Frederick Enos Woltman (1905-1970) was born in York, Pennsylvania and educated at the University of Pittsburgh. He began newspaper work as an investigative reporter for the New York
In 1932 he and Joseph Lilly collaborated on a series of articles about the real estate mortgage and bond business, articles that were a factor in the award of the Pulitzer Prize to the
In 1947 he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism for "articles exposing communism." His newspaper career ended in 1957 when he suffered a series of paralytic strokes.
Ray Middleton (1907-1984) was an actor who also served four years in the U.S. Army, during the 1940s. According to a biography on IMDB, Middleton was also a baritone singer who won a scholarship to Juilliard, and graduated with a degree in music in 1930. He acted in plays on Broadway and also in movies.
Woltman and Middleton may have been related, or at least, were friends.
The letters are written by Woltman to Middleton, and he addresses Middleton as "Buck," "Hoot," Partridge," and a few other nicknames.
One letter is signed from "Fred and Auntie Bor," so Middleton might be Woltman's nephew.
Most of the letters are personal, but Woltman does talk about politics and his writings, in addition to escapades of friends, and he also critiques Middleton's performances in movies.
There is also one letter and one postcard from individuals taking Woltman to task over his anti-communist efforts and a "Spanish Refugee affair."
The collection also contains clippings of articles by Woltman.
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Collection processed by Tanya Parlet, 2013.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
This collection received a basic level of processing including minimal organization and rehousing.
Description information is drawn in part from information supplied with the collection and initial surveys of the contents
Other collections relating to Frederick Enos Woltman at Special Collections and University Archives include: Frederick Enos Woltman papers, Ax 768.
[Identification of item], Frederick Enos Woltman correspondence and clippings, Coll 397, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.