Virgilia Williams Collection

Details

Who's responsible?: Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, UNCG University Libraries (Repository)
How much has been digitized?: Only a part of this collection has been digitized.
Where can I find more information?: https://uncg.as.atlas-sys.com/repositories/2/resources/203
What's in the full collection?: The collection contains correspondence; military papers; photographs; postcards; publications; and a scrapbook kept by Virgilia. The correspondence between Williams and her sisters and also with her WAVES friends documents her time in the military and her experiences being a woman in the United States Navy. The photographs contain not only images of Williams, but photographs of fellow WAVES as well. The largest portion of the collection consists of military publications.
Full biography: Virgilia "Jill" Williams (1914-2003) of Grandview, Iowa, served in the United States Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) as a pharmacist's mate third class at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, and an instructor of pharmacist's mates at the United States Naval Training School in the Bronx, New York, during World War II. Virgilia "Jill" Williams was born 16 October 1914, in Grandview, Iowa, the third child of Harold and Leila (Lieberknecht) Williams. She graduated with honors from Mount Vernon High School, and in 1936 received a bachelor of arts in history and education from Cornell College in Mount Vernon. She later earned certifications from Augustana College and Northwestern University and became a teacher of the deaf and hearing impaired. Williams joined the United States Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) in May 1944 and was sent to the United States Naval Training School at Hunter College in the Bronx, New York. She attended hospital corps school at the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and was then assigned to the hospital at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, where she served as a pharmacist's mate. In August 1945 she was transferred back to the Bronx, where she worked as an instructor of pharmacist's mates. When Williams was honorably discharged from the navy in December 1945, she returned to the Midwest where she taught elementary school for over forty years. Upon her death in 2003, she donated her body to the University of Iowa Medical School for scientific research.
Topics: Women's History
Military
Branch of service: Navy -- WAVES
Conflict: World War II era (1940-1946)
Subject headings: World War, 1939-1945
United States. Navy--Women
Contributing Institution: Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, UNCG University Libraries

: A boot's eye-view; Orientation book for WAVES recruits "boots" entering the U.S. Naval Training School at Hunter College, New York, during World War II. Included are photos of officers and information on barracks life, meals, uniforms, exercise, drills, classes, religion, and jobs.

: Marching to victory songbook; Booklet containing words and occasionally music for 41 WAVES songs from the World War II era.

: The story of you in navy blue; 45-page recruitment brochure for the U.S. Navy WAVES, 1944. Included are illustrated job descriptions; an illustrated day-in-the-life of a WAVE; a question and answer section; an index of recruiting stations; as well as details of recruit school and training school, WAVES uniforms, income, social activities, duty stations, ranks, enlistment requirements, officer requirements.

: WAVES song lyrics; 6 typed, mimeographed pages containing the lyrics to WAVES songs, circa 1945. Songs include "WAVES of the Navy"The Duration and Six Months"Ginny the Ninny"WAVES of America"We are the Women's Reserve" and "Bell Bottom Skirts."

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Women Veterans Historical Project

Virgilia Williams Collection

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