Papers (1945-1950) including correspondence, military pamphlets with description of army forces, commentaries, letter of sympathy.
Edgar Ralk Rankin was born on November 2, 1891, to parents Edgar and Lola Rankin in Gaston County, NC. He had one older sister, Annie, and one younger sister, Susan. As an adult, Rankin moved to Chapel Hill, NC, and worked at the University of North Carolina as a professor. Rankin served in the US Military following World War II and was stationed at Camp O'Donnell on Luzon Island in the Republic of the Philippines. By 1950, he had returned to North Carolina and married Sarah MacNeill Shaw in 1950. Rankin died on June 9, 1983, at the age of 91 and is buried in Chapel Hill, NC.
Richard Tillman Fountain was born on February 15, 1885, at Cedar Lane, a plantation house located near Leggett in Edgecomb Count, NC. In 1907, he graduated from the University of North Carolina with a degree in law and began his practice in Rocky Mount, NC, that same year. From 1911 to 1918, he served as the first judge of the municipal court in Rocky Mount. In 1918, he married Susan Rankin and the two would have four children. From 1919 to 1927, he served in the North Carolina House of Representatives and was the speaker of the house in 1927. In 1929, he was elected to be the lieutenant governor of North Carolina and served in that position until 1932. Fountain ran for governor three times (in 1931, 1936, and 1942) but lost each election. Fountain died on February 21, 1945, at the age of 60 and is buried in Rocky Mount, NC.
Written April 2024
Material in the collection pertains to the military service of Captain Edgar Ralph Rankin primarily during the period from 1946-1948 while he was stationed at Camp O'Donnell on Luzon Island--the Republic of the Philippines. Correspondence is addressed to his sister Mrs. R. T. Fountain and is concerned primarily with personal and family matters and with routine duty in the Philippines.
There are commentaries on his trans-Pacific voyage, descriptions and observations on the farming practices and life style of the Filipinos, and descriptions of the countryside surrounding Camp O'Donnell.
Also included is a letter of sympathy upon the death of ex-Lt. Gov. Richard T. Fountain and containing advice concerning the execution of his estate.
There are two military information pamphlets that contain a description of the organization of the Army Forces in the Pacific, an article on Australia, and one entire issue devoted to a study of the Soviet Union, its government and military capabilities.
Gift of Mrs. Richard T. Fountain
Processed by B. Hicks, October 1970
Encoded by Apex Data Services
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.