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MS13-09 George Tipton Wilson Papers

George Tipton Wilson Papers

Collection Title: George Tipton Wilson Papers

Series Number: MS13-09

Processed and Cataloged by: Processed by Dieter C. Ullrich in August of 2013.

Date Listed: August 21, 2013

Date Span: 1925-2010 (bulk, 1942-1948)

Size of Collection: 12.0 linear feet.

Number of Boxes: 5 legal size document cases; 3 legal half size document cases; 2 letter size document cases; 3 letter half size document cases and 8 oversized boxes.

Type of Material: Correspondence, scrapbooks, photographs, manuscripts, personal records, research files and published materials.

Condition of Material: Good.

Arrangement: Organized by format of material; Chronological arrangement.

Biographical / Historical Information: George Tipton Wilson was born on April 14, 1921 at Smithland, Kentucky. He attended local public schools and graduated from Livingston County High School in 1939. He studied journalism and political science at Murray State Normal School from 1939 to 1942. He formally graduated from the school in 1943. He also spent a semester at the University of Kentucky in 1941. During the Second World War, he served in the United States Army as a cryptographer at the headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur in Australia and the Philippines. Following the war, he attended Northwestern University and studied journalism. In 1952 he became associate editor of the Atomican, which was published by the McGraw Construction Company of Paducah, Kentucky. Two years later he became the Vice President for Advertising and Public Relations for the Mitchum Company of Paris, Tennessee. He retired from the company in 1971 and became a full time freelance writer. Before his death on May 21, 2013, he published articles in dozens of magazines and journals, including Southern Living, Mississippi Magazine and the Memphis Business Journal.

Scope and Content: Collection consists of correspondence, manuscripts, scrapbooks and photographs created or retained by George Tipton Wilson from 1925 to 2010. The papers contain letters written by Wilson when he served in the United States Army in the Pacific Theater during the Second World War. Included in the collection are personal records, research files and published materials related to Wilson’s fifty plus years as a freelance author. Many of his articles focused upon local and regional history, World War II and Native American peoples and culture. Items of significant importance are his letters written during the Second World War from the headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur, research files on the West Loch disaster in Hawaii, autobiography of Chief Phillip Martin, a history of Smithland, Kentucky and numerous records on local and regional people and events in Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi.

Subject Headings / Descriptors:

Wilson, George Tipton, 1921-2013

MacArthur, Douglas, 1880-1964

United States. Army. Signal Service Company, 832nd – History.

World War, 1939-1945 – Personal narratives, American.

World War, 1939-1945 – Australia – Brisbane (Qld.)

Americans – Australia – Queensland – History – 20th century.

United States – Armed Forces – Australia – Brisbane (Qld.)

World War, 1939-1945 – Communications.

World War, 1939-1945 – Philippines.

Mitchum Company (Paris, Tenn.)

Paris (Tenn.)

Smithland (Ky.)

Paducah (Ky.)

Memphis (Tenn.)

Box List

Box 1

  1. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence 1925-1941
  2. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence March - October 1942
  3. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence November 1942
  4. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence December 1942
  5. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence January - March 1943
  6. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence April - August 1943
  7. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence September 1943
  8. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence October 1943
  9. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence November 1943
  10. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence December 1943
  11. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence January 1944
  12. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence February 1944
  13. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence March 1944
  14. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence April 1944
  15. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence May 1944
  16. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence June 1944
  17. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence July 1944
  18. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence August 1944
  19. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence September 1944
  20. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence October 1944
  21. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence November 1944
  22. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence December 1944
  23. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence January 1945
  24. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence February 1945
  25. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence March 1945

Box 2

  1. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence April 1945
  2. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence May 1945
  3. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence June 1945
  4. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence July 1945
  5. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence August 1945
  6. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence September 1945
  7. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence 1946

