Walker Wood first became editor of the Oxford Eagle at the age of nineteen. He was later editor of the Tate County Democrat and of the Winona Times. Wood advocated the consolidation of Mississippi public schools, and he was elected to the Mississippi legislature on that platform in 1909. As a legislator, he helped bring about the consolidation of public schools. Wood became secretary of state of Mississippi in April of 1926, and he served until 1948. He is credited with improving the filing system at the secretary of state’s office. Wood later served as assistant clerk, clerk, and sergeant-at-arms of the Mississippi House of Representatives. He also supervised the microfilming of many early state records. Wood retired from public life in 1951.

This collection contains the following:

• Box 1, folders 1-2: Personal correspondence, August 9, 1905-June 3, 1945.
  Box 1, folder 3: Capitol Activities by Walker Wood.
  Box 1, folder 4: Materials concerning the Winona Refunding Bond Issue, 1938.
  Box 1, folders 5-6: Letters of reply from Mississippi counties upon receiving supplemental ballots for the general election, November 7, 1944.

• Box 2, folders 7-11: Applications for absentee voting by soldiers from all Mississippi counties, 1944.

• Box 3, folders 12-15: Applications for absentee voting by soldiers from all Mississippi counties, 1944.
  Box 3, folder 16: Petitions against prohibition, 1916.
  Box 3, folder 17: Petitions to amend section 241 of the Mississippi Constitution, 1918.
  Box 3, folder 18: Petitions concerning section 117 of the Mississippi Constitution, 1918.

• Box 4, folders 19-23: Petitions concerning section 117 of the Mississippi Constitution, 1918.
  Box 4, folder 24: Workman's time book.
  Box 4, folder 25: Reports and other materials concerning the Highway Research Board, 1932-1935.
  Box 4, folder 26: Report of the Legislative Highway Committee regarding a state highway program for Mississippi, 1929.
  Box 4, folder 27: Materials concerning the Carolina Motor Club, 1933-1934.
  Box 4, folder 28: Photographs.

• Box 5, folders 29-36: Managers and clerks of various precincts of Walthall County special election; official ballots, 1914.

• Box 6: Journal of the United States at war, December 7, 1941-December 7, 1942; schedules of state tax-forfeited lands handled by S. Bridgewater, M. Russell, and Russell Investment Corporation and their reports to the legislature, 1936; newspapers, 1956-1966.

• Box 7, folders 37-38: City and town charters of Mississippi.
  Box 7, folder 39: Materials concerning the Federated World Movement, 1948.
  Box 7, folder 40: Materials concerning The Gideons.
  Box 7, folders 41-42: Radio addresses.

• Box 8, folders 43-45: Radio addresses.
  Box 8, folders 46-47: Opinion News, a fortnightly digest concerning various subjects, October 11, 1943-March 21, 1944.
  Box 8, folder 48: Blacks registered and qualified to vote in Mississippi counties, 1947.

• Box 9, folders 49-53: Radio addresses.

• Box 10, folder 54: Application to purchase lands and other property forfeited to the state for nonpayment of taxes by W. B. Crumb and W. F. French, May 7, 1936.
  Box 10, folder 55: Audit reports of the State Book Commission, 1927-1928.
  Box 10, folder 56: A statement by Herbert Howell, director of the Civil Aeronautics Administration, before the Legal and Monetary Affairs Subcommittee.
  Box 10, folders 57-58: Miscellaneous testimony and records of the Committee to Investigate the State Land Commission, 1936.
  Box 10, folders 59-60: Materials concerning the Civilian Defense Corps.
  Box 10, folder 61: Bill concerning Columbus.

• Box 11, folders 62-64: Materials concerning the Mississippi State Board of Development, 1925-1926.

• Box 12, folder 65: Materials concerning the Tennessee State Planning Commission and the Louisiana State Planning Commission.
  Box 12, folders 66-73: Daily attendance tally sheets from state parks, 1939.

• Box 13, folders 74-81: Daily attendance tally sheets from state parks, 1939.

• Box 14, folder 82: Daily attendance tally sheets from state parks, 1939.
  Box 14, folders 83-84: Report of the committee appointed to investigate the State Land Office, 1937.
  Box 14, folder 85: Inventory of patents of the State Land Commissioner, 1935-1936.
  Box 14, folder 86: Audit report of the State Land Commissioner, January 31, 1937.
  Box 14, folder 87: Newspapers, 1933-1941.
  Box 14, folders 88-89: Letters concerning Governor Theodore G. Bilbo, various articles, and newsclippings.

• Box 15, folders 90-94: Letters concerning Governor Theodore G. Bilbo, various articles, and newsclippings.

• Box 16, folders 95-100: Letters concerning Governor Theodore G. Bilbo, various articles, and newsclippings.

• Box 17, folders 101-105: Letters concerning Governor Theodore G. Bilbo, various articles, and newsclippings.

• Box 18: Printed materials concerning the Council of State Governments, 1942.

• Box 19: Printed materials concerning the Mississippi Press Association, 1885-1926.

• Box 20: Printed materials concerning state and county school administration and state control of textbooks, 1927-1928.

• Box 21: Printed materials concerning education, 1928, n.d.

• Box 22: Printed materials concerning House bills and absentee voting, 1932-1948.

• Box 23: Printed materials (miscellaneous), 1933-1948.

• Boxes 24-28: Radio addresses, 1930-1944.

• Box 29: N.R.A. proceedings, 1926-1948.

• Boxes 30-31: Capitol Activities, 1936-1948.

• Box 32: Printed materials concerning school laws, 1915-1927.

• Box 33: Printed materials concerning Mississippi business, government, and other matters, 1925-1947.

Included is a microfilm roll (MF Roll # 36161) concerning Walker Wood and his family history.