Jack Strouss and William Devaux Wilson papers
Scope and Content
This collection contains personal correspondence from William "Bill" Devaux Wilson to Jack Strouss, sent mostly from California. In his letters, Wilson discusses their romantic relationship and his life in California. Of particular note is a letter stamped Oct. 11, 1954, in which Bill encourges Jack to marry and have children while still maintaining their relationship. The collection also contains poems and stories written by Wilson.
Dates
- 1952-1955, undated
Creator
- Strouss, Jack (Person)
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. All requests to publish, quote, or reproduce must be submitted through the Kenan Research Center.
Administrative/Biographical History
Jack Strouss (1923- ), born in Atlanta, Georgia, attended Boys High School. He joined the Signal Corps during World War II. After the war, he attended Oglethorpe University and Georgia State University, then worked for the Treasury Department and the U.S. Civil Service Commission. He lost his position in 1950 because of his homosexuality. About that time he met and started dating William Devaux Wilson, and began his 27 year career in theater and film. He volunteered during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s at the AID Ministry and AID Atlanta. William "Bill" Devaux Wilson (1931-2000) was born in Sumter, Georgia. He lived in Augusta, Georgia and worked at his family's mobile home retail business until the family moved to Dallas, Texas in 1953. He later moved to California and became an assistant manager at the Warner Brothers Theatre in Beverly Hills, California, working on popular Hollywood movies including White Christmas, The Country Girl, Not as a Stranger, and Strategic Air Command. In 1955, Wilson began working as an assistant at the Philosophical Research Society, Los Angeles, California.
Extent
0.21 linear ft. (one half document case)
Language
English
System of Arrangement
This collection is arranged alphabetically according to titles supplied by staff.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift, 2006 with subsequent additions
Description Control
This collection was processed in 2016.
Source
- Wilson, William Deveaux (Person)
- Title
- Jack Strouss and William Deveaux Wilson papers
- Author
- Shay Meredith
- Date
- June 2016
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center Repository