Box 3

  1. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence 1947
  2. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence 1948-1959
  3. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence 1960-1970
  4. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence 1971-1999
  5. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence 2000-2005
  6. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence 2006
  7. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence 2007
  8. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence 2008
  9. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence 2009
  10. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence January - May 2010
  11. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence June - December 2010
  12. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence 2011-2013
  13. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence No Dates

Box 4

  1. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence to Florence Jane Stiles 1942-1943
  2. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence to Florence Jane Stiles 1944
  3. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence to Florence Jane Stiles 1945
  4. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence to Florence Jane Stiles 1946-1948
  5. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence to Florence Jane Stiles 2003-2007
  6. George Tipton Wilson Papers Correspondence and Postcards No Dates
  7. George Tipton Wilson Papers Envelopes - Florence Jane Stiles 1942-1944
  8. George Tipton Wilson Papers Envelopes - Florence Jane Stiles 1945-1948

Box 5

  1. George Tipton Wilson Papers Article Proposal Lists and Expense Ledgers 1987-
  2. George Tipton Wilson Papers Articles - Published -1986
  3. George Tipton Wilson Papers Articles - Published 1987-1989
  4. George Tipton Wilson Papers Articles - Published 1990-1995
  5. George Tipton Wilson Papers Articles - Published 1996-1998
  6. George Tipton Wilson Papers Articles - Published 1999-2000
  7. George Tipton Wilson Papers Articles - Published 2001-
  8. George Tipton Wilson Papers Articles - Published - No Dates
  9. George Tipton Wilson Papers Autobiography
  10. George Tipton Wilson Papers Biographical Information
  11. George Tipton Wilson Papers Family History
  12. George Tipton Wilson Papers Last Will and Testament

Box 6

  1. George Tipton Wilson Papers Speeches No Dates
  2. George Tipton Wilson Papers Buelah Wilson
  3. George Tipton Wilson Papers Unpublished Materials - No Dates A-G
  4. George Tipton Wilson Papers Unpublished Materials - No Dates H-Z

Box 7

  1. George Tipton Wilson Papers 832nd Signal Battalion
  2. George Tipton Wilson Papers Bataan March Survivors - Ghost Soldiers
  3. George Tipton Wilson Papers Bisbee's Comedians
  4. George Tipton Wilson Papers Ned Buntline
  5. George Tipton Wilson Papers Will D. Campbell
  6. George Tipton Wilson Papers Mary Carr - Propane Tanker Explosion
  7. George Tipton Wilson Papers Cave-in-Rock
  8. George Tipton Wilson Papers Cherokee Nation
  9. George Tipton Wilson Papers Coast Guard Combatants
  10. George Tipton Wilson Papers Buffalo Bill Cody - Photocopied Letters
  11. George Tipton Wilson Papers Cledie Coffee Murder Trial 1951
  12. George Tipton Wilson Papers Eckanker and Paul Twitchell 1981-1983
  13. George Tipton Wilson Papers Eckanker and Paul Twitchell 1979-1983
  14. George Tipton Wilson Papers Eureka Springs, Arkansas 1966
  15. George Tipton Wilson Papers Parky Feezor - Correspondence 2008-2010
  16. George Tipton Wilson Papers Cornelia Fort

Box 8

  1. George Tipton Wilson Papers Randy Downs - Dog Trainer
  2. George Tipton Wilson Papers Fort Heiman
  3. George Tipton Wilson Papers Friends of Memphis Public Library
  4. George Tipton Wilson Papers Gower House - Smithland, KY
  5. George Tipton Wilson Papers Grabbing
  6. George Tipton Wilson Papers Richard Halliburton
  7. George Tipton Wilson Papers Daniel Herman- Correspondence
  8. George Tipton Wilson Papers Island No. 40
  9. George Tipton Wilson Papers Evelyn "Mama Bird" Johnson
  10. George Tipton Wilson Papers Livingstonian Yearbook 1938
  11. George Tipton Wilson Papers Nancy Harkness Love
  12. George Tipton Wilson Papers Hylan B. Lyon
  13. George Tipton Wilson Papers Hylan B. Lyon
  14. George Tipton Wilson Papers Lyon Quintriplets
  15. George Tipton Wilson Papers Mantle Rock Cherokees
  16. George Tipton Wilson Papers Chief Phillip Martin
  17. George Tipton Wilson Papers Melungeons
  18. George Tipton Wilson Papers Memphis Belle
  19. George Tipton Wilson Papers John A. Morrell
  20. George Tipton Wilson Papers Molly Moses - Buffalo Bill Cody
  21. George Tipton Wilson Papers Murray State Reunion - Class of 1943

