Joe Rand Beckett

Joe Rand Beckett
S91
1918, 1970
1 folder
Manuscripts & Rare Books Division
Indiana State Library

Finding Aid by: Edythe Huffman, Apr. 2013

Biographical Note:

Joe Rand Beckett was born Mar. 3, 1891 in Indiana.  In 1913, he married Mary Ann Baker of Indianapolis, Marion County, IN.  He attended Indiana University Law School in 1916.  He was a Deputy Prosecutor under William H. Remy, a joint Senator from Marion and Morgan Counties, he also served as First Lieutenant in the 325th field Artillery from Aug. 1917-Mar. 1919.

Source:

Information Found within Collection

Scope and Content:

The collection consists of  a letter to Hazel Hopper of the Indiana State Library, 2 letters to Mrs. Beckett, a postcard to Mrs. Beckett, several newspaper clippings, one unmounted.

The letter to Hazel Hopper from Mrs. Beckett offers some memorabilia from her archives and thanks her for her past help in establishing a Mayflower connection.  Mr. Beckett’s undated letter, on Union-Castle Line letterhead, mentions how little of specifics he can write due to censorship, to protect information from the enemy, the trip overseas via the Atlantic, Camp Mill where he had been stationed, his brief leave in New York City, sending a telegram to J.R.B., Jr.,.  He also states his hope for her and their son’s future should anything happen to him.  He also states that 97 nurses are on board and stories of romances are not true.  There is one censored word.  The telegram, sent via the American Red Cross, announces his safe arrival.  The letter of Oct. 6, 1918 mentions being in Boudeaux, describing traffic, cars, the city, women who speak to the soldiers.  He mentions his fellow soldiers’ spirits, what it is like to approach the front,  imagines a drive through Hoosier countryside with a picnic lunch and the pleasure of receiving mail.  The newspaper clipping contain a Voice of the People column, with articles about officer in training camps (July 7, n.d.), war on the Red Cross [attack on and murder of women and men offering mercy and medical aid] (July 6, n.d.), the case of the bachelor (July 5, n.d.).  Another clipping details news about troops having arrived and soon to arrive home , with a loose clipping announcing that Mrs. Joe Rand Beckett has received work that her husband has arrived overseas safely.  The 11-15-1918 Star article describes a masque entertainment ”The Belgian Dance of Death”, presented by the drama department of the Women’s Department at Hollenbeck Hall (cast including Mrs. Joe Rand Beckett) and a talk given by Professor Alfred M. Brooks of Indiana University (who arranged the masque from ancient wood cuts), discussing justice, the war and Germany.  The clipping about Lincoln Division Welfare Society, to be renamed the Lincoln Division Kin-dling Klub with the slogan, “The kin that keeps the home fires burning’ will be involved with helping men in the service in as many ways as possible.

Photocopy Policy:

Manuscript material CANNOT be photocopied or digitized in its entirety. Photocopies and/or digital reproductions (i.e. scans, digital photographs) cannot exceed 25% of a COLLECTION or FOLDER within a collection. In some cases, photocopying may not be permitted due to the condition of the item. Please check with the Manuscript Librarian for possible alternatives.

Collection Inventory

Folder and Item Listing:

Folder 1. 

Date 
4-1-1970 Letter to Mrs. Hazel Hopper from Mrs. Joe Rand Beckett (Mary Ann Beckett) (TLS)
[1918] Letter to Mary Ann Beckett from Joe Rand Beckett (ALS), with envelope
[n.d.] Postcard to Mary Ann Beckett from Joe Rand Beckett
10-6-1918 Letter to Mary Ann Beckett from Joe Rand Beckett (ALS), with envelope
[n.d.] Newspaper clipping announcing Joe Rand Beckett’s arrival
[n.d.] Newspaper clippings: “Voice of the People” and “3.057 Troops Arrive at New York on Cedric”
11-15-1918 Indianapolis Star, “Speaker Assails Talk of Leniency for Whipped Hun”
[n.d.] Newspaper clipping, “Four Complete Divisions, With Others, to Sail”
[n.d.] Newspaper clipping, meeting of Lincoln Division Welfare Society

Collection Information:

Size of Collection: 1 folder
Collection Dates: 1918, 1970
Provenance:  Mrs. Joe Rand (Mary Ann) Beckett, 4-1-1970
Access: The Collection is Open for Research Use
Restrictions:  None
Reproduction Rights: Permission to reproduce, exhibit, or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Manuscripts and Rare Books Division, Indiana State Library.
Language: Materials are entirely in: English
Alternate Formats: None
Related Holdings: S3211 Joe Rand Beckett
Collection Notes: None

MA BA 5-7-2013