Fitzgerald, W. Lyle (1922-1967), Papers, 1918-2003 (C3538)
2.6 linear feet, 1 audio cassette
INTRODUCTION
The W. Lyle Fitzgerald Papers contain the correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, books, pamphlets, awards, announcements, and miscellaneous material of a soldier who fought in the Pacific Theatre during the Second World War.
DONOR INFORMATION
The W. Lyle Fitzgerald Papers were donated to the University of Missouri by his wife, LeNora K. Boyle, on February 17, 2003 (Accession No. 5971).
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
William Lyle Fitzgerald was born near Hamilton, Missouri on October 22, 1922. He was the son of William Mark and Mabel Grieve Fitzgerald. He was educated in the rural school of Dillon near Kingston, Missouri, and later graduated from Hamilton High School. Fitzgerald was a member of Future Farmers of America, and earned numerous awards for his farming and agricultural skills. He was awarded the Degree of American Farmer and the title of Star Farmer-North Central Missouri Region in 1942.
He enrolled at the University of Missouri in 1941. His education was interrupted at the end of his junior year by the Second World War. He entered the service on October 24, 1942, eventually becoming a First Lieutenant in the First Cavalry Division of the U.S. Army. He was sent to the Philippines, where he received the Silver Star for bravery while in combat on Luzon Island in 1945. Upon the surrender of Japan in August 1945, he was sent to Japan as part of the occupation forces where he served as military governor for one year following the close of the war. He was discharged with the final rank of captain in Battery C, 82nd Field Artillery Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, in April 1953.
On October 14, 1944, he married LeNora Klinefelter. They had four children: an infant son born April 15, 1952, who passed away after a few hours; Nancy Lee Fitzgerald, born June 3, 1953; William Mark Fitzgerald II, born December 24, 1957; and James Lyle Fitzgerald, born December 20, 1959.
Upon his return to the United States in 1946, Fitzgerald resumed his education, receiving his B.S. in Economics from the University of Missouri and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. He was head of the Economics Research Department at the Quaker Oats Company in Chicago at the time of his death.
Prior to joining the firm in July 1956, Fitzgerald was an account executive for four years in the Public Relations Department of the J. Walter Thompson Company, a well known advertising agency. He was active in the American Feed Manufacturers Association, as well as a member of numerous honorary and professional organizations including the Economic Club of Chicago, Gamma Sigma Delta, Alpha Zeta, Omicron Delta Kappa, Blue Key, and Alpha Gamma Rho. During his time at MU, he was also a member of the Mystical Seven. Fitzgerald was listed in Who's Who in American Education, American Men of Science, and Commerce and Industry. He was past president of the Committee of 100 in Hinsdale, Illinois, and of the Chicago Alumni Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho, the national agricultural fraternity.
William Lyle Fitzgerald died January 9, 1967. At the time of his death, a memorial fund was established to build a poultry facility at Woodhaven Christian Home for Children in Columbia, Missouri. The purpose of the facility was to provide occupational therapy and educational support for retarded children.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The W. Lyle Fitzgerald Papers consist of correspondence, postcards, photographs, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, awards, certificates, notices, announcements, and miscellaneous material. The bulk of the collection consists of letters exchanged between Fitzgerald and his future wife, LeNora (Lee) Klinefelter, during the Second World War. The papers are arranged into five series: Correspondence, Photographs, Newspapers and Magazines, Books and Pamphlets, and Miscellaneous Material.
The Correspondence series consists of letters, postcards, and assorted greeting cards exchanged mainly between Fitzgerald and Lee Klinefelter, while Fitzgerald was serving in the military and Klinefelter was going to school at the University of Missouri. Other letters are from Lyle and Lee's family members and friends of the Fitzgerald and Klinefelter families. The letters provide a wealth of information on life in the military, Japan, and the Philippines, as well as social life in Columbia, Missouri, during and at the end of the Second World War. This series is arranged chronologically.
The Photographs series consists of photographs and negatives taken in Japan and the Philippines, along with Fitzgerald and Klinefelter family photographs. The series is arranged by subject.
The Newspapers and Magazines series consists of newspaper clippings, newsletters, and periodicals mainly covering developments of the war in the Pacific Theatre, news of the 1st Cavalry Division, and family related news, including a brief article on the death of Lee's father, H.E. Klinefelter. Also included is an article on the William Lyle Fitzgerald Memorial Fund created to aid retarded children. The series has been arranged chronologically.
