Home > Research > Promoting Access: The VHS Manuscripts Processing Project

Introduction to the Project

As any archivist will readily tell you, one of the signs of a solid research institution is the vibrancy of its acquisitions program. A research collection should always be growing, not only to serve the study needs of its current patrons, but also to preserve and make accessible resources for future generations of potential users. Continue

Processing the Collections

Archivists will also admit that a healthy acquisitions program can put a significant strain on any institution's human and financial resources. Often, desirable manuscripts collections must be accepted when they are offered, otherwise risking the permanent loss of potentially valuable historic resources. Continue

Featured Collection: Bemiss Papers

FitzGerald Bemiss, of Richmond, Va., financier and state legislator, traveled to China in 1975 to visit an old friend. His friend, George H. W. Bush, was serving as Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office to China as part of the U.S. effort to establish formal diplomatic relations with that country. Continue

Featured Collection: Louthan Family Papers

Alexander Doniphan Louthan was born in Clarke County, Virginia, in 1869 and was educated at Richmond College [now the University of Richmond] and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1904, he traveled to China to become a medical missionary in Chengchow. Louthan worked in China until 1912, when he left to avoid the violence and disruption caused by the Xinhai Revolution. Continue

Featured Collection: Walter Spencer Robertson Papers

Walter Spencer Robertson (1893–1970), originally from Blackstone, Virginia, was a notable figure during the early to mid twentieth century. He served as a pilot during World War I, and worked as an investment banker at Scott & Stringfellow in Richmond, Virginia. He rose to national prominence through his expertise in the culture and politics of the Far East. Continue

Featured Collection: Sutton Papers

David Nelson Sutton (1895–1974), a native of West Point, Va., and a graduate of the University of Richmond, served as an associate counsel to the prosecution during the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, which tried accused Japanese war criminals in 1946. Continue

Featured Collection: Ware Family Papers

In 1917, the United States entered World War I. John and Charles Henry Maddox, two brothers from Wythe County, became involved in the war effort. He spent time stationed in Cuba before being sent to France. Charles Henry's letters home describe his time in Cuba, his disappointment over not being sent to France sooner, and the interaction of the American Marines and the black Cuban soldiers. Continue

Featured Collection: John D. Wood Papers

The papers of Capt. John D. Wood explore army life while he was serving as an artillerist on Corregidor Island in the Philippines in 1941. His letters to his wife provide detailed descriptions of training exercises, the character of his comrades, and soldier recreation. He closely followed the war in Europe and expressed his thoughts on isolationism and the importance of fighting for democracy. Continue

Acknowledgments

Thanks to a generous grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, a significant portion—more than 800 linear feet—of the unprocessed backlog will be cataloged over the next three years. Continue

Contact Us

If you have questions about this project or about collection items featured on this site, please contact E. Lee Shepard, Director of Manuscripts & Archives and Sallie and William B. Thalhimer III Senior Archivist, at (804) 342-9670 or lshepard@vahistorical.org.