Box 9

  1. George Tipton Wilson Papers Native Americans serving in United States Military
  2. George Tipton Wilson Papers National Association for Outlaw and Lawman History 1993
  3. George Tipton Wilson Papers Okinawa Invasion 2008
  4. George Tipton Wilson Papers Thomas Paine
  5. George Tipton Wilson Papers Paris Rotary Club 1963-1965
  6. George Tipton Wilson Papers Paris Rotary Club 1960-1965
  7. George Tipton Wilson Papers Pearl Harbor Tragedy 1944 (1)
  8. George Tipton Wilson Papers Pearl Harbor Tragedy 1944 (2)
  9. George Tipton Wilson Papers P.T. Boats
  10. George Tipton Wilson Papers Slaves of Native Americans
  11. George Tipton Wilson Papers Slaves - Trail of Tears

Box 10

  1. George Tipton Wilson Papers Smithland, Kentucky
  2. George Tipton Wilson Papers Smithland Methodist Church
  3. George Tipton Wilson Papers Steamboat Race - Louisville 1964
  4. George Tipton Wilson Papers Tallest Cypress Tree
  5. George Tipton Wilson Papers Tennessee Mules
  6. George Tipton Wilson Papers Tennessee Squires
  7. George Tipton Wilson Papers Harry S. Truman
  8. George Tipton Wilson Papers Tuskegee Airmen
  9. George Tipton Wilson Papers West Loch Incident 1991-1994
  10. George Tipton Wilson Papers West Loch Incident 1995-1996
  11. George Tipton Wilson Papers West Loch Incident 1996-1997

Box 11

  1. George Tipton Wilson Papers West Loch Incident 1997
  2. George Tipton Wilson Papers West Loch Incident 1997
  3. George Tipton Wilson Papers West Loch Incident - After Action Reports
  4. George Tipton Wilson Papers Charles Bank Wilson
  5. George Tipton Wilson Papers Harry W. Wilson

Box 12

  1. George Tipton Wilson Papers Autobiography of Chief Phillip Martin - Draft Chapters 1-4
  2. George Tipton Wilson Papers Autobiography of Chief Phillip Martin - Draft Chapters 5-8
  3. George Tipton Wilson Papers Autobiography of Chief Phillip Martin - Draft Chapters 9-11
  4. George Tipton Wilson Papers Autobiography of Chief Phillip Martin - Draft Chapters 12-13

Box 13

  1. George Tipton Wilson Papers Photographs - Miscellaneous
  2. George Tipton Wilson Papers Photographs - Self
  3. George Tipton Wilson Papers Photographs - Family ca. 1930s-1940s
  4. George Tipton Wilson Papers Photographs - Livingston County High School 1939
  5. George Tipton Wilson Papers Photographs - Paris Intelligencier 1947
  6. George Tipton Wilson Papers Photographs - Mitchum Company 1959-1970
  7. George Tipton Wilson Papers Smithland
  8. George Tipton Wilson Papers Rejection Letters

Box 14

  1. Scrapbook Pre-World War II
  2. Scrapbook Pre-World War II

Box 15

  1. Scrapbook Pre-World War II
  2. Scrapbook Pre-World War II

Box 16

  1. Scrapbook World War II
  2. Scrapbook World War II
  3. Misc. documents

Box 17

  1. Scrapbook Post-World War II
  2. Scrapbook Post-World War II

Box 18

  1. Scrapbook Post-World War II
  2. Scrapbook Post-World War II

Box 19

  1. Newspaper and magazine pages

Box 20

  1. Miscellaneous Magazines

Box 21

  1. World War II Envelopes and postcards