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Edgar C. Wilson Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MS-1969

  • Staff Only

This collection consists of two pamphlets given to Edgar Wilson and other Allied soldiers during World War II to aquaint them with unfamiliar cultures. The first of these two items highlights the differences between the English and American cultures in order to prevent the clash of the two groups and to counteract Nazi propaganda aimed at causing an impossible working relationship between the British and the Americans. It includes commonly used terms, common personality traits of the English citizenry, and general advice for developing a friendly relationship.

The second pamphlet in this collection was given to Allied troops to introduce them to Paris nightlife and attractions. The publishers of this pamphlet included advertisements for cabarets, maps of nightclubs, and information to facilitate sightseeing in Paris.

Dates

  • 1944

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

0.1 Linear Feet

Abstract

This collection consists of two pamphlets distributed to United States and Allied troops during World War II. The U. S. War Department distributed the first of these booklets to American troops newly arrived in England to provide them with an introduction to English culture. The second pamphlet was given to all Allied troops and highlights various aspects of Paris nightlife and tourist attractions.

Biographical/Historical Note

Edgar Clinton Wilson was born in Knox County, Tennessee on October 29, 1914. He earned a teaching certificate from Milligan College in 1935 and a BS in Education from the University of Tennessee on June 3, 1940. Wilson began his career as a teacher and taught English to 5th through 8th grade students from 1935 to 1939 and from 1940 to 1941. He was drafted into the Army on June 7, 1941 and completed basic training and Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma before being stationed at Camp Robertson, California. He was assigned to the 80th Division in 1943 and trained with that unit until March of 1944, when they were moved to Fort Dix and dispatched to England on the Queen Mary.

The 80th Division was moved to France within a week of its arrival in England. Wilson was assigned to the 2nd battalion of the 319th Infantry (nicknamed the Wreckin' Second), which fought in in Northern France, the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and central Europe. He was released from service in late 1945 and returned to Tennessee. Here, he took several extension courses at the University of Tennessee and went on to work on the Board of the Farm Bureau and on the Board of the Knox County Farmers' Cooperative. He married Beatrice Jerry Jarrell (1912-1991), an anesthesia nurse from Morristown, on September 2, 1948. Although Wilson is now retired, he is still active in organizing reunions of the 80th Division.

Arrangement

Collection consists of a single folder.

Acquisition Note

This collection was donated to Special Collections.

Repository Details

Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository

Contact:
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Knoxville TN 37996 USA
865-974-4480