VIRGIL STEPHENS Correspondence

Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: BIOGRAPHY
Series 19: STUDENTS
Virgil Stephens, Student, 1935-1936
Correspondence & Entrance Application
1933, 1935-1936

VIRGIL STEPHENS Correspondence

Mary Rogers drawing of coal camps. [pmss_story010drw]


TAGS: Virgil Stephens, correspondence, John Stephens, students, Stephens family, student applications, student autobiographies, Twila KY, coal mining camps, Katie Arnett Stephens, J.S. Stephens


VIRGIL STEPHENS Correspondence 1935-1936
and Entrance Applications 1933 & 1935

Virgil Stephens, PMSS Student, 1935-1936
John Stephens, PMSS Student, 1934-1935

CONTENTS

[NOTE: The following list of contents is in chronological order and not necessarily in the order of the image numbers.]

VIRGIL STEPHENS: Application 1933, 1935

02 April 30, 1933. STUDENT APPLICATION BLANK
Name: Virgil Stephens
P.O.: Twila, Kentucky
Place of birth: Twila ; Date of birth: April 14, 1922 [sic, 1921]
School last attended: Twila, 1933-34
… Grade ready to enter: 7th
Parents: Mr. & Mrs. J.S. Stephens
Father’s occupation: Steam Engineer
Notations in margin: “Too young.”

01 May 9, 1935. STUDENT APPLICATION BLANK
Name: Virgil Stephens
P.O.: Twila, Kentucky
Place of birth: Twila ; Date of birth: April 14, 1921 
School last attended: Twila ; 1934-35
… Grade ready to enter: 8th
Parents: Mr. Mrs. J.S. Stephens
Father’s occupation: Engineer
Notations in margins: “Filled out at P.M.” and “Filled by John S. [likely his brother]”

03 [n.d.] MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY
I.
Facts about Myself
Name: Virgil Hayden Stephen(s)
Born: In Twila, April 13, 1921
I have lived in a Camp for 14 years; Also, I’ve lived in Tennessee, Wallins & Blanchester[?], Ohio.
II. My Family
Father is 42 years old; completed 7 grades in elementary school; current occupation – engineer. He also has been a fireman on train, mines, machinist([?].
Mother’s maiden name was Arnet [sic, Arnett]; 38 years old; completed 6 grades in elementary school.
03a I have 2 brothers and 3 sisters: Hazel (age 24), Allene (21, at college in Richmond), John (16 at OMSS), Billie (11), Mamie (7)

III. Our Home:
We have 1 car and 3 hogs. Our home is a painted frame house, heated by a stove and lighted by electricity. We have no running water; we get water from a pump. Our house has 6 rooms, including 3 bedrooms.
03b We have 75 books in our house. We take The Knoxville News Sentinel, Courier Journal, The Pittsburgh Press.
Musical instruments: violin, guitar, mandolin, ukulele
Home duties: kinlin [kindling], coal, feeding [hogs], [water]

IV. Education
Schools attended: Wallins Creek, Twila, Union Co., Tenn.
I am planning to stay in school through the 12(th) grade, and then … “college” in “Richmond Ky.” My parents would like me to stay in school through…”College”… and then take 2 years in “electricity.”

03c V. My Interests
Play[ing] baseball, basketball, football; Comics
Favorite Subjects: Arithmetic, English, History
Future occupation: first choice – electricity, second choice – mechanics
03d My father would like me to be an engineer.
Belonged to the Boy Scouts

03e, 03f, 03g, 03h HOME AND PARENT’S RECORD
I. DAUGHTER OR SON Son: Virgil Hagen [sic, Hayden] Stephens
II. FAMILY Father: John S. Stephens, age 40, born in Scott Co., Tenn.
Education: 7th grade
Occupation: Steam engineer (Previously farmer, miner, machinist)
Tenant of 30 acres
17 years in Twila, Ky. Also lived in Straight Creek, Ky, and Tenn.
Belongs to Masonic Lodge
Mother; Katie Arnett, age 38, born in Bell County; Education – 1st year high school
Occupation: needlework, canning, baking, sewing
III. HOME….

03i PHYSICAL DATA….
IV. EDUCATIONAL DATA Are you planning to send … to College: “That depends on finances.”
V.
INTERESTS….
03j VI. PARENTS OCCUPATION PREFERENCE FOR CHILD – Electrician
VII. SOCIAL ATTITUDE OR TENDENCIES – Follower; likes to meet new people, not shy among strangers


VIRGIL STEPHENS Correspondence 1935

[Note: Letters from PMSS staff in the PMSS Collections are carbon copies, typewritten, unsigned, and meant for the Office files. The original signed copies were sent to the correspondents. Letters from the Stephens are handwritten and original.]

04 August 5, 1935. To Glyn Morris from J.S. Stephens, Twila, Ky., asking Morris to save a place for Virgil. He will send money after payday “if that will be O.K.”

05 August 16, 1935. To Glyn Morris from J.S. Stephens, sending Virgil’s entrance fee of $10.00. “I hope you are not disappointed in him and I don’t think you will be if you can create in him a desire to work and study willingly.”

06 August 19, 1935. To Mr. Stephens from Glyn Morris, PMSS Director, thanking him for the payment for Virgil’s entrance fee.

07 December 13, 1935. To Mr. Stephens from Glyn Morris, requesting a total of $20.70 for John and Virgil’s fees.

VIRGIL STEPHENS Correspondence 1936

08 February 1, 1936. To Morris from J.S. Stephens, who encloses $5.00 for John and Virgil. 

09 February 3, 1936. To J.S. Stephens from (unsigned), Bookkeeper, thanking him for his payment and enclosing a receipt.

10 March 30, 1936. To Morris from Virgil Stephens, offering to do summer work to pay off his school debt. He explains that his father’s work had been cut back. He also hopes to return to school in the fall and work. “I am sorry I left, but I didn’t think I would like it without John.”

11 April 9, 1936. To John and Virgil Stephens from Morris. “I am sorry that so far as I know it will be impossible for you to come to the school and work. As you know we must give summer jobs to our own students….”

12 MISSING IMAGE?

13 June 13, 1936. To Morris from Virgil Stephens, requesting an application “for a place at Pine Mt. next year.” He assures that his father will pay their bill “as soon as possible.”

GALLERY: VIRGIL STEPHENS Correspondence


See Also:
JOHN and VIRGIL STEPHENS Students – Biography