Title: William Mitchell Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1864-1968

Creator:

• Mitchell, William, 1879-1936

Call Number: Local History Manuscript Collection 407

Quantity: 0.2 cubic ft. (1 box)

Repository:

Milwaukee Public Library, Frank P. Zeidler Room

Archival Location:

Milwaukee Public Library (Map)

Abstract:

William “Billy” Mitchell (1879-1936) grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and came from a prominent Milwaukee and Wisconsin family. His father, John Mitchell, was a Civil War military officer and Wisconsin politician and his grandfather, Alexander Mitchell, was a wealthy banker and also a Wisconsin politician. During World War I William Mitchell was a commander in the U.S. Air Service.

Note:

To request materials from this collection, create/login to your Special Collections Account.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.mwpl-lhmc0407

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William “Billy” Mitchell was born Dec 29, 1879 in Nice, France. His parents were John Lendrum Mitchell and Harriet Danforth Becker. His father, John Mitchell, was a Civil War military officer and politician. His grandfather, Alexander Mitchell, was a wealthy banker and politician. He was married twice, first to Caroline Stoddard from 1903 to1922. His second marriage was to Elizabeth Trumbull in 1923 until his death in 1936. Mitchell died Feb 19, 1936 in a hospital in New York City.

Mitchell grew up in Milwaukee and at 18 yrs. old joined the U.S. Army serving in Cuba and the Philippines during the Spanish American War. In World War I he was a commander in the U.S. Air Service, a division of the U.S. Army that predates the U.S. Air Force. Throughout his life he was an outspoken, persistent and, at times, controversial advocate for a stronger national defense and a separate air service military.

In 1926 he was court-martialed for insubordination for his controversial words after the crash of the U.S. Navy’s dirigible Shenandoah. He was a vocal critic of the senior military leadership of the 1925 tragedy which killed 14 crew members. Mitchell was found guilty and suspended. He resigned from the military in early 1926 before his suspension took effect. As a private citizen, he continued to speak out in regards to national defense. For his tireless advocacy, he is often considered the “father of the U.S. Air Force” even though he did not live to see it.

In Milwaukee, General Mitchell International Airport is named for William Mitchell, Mitchell Park is named for John L. Mitchell and Mitchell Street is named for Alexander Mitchell.

This collection consists of personal correspondence to and from William Mitchell to family and friends. Also included are a photograph of a portrait and a deed of sale belonging to his grandfather, Alexander Mitchell. There are transcriptions of most of the correspondence in the digital collection; see link below.

Subjects are arranged alphabetically and then chronologically within each folder.

Mitchell, William, Papers, 1879-1936, Collection 407. Local History Manuscript Collections, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Selections from this collection are included in MPL’s digital collection, General William Mitchell Letters.

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials. The collection is open to all in accordance with state law. The public may view Local History Manuscript Collections by appointment at the Central Library. To request an in-person appointment, create/login to your Special Collections Account. If you have any questions, please contact the Archives and Special Collections Department at mplarchives@milwaukee.gov.

Use Restrictions

The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

Acquisition Information

In 2019 a single folder containing the Alexander Mitchell deed of sale was added to this collection. No acquisition information is currently available. Materials were accessioned as Local History Manuscripts.

Processing Information

Processed by Casey Lapworth, 2019.

	Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   1	William to his father, 1894-1901
Box   1 Folder   2-3	William to his mother, 1887-1901
Box   1 Folder   4	William to his sister, 1901
Box   1 Folder   5	Miscellaneous, 1894-1895
Box   1 Folder   6	Deed of Sale – Alexander Mitchell, 1864
Box   1 Folder   7	Photograph, 1968
Box   1 Folder   8	"Two Milwaukee Patriots", Undated