Betty Bell papers

Collection

Identifier: D.285

Staff Only

Biographical/Historical note

Mrs. Betty Bell was a volunteer for an organization in the Rochester, NY area called "Operation Morale," a non-profit, government registered, volunteer organization founded in 1965 that provided gift packages and greeting cards to servicemen and women on holidays and birthdays. The contents of the packages were obtained through donations, and included items such as cookies, candies, books, paper and pens, socks, and foot powder.

Scope and Contents

The Betty Bell Papers are a collection of letters written to Mrs. Betty Bell by U.S. soldiers serving in Vietnam during the years 1967-1973.

In addition to her involvement with Operation Morale's gift package program, Mrs. Bell also corresponded with many of the soldiers on both a personal level and on behalf of the entire Bell Family (including Betty, her husband Robert, and their eight children: Karren, Robin, Mark, Lee, Carl, James, Robert Jr., and Cathy). While the majority of servicemen and women sent simple thank you letters for the packages or cards they received, many soldiers maintained a regular correspondence with Mrs. Bell and the Bell Family. The letters contain various accounts of military duties and day-to-day life for soldiers while stationed in Vietnam. Perhaps more significant is the glimpse the letters provide into the diversity of ideas, opinions, and feelings of U.S. servicemen and women about war in general and the United States' military involvement in Vietnam in particular.

The Betty Bell Papers contain a total of 553 letters, 49 cards, and 2 postcards, written by over 200 soldiers. Some folders contain photographs, newspaper clippings, or other printed ephemera in addition to correspondence. The collection also contains a sample of Vietnam currency (see Box 4, folder 56) and 1 audiocassette (see Box 4, folder 43).

Creator

Bell, Betty (Volunteer) (Person)

Dates

Creation: 1967-1973

Language of Materials

English

Extent

2.5 cubic feet (5 containers)

Access

The Betty Bell Papers is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Books Special Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Use

In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Immediate Source of Acquisition note

Gift of Mrs. Robert Bell, August 7, 1981.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], Betty Bell Papers, D.285, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Arrangement note

The collection is arranged alphabetically by the last name of each individual soldier. After each name is the number of items contained in that particular folder, followed by their date range.

"n.d."= no date; "ca."= circa; information in brackets [ ] has been added or is assumed but not explicitly indicated on the item in question; any non-correspondence items contained in a folder or any explanatory comments about an item are indicated by parentheses ( ).