This collection is comprised of military and personal papers of Alex W. Spence. The military papers relate to Spence's service in the U.S. Army 36th Infantry Division, part of the American Expeditionary Force in France during World War I. They include a history of 36th Infantry Division operations in France; field, special, and secret orders; biographical sketches of officers; photographs; and lists of officers, appointments, infantry casualties; and Croix de Guerre and Medal Militaire recipients. Three "Boosts and Knocks" journals contain memos and commentary from soldiers and division commanders regarding the embarkation camp at St. Nazaire, France, 1919. Personal Papers include a speech Spence delivered at a 1911 Dallas High School debate, in which he takes a progressive position on race relations, discussing education, voting rights, and social issues. This series also includes letters Spence received in response to his speech, which had been published in the Dallas Morning News. The letters both praise and critize his opinions. Letters written home to his wife written during World War I are also included. Harmful Content Warning The Alex. W. Spence Papers reflect the attitudes, ideas, and norms of the time periods and cultures in which they were created. Researchers using this collection may encounter materials that use inappropriate or harmful language to describe persons and events in individual documents or photographs. UTA Libraries seek to balance the preservation of this history with sensitivity to how these materials are presented to researchers.
Finding aid available here. Materials provided by Special Collections and Archives at the University of Texas at Arlington.
