Collection ID: LMC 2301
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Collection context

Summary

Creator:
Whitcomb, Edgar D.
Abstract:
The Whitcomb mss., 1933-1985, consists of the papers of former governor of Indiana Edgar Doud Whitcomb, 1917-2016.
Extent:
3 Boxes
Language:
Materials are in English
Preferred citation:

[Item], Whitcomb mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

Background

Biographical / Historical:

Edgar Doud Whitcomb, 1917-2016, was a lawyer and a former governor of Indiana. He was born on November 6, 1917 in Hayden, Indiana. He enrolled at Indiana University but left the university to serve in World War II. Whitcomb enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in 1940 and was made an aerial navigator. While serving in the Philippines, he was captured and tortured by Japanese forces. He eventually made his way to China before being repatriated to the United States in 1943. His book Escape from Corregidor (1958) details his experiences as a prisoner of war and his various escapes. He was discharged from active duty in 1946 but remained in the reserve until 1977, achieving the rank of colonel. After the war, Whitcomb returned to Indiana University and completed his law degree. While practicing law in Indiana he built up a political following and ran (unsuccessfully) for Congress in 1954 and for the Senate in 1964. He was elected Indiana's Secretary of State in 1966 and was elected governor of the state in 1968. He served as the 43rd Governor of Indiana from January 13, 1969 to January 9, 1973. After retiring from law and political service, Whitcomb took up sailing and attempted to circumnavigate the world. He then returned to the United States and purchased a secluded cabin in Rome, Indiana. He died there on February 4, 2016.

Scope and Content:

This collection consists of the papers of lawyer and former governor of Indiana Edgar Doud Whitcomb, 1917-2016. The early papers document his aviation and military career.

Correspondence mostly concerns his military career and his book Escape from Corregidor (Chicago: H. Regnery, 1958). Correspondence with his parents, 1933-1942, includes his letter dated Feb. 23, 1942 from Clark Field in the Philippines just before his capture, internment, and escape from the Japanese.

Materials in the Writings series include the original manuscript of Escape from Corregidor, book production and promotion materials, galley proofs, and reviews for the book; an unproduced television script, "Don't look back," based on the book.

Subject Files include materials concerning Whitcomb's various election campaigns and his time serving as the 43rd Governor of Indiana. Post-gubernatorial papers in the Subject Files series reflect his association with the ADBC (American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor), Accelerated Christian Education, and the Indiana Bible College.

Photographs include photos of Whitcomb, his family and friends, and other public figures. Miscellaneous includes materials related to Whitcomb's wife Patricia Dolfuss. Appointment Books span the years 1973 to 1984, and Standing Rules and Orders cover the 87th, 88th, and 96th General Assembly of Indiana.

Acquisition information:
Gift: 1986, 1987, 2003, 2005.
Arrangement:

This collection is organized into the following series: I. Biographical; II. Correspondence; III. Writings; IV. Subject Files; V. Photographs; VI. Miscellaneous; VII. Appointment Books; and VIII. Standing Rules and Orders.

Physical location:
ALF (Auxiliary Library Facility)

Access

RESTRICTIONS:

This collection is open for research.

Many collections are housed offsite; retrieval requires advance notice. Please make an appointment a minimum of one week in advance of your visit.

TERMS OF ACCESS:

Photography and digitization may be restricted for some collections. Copyright restrictions may apply. Before publishing, researchers are responsible for securing permission from all applicable rights holders, then filling out the Permission to Publish form.

PREFERRED CITATION:

[Item], Whitcomb mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
1200 East Seventh Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47405-5500, USA
CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
CONTACT:
(812) 855-2452
liblilly@indiana.edu