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:

Richard Williams Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary

Processing Information:

Accessioned and minimally processed by Benjamin Bromley in June 2011.

Biographical Information:

Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki:

Scope and Contents

Papers, circa 1940s, of Richard Williams, an African-American soldier stationed in Alaska during World War II. Includes a diary, in which he describes the weather, fishing and other recreational activities, and his duties. There are photographs and postcards that have been glued into the diary, which depict the local post office covered in snow, the towns of Juneau and Sitka, as well as Williams and other people that he met. There are also loose photographs, which seem to have come out of the diary, a marriage license for Richard Williams and Mattie Williams, and postcards from other locations.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• African Americans
• Alaska--Description and travel--20th century
• Diaries
• Marriage records
• Photographs
• Plantation life--Virginia
• United States--Alaska--History
• Virginia--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
• World War, 1939-1945