Collections

This collection contains historical booklets and tourist material about Merseyside and Liverpool, England, as well as more general English tourist information. These items tie to Barbara Boyett Rutenkroger's English childhood during World War II. Other materials pertain to life on Misawa Air Base in the 1960s and the Boyetts' experience while stationed there. These include contemporary newspapers like the Pacific Stars and Stripes and the Misawa base's newspaper Wing Span, pamphlets about the base, and Lloyd K. Boyett's Certificate of Service for 2 ½ years serving on the 1953rd Communications Squadron. Japanese tourist material from the 1960s is included too. Additionally, this collection contains examples of Japanese folk art that Barbara Boyett Rutenkroger seems to have acquired in the 1960s while living at Misawa. These include three Yawata-Uma horse figurines, a set of three carved and painted wooden plates, a carved wooden tablet, a painting, and a piece that appears to have been created by painting a carved sheet of rubber.

Personal papers including photocopies and photographs of biographical information and materials concerning the history of Pensacola Navy Yard and Warrington, Florida.

Motion picture films documenting the productions of Beckley Films, Inc of Bradenton, Florida.

This collection relates to the Utah Beehive Chapter of the Merchant Marine veterans' organization who served during World War II. The collection contains various documents and photographs related to veterans of this chapter.

Addresses delivered by former Florida Circuit Judge Ben C. Willis and an article written by Willis for the Florida Heritage Foundation News and Views. These materials are useful to researchers studying Tallahassee life during the 1930s. According to Lee Willis, these addresses were probably given at the Exchange Club in Tallahassee, which met at the Cherokee Hotel until it closed.

This collection relates to U.S. Navy Lieutenant Benjamin T. Leland who served as a fighter pilot on the U.S.S. Wasp with VF-86 Squadron during World War II in the Pacific Theater of Operations and remained in the U.S. Navy Reserves until retiring in 1964. He was recalled to active duty as a pilot during the Korean War from 1951 to 1953 and served with Squadron VF-831 on the U.S.S. Antietam. This collection includes Leland's oral history interview transcript, memoirs, artifacts, flight equipment, documents, Leland's U.S. Navy Flight Jacket, and photographs.