Reuben L. and Marcionella V. Curtiss papers
Scope and Contents
The Reuben L. and Marcionella V. Curtiss Papers consist mainly of correspondence between Mr. and Mrs. Curtiss during their service in the United States Army in the Second World War. Mr. Curtiss wrote his letters mainly from army posts in the United States (September 1942-July 1943) and from India and China (August 1943-June 1945). Mrs. Curtiss wrote her letters from Milford, Connecticut (September-November 1942), from army posts in the United States (December 1942-June 1944), and from Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines (June 1944-June 1945). The correspondence is most valuable for its descriptions and criticisms of army life and of the people and customs of the places in which the Curtisses were stationed. There is also a diary kept by Mr. Curtiss between February 1944 and December 1945.
The essential biographical source is a 3000-word letter that Mrs. Curtiss (now married to Leland Smith) wrote in February 1979 at the invitation of this department. It is boxed at the beginning of the papers. It not only provides information about parentage, schooling, employment, and the like, but also creates a vivid and moving impression of "Curt & Marcy - Their Life Together." This letter is essential to a full appreciation of the papers. For quick reference, however, please see the chronology selected from it in the Biographical Sketch above.
Dates
- 1942-1979
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright status for collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Reuben L. Curtiss, 1975.
Extent
2.5 Linear Feet (6 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Abstract
Correspondence between Reuben L. and Marcionella V. Curtiss during World War II when each was serving in the United States Army make up the bulk of the papers. Reuben L. Curtiss's letters are sent from various parts of the United States, Africa, India, and China. Marcionella V. Curtiss's letters reflect her service in Australia, New Guinea and the Philippine Islands. There is also a diary kept by Reuben L. Curtiss (1944-1945), and a biographical sketch written by Marcionella V. Curtiss in 1979.
Biographical / Historical
- 1897
- born in North Branford, Connecticut
- [c. 1909]
- left school after the sixth grade
- [1910s]-1942
- held various jobs in New York City and Connecticut
- 1933
- married Marcionella Vegas
- 1938
- bought a campsite in Milford, Connecticut, and began living there except in the winters
- 1940
- built a cabin on the Milford campsite and made it the Curtisses' permanent home
- 1942
- joined the United States Army
- 1943-1945
- served in India and China, supervising transport of American war materiel
- 1945
- left the army
- 1945-[late 1950s]
- held various jobs in Connecticut
- 1952
- fathered a son, Scott Dewitt
- 1978
- died in the Veterans Administration Medical Center in West Haven, Connecticut
MARCIONELLA LILLYAN (VEGAS) CURTISS SMITH (1906-)
- 1914
- born in Forteleza, Brazil, of American-born parents
- 1917
- came to live in New York
- [late 1920s]
- attended junior high school and one month of business school
- [early 1930s]
- worked as a "girl friday" for Reuben Curtiss and attended high school in the evenings
- 1933
- married Reuben Curtiss
- 1933-1942
- held various jobs in New York City and Connecticut
- 1942
- joined the United States Army
- 1944-1945
- served in Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines
- 1945
- left the army
- 1945-1952
- held various jobs in Connecticut
- 1952
- gave birth to a son, Scott Dewitt
- [late 1950s-late 1960s]
- held various jobs in Connecticut
- 1968
- separated from Reuben Curtiss and went to live with his nephew, Leland Smith
- 1971
- moved to the Southwest
- 1978
- married Leland Smith
- Title
- Guide to the Reuben L. and Marcionella V. Curtiss Papers
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- compiled by Susan Grigg and Françoise Rosset
- Date
- March 1979
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository
Yale University Library
P.O. Box 208240
New Haven CT 06520-8240 US
(203) 432-1735
(203) 432-7441 (Fax)
beinecke.library@yale.edu
Location
Sterling Memorial Library
Room 147
120 High Street
New Haven, CT 06511