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Arthur White Collection

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Collection number: MS-105

Scope and Contents

Arthur White(1921-2001) was a journalist who worked with the Bristol Evening Post, Stars and Stripes, and TIME Magazine. He married Louie Peeples a native of Valdosta and graduate of South Georgia State Women's College. The Arthur White Collection includes general memorabilia from Mr. White’s long career with TIME Magazine.  The topics and subject matters are varied.  This collection provides a wide range of artifacts, including, but not limited to:  correspondence, newspaper articles, pamphlets, passports, birth certificates, brochures, and personal and work-related keepsakes.  Most of the artifacts were in good to decent condition, few were in fair condition.  A large amount of the content in this collection is in the original format.

Harmful Content Policy: Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collection’s collection houses materials collected to elucidate the past. We recognize that users may encounter some items within these collections that contain offensive language, viewpoints, imagery or other forms of objectionable content. Such materials document the past and should be viewed within the context of their original time period. Providing online access to these historical materials does not endorse any attitudes, prejudices, or behaviors depicted therein. Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections is committed to upholding the principle of equal and free access to unaltered historical information. (based upon the statement for the Georgia Public Library Service on harmful content)

Dates

  • 1960 - 1980
  • Acquired: 2009-12-31

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Biographical or Historical Information

Arthur William “Art” White was born in 1921 to British-immigrant parents in New Jersey.  His parents returned to England with their 3 children in the early 1930s.  During WWII, “Art” – as he was known to his friends and family – worked for the Bristol Evening Post starting at age 15.  By age 16, he had advanced into a staff position for the Post due to war effort staff shortages.  Art joined the United States Army in January of 1943.  He enlisted in England as a correspondent for Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper.  Upon his discharge in May of 1946, Art was categorized as a feature writer and had attained the ranking of Sargent.  After his discharge he was promoted to an editorial staff position with the Stars and Stripes as a civilian.  While continuing to work with Stars and Stripes, Art joined the London bureau of the Associated Press.  In 1947, Art married Louie Peeples, a native of Valdosta, GA and Birmingham, AL, and a graduate of South Georgia State Women’s College (Valdosta State University).  During the War, Louie was the American Red Cross program director for the Palmgardens Club in Frankfurt, Germany and worked at the London American Red Cross Rainbow Corner. In 1949, Art was the London AP’s European Manifold Mail Editor, meaning he was responsible for dispensing news bulletins to AP distribution centers around the world.  On October 27, 1950, Art began working at TIME Magazine.  He worked at several bureaus including Ontario, Rio De Janerio, Paris, New York, Washington, D.C., and London.  Art worked at the Washington Bureau during the 1960s and befriended many notable individuals including Sargent Shriver (brother-in-law to President John F. Kennedy) and Lyndon B. Johnson, who personally offered Art a position in his administration as Deputy Press Secretary.  He politely refused President Johnson’s offer as it came the same day Arthur was informed his father (who was still living in Bristol, England) had a serious stroke. During the 1970s Arthur covered politics and was involved in the 1976 Carter-Ford election.  He was specifically assigned duties in South Georgia because of his connection with Valdosta.  By the 1980s, Arthur requested assignment to the TIME’s London Bureau to be closer to his elderly mother and siblings.  While there he was responsible for covering the Falkland War and was interested in collecting information about British history.  After his mother passed, Art decided to retire from TIME in 1985.  He and Louie returned to Valdosta during the early 1990s.  Art passed away in 2001.

Note written by

Extent

31.00 Boxes

Language

English

Source of Acquisition

Lowndes County Historical Society

Method of Acquisition

The Arthur White collection is a subset of the Louie Peeples White papers which she left to the Lowndes County Historical Society (LCHS). Because of the international nature of this collection, they have donated it to the VSU Archives where they expect it will be able to be used with classes and other patrons not naturally drawn to LCHS. There is a signed Deed of Gift by Donald Davis 6-4-1010 on behalf of Louie Peeples White. There is also a deed of gift and an inventory from LCHS.

Appraisal Information

This is a valuable collection because White was an international correspondent for Time magazine during the late 1950's thru the 1980's.  Issues of the times from Johnson's poverty programs to Watergate to the birth of Punk Rock are covered in these ms.  There are photographs, copies of Time magazine, interview notes, drafts of stories, edits of stories, and final published versions.  There are also personal papers and information about travel.  This collection should be of use to students and researchers in journalism, political science, history and international affairs.The condition of the papers is fair, and bad in some cases.

Accruals and Additions

The 25 boxes, 28 linear feet, came to us in batches.  The first batch was a bunch of boxes that had been poorly stored.  Plastic bins were also sent over with publications and papers in better condition.  Also, we have been given scanned images and documents from the Lowndes County Historical Society from the Louie Peeples Collection that relate to the White Collection.  We acquired the collection over the course of a year.

Title
Archon Finding Aid Title
Status
Completed
Author
Erin Abbott Blanton
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
eng

Revision Statements

  • 2020-04-28: Revised for DACS compliance by Douglas Carlson.

Repository Details

Part of the Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Valdosta State University Archives, Odum Library
1500 N. Patterson St.
Valdosta GA 30601 United States
7063728116
229-259-5055 (Fax)