The Tom Wallace Papers at The Filson Historical Society

Collections Essay The Tom Wallace Papers at The Filson Historical Society n 1951, at age seventy-seven,Tom Wallace wrote to librarian Dorothy Cullen indicating his wish to donate his " personal papers and other items" to the Filson Club,where he had been a member since his early davs as a journalist in Louisville. 1 Fiftv vears later, Wallace' s papers finally arrived at the Filson after they were rediscovered in an outbuilding on the Wallace family farm in Prospect, Kentucky. Located about ten miles north of Louisville overlooking the Ohio River,the one hundred and sixty acre tract of land was purchased by Wallace in 1910, and despite rampant suburban development in the area in recent years,his son Henry has maintained the farm with a conservation easement and even operates a wildlife refuge and petting zoo on the site named Henry' s Ark. Not far from Henry' s Ark, which attracts thousands of visitors annually, Wallace' s papers 1 • 1 1 65 3 »- were removed from a musty outDullaing,placed in several large plastic tubs,and finally transported to the Filson for arrangement and cataloging in 2001. Fittingly, after surviving for half a century in an idyllic setting on his family' s protected land, the twentythree cubic feet ofTom Wallace's papers at Tom Wallace e, liting, ca. 1948.Be Filson Ihe Filson Historical Society now document the career of one of the Historical Society nation's most influential conservationists during the middle part of the twentieth century. In addition, they chronicle Wallace's long career as editor of the Louisville Times and highlight his lead role in promoting better relations between the United States and Latin America. Wallace was born in Crittenden County in western Kentucky in 1874. Educated as a youth by a family tutor,Wallace studied business at Weaver's Business College in Louisville and later at Randolph Macon College in Ashland,Virginia. While working as a bookkeeper in Shelbyville, Kentucky,and in a New York City toothpowder factory, FALL 2006 71 THE TOM WALLACE PAPERS AT THE FILSON HISTORICAL SOCIETY 1615 Rhode Island Lien ue, Washington, D. C., November li, 1, 28 Mr· lom :. allace, Louisville Times, Louis' ville, 4. Dear Mr. *, anice; Many theunks fa r your letter Of Novaber 13, which has just been fo-warded to me here. I am very glad to know th' t Montgomery : as forced to tell the truth about the Times. This public utility crowd have certainly bee. playing . rotten Ismi, and no mistake. Many thanke also for letting me know about the artiole in the December n,/ ber of Outdoor / nerica. I shall look forward with keen interest to reading it. With all gOOd Y, i Bhes, believe me, Sincerely yours, Letter from Gifford Pi, ichot,Nog.19, 1928.7bc Filson Historical Society Wallace quickly discovered that he " hated : 111 kinds of business." 2 Dissatisfied with his profession, Wallace quit his job in 1900 and set sail down the Florida coast in a rickety boat with two friends. Although the party tiearly starred and the boat frequently capsized, Wallace thoroughly enjoyed the adventure and was awed by the beauty of the landscape and the abundance of wildlife he encountered. As he confessed in his autobiography, his experiences in Florida informed much of his later conservation activism. After the adventure, Wallace returned to Kentucky and embarked on a new career ils a journalist. Despite low pay and a series of brief and menial assignments with several Louisville newspapers,Wallace became the youngest member ofthe CourierJournal editorial staff in 1905. With legendary editor Henry Watterson as his mentor,Wallace developed a reputation for boldness and brevity in his editorials. When Watterson died in 1923,Wallace became chief of the Louisville Times editorial staff. In 1930, he was named editor of the Times,where he remained until age requirements forced him to retire in 1948. He continued writing editorials as editor emeritus until his death in 1961. According to the New York Times, Wallace was " a believer in the 1 / editorial crusade ana his vigorous pen produced some foes"during his lifetime,especially among those who disagreed with his beliefin the value of preserving the nation' s natural...