Wallace, Tom (1874-1961) Papers, 1925-1960
Held by The Filson Historical Society
Creator: Wallace, Tom, 1874-1961
Title: Papers, 1925-1960
Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Collections Department.
Size of Collection: 23 cubic feet
Location Number: Mss. A W194b
Scope and Content Note
Collection includes the correspondence, speeches, reports, articles, and other materials of Tom Wallace, editor of The Louisville Times from 1930-1948. Wallace also garnered national attention as a conservationist and as a promoter of better relations between the Americas. He served as president or chairman of a number of national organizations including: the Izaak Walton League of America, the National Conference of State Parks, the Inter-American Press Association, and the American Society of Newspaper Editors. The bulk of the material in the collection deals with conservation, Latin American relations, and journalism, although there is ample material on World War II, race relations, and 20th century Louisville history as well. Correspondents include: prominent conservationists, Secretaries of the Interior, Directors of the National Park Service, Members of Congress, journalists, and local and national politicians.
The collection is arranged chronologically and a detailed calendar/finding aid is available.
Wallace originally stapled or pinned packets of correspondence together by subject and sometimes by individual. This arrangement has been preserved for the most part. As a result, packets of correspondence are filed chronologically by the date on the top letter, but may include letters from other dates. Dates listed in the chronological finding aid correspond to the dates under which materials are filed in the collection, not necessarily the exact dates of the letters.
Biographical Note
Tom Wallace
- 1874 Born November 16 in Hurricane, Crittenden County, Kentucky to Tom Wallace and Mary Stuart (Dade) Wallace; Educated at Sampson’s Academy, Shelbyville; Weaver’s Business College, Louisville; Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Va.
- 1900 Took an unsalaried reporting job at The Louisville Times writing “Little Dramas of the Police Court” and later held a series of brief jobs at the St. Louis Republic, and Louisville Evening Post
- 1905 Joined The Louisville Times editorial staff at the request of then editor Henry Watterson
- 1910 Married Augusta French of Philadelphia, heiress to the Smith-Kline-French pharmaceutical fortune
- 1923 Became head of The Louisville Times Editorial page.
- 1925-1930 Conducted an editorial crusade and gave speeches throughout the state in order to preserve Cumberland Falls from the construction of a hydroelectric dam
- 1930 Became editor of the Times
- 1934 Received the Pugsley Silver Medal from the American Scenic and Historical Preservation Society for outstanding leadership in the preservation of Cumberland Falls
- 1937 Received an honorary degree from the University of Louisville
- 1940-1941 Served as President of the American Society of Newspaper Editors
- 1942-1945 Elected Director of the Izaak Walton League of America
- 1943 Elected vice president of the International Pan-American Press Congress
- 1944 Elected vice president of the American Planning and Civic Association; appointed to the National Parks Service Advisory Board by Harold Ickes, Secretary of the Interior
- 1945 Elected president of the Inter-American Press Association; received the Maria Moors Cabot Award for contributing to international friendship among the Americas
- 1946 Elected president of the Izaak Walton League of America
- 1948 Retired from The Louisville Times and became Editor Emeritus
- 1951 Became honorary lifetime president of the Inter-American Press Association
- 1956 The Tom Wallace Chair of Conservation established at the University of Louisville
- 1961 Died in Prospect, Kentucky on June 5.
See the Louisville Encyclopedia for additional information
Folder List
