Laura Wright Letter
Laura (Tyler) Wright wrote this letter to David and Madeline McDowell in Rutherford, New York on May 27, 1955, shortly after the death of her son, James Agee. In it, Mrs. Wright offers her condolences to the McDowells, who had been good friends of the Agee family.
Dates
- 1955 May 27
Conditions Governing Access
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Conditions Governing Use
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Extent
0.1 Linear Feet
Abstract
Laura (Tyler) Wright wrote this letter to David and Madeline McDowell in Rutherford, New York on May 27, 1955, shortly after the death of her son, James Agee. In it, Mrs. Wright offers her condolences to the McDowells, who had been good friends of the Agee family.
Biographical/Historical Note
Laura Tyler was the twin sister of Hugh Claverly Tyler (the artist, BS 1905) and daughter of Emma and Joel Tyler. Her mother was one of the first female graduates of the University of Michigan and a descendant of Walt Whitman. Her father, who invested in land and timberland in Tennessee, was co-owner of Tysaman (Tyler, Savage, and Manning) machinery works in Knoxville which manufactured marble columns.
Laura attended The University of Tennessee 1901-1903. At UT, she was active in the “Rouge and Powder Club” which was a drama group. With her twin brother’s assistance, she eloped to marry Hugh James Agee, a U.S. Postal Service employee, in Panama in 1908. She had met Agee at dancing class before he had been sent by the Postal Service to Panama. She was the mother of famed writer James Rufus Agee (1909-1955) and Emily (Emma) Agee (1912- ). Hugh Agee died in a car accident in 1916, and Laura Agee moved the family to Sewanee, Tennessee where James Agee attended St. Andrew's School. Laura Agee married eventually Episcopalian Father Erskine Wright in 1924, the Bursar at St. Andrew's School. In 1922, she published a volume of poetry, Songs of the Way, reflecting a mix of literary and religious themes. The Wrights moved to Rockland Maine. Laura died on August 15, 1966 in Warren, Connecticut.
Arrangement
This collection consists of a single folder.
Acquisition Note
This collection is property of the University of Tennessee Libraries, Knoxville, Special Collections.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository