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William H. Wallace collection, 1944-1946, Date acquired: 05/26/2015

 

Summary

Creator:
William H. Wallace, 1925-1988
Abstract:
The William H. Wallace Collection was donated to Florida State University by Robin Wallace Turco in May 2015.  The centerpiece of the Wallace Collection is a series of forty-six letters and postcards from Josette Asphiotis, a French penpal, to American airman William Wallace from 1944 to 1946.
Extent:
1 boxes
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Title of Item], [Date of Item], [Box and Folder number], William H. Wallace collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. https://purl.lib.fsu.edu/fa/02-15-2022

Background

Scope and content:

The William H. Wallace Collection was donated to Florida State University by his daughter, Robin Wallace Turco in May 2015.  The centerpiece of the Wallace Collection is a series of forty-six letters and postcards from Josette Asphiotis, a French penpal, to William Wallace from 1944 to 1946.  They met sometime in September of 1944 while William was serving with the Army Air Force in Lyon and continued to correspond until after William returned home to Illinois.  These letters highlight the human experience of World War II.  Both Josette and William use their correspondence as a form of coping with the pressures of wartime service and conditions.

Biographical / historical:

William Hemingway Wallace was born June 7, 1925 in Rantoul, Illinois to Emory L. Wallace and Marie H. Wallace. Prior to being inducted into the Army Air Force, Wallace had just earned his high school diploma. He received basic training in Mississippi before being sent overseas as an aircraft radio operator for the Army Air Force in June 1943.  While serving in the European Theater of Operations, Wallace was assigned to the 62nd Troop Carrier Group, 4th Troop Carrier Squadron, following his unit to Egypt, Italy, France, Greece, Austria, and Switzerland.  Wallace was eventually discharged from the United States Army Air Force on November 18, 1945 and soon after married Evelyn J. Wallace.  He reenlisted as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force on 16 December 1949, serving in the military for another eighteen years before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel on September 14, 1967.  He spent several years working at Florida State University from 1971-1977 and remained in Tallahassee before his death in 1988.

Note written by Siegler III, Richard J.

Acquisition information:

Turco, Robin Wallace

The William H. Wallace Collection was donated by his daughter, Robin Wallace Turco.

Custodial history:

Transferred from the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience to FSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives in July 2022.

Processing information:

Processed in 2015.

Arrangement:

Organized topically into twelve folders.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open to all researchers.

Terms of access:

All requests for permission to quote, publish, broadcast or otherwise reproduce from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Associate Dean for Special Collections & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Florida State University Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Title of Item], [Date of Item], [Box and Folder number], William H. Wallace collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. https://purl.lib.fsu.edu/fa/02-15-2022

Location of this collection:
116 Honors Way
Tallahassee
FL
32306-2047
USA