Conditions Governing Use

Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books, 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

Aquilla Matthews papers, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.

Content Description

The collection contains letters and programs, writings and other papers documenting Aquilla Matthews, an African-American woman originally from Danville, Virginia who was the director of the USO African American Women's group, The Sun and Sand Caravan during World War II. The collection includes: photographs of several members of the group notes with description of different areas served and several letters documenting Matthews personal and professional life.

Arrangement

The Aquilla Matthews papers are arranged into three series: Series I. Photographs, Series II. Correspondence, and Series III. General papers.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Letter writing
• Soldiers' writings, American
• Women soldiers--Correspondence
• World War II
• World War, 1939-1945
• World War, 1939-1945 -- African Americans