Irwin S. Smith Oral History Interview, July 28, 1982, September 10, 1982
(Oral History #OH0074)
Descriptive Summary
| Title: | Irwin S. Smith Oral History Interview |
| Creators: |
Lennon, Donald R.
Smith, Irwin S. |
| Repository: | ECU Manuscript Collection |
| Languages: | English |
| Extent: | 0.01 Cubic feet, 2 audiocassettes, 3 hours, 94 pages . |
Administrative Information
General note
1930-1949
Access Restrictions
No restrictions
Copyright Notice
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.
Preferred Citation
Irwin S. Smith Oral History Interview (#OH0074), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Acquisition Information
- Gift of Irwin S. Smith
Processing Information
-
Encoded by Apex Data Services
Biographical / Historical Note
Mr. Smith and three other employees of British-American Tobacco Company left North Carolina for China in 1930, where he served as a tobacco buyer in the interior of China. He married Miss Hal Grimes in 1940 and she accompanied him back to China. With the outbreak of war with Japan in 1941, wives were evacuated but Mr. Smith was interned by the Japanese for some months before being exchanged in 1943. He returned to China in 1945 but was forced to flee when the Communist overran the country in 1949.
Description
These interviews reflect the experiences of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Commentary relates to tobacco interests and operations, the Chinese people, War Lords, Japanese invasion of China, and life in a Japanese prison.
Online access to this finding aid is supported with funds created through the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). These funds come through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services which is administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. This grant is part of the North Carolina ECHO, Exploring Cultural Heritage Online, Digitization Grant Program.