The Books and Pamphlets series consists of scripts from plays in which Lyle participated, along with instructional books and pamphlets issued to servicemen. The majority of these publications deal with the Philippines and South Pacific islands and their inhabitants. The material has been arranged chronologically.
The Miscellaneous Material series consists of business correspondence, reports, notes, occupation money, programs, meeting flyers, official U.S. Army communications, maps of Japan, uniform patches, and transportation tickets, tags, and schedules. This series also includes award certificates along with two scrapbooks entitled, Supporting Evidence For Application For The Degree of American Farmer, Part One and Two.
In addition, the series contains school report cards and transcripts, graduation announcements, a dance card and souvenir from MU's Barnwarmin' festivities, materials from the Independent Women's Organization banquet honoring MU's 1946 seniors, and an invitation to attend an open house at the residence of President Middlebush for Honors students. Also included are death notices and memorials for Fitzgerald and an oral history interview with Fitzgerald's widow reminiscing about his life. The material has been arranged topically.
FOLDER LIST
| f. 1 | Correspondence, 1918-1942 |
| f. 2 | Correspondence, 1942-1943 |
| f. 3-17 | Correspondence, 1943 |
| f. 18 | Correspondence, 1943-1944 |
| f. 19-37 | Correspondence, 1944 |
| f. 38 | Correspondence, 1944-1945 |
| f. 39-69 | Correspondence, 1945 |
| f. 70 | Correspondence, 1945-1946 |
| f. 71-78 | Correspondence, 1946 |
| f. 79 | Correspondence, 1946-2001 |
| f. 80 | Correspondence, n.d. |
| f. 81-85 | Correspondence, Greeting Cards, Announcements, 1943-1946 |
| f. 86 | Family, Military Camps, Locations |
| f. 87 | Family, Military Camps |
| f. 88 | 1941-1945 |
| f. 89 | 1945 |
| f. 90 | 1945-1967 |
| f. 91 | 1932-1933 |
| f. 92-93 | 1944 |
| f. 94 | 1944-1945 |
| f. 95 | 1945-1946 |
| f. 96-97 | School Material, 1929-1946 |
| f. 98-99 | Degree of American Farmer Scrapbooks, 1942 |
| f. 100 | Certificates, 1942-1945 |
| f. 101-102 | World War II Material, 1943-1946 |
| f. 103-104 | Maps of Japan, 1945-1946 |
| f. 105-106 | Biographical Information, 1961-1968 |
| a.c. 1 | Interview with LeNora K. Boyle on life of W. Lyle Fitzgerald, 2003 |
INDEX TERMS
These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff.
| Birth control | f. 13 |
| Fitzgerald, William Lyle (1922-1967) | f. 1-85, 96-102, 104-106 |
| Fitzgerald, William Lyle (1922-1967) | f. 86, 87 (pictorial material) |
| Japan--Allied occupation | f. 41, 65-67 |
| Prostitution, 1940s | f. 12, 71 |
| U.S. Army--Cavalry, 1st Division--History | f. 90 |
| United States--Social conditions--1933-1945 | f. 1-85, 88-90, 97, 101, 102 |
| United States--Social conditions--1933-1945 | f. 86, 87 (pictorial material) |
| University of Missouri--Student life, 1940s | f. 97-105 |
| Veneral diseases | f. 71 |
| World War, 1939-1945 | f. 86, 87 (pictorial material) |
| World War, 1939-1945 | f. 1-85, 88-90, 92-95, 97-104 |
| World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns and battles--Philippines, Luzon | f. 50, 51, 68 |
| World War, 1939-1945--Cavalry, 1st Division--History | f. 90 |
| World War, 1939-1945--Drill and minor tactics | f. 8, 13, 15, 27, 28 |
| World War, 1939-1945--Medical and sanitary affairs | f. 4, 12, 13, 71 |
| World War, 1939-1945--Military life | f. 86, 87 (pictorial material) |
| World War, 1939-1945--Military life | f. 1-85, 88-95, 100-102 |
| World War, 1939-1945--Missouri, Columbia | f. 1-85, 97, 101 |
| World War, 1939-1945--Sexual hygiene | f. 4 |
| World War, 1939-1945--Tactics | f. 17, 26 |