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William Weber Papers

 Collection
Identifier: William Weber papers

Abstract

The William Weber papers primarily deal with material from the late 1940s-late 1960s, with many of the files and their subjects created by Weber himself. Material includes items related to Weber's personal life and career, various functions of the Episcopal church, and larger social issues such as McCarthy-era fear of Communism and the Civil Rights movement.

Dates

  • Creation: 1935 - 1967

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to the public and must be used in the John M.K. Davis Reading Room of the Watkinson Library, Trinity College Library, Hartford, Connecticut. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws when using this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Digital surrogates may be provided to researchers, in accordance with the duplication policy of the Watkinson Library.

Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs unless otherwise specified. It is the researcher's responsibility to secure permission to publish materials from the appropriate copyright holder.

Archival materials may contain sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal and/or state right to privacy laws or other regulations. While we make a good faith effort to identify and remove such materials, some may be missed during processing. If a researcher finds sensitive personal information (e.g. social security numbers) in a collection, please bring it to the attention of the reading room staff.

Biographical / Historical

Reverend William Weber’s career was wide-ranging. A graduate of Stephens College of Columbia University and the General Theological Seminary, he was ordained in his hometown of Millville, New Jersey, in 1935. That same year, he began serving the All Saint Episcopal Church in Valley City, North Dakota. He later moved to Arlington, New Jersey, to serve as Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church. In 1948, however, Weber left the parish for political reasons: on March 5, 1948 he participated in a demonstration protesting the detainment of six alleged Communists. This, along with his support for Henry A. Wallace, prompted the Vestry to ask for his resignation. From New Jersey, Weber went to Littleton, New Hampshire, where he served as Vicar for the All Saints Church and as the Chaplain of the diocesan girl’s school St. Mary’s-in-the Mountains. In 1957 Weber moved to Derby, Connecticut, serving at St. James Episcopal Church. From Derby, in the summer of 1964, Weber made a trip to Mississippi to help the Mississippi Freedom Project, serving as Chaplain for the student volunteers. Weber, with his wife Jean and his two children, Mary and William, later moved to New Haven, where he was active in social issues, specifically focusing on civil rights and poverty.

Extent

16 Cubic Feet (16 flat archival boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

Collection is arranged by subject. There are four series: Series I: Life and Career Series II: The Episcopal Church Series III: Social Issues Series IV: Miscellaneous files

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was donated by the Rev. William Weber and his two children, William Weber Jr. and Mary Weber Hall, on February 5, 1992.

Bibliography

Trinity College, "Rev. William Weber Collection" (1999). Watkinson Manuscripts Finding Aids. 28.

Processing Information

Weber created the subject files used in the collection, and these files have been left intact even in cases where not all items within the file pertain to the subject. Items within the files have been reordered chronologically, with undated material preceding dated material. Several new files have been created for unlabeled folders and loose items. The entire set of files is reorganized into a processor-created series reflecting the main categories of the items.

Title
Guide to the William Weber papers
Status
Completed
Author
Jessica Sullivan using a Microsoft Word document prepared by Susan Spitler in July 1992 and revised in May 1993. Originally prepared for electronic publication by Michael J. Breen in July 1999.
Date
2020-10-29
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Watkinson Library - Archival Collections Repository

Contact:
Trinity College Library
300 Summit St.
Hartford Connecticut 06106