Abstract This collection consists primarily of letters that Byron de la Beckwith wrote to his wife, Mary Louise (Williams) Beckwith, his son, Byron de la Beckwith Jr., and his brother- and sister-in-law, Jesse and Frances Williams, while he was incarcerated before and during his first trial for the murder of NAACP leader Medgar Evers. Another set of correspondence was written between Beckwith and his nephew, B. Reed Massengill, while Massengill was working on a book chronicling Beckwith's life. Also...

Abstract

In a March 21, 1972 handwritten letter of application for employment with Bryan Brothers Packing Company in West Point, MS. Byron De La Beckwith, the assassin of civil rights leader Medgar Evers, provides his employment history and his thoughts on topics such as labor unions, dealings with minority customers, integrated schools, and politics. He also lists organizations and activities with which he is affiliated.