Conditions Governing Use

The Library believes that all or nearly all material in this collection is likely to be in the public domain, free of copyright restrictions. Visit our Permissions and Publishing page for more information about use of Special Collections materials. The library can provide copyright information upon request, but users are responsible for making their own determination about lawful use of collections materials.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is minimally processed and open for research.

Preferred Citation

MSS 16878, Paul Barringer Myers papers, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia Library.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was a gift from Charles Hiemenz, III via Sean Clarkson to the Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia on 27 June 2022.

Biographical / Historical Description

Paul Barringer Myers was born on March 22, 1878 in Bedford, Tennessee. According to a Pi Kappa Alpha catalog for the Alpha Chapter, founded at the University of Virginia in 1868, Myers attended the University of Virginia at the end of the 19th century. Given the "University of Virginia Law Department" stationary used by Myers, the 1898 date of the letters, and his age at the time of writing, Myers likely studied law as an undergraduate student. The Pi Kappa Alpha catalog lists Myers under "Law", though he does not appear in the University of Virginia Catalog for the 1897-98 or 1898-99 sessions. Following his time as a student, Myers returned to Tennessee, where he practiced as a lawyer. He married Florence Hunter on July 19, 1910 in Shelby, Tennessee. The couple had one daughter. Myers died at the age of 40 on September 17, 1918. He is interred at Willow Mount Cemetery in Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee.

Content Description

This collection contains four letters written by Paul Barringer Myers (1878-1918). Three of the letters are written on University of Virginia letterhead. The letters are addressed to Virginia Wilhoite and Julia Fay Hurt, who attended Monticello Seminary in Godfrey, Illinois. Most of Myers's letters were addressed to Julia Fay Hurt. James C. Hurt, Julia's brother, was a law student at the University of Virginia in 1900, and maybe how Myers knew Julia. The letters' primary topic is a romantic entanglement gone astray between Myers and Wilhoite. One letter was written to Miss Virginia Wilhoite in Godfrey, Illinois, dated April 22, 1898. Three letters were written to Miss Fay Hurt, one addressed to Godfrey, Illinois, dated April 15, 1898, and two addressed to New York City, the first on April 16, 1898, and the second on November 11, 1898, both in the same envelope.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• letters (correspondence)