Guide to the Herman R. Brown Papers
1946-1985 (Bulk 1946-1951)
MS 80
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024
Phone: (212) 873-3400
@ 2011 New-York Historical Society
Collection processed by Processed by Tiffany Schureman and Courtney Lavery
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit
on October 19, 2011
Description is in
English.
Descriptive Summary
| Title: | Herman R. Brown Papers |
|---|---|
| Dates: | 1946-1985 (bulk 1946-1951) |
| Abstract: | Correspondence involving Herman R. Brown, an African- American solider and Mary K. Groom, married name Cox. Brown and Groom sent love letters to each other, which continued even after each was married to other people. The majority of the letters are from Brown to Groom from 1946-1951. Included are some letters from friends and others. |
| Quantity: | 0.43 Linear feet (1 box) |
| Location note: | Manuscript cage |
| Material Specific Details note: | [material specific details such as mathematical data, scale for maps, physical presentation data for music records] |
| Call Phrase: | MS 80 |
Biographical Note
| 1946 Apr. | Herman Richard Brown in army stationed in New Rochelle, New York |
| 1946 June | Brown stationed at Fort McClellan, Alabama |
| 1946 July | Brown asks Mary Groom to marry him; she never answers him |
| 1946 Sept. | Brown stationed at Camp Stoneman, California |
| 1946 Oct. | Brown stationed in Japan |
| Late 1946 | Brown returns from Japan to California |
| 1948 | Brown stationed at Fort Lawton, Washington |
| Early 1949 | Mary Groom marries Walter E. Cox, Jr. |
| 1956 July | Brown stationed in Germany/Cox working for army |
| 1958 Apr. | Brown stationed at Fort Hood, Texas |
| 1961 Oct. | Brown living in Anchorage, Alaska |
Scope and Content Note
The Herman R. Brown Papers mainly consist of correspondence between Herman R. Brown, an African-American solider and Mary Groom Cox. Brown is from New Rochelle and Groom is from the Bronx. There are approximately 145 letters (Folders 1-13). The letters are primarily of a personal nature between Herman Brown and Mary Groom. The collection consists of love letters Brown and Cox wrote to each other before and after they were married to others. It is unclear in the letters why the two never married each other. The other letters consist of correspondence from friends and businesses. The letters from their friends mostly focus on Brown and Cox's relationship. Brown never discusses life in the army or the places he is stationed.
Arrangement
The letters are arranged chronologically.
Access Points
Subject Names
- Brown, Herman Richard
- Cox, Mary Kathryn Groom
Subject Topics
- African American soldiers
- African American women
- Marriage
Family Name(s)
Administrative Information
Custodial History note
Access Restrictions
Open to qualified researchers.
Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to twenty exposures of stable, unbound material per day. (Researchers may not accrue unused copy amounts from previous days.) See guidelines in Reading room for details.
Use Restrictions
Permission to quote from this collection in a publication must be requested and granted
in writing. Send permission requests, citing the name of the collection from which
you wish to quote, to
Manuscripts Curator
The New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as the Herman R. Brown Papers, the New-York Historical Society.
Container List
|
|
||||
| Container 1 | Container 2 | Title | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box: 1 | Folder : 1 | Correspondence between Brown and Cox |
Undated | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 2 | Correspondence between Brown and Cox |
1946 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 3 | Correspondence between Brown and Cox |
1947 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 4 | Correspondence between Brown and Cox |
1948 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 5 | Correspondence between Brown and Cox |
1949 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 6 | Correspondence between Brown and Cox |
1950 Jan.- 1950 Apr. | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 7 | Correspondence between Brown and Cox |
1950 May - 1950 Oct. | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 8 | Correspondence between Brown and Cox |
1951-1952 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 9 | Correspondence between Brown and Cox |
1955-1956 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 10 | Correspondence between Brown and Cox |
1958-1959 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 11 | Correspondence between Brown and Cox |
1960 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 12 | Correspondence between Brown and Cox |
1962-1963 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 13 | Correspondence, others |
1946-1985 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 14 | Miscellaneous-picture of two African-American males, hotel receipt, notes, annulment
agreement of Mary Cox and Walter E. Cox, Jr. |
1958, Undated | |
|
|
||||