MSS 139 Simeon S. Willis Collection, 1786-1968 OVERVIEW Number
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Simeon S. Willis Papers MSS 139 Page 1 MSS 139 Simeon S. Willis Collection, 1786-1968 OVERVIEW Number: MSS 139 Title: Simeon S. Willis Papers Dates: 1786-1968 Media: photographs; documents Quantity: 6 boxes; 3 FF1 folders; 1 FF2 folder Location: Archival Storage. Kentucky Historical Society, 100 W. Broadway, Frankfort, Kentucky, 40601-1931, Phone: (502) 564-1792, Email: [email protected] , http://history.ky.gov HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE COLLECTION Simeon Slavens Willis was born December 1, 1879 in Lawrence County, Ohio, to John H. and Abigail (Slavens) Willis. Willis eventually moved to Ashland, KY, where he practiced law. In 1928, he was appointed to the bench of the Kentucky Court of Appeals to complete the term of Republican Flem D. Sampson who had been elected governor. In 1943, he was elected Governor of Kentucky, and focused his administration on health care reform, transportation, raised teachers' salaries, appointed the first African-American to the state Board of Education and created the Kentucky Commission on Negro Affairs in 1944. Willis married Idah Lee Millis of Catlettsburg, Kentucky, on April 14, 1920. They had one daughter, Sally Lesley Willis, who married Lt. Henry Meigs II on December 30, 1944 and had one son, Simeon Willis Meigs. Simeon Willis died April 2, 1965 and is interred at the Frankfort Cemetery. SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION The Simeon S. Willis materials document the personal and professional life of Kentucky governor Simeon Willis' personal and professional life. It includes photographs of his family and political career; land and property transfer documents; state payroll summaries; banking information; political newspaper clippings; and ephemera such as political campaign publicity materials, programs, announcements, business cards, etc. Also included is correspondence, primarily with his wife, Idah, both before and after their marriage, and daughter, Sally, while she was away at school. Much of the correspondence is directed to Idah Willis, who served as a national committeewoman and was active in Republican women’s organizations in Simeon S. Willis Papers MSS 139 Page 2 Kentucky. Audio recordings of Governor Willis’ inauguration and two speeches are available. ORGANIZATION OF THE COLLECTION This collection is arranged into five series according to format. RELATED MATERIAL Researchers are encouraged to search the Online Collection Catalog for additional related materials. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Preferred Citation: [Identification of item]. Simeon S. Willis Papers, 1786-1968, MSS 139, Kentucky Historical Society. Provenance: Donated by Sally Meigs, 1984 Separated material: The published items in this collection have been individually cataloged and can be found by searching the KHS Library catalog Property rights: The Kentucky Historical Society owns the property rights to this collection. Copyrights: Copyrights have not been dedicated to the public. Consideration of the requirements of copyright is the responsibility of the author and publisher. CONTAINER LIST Box Folder Folder Title Dates Description # # Willis' grandson in ocean; Sally Willis Meigs and son at beach; Simeon Willis; Idah Willis(?) in 1 1 Photographs 1915-1959 garden; Gus Thomas fishing; Harvey Willis(?); Willis in Washington, D.C. Leonard Powell; Idah Willis; Willis; Tom Hackworth at Vesuvius Furnace, OH; Idah Willis at Mt. Vernon; Willis fishing; Willis at law office; postcard portrait of Dr. M. K. Moxley, R. M.? 1 2 Photographs 1918-1950 Davidson and Sim Willis; Willis with grandson Simeon "Willie" Meigs; Sally Willis and Henry Meigs marriage 1944; Mr. and Mrs. Jobson; Sgt. Nat Britton; Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Willis Wedding of Sally Willis and Henry Meigs, 30 Dec 1944; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wall, Thom Wall and Mrs. T. J. S. Caldwell; Thomas Didiar(?), Betty Wall, Charles O'Connell; Idah 1 3 Photographs 1927-1947 Willis, Simeon "Willie" Meigs, Simeon Willis; Sally (Willis) and Henry Meigs, 1950; State Hospital Danville; governor's mansion; Simeon S. Willis Papers MSS 139 Page 3 Frank Bolton, Ralph Gates, Simeon Willis and J. Stephen Watkins at Milton-Madison Bridge Freeing Celebration; Madison Mayor O. L. 1 4 Photographs 1943-1947 Head; Wright Brothers Monument; Red Mile Trotting Track Lexington; J. Stephen Watkins; Paintsville; U.S. Route 23 "Missing Link"; Louisa; Morgan County High School band; 1930-1940 J. Stephen Watkins speaks at West Liberty 13 1 5 Photographs and 1946 Sep 1946; Morgan County High School band; J. Stephen Watkins, Gov. Willis at dinner 1945; 1 6 Photographs 1943-1947 Simeon Willis; Kentucky Reform School(?) Simeon Willis portrait; Willis seated with others dancing in background, men in uniform; Willis at Fort Knox 7 Apr 1947; Willis speaking on radio 1 7 Photographs 1920-1950 WLAP and WFKY; Willis speaking at Red Cross Auditorium at Fort Knox 7 Apr 1947, listening are Gen. Collins, Major Hedkin and Gen. May; Willis addressing Louisville Optimist Club 20 Sep 1946; Willis at Red Bird Mission School (Beverly, KY) commencement 9 Apr 1943; photo of Willis and others signed by Judge E. J. Hunsucker, 26 May 1945; Willis, speaking, and 1 8 Photographs 1943-1953 daughter Sally, listening; J. Stephen Watkins and Willis at dinner, 8 Jun 1945; Gov. and Mrs. Willis stand on small concrete bridge; John Steele, R. S. Blazer, Simeon Willis, B. F. Forgey and H. E. Redmon at Kentucky Colonels party 30 Sep 1953; Willis at desk. Willis and young girl placing box in cornerstone at Paris (KY) Tuberculosis Hospital, 25 Jul 1946; Mimi Chancler, Mrs. A. B. Chandler and governor of Ohio; Wills and Thomas E. Dewey; 1 9 Photographs 1940-1960 Elect Willis Governor billboard at Paducah, KY; Willis being sworn in as governor, 7 Dec 1943; Willis with grandson Simeon "Willie" Meigs, 1950; Willis and A. B. "Happy" Chandler; Willis speaking at inauguration, 7 Dec 1943; Willis tasting peach from basket of "Chief Paduke" peaches, 25 Jul 1945; President 1 10 Photographs 1900-1965 Truman, Willis and Sen. Alben Barkley, Oct 1945; Emma Nell & Anne (or Amy); Idah Willis c1920s; Willis c1920s; pictures from party; Willis and group in front of 22 Sep 1 11 Photo Album twin-engine airplane "Ashland Flying Octanes; 1954 crowd in western-theme museum Simeon S. Willis Papers MSS 139 Page 4 Album given to Willis to commemorate his visit to Fort Knox, KY, on Army Day, 7 Apr 1947, 1 12 Photo Album 7 Apr 1947 signed by Maj. Gen. John W. Leonard. Signal Corps photographs of events and people. Boulton; Drury; Brooks; Culbertson; Marshall; Porter; Swartz; Mrs. Leslie (Nelle R.) Croft, niece by marriage, seeking teaching position; Thomasson; Stanley Reed, U.S. solicitor 2 1 Correspondence 1934-1943 general; Allday; Hubert Meredith, tips for candidacy; Allison; Bryan; Coyte; Ramey; Ryle; Adams; Churchill; Schwalbach; Wallis. Jessie Stuart, author, "Beyond Dark Hills," "Taps for Private Tussie," "The Year of My Rebirth"; Russell; Gerards and Gypsy; Charles E. Whittle, chairman, Kentucky Public Service Commission; 2 2 Correspondence 1944-1960 Slaymaker; Simeon Willis response to newspaper article concerning William P. Mount and the Union charge up Missionary Ridge; Gov. Thomas Dewey; Meigs. Wedding announcement; family pictures; family Correspondence news; from Winifred 2 3 Adams Berg 1934-1938 (niece) to Simeon Willis family news; family pictures Correspondence 2 4 from Amy Willis 1936-1954 Buffington (sister) Correspondence family news 2 5 from Madelyn 1935-1938 (niece) Correspondence family news between Simeon 2 6 1903-1911 Willis and Harvey L. Willis (brother) Correspondence family news; letters of military life, illness, from between Simeon Camp Sherman, Ohio during World War I 2 7 1911-1918 Willis and Harvey L. Willis (brother) Simeon S. Willis Papers MSS 139 Page 5 letters from Camp Taylor, KY, during World War Correspondence I 2 8 from Gerard W. 1918 McNeal (nephew) Deskins; Flanary; Auxier; Rutherford; Korn; Fyffe; Siler; Hines; Buehler; Blackburn; Cornelison; Winn; Jenkins; Nickell; Anderson; Correspondence 2 9 1939-1943 See; Caldwell; Hezelrigg; Ashmore; Randolph; (telegrams) Dimmick; McKinstry; O'Brien; Byrd; Shepard; Abbott; Forbes; Roberts Rogers; Shonert; Welch; Leadingham; Risen; Page; Wright; Lida; Cassiday and Nickell; Collins; Steele; Adelaide and Hotard; Maise; Williams; Fullerton; Burnam; Revercomb; Speight; Wood; Dale; Vaughan; Nels; Ethridge; Miller; Bauman; Carrier; Alexander; Walsh; Tyree; Black; Smoot; Howard; Strother; Arnett; Correspondence 3 Nov - 4 2 10 Hallanan; Moore; Evans; McCoy; Hobbs; (telegrams) Nov 1943 Kimberly; Black; Brock; Felt; Moore; Ridgley; Hook; Hagin; Turner; Downs; Burpo; Taylor; Clark; Adair; Stambaugh; Hyden; Taylor; Shirley and Georgia; Montgomery; King; Duncan; Downing; Tynes; Sampson; Jarvis; Boatman. Smiley; McCann; Rountree; VanHook; Johnson; Weideman; Nash; Jones; Taylor; Odell; Nichols; Mason; Bischoff; Ward; Carter; Vain; Taylor; Salyer; Barton; Knuckles; Thompson; Baker; Correspondence 5 Nov - 17 Braxton; Risner; Josselson; Gatrell; Horger; 2 11 (telegrams) Nov 1943 Lobwing; Robsion; Sturgill; Sharpton; Fred; Bobbitt; Lyons; Walker; Clay; Crain; Miller; Martin; Tucker; Blatt; Perkins; Bill (brother); Walker; Bentley; O'Rear; Healey. Courtship letters. Includes clippings from 1919 Correspondence Life magazine; between Simeon July - Sept 2 12 Willis and Idah 1919 Millis (before she became his wife) Courtship letters. Simeon discusses buying Correspondence cameo and ring for Idah in Cincinnati; between Simeon Dec 1919 - 2 13 Willis and Idah Feb 1920 Millis (before she became his wife) Simeon