Benjamin S. Custer papers, 1912-2000 (Library of Congress Finding Aid)

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Container	Contents

BOX 10-12	Speeches and Writings, 1932-1974
		The Speeches and Writings series primarily consists of writings by Custer: book reviews, speeches, and articles, both published and unpublished. Naval themes provide the most common subject matter. Also in the series is a collection of speeches by others, a file of story ideas, lecture notes, and a file of unidentified writings that may be Custer's. Material types include published and unpublished articles and book reviews, speeches, lecture notes, story idea notes, and unidentified writings.
		Arranged alphabetically by type of writing.
BOX 10		Book reviews
BOX 10			1949-1953
				(2 folders)
BOX 11			1955-1957, undated
BOX 11		Miscellaneous and unidentified writings, 1933, 1957, undated
BOX 11		Naval Academy speeches, lectures, and notes, 1940, circa 1940
BOX 11		Published articles, 1938-1949
			(2 folders)
BOX 11		Speeches and speaking engagements, 1943-1958, 1974, undated For additional material see Jefferson Davis Memorial Lecture
			(4 folders)
BOX 11		Speeches by others, 1949-1958, undated
			(2 folders)
BOX 11		Story ideas and notes, 1948-1953, undated
BOX 12		Unidentified writings, perhaps by Custer, 1954, undated
BOX 12		Unpublished writings
BOX 12			Chronological file, 1932-1958, undated
				(3 folders)
BOX 12			"An Emancipated Southerner Looks at Segregation," 1954
BOX 12			"Joint Operations in California 1846, Army, Navy, and Fremont," 1948
BOX 12			"When Morning Comes, or Heroes Don't All Get Medals," undated
BOX 12-18	Subject File, 1920-1986
		The Subject File gathers together topical material that falls outside the purview of the other series. Family papers and material from Custer's student days and youth form an important part of the subject file as do Custer's financial records. After leaving the navy, Custer ventured into the business world, taking a management job at the Drackett Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. He only stayed one year, apparently discovering he preferred academia to a career in business. In 1958, he took an administrative job at Columbia University. He had previously worked at Princeton University during his final years in the navy. Files for his teaching at Princeton and his graduate studies at Georgetown University are in the Subject File.Very little in the collection dates from after 1958 when he began working at Columbia. The series also includes topical material about naval aviation, including an unpublished memoir written by naval aviator E. F. Johnson covering the very beginnings of naval aviation. Material types include correspondence, writings, financial records, clippings, scrapbooks, reports, and printed matter.
		Arranged alphabetically by topic.
BOX 12		Admiral George Dewey Memorial, dedication ceremony, New York, N.Y., 1972-1974
			(2 folders)
BOX 12		B-36 investigation, 1949
BOX 12		Bellah, James W., 1957-1965
BOX 13		Biographical material, circa 1943-circa 1958
BOX 13		Brockington, Leonard W., 1948-1957 See also Container OV 1, same heading
BOX 13		Calvin Bullock Forum, 1955
BOX 13		Canada, 1955-1957, undated
BOX 13		Clubs, 1957-1958, undated
BOX 13		Columbia University, New York, N.Y., 1945, 1953-1958
BOX 13		"A Confederate Catechism: The War of 1861-1865," 1930
BOX 13		Contact lists, 1950-1957, undated
BOX 13		Drackett Co., Cincinnati, Ohio
BOX 13			Correspondence, 1955-1958
				(3 folders)
BOX 13			Expense account, 1958
BOX 13			Miscellany, 1957-1958, undated
BOX 13			Organizational charts, 1954-1956, undated
BOX 13		Education, 1947-1958, undated
			(2 folders)
BOX 14		Family papers, circa 1930-circa 1975
			(2 folders)
BOX 14		Financial records
BOX 14			Insurance, 1933-1957
BOX 14			Investments, 1953-1955
BOX 14			Miscellaneous, 1933, 1949-1957
BOX 14			Stocks, 1947-1958
				(2 folders)
BOX 14			Taxes, 1933-1938, 1951-1957
				(3 folders)
BOX 15		Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., graduate studies, 1947-1948, undated
BOX 15		Indian Hill Church, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1956-1957
BOX 15		Jefferson Davis Memorial Lecture, 1960-1961, 1970-1974
