William H. Blashfield letters, 1928-1930

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Blashfield, William
Title
William H. Blashfield letters
Dates
1928-1930 (inclusive)
Quantity
0.2 linear feet, (1 box)
Collection Number
WCMss.054
Summary
This collection contains letters to his mother and father from William Blashfield, a student at Whitman College from 1928 to 1930 in Walla Walla, Washington.
Repository
Whitman College and Northwest Archives
Whitman College and Northwest Archives
Penrose Library, Room 130
345 Boyer Avenue
Walla Walla, WA
99362
Telephone: 5095275922
Fax: 5095264785
archives@whitman.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

William H. Blashfield grew up in Hood River, Oregon in the early part of the 20th century and was a 1928 graduate of Hood River High School. William attended attended Whitman College for two years and then obtained his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Washington in 1932. He was employed by the Oregon-Washington Telephone Company during the 1930s. William was also a piano accompanist for numerous choirs.

In 1941, William married Mathilde Knoll from Hood River. After their marriage, they moved to Galion, Ohio, where he worked as an electrical engineer for the North Electric Company. In 1978, William and Mathilde moved to Deerfield Beach, Florida, where he worked as an electrical engineer with Aptek Company until he was 90 years old. Mrs. Blashfield died in 2004.

William Blashfield died June 26, 2007 in Boca Raton, Florida.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The William H. Blashfield Papers consist primarily of his letters to his mother and father, written by him between 1928 and 1930 while he attended Whitman College. There are also transcriptions of the letters. Also in the collection is a letter of appreciation from a faculty member regarding William's musical abilities. The letters provide an illuminating glimpse of student life at a small college.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically in folders

Acquisition Information

Collection was donated to Whitman College and Northwest Archives by Roger Blashfield in 2008. The accession number is 2008-009.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1 Letters to mother September 1928
1 2 Letters to parents October 1928
1 3 Letters to mother November 1928
1 4 Letters to mother January 1929
1 5 Letters to mother February 1929
1 6 Letters to mother March 1929
1 7 Letters to mother April 1929
1 8 Letters to mother May 1929
1 9 Letters to mother September 1929-March 1930
1 10 Transcriptions of letters 1928-1930

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Corporate Names

  • Whitman College