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F. Furman Betts papers
The F. Furman Betts papers chronicle Betts's World War I service through his own letters, diaries, notes, photos, and memorabilia. The bulk of the papers span from 1917 to 1919 and they are housed in eleven folders in one box. Betts's son Richard compiled transcribed excerpts from some B...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Collection: | F. Furman Betts Papers |
| Collection Number: | 3655 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
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| Physical Description: |
0.4 Linear feet ; 1 box |
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| Access: |
The collection is open for research. |
| Summary: |
The F. Furman Betts papers chronicle Betts's World War I service through his own letters, diaries, notes, photos, and memorabilia. The bulk of the papers span from 1917 to 1919 and they are housed in eleven folders in one box. Betts's son Richard compiled transcribed excerpts from some Betts's letters and some original materials into two scrapbooks. One was created for the 80th Anniversary of the American Friends Reconstruction Unit and contains material from September 1917 to June 1918 (Folder 10). The other scrapbook is a remembrance of Betts's work with the Army Ambulance Service and was compiled from items dated August 1918 to May 1919 (Folder 11).
While in France and England, Betts wrote home frequently. He wrote to his family generally, as well as to individual family members, his mother, father, sister Helen, and a brother nicknamed "Fatty." There are also letters addressed to "Aunt Bessie," "Dutch," as well as a few letters addressed to people not directly associated with the family. He numbered almost all of his letters, and they remain in number (and chronological order) in Folders 1-4. Though he never discussed his exact work with the AFRU or the USAAS, he was very detailed in his writings about his travels and the people he met, the French people and refugees, and the affects of the war on the places he visited. He also occasionally discussed American politics and how the Europeans viewed Americans at this time. All of his letters are very cordial, some are quite lengthy, and he remained very positive about his decision to serve and the work he was doing.
In addition to his letters, Betts summarized his time aboard the Rochambeau and his first several days in Europe in a personal diary (Folder 5). He also took numerous pictures, which he placed into two photo albums (Folder 8-9). The photos generally follow Betts's movements chronologically, and he wrote captions for each one. A number of loose photos that were laid into a modern notebook have been removed from the notebooks, re-housed, and now reside in Folder 7. This collection contains the letters and photographs of Germantown resident F. Furman Betts, who served overseas with the American Friends Reconstruction Unit of the American Friends Service Committee in association with the American Red Cross during World War I. Additionally, there are newspapers and other ephemera that he collected, a small diary from his time aboard the Rochambeau and his first few days in Europe, and collections of excerpts from Betts's letters and memorabilia by Richard F. Betts, 1997 and 1998. |