Rufus J. Wysor Papers
Scope and Content
The collection includes two letters from Wysor's father, Henry C., written in 1889 and 1904, as well as two forms from the VPI Military Department, dated 1905 and signed by Rufus J. Wysor. The first letter is on letterhead from Henry C. Wysor's life insurance business to "Dear Little Johnston," dated November 1, 1889. The letter includes an invitaion for Wysor to join his father on a trip to Pulaski, Virginia, as well as a request for some items from home. The second letter was written on June 4, 1904, while Wysor was a student at VPI. It contains news from home. The collection also contains two sheets of "VPI Military Department" absentee forms. Both leaves list Company E cadets absent from duty on February 11, 1905, and both are signed by "RJ Wysor, First Sergeant."
Dates
- Creation: 1889, 1904-1905
Creator
- Wysor, Henry C. (Person)
- Wysor, Rufus J., 1855-1967 (Collector, Person)
Access Restrictions
Collection is open to research.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from the Rufus J. Wysor Papers must be obtained from Special Collections, Virgina Tech.
Biographical Information
Rufus Johnston Wysor was born to Henry C. and Mary E. (Shipp) Wysor on December 8, 1855, in Dublin, Virginia. He attended VPI from 1902 to 1906, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. Between 1910 and 1917, he married Elizabeth Mary McFate (b.1895). They had two daughters and a son. In 1961, Wysor wrote Boyhood Days in Southwest Virginia.
After graduation, Wysor worked for a series of steel companies with increasing responsibility: Carnegie Steel in 1906, Bethelhem Steel Company in 1912, James & Laughlin Steel Corporation in 1925, and Republic Steel Corporation in 1930. He served as President of the Republic Steel Corporation in Youngstown, Ohio, from 1937 to 1945. He retired in order to consult on the rebuilding of the German steel industry following World War II. He went on to consult for private companies and government agencies in the United States, Canada, Japan, Greece, and Turkey. Wysor died in Sea Island, Georgia, on June 11, 1967.
For further information, see:
- New York Times Obituary, June 12, 1967. Copy available in Ms1968-008 Accession File.
- Rufus J. Wysor's
senior picture is available in the 1906 Bugle on page 72 of the PDF file. - Techgram article, September 15, 1935. Spec VPI LD 5655 .A3 T4. Copy also available in the Ms1968-008 Accession File.
- Techgram article, July 1967. Spec VPI LD 5655 .A3 T4. Copy also available in the Ms1968-008 Accession File.
- Wysor, Rufus Johnston. Boyhood Days in Southwest Virginia. New York: Vantage Press, 1961. Newman Library CT 275 .W9
Full Extent
0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The collection includes two letters from his father, Henry C., written in 1889 and 1904, as well as two forms from the VPI Military Department, dated 1905 and signed by Rufus J. Wysor.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged chronologically.
Acquisition Information
The Rufus J. Wysor Papers were donated to Special Collections prior to 1968.
General Physical Description note
1 folder; 0.1 cu. ft.
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Rufus J. Wysor Papers commenced and was completed prior to 1968. Additional description was completed in May 2009.
- Title
- A Guide to the Rufus J. Wysor Papers, 1889, 1904-1905
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Kira A. Dietz
- Date
- © 2009 By Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. All rights reserved.
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Description is in English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu