Neal and Wheelock Family Papers
This collection houses correspondence, certificates, textbooks, photographs, and newspaper clippings documenting the Neal and Wheelock families of East Tennessee. It also includes newspaper articles and transcripts showing the Scopes Trial.
Dates
- 1857 June 13-1975
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 houses correspondence, certificates, textbooks, photographs, and newspaper clippings documenting the Neal and Wheelock families of East Tennessee. It also includes newspaper articles and transcripts showing the Scopes Trial.
Biographical/Historical Note
John Randolph Neal was born on November 26, 1836 near Clinton, Tennessee. He studied law at Emory and Henry College, where he earned his degree in 1858. He was admitted to the bar in 1859 and began practicing law in Athens, Tennessee. Neal served in the Confederate Cavalry during the Civil War and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. When the war ended, he settled in Rhea Springs, Tennessee, where he resumed his legal practice. Neal served in the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1874 and in the State Senate from 1878 to 1879. He was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives in 1885, where he continued to serve until his health began to fail in 1888. Neal died on March 26, 1889 in Rhea Springs, Tennessee.
John R. Neal married Mary Elizabeth Caroline Brown and the couple had five children: John O'Brien (who changed his name to John Randolph after his father's death), George Franklin, Mary Permelia, Katherine, and Amanda. John Neal served as chief defense council in the famous Scopes Trial (1925), which challenged the Tennessee state law prohibiting the teaching of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution in public schools.
Arrangement
This collection consists of a single box.
Acquisition Note
This collection is property of the University of Tennessee's Special Collections Library.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository