Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).

Access Restrictions

Collection open to research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.

Preferred Citation

[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Kenneth E. Sensabaugh Papers, 1944-2009 (bulk 1944-1954), SC 0248, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

Acquisition Information

Donation by Charles P. Blackley Jr., family friend of Kenneth Sensabaugh, in April 2017.

Processing Information

Five Robert E. Lee High School yearbooks (1939-1943) were not retained and were gifted to the Augusta County Historical Society. Loose photographs and ephemera relating to class reunions were removed from the yearbooks, retained in the collection, and arranged accordingly.

Bio/Historical Note

Kenneth Edward Sensabaugh was born May 25, 1926 in Augusta County, Virginia to Robert and Bessie Sensabaugh. Sensabaugh was a graduate of Robert E. Lee High School in Staunton and was a men's clothing salesman from 1942 to 1944. He joined the U. S. Navy soon after graduation, serving as a Coxswain during WWII from June 1944 to July 1946. Sensabaugh served the majority of his deployment period in Okinawa, Japan and photographed his travels abroad. Sensabaugh received an honorable discharge on June 4, 1946 with medals for Victory WWII, America Area, Asiatic Pacific, and 1 Star while serving on board the DE 448 USS Cross. Sensabaugh worked as a bookkeeper in Planter's Nut and Chocolate for more than 37 years and also at Hassett Gun Shop. He was a lifetime member of the Second Presbyterian Church where he was an active member of the choir for 55 years and was an Elder and Deacon. Kenneth Sensabaugh (1926-2009) and his wife, Lois Frances Sensabaugh (1928-2017), had a son and a daughter. The Sensabaughs are buried in Augusta Memorial Park in Waynesboro, Virginia.

Scope and Content

The Kenneth E. Sensabaugh Papers, 1944-2009 (bulk 1944-1954), are comprised primarily of materials related to Sensabaugh's career in the U. S. Navy. Items include photographs (including Sensabaugh's Company 787 A-1 and loose photographs of Kenneth Sensabaugh), sketch portraits of Sensabaugh that also include a negative and positive Photostat copy, military discharge papers, and related ephemera. The collection also includes Sensabaugh's pension information and income tax forms. A photo album consists of black-and-white photographs of Kenneth Sensabaugh while serving in the U. S. Navy and also includes ships, coastlines, and various scenic views of places Sensabaugh visited during his time in the Navy. The photo album is largely blank with only a few pages comprising photographs.

Oversize materials include a sketch portrait of Sensabaugh and a July 1944 photograph of Company 787 A-1 at Camp Peary, Virginia of which Sensabaugh was a member. Both items, along with the photo album, are housed in an oversize box.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged chronologically.

Separated Material

Sharon Taylor's The Complete Registry of the Sensabaughs in America (1985) has been removed from the collection and is cataloged as part of Special Collections' rare book collection.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Augusta County (Va.) -- History
• Blackley, Chuck
• Certificates
• Military discharge -- United States
• Military records
• Photograph albums
• Photographs
• Programs (documents)
• United States -- History, Military -- 20th century
• United States. Navy -- History -- World War, 1939-1945
• World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Japan -- Okinawa Island
• World War, 1939-1945 -- Naval operations
• World War, 1939-1945 -- Veterans -- United States