LeRoy Graf Research Material
This collection contains material pertaining to the Civil War research of University of Tennessee professor LeRoy P. Graf. The bulk of these items are housed in Series I: John Eaton, 1867-1881. Sub-Series A: Eaton Correspondence, 1867-1953, houses Xerox copies of correspondence either addressed to or written by General John Eaton. Sub-Series B: Graf's Eaton Working File, 1868-1881, houses Graf's own working files on his Eaton research. It is important to note that most of the copies of Eaton's correspondence are stamped as having come from the University of Tennessee libraries, and so the originals are most probably located in MS.0018. Series II: Other Individuals and Families, 1854-1866, houses correspondence and documents relating to other Civil War era persons and families.
Dates
- 1854-1953
- Majority of material found within 1866-1881
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
0.5 Linear Feet
Abstract
This collection contains material pertaining to the Civil War research of University of Tennessee professor LeRoy P. Graf, particularly relating to John Eaton.
Biographical/Historical Note
LeRoy Philip Graf was born in Fremont, Ohio, to John Charles and Rose Hammel Graf on March 17, 1915. He completed his BA degree at Oberlin College in 1936 and continuted on to earn both his MA (1937) and PhD (1942) in history at Harvard College.
After teaching briefly at Tufts and Ohio State University, Graf joined the faculty of the University of Tennessee's history department in 1945. He quickly proved to be a talented and dedicated teacher. He became a full professor in 1950 and was named department head in 1965, a position he held until 1980. Even after his official retirement in 1985, Graf continued to mentor students on a volunteer basis. Graf also wrote prolifically and edited seven volumes of The Papers of Andrew Johnson with his friend and colleague Ralph Haskins.
Graf was also active in the Knoxville community throught his life. Dedicated to the causes of civil rights and interracial and religious cooperation, he was active in the efforts to desegregate Knoxville's restaraunts in the 1950s and 1960s, the Knoxville chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the Beck Cultural Center. Graf was also a patron of the arts, and indeed performed in a number of plays, dances, and musical events.
LeRoy Graf died on May 25, 1993. He was survived by his wife, Ruth Adena Peal Graf, and his three children: Christina Graf, Melissa Graf-Evans, and Jeremy Graf.
Arrangement
Collection consists of one box. Material is divided into two series: John Eaton and Other Individuals and Families. Original folder titles have been retained in most cases (exceptions are noted).
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository