Cunningham family papers

Collection – Multiple Containers

Identifier: MS-1000

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Abstract

The Cunningham family papers consist of journals and scrapbooks, with some genealogical information, related to the family of Harriet McKnight Cunningham and Don A. Cunningham, between the years 1930 to 2008. A significant number of letters written between Don and Harriet while Don served in World War II make up the central part of the collection.

Dates

Creation: 1919-2008

Extent

3.1 Cubic Feet (9 letter manuscript boxes, 1 flat box, and 3 volumes)

Creator

Cunningham family (Family)
Cunningham, Harriet McKnight, 1919-2003 (Person)
Cunningham, Don (Person)
Cunningham, D. Scott (Person)
Windisch, Cheryl (Person)

Scope and Contents

The collection of materials related to both Harriet McKnight Cunningham and Don A. Cunningham spans from 1930 through to just after World War II in the form of journals and scrapbooks, some compiled later by their children, as well as a significant number of letters between the two.

The diaries and journals in the collection start when Harriet was just starting Junior High School and include a typical view of adolescent life in Bowling Green in sporadic entries about school, sports, and boys.

The scrapbooks in the collection that were compiled by Harriet serve as a counterpoint to her journals during the same years, with an array of ticket stubs, programs, clippings, ribbons, and other memorabilia. The scrapbook from the war period highlights through photographs what it was like as the married couple moved to various posts and bases.

The collection also includes several contemporary compiled scrapbooks created by Scott Cunningham and Cheryl Windisch with clippings, photographs, correspondence and documents highlighting and honoring the lives and careers of their parents.

The letters exchanged between Don and Harriet L. Knight Cunningham between 1941 and 1946 give a comprehensive view of Don’s service in the U.S. military during the Second World War. In them, he details his deployment to Sofia, Bulgaria with the Signal Corps, as well as his general thoughts on military service.

Biographical Sketch

Don A. Cunningham was born on October 16, 1921, in Lima, Ohio, son of Charles M. and Billie Lewis Cunningham. A graduate of Bowling Green State University in 1943, he maintained a close and continuing relationship with the University, serving as the first sports information director, coaching golf for seven years, and as assistant athletic director and business manager, receiving due recognition from BGSU in 1992 when the press-box at Doyt Perry Stadium was named in his honor. Don served as a private and sergeant during World War II, and was posted throughout the European theater between 1941 and 1946. As part of the Signal Corps, he was posted in Sofia, Bulgaria, where many of his letters originate from. Married to Harriet L. McKnight on September 25, 1943, they raised a family of a son and two daughters. He continued to be an active member of the community, until his death on June 8, 2000 and was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery.

Harriet McKnight, born April 3, 1919, was one of four children (Mary, Harriet, Taylor, and Robert) of Henry Douglas McKnight and Mildred Taylor of Bowling Green, Ohio. A teacher of physical education and English in both Bowling Green and Genoa schools, she was a member of the congregation of First United Methodist Church and was active with Wheeled Meals and Lifeline as well as being involved with the Wood County Historical Society and Wood County Hospital Guild. Along with her husband, Harriet was also a charter member of the Falcon Club. She died October 8, 2003 in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Conditions Governing Access

No known access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright, and are responsible for securing permissions necessary for publication or reproduction.

Language of Materials

Materials in English.

Additional Description

Arrangement

The letters are arranged by correspondent and chronologically thereunder. Because they largely remain in their original envelopes, the dates of arrangement are based on postmark. As it was not uncommon for Don to mail several letters on the same date, there may be some discrepancies in the chronology.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

An initial portion of the collection was donated to the Center for Archival Collections by two of the Cunningham's children, Scott Cunningham and Cheryl Windisch in September 2009. The World War II letters were donated to the CAC by D. Scott Cunningham, the son of Don and Harriet Cunningham, May 2023.