John Hayes White Collection - Edmon Low Library

About the Collection

The John Hayes White Collection features 78 photographs and 13 handwritten letters documenting the military service and personal life of Quartermaster Sergeant John Hayes White, an Oklahoma native who served in the United States Army from 1900 to 1921. The materials include correspondence sent to his sister, Rena Spillman, and his mother, Sarah E. White; a Christmas dinner menu from Company F, 2nd Battalion U.S. Engineers at Vancouver Barracks; a booklet titled The Second Division: Syllabi of the histories of regiments and separate organizations that outlines the unit’s formation and World War I service; and a leaf listing members of the Ninth Infantry who were recognized in military dispatches.

White served in multiple units early in his career, including Company H of the 18th Infantry and Company E of the 27th Infantry, before joining the 2nd Engineers and rising to the rank of Quartermaster Sergeant. His military service took him to Cuba, Mexico, the Philippines, France, and posts across the United States. During World War I, he served with the 2nd Division Engineers, was wounded in the face while stationed in France, and recuperated in a Paris hospital. He later married, though he had no children.

Most photographs in the collection depict White, his fellow engineers, military activities, and locations associated with his service, including scenes from World War I, the Philippines, and Cuba. Donated to the OSU Library by White’s great-great niece, Barbara Tessman, in 2011, the collection offers a valuable visual and documentary record of early twentieth-century U.S. military history and the lived experiences of an Oklahoma soldier.

Access the Physical Collection

Materials from this collection are available in Special Collections and University Archives. For assistance or to request archival materials, contact (405) 744-6311 or libscua@okstate.edu.