leona Foster (LeSueur) (1889-1966) and Johnie Jackson Cravey (1886-1963) in Tift County, Georgia. He had at least six siblings, most of them older. In 1938, he enlisted in the Coast Artillery Corps of the United States Army and was posted to Fort Randolph, Panama. On the eve of World War II, Cravey reenlisted in the U.S. Air Corps. While stationed at George Field in Illinois, he met Margaret McCarter. Cravey married Margaret McCarter Cravey (1920-2009) on June 12, 1943 in Illinois, they had two daughters, Georgia Ann (1950-) and Altha Jane. Cravey served as chief radio operator for Headquarters 20th Bomber Command at Hijli, India. When the 20th moved to the Pacific Islands, he served as radio station chief for the Air Transport Command at Myitkyina, Burma. Cravey spent months copying transmissions from Nampo Domei, a radio press station in Tokyo that served as Japan's propaganda outlet. Meanwhile, Margaret Cravey moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she worked at the Carnegie Institute testing metal strengths during the war. Jerry Cravey was honorably discharged on November 2, 1945. He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois. Cravey worked for a time as the physical plant supervisor at Eastern Illinois University and later moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he worked as an engineer for the Indiana State Board of Health. He was a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, Sycamore Lodge No. 210 for over 50 years; Scottish Rite, Northern Jurisdiction; China-Burma-India Veterans Association, and Pi Tau Sigma. Gerald T. Cravey died on November 17, 2005, in Zionsville, Indiana, and was buried in Inaha Cemetery in Turner County, Georgia. Margaret McCarter Cravey died on March 14, 2009, in Turner County, Georgia, and was buried beside her husband.
Georgia Ann Cravey was born in 1950 in Illinois. She attended North Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, and later Indiana University. She became a librarian and historical researcher. Altha Jane Cravey was born in Illinois and worked as an electrician in Indianapolis for 10 years from 1975 to 1985 before studying geography at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. She attained an M.S. in geography from the University of Wisconsin in 1988 and a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 1993. She taught at the University of Iowa, University of Wyoming and finally as a professor of geography at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill from 1994 to 2015.
Sources:
Items in the collection.
"Altha Cravey - Curriculum Vitae." Academia. Accessed April 9, 2026. https://unc.academia.edu/AlthaCravey/CurriculumVitae.
"Calvin Fletcher, First Prominent Civic Leader in Indianapolis." Hoosier History Live (radio program), January 28, 2023. Accessed April 9, 2026. https://hoosierhistorylive.org/mail/2023-01-28.html.
FamilySearch. "Georgia A. Cravey." United States, Census, 1950. Accessed April 16, 2026. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6X1L-3D8L?lang=en.
Findagrave.com. "Gerald Tyson Cravey." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed April 7, 2026. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41193483/gerald-tyson-cravey.
Findagrave.com. "Margaret McCarter Cravey." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed April 16, 2026. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34908331/margaret-cravey.
"Gerald T. Cravey." Indianapolis Star (IN), November 20, 2005. Accessed April 7, 2026. https://www.perryfuneralchapel.com/obituaries/22163.
Library of Congress. "Gerald Tyson Cravey Collection." American Folklife Center: Veterans History Project. Accessed April 8, 2019. http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/bib/loc.natlib.afc2001001.00331.
Georgia Ann Cravey was born in 1950 in Illinois. She attended North Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, and later Indiana University. She became a librarian and historical researcher. Altha Jane Cravey was born in Illinois and worked as an electrician in Indianapolis for 10 years from 1975 to 1985 before studying geography at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. She attained an M.S. in geography from the University of Wisconsin in 1988 and a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 1993. She taught at the University of Iowa, University of Wyoming and finally as a professor of geography at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill from 1994 to 2015.
Sources:
Items in the collection.
"Altha Cravey - Curriculum Vitae." Academia. Accessed April 9, 2026. https://unc.academia.edu/AlthaCravey/CurriculumVitae.
"Calvin Fletcher, First Prominent Civic Leader in Indianapolis." Hoosier History Live (radio program), January 28, 2023. Accessed April 9, 2026. https://hoosierhistorylive.org/mail/2023-01-28.html.
FamilySearch. "Georgia A. Cravey." United States, Census, 1950. Accessed April 16, 2026. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6X1L-3D8L?lang=en.
Findagrave.com. "Gerald Tyson Cravey." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed April 7, 2026. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41193483/gerald-tyson-cravey.
Findagrave.com. "Margaret McCarter Cravey." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed April 16, 2026. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34908331/margaret-cravey.
"Gerald T. Cravey." Indianapolis Star (IN), November 20, 2005. Accessed April 7, 2026. https://www.perryfuneralchapel.com/obituaries/22163.
Library of Congress. "Gerald Tyson Cravey Collection." American Folklife Center: Veterans History Project. Accessed April 8, 2019. http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/bib/loc.natlib.afc2001001.00331.
Extent
0.6 Cubic Feet (2 manuscript boxes)
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 Georgia Cravey and Altha Jane Cravey on 2026/03/10.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2026/04/02 by Anita Brown. EAD finding aid created 2026/04/02 by Anita Brown. EAD finding aid revised 2026/04/07 by Brittany Kropf.
Creator
- Cravey, Gerald Tyson, 1919-2005 (Person)
- Title
- Gerald T. Cravey personal ledgers
- 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
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