BOX 15		Miscellany, circa 1928-circa 1955 See also Container OV 2, Map of new U.S. bases
BOX 15		Naval aviation, circa 1940-circa 1955
BOX 15		Poetry collection, circa 1926-1933, undated
			(2 folders)
BOX 15		Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.
BOX 15			Correspondence, 1953-1956, undated
BOX 15			Miscellany, 1941, 1952-1960, undated
BOX 16			Naval Reserve Officer Training Corp (NROTC), 1953-1956
BOX 16		Printed matter, miscellaneous, 1929-1958, undated
BOX 16		Royalston Academy, Royalston, Mass., 1966-1971
			(2 folders)
BOX 16		Scrapbook A, circa 1920-circa 1926
BOX 17		Scrapbook A, circa 1920-circa 1926
			(3 folders)
BOX 17		Scrapbook B, circa 1920-circa 1929
			(2 folders)
BOX 17		Stevenson, Adlai E., 1952-1956
BOX 18		Student notes and papers, undated
BOX 18		Unpublished memoir of naval aviator E. F. Johnson, "Some Navy Years, 1903-1919," 1963, 1985-1986
			(3 folders)
BOX 18		Writings by others, 1943-1954, undated
BOX 18-26	United States Navy, 1920-2000
		The United States Navy series includes official navy correspondence and documents from Custer's time as a midshipman to his retirement as a rear admiral in 1957. Many of the files are organized by duty station, be it on ships (Croatan, Houston, Lexington, Norton Sound) or shore duty (Tenth Naval District Headquarters, San Juan, Puerto Rico; U.S. Naval Air Station, Floyd Bennett Field; naval attaché, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada). Printed and mimeographed training manuals are organized by title. Material from Custer's work with the Strauss Commission on Incentive, Hazardous Duty, and Special Pays is in this series. Material types include correspondence and memoranda, official navy orders, navy training material, regulations, manuals, United States Navy publications, aviator flight log books, scrapbooks, reports, navy awards, citations, medical records, and reprimands.
		Arranged alphabetically by duty station, topic, or material type.
BOX 18		Albion, Robert, Makers of Naval Policy, Custer manuscript review, 1951
BOX 18		Aviator flight log books, 1927-1956
			(2 folders)
BOX 18		Awards, citations, commendations, 1945-1957, 1985, undated
BOX 19		Correspondence, 1924-1958, 2000, undated
			(3 folders)
BOX 19		Croatan (escort carrier)
BOX 19			"History of the Croatan," unpublished manuscript with photographs, 1943-1945, undated
				(3 folders)
BOX 19			Miscellany, 1953, undated
BOX 19			Operational orders and memoranda, 1943-1945
BOX 19			Scrapbook, 1943-1944
				(4 folders)
BOX 20			USS Croatan: The Story of a Week's Cruise Aboard the U.S. Navy Aircraft-Carrier, by G. Y. Loveridge, 1945
BOX 20		"Elementary Seamanship for Family Instruction," circa 1940
BOX 20		"Essay by Gross Admiral Doenitz on the War at Sea," 1947
BOX 20		Houston (cruiser), 1930-1932, undated See also Container OV 2, same heading
BOX 20		Instruction and Training of Junior Officers, 1943
BOX 20		Lexington (aircraft carrier)
BOX 20			Board investigation of forced water landing of two airplanes, 1936
BOX 20			Bombing Squadron Three, 1935
BOX 20			Miscellany, 1936, undated
BOX 20		Location, Construction, and Passive Defense of Advanced Bases with Special Reference to Advanced Base Airfields, 1942
BOX 20		Manual of Bureau of Aeronautics, 1940
BOX 20		Medical records, 1934-1958
BOX 21		Midshipman student notebooks
BOX 21			Engineering and navigation, 1924
BOX 21			French, 1922-1923
BOX 21		Midshipmen's practice cruise notebooks, 1923-1924
			(2 folders)
BOX 21		Miscellaneous training material, 1932-1933, 1943-1944, undated See also Container OV 2, Poster
BOX 21		Miscellany, 1929-1958, undated
BOX 21		Naval attaché, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
BOX 21			List of embassy personnel, 1949
BOX 21			Lost for twelve days in the Saskatchewan wilderness
BOX OV 3				Annotated map, See Container OV 3, same heading
BOX 21				General file, 1948-1949
BOX 22				General file, 1948-1949
					(2 folders)
BOX 22			Miscellany, 1948-1952
BOX 22		Naval Aviation in Review, 1958
BOX 22		Naval War College, Newport, R.I., correspondence course materials, 1932-1937 See also Container OV 4, Maps
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Benjamin S. Custer papers, 1912-2000

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