A Guide to the William Harry Clarke Collection, 1935-1946 #Ms2021-207

Biographical/Historical Note

William Harry Clarke, Jr. was born in Huntington, West Virginia, in March of 1913. He and his wife, Ruth Gilmore, born in 1914, met as teenagers at Temple Baptist Church, while attending high school together at Huntington High School. Both graduated from Marshall College.

A vast majority of these letters were written during the time of World War II when Clarke resigned from pastoring at the Highland Park Baptist Church to serve with the 9th Army in England, France, and Germany. William Harry Clarke, Jr. and Ruth Gilmore Clarke had a son named William Harry Clarke III also known as "Sonny." Ruth and Sonny visited the Chaplain during his schooling at Harvard until he was shipped overseas. As a result, they moved to Portsmouth, Virginia to be with Ruth's parents while Chaplain Clarke served out his time with the military. Some of the letters are written from Huntington.

Scope and Content

This collection includes correspondence between Chaplain William Harry Clarke to his wife and son Ruth and William Harry Clarke III (Sonny). The correspondence occurred during World War II with Chaplain Clarke being stationed overseas in various places ranging from Paris to Berlin, while the family was in the United States. In addition, there are miscellaneous items, religious pamphlets, associated photographs, drawings by "Sonny," etc. The main components of this collection are:

Correspondence between Chaplain William Harry Clarke and Ruth Clarke, his wife (1935-1946).

Correspondence between Chaplain William Harry Clarke and William Harry Clarke III (Sonny), his son.

Miscellaneous correspondence sent to Chaplain William Harry Clarke.

Photographs of his wife and son, and military exploits while in the service and overseas.

Miscellaneous newspaper clippings.

Scenes from post-war Germany (or Europe).

Contents List

Box 1

Box-folder 1:1
Correspondence, William Harry Clarke to Ruth Gilmore, 1935
Box-folder 1:2
Correspondence, William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, 1937
Box-folder 1:3
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to William Harry Clarke, 1937
Box-folder 1:4
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, June 1944
Box-folder 1:5
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, July 1944
Box-folder 1:6
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, November 1944
Box-folder 1:7
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, December 1944
Box-folder 1:8
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, January 1945
Box-folder 1:9
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, February 1945
Box-folder 1:10
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, March 1945
Box-folder 1:11
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, April 1945
Box-folder 1:12
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, May 1945
Box-folder 1:3
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, June 1945
Box-folder 1:14
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, July 1945
Box-folder 1:15
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, August 1945
Box-folder 1:16
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, September 1945
Box-folder 1:17
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, October 1945
Box-folder 1:18
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, November 1945
Box-folder 1:19
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, December 1945

Box 2

Box-folder 2:1
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, January 1946
Box-folder 2:2
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, February 1946
Box-folder 2:3
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, March 1946
Box-folder 2:4
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, April 1946
Box-folder 2:5
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, May 1946
Box-folder 2:6
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, June 1946
Box-folder 2:7
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, July 1946
Box-folder 2:8
Correspondence, Ruth Clarke to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, August 1946
Box-folder 2:9
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, June 1944
Box-folder 2:10
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, July 1944
Box-folder 2:11
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, November 1944
Box-folder 2:12
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, December 1944
Box-folder 2:13
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, January 1945
Box-folder 2:14
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, February 1945
Box-folder 2:15
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, March 1945
Box-folder 2:16
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, April 1945
Box-folder 2:17
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, May 1945
Box-folder 2:18
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, June 1945
Box-folder 2:19
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, July 1945

Box 3

Box-folder 3:1
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, August 1945
Box-folder 3:2
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, September 1945
Box-folder 3:3
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, October 1945
Box-folder 3:4
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, November 1945
Box-folder 3:5
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, December 1945
Box-folder 3:6
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, January 1946
Box-folder 3:7
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, February 1946
Box-folder 3:8
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, March 1946
Box-folder 3:9
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, April 1946
Box-folder 3:10
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, May 1946
Box-folder 3:11
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, June 1946
Box-folder 3:12
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Ruth Clarke, July 1946
Box-folder 3:13
Correspondence to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, 1944-1946
Box-folder 3:14
Correspondence, Rene Robinson to Ruth Clarke, December 1944
Box-folder 3:15
Correspondence, telegrams from William Harry Clarke
Box-folder 3:16
Correspondence, regarding retrieval of historical paintings, St. Ulrich Lutheran Church, Augsburg, Germany, June 21, 1945
Box-folder 3:17
Correspondence to Ruth and Sonny Clarke
Box-folder 3:18
Correspondence, Grandmother to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, 1945
Box-folder 3:19
Correspondence, Mother to Chaplain William Harry Clarke, 1944-1946
Box-folder 3:20
Correspondence, Chaplain William Harry Clarke to Sonny Clarke, 1944-1946
Box-folder 3:21
Correspondence, miscellaneous V-Mail
Box-folder 3:22
Chaplain William Harry Clarke, Diary/Planner, 1945
Box-folder 3:23
Chaplain William Harry Clarke, Diary/Planner, 1946
Box-folder 3:24
Chaplain William Harry Clarke, Meal Card, Transatlantic Crossing, December 1946
Box-folder 3:25
Chaplain William Harry Clarke, Military Papers, 1944-1946
Box-folder 3:26
Documents, religious services, 1945-1946
Box-folder 3:27
Stars and Stripes , 1945
Box-folder 3:28
Newsletter, Lincoln Junior High School, Huntington, January 1929
Box-folder 3:29
William Harry Clarke, certificates of completion, training courses for Sunday School workers, April 22, 1938
Box-folder 3:30
Correspondence, William Harry Clarke and President Lyndon Johnson, 1964
Box-folder 3:31
Correspondence, Bill Moyers to Harry Clarke, September 24, 1966
Box-folder 3:32
Autobiographical information, William Harry Clarke, 1999
Box-folder 3:33
Clippings