Conditions Governing Use:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Conditions Governing Access:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Preferred Citation:

John Tyler Papers, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.

Acquisition Information:

Acc. 1968.33, 1860 letter to H.B. Grigsby, was purchased and received on August 1, 1968.

Biographical Information:

John Tyler was the 10th president of the United States. John Tyler was born the son of John Tyler, Sr. (1747-1813) and Mary Armistead (1761-1797), in Charles City County, Virginia, as the second of eight children. He was the 10th President of the United States. Other offices held include Governor of Virginia, U.S. Senator, member of the House of Representatives, member of the Virginia House of Delegates, Captain of a military company, and other offices.

He was educated at the College of William and Mary and went on to study law with his father. John Tyler was married twice. His first wife was Letitia Christian Tyler with whom he had 8 children; she died in the White House in September 1842. His second wife was Julia Gardiner Tyler (July 23, 1820 - July 10, 1889), with whom he had 7 children.

Content Description

Papers, 1840-1931, relating to John Tyler. Includes document, 1842, signed by Tyler; campaign ribbon, 1840, for William Henry Harrison and Tyler; speech, 1915, by Armistead Churchill Gordon at the dedication of monument to Tyler in Richmond, Va.; program, 1931, at the unveiling of Tyler Bust in Virginia State Capitol; and engravings, prints, photographs of portraits and copies of a silhouette of Tyler.

Photocopy of a letter from J. Tyler, Sherwood Forest to John Tyler, Jr., his son, suggesting that he find employment, then he can work on his theological and scientific theories. The Board of Visitors at the College of William and Mary meet to appoint a Professor of Chemistry and "I understand from your last letter . . . you have withdrawn from the candidancy."  January 16, 1854. Copied from the original at the Virginia State Library in 1942.

Letter, dated May 14, 1860, from John Tyler, Sherwood Forest, to H.B. Grigsby seeking information about a meeting of the College of William and Mary Board of Visitors and the death of L.W. Tazewell. 

Related Material

See the Tyler Family Papers, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• College of William and Mary. Board of Visitors
• College of William and Mary. Dept. of Chemistry
• Grigsby, Hugh Blair, 1806-1881
• Harrison, William Henry, 1773-1841
• Photographs
• Programs
• Regalia
• Speeches, addresses, etc.
• Tazewell, Littleton Waller, 1774-1860
• Tyler, John, 1790-1862
• Tyler, John, Jr. (1819-1896)
• Tyler, John, Jr., 1819-1896
• United States--Presidents