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Minshew, Davis (Second World War correspondence)
2016.170.w.r
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Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Davis Minshew Second World War correspondence collection
source:
Mangrum, Boyd
Creator:
Minshew, Davis
Identifier/Call Number: 2016.170.w.r
Physical Description:
.167 Linear feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1937 February 1 - 2001 August 5
Date (inclusive): 1937 February 1-1950 July 24
Abstract: This collection contains correspondence from Lieutenant Davis Minshew, United States Navy, to his friend Leonard Gorin, Jr.
written between 1938 and 1949. The correspondence includes Minshew's pre-war occupations and military training and well as
his wartime experiences and post-war jobs. It also contains correspondence to Leonard Gorin, Jr. from Davis Minshew's mother
(Missouri Avery), from his aunt Vera Gorin, from W. R. Lundgren (Bill) and from others identified only by first name, Marty
(married to Bill) and Connie.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: WWII 52
Container: 8-16
Container: 1-9
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Boyd Mangrum and Melvin Lipsitz, Jr.
Letters in the collection are arrranged by material type, date, and author. Most of the letters are from Davis Minshew to
his friend Leonard L. Gorin, Jr. Gorin assigned numbers to the correspondence, writing the numbers in the lower right corner
of the pages. For the most part, this numbering follows the chronolgical order of the letters, but there are a few exceptions.
In those instances, the letters are arranged by date rather than by Gorin's numbering.
- Series 1, Correspondence from Davis Minshew to Leonard L. Gorin, Jr.
- Series 2, Correspondence from Missouri Avery Minshew to Leonard L. Gorin, Jr.
- Series 3, Correspondence from W.R. (Bill) and Marty Lundgren to Leonard L. Gorin, Jr.
- Series 4, Correspondence from Vera Gorin and Connie to Leonard L. Gorin, Jr.
- Series 5, Biographical information on Leonard L. Gorin, Jr.
- Series 6, Photograph of Davis Minshew and crewmembers
Lieutenant Davis Minshew, United States Navy (5/16/1916 - 6/27/1949) was born to Thomas E. and Missouri Avery Minshew in Teague,
Texas. During the Second World War Lt. Minshew served on the USS R-14, and commanded the USS Numitor, USS Menominee, USS Layson
Island and USS Abnaki. He passed away for unknown reasons at the age of 33 in Houston, Texas.
http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/freestone/vitals/deaths/dead1949.txt
-- http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/freestone/cemetery/greenwoo.txt
-- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Numitor_(ARL-17)
Leonard L. Gorin, Jr. was the only grandson of Isaac Goido (pen name Bernard Gorin), a distinguished Yiddish novelist, dramatist,
and drama critic, who was born in Lida, Poland and immigrated to the United States, becoming a prominent figure in the New
York City literary world. According to the donor, information about Isaac and his wife Elizabeth, also an author, can be found
in the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia. Elizabeth passed away in 1945 while Leonard was in the Army, and he was dispatched to
New York to make arrangements and receive her and her deceased husband's extensive library of Yiddish books; most of which
were donated to the New York Public Library. He and Davis were very literary, and Leonard had a distinguished law career until
he passed away in 2014.
[Item title, Box number, Folder number] Davis Minshew Second World War correspondence (2016.170.w.r), Center for American
War Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this
collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.
This collection contains the correspondence of Lt. Davis Minshew, USN to Leonard L. Gorin, Jr., between 1938 and 1949. There
are no letters from 1943. Other gaps are from November 1940 to April 1941, from August 1942 to June 1944 and from June 1947
to February 1948. Most of the letters are from Minshew during his service in the Navy during the Second World War.
The collection also contains correspondence to Leonard Gorin, Jr. from Davis Minshew's mother (Missouri Avery Minshew), from
W. R. Lundgren (Bill) and from others identified only by first name, Martha/Marty (married to Bill), and from Minshew's Aunt
Vera and a Connie Richards (last name confirmed by the daughter of her and Warren).
Accessioned and added 1/28/2022: one photograph of Davis Minshew and fellow crewmembers. The photograph was takend possibly
abourd the USS Numitor. The six other sailors are African American.
There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the
responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions. For further copyright information, please contact the archivist.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War (1939-1945)
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
World War (1939-1945) -- Military operations, Naval -- American
World War (1939-1945) -- United States -- Veterans -- Mental health
World War (1939-1945) -- United States -- Veterans -- Psychology
World War (1939-1945) -- Psychological aspects
Mangrum, Boyd
Gorin, Leonard L., Jr., 1915-2014