Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], W. C. Thomas Papers, Ms1988-013, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The W. C. Thomas Papers was acquired by Special Collections in 1988.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the W. C. Thomas Papers was completed in October 2013.

Biographical Note

William Crockett Thomas was born in Wytheville, Virginia, on March 30, 1881. He went to King College in Bristol, Tennessee, and then got his Law Degree from Washington & Lee University. He eventually became a Judge in Wythe County. He married Czarina Pettit, and he had three children. He was on the Town Council of Wytheville and was also mayor. He was a member of the Democratic Party, Wythe County Democratic Committee Chairman, and a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. He died on May 8, 1963.

Sources:

"Judge William C. Thomas" entry, Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/96704236/thomas , accessed Dec. 13, 2022.

"Thomas, U to Z" entry, The Political Graveyard: A Database of American History, http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/thomas9.html , accessed Dec. 13, 2022.

William C. Thomas Sr. Papers, Mss. Collection# 2005.4, Special Collections, Kegley Library, Wytheville Community College, Wytheville, VA, https://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaxtf/view?docId=wcc/viwyc00005.xml , accessed Dec. 13, 2022.

Scope and Content

The W. C. Thomas Papers were created by Thomas during his trip to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, in July 1940. The papers describe Thomas' experiences traveling to the convention by multiple modes of public transportation, his daily activities while in Chicago, and the convention events. He reports on the Virginia delegates meetings, as well as speeches by then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt. After leaving Chicago, he recounts his travels in Louisville, Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee, on route home.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• Wythe County (Va.)

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the W. C. Thomas Papers, Ms1988-013 by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).