Alan Campbell Cameron Papers

Access and use

Location of collection:
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Special Collections, University Libraries (0434)
Newman Library
Virginia Tech
P.O. Box 90001
560 Drillfield Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24062-9001
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (540) 231-6308
Fax: (540) 231-3694
Restrictions:

The collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Preferred citation:

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Alan Campbell Cameron Papers, Ms2008-043, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Summary

Extent:
0.3 Cubic Feet 1 box
Creator:
Cameron, Alan Campbell, 1895-1960 and Cameron, John M. (John McRae), 1867-1939
Abstract:
The collection includes the papers of World War I fighter pilot Alan Campbell Cameron (1895-1960) of Riverside, Cook County, Illinois, including letters from relatives and friends, primarily his father John M. Cameron (1867-1939), a Chicago attorney at the law firm of Custer and Cameron, and Dorothy Abbott, a romantic interest of Cameron during his school years. The letters document Cameron's life as a college student, his service as an aviator in the war, and his post-service years while leasing the Sanford Hotel in San Pedro, California. The collection also includes Chicago Daily Tribune clippings.
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Alan Campbell Cameron Papers, Ms2008-043, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Background

Scope and content:

The papers of Alan Campbell Cameron consist of letters written to Cameron by family and friends and Chicago Daily Tribune clippings, including political cartoons. The predominant author of the letters is Cameron's father, John M. Cameron, a Chicago attorney at the law firm of Custer and Cameron, though one folder features the letters of Dorothy Abbott, a romantic interest of Cameron during his school years. The letters document Cameron's life as a college student, his service as an aviator in the war, and his post-service years while leasing the Sanford Hotel in San Pedro, California.

Please note: The collection may contain outdated language, which may be offensive to researchers.

Biographical / historical:

Alan Campbell Cameron was born on December 29, 1895, to Anna May Iverson (1866-1917) and John McRae Cameron (1867-1939), a Chicago attorney at the law firm of Custer and Cameron. He was a World War I fighter pilot from Riverside, Cook County, Illinois. He served as a first lieutenant in the 258th Aerial Squadron of the United States Air Service. Following the war, Cameron lived in San Pedro, California and went into business by leasing the Sanford Hotel. He moved back to Cook County by 1930 and worked as a civil engineer for a railroad company. Cameron died in 1960 and is buried with family in the Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum in Chicago.

External sources:

U. S. Federal Censuses, 1900-1910, 1930

"Alan C. Cameron" entry, Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/169550818/alan-c-cameron, accessed Nov. 20, 2024.

"John McRae Cameron" entry, Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/152236912/john-mcrae-cameron, accessed Nov. 20, 2024.

"Alan Campbell Cameron" in the U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/records?recordId=8462878&collectionId=6482, accessed Nov. 20, 2024.

"Alan Campbell Cameron" in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/records?recordId=10167244&collectionId=60901, accessed Nov. 20, 2024.

Acquisition information:
The Alan Campbell Cameron Papers were purchased by Special Collections in 1994.
Processing information:

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Alan Campbell Cameron Papers was completed in July 2008.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard