Biography/History:

Clyde Vernon McKee was born in Moscow, Kemper County, Mississippi, on April 8, 1888. He was the son of John Wesley and Sarah Elizabeth Newell McKee. Clyde Vernon McKee attended William Penn College, Oskaloosa, Iowa, and completed a course at the academy of Meridian Male College, Lauderdale County, Mississippi, in 1912. He completed his undergraduate education at Meridian Male College in 1915 and taught there while attending classes. McKee taught school in Oloh, Lamar County, Mississippi, and in Meridian between 1915 and 1917. He married Wanda O’Daniel on May 29, 1917. She was the daughter of James MacFarland and Alice Lowrance O’Daniel of Rutherford, Tennessee.

During World War I, McKee enlisted in the United States Army on May 28, 1918. He served in France and Germany with Company E, Thirty-eighth Infantry, Third Division. McKee was honorably discharged at Fort McPherson, Georgia, on March 4, 1920. He later earned bachelor and master of science degrees from George Peabody College (later merged with Vanderbilt University), Nashville, Tennessee. McKee was school superintendent in Louisville, Winston County, Mississippi, by 1925 and in Pontotoc, Pontotoc County, Mississippi, by 1930. He was residing in Jackson and employed as a superintendent with the Mississippi Department of Education in 1936.

McKee married his second wife, Ruth Porter, a native of Rutherford, Tennessee, around 1941. The couple resided in Jackson where McKee continued working at the state department of education. He was a member of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church; the American Legion, Louis Jiggets Post 110; and the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Clyde Vernon McKee died on February 13, 1984, and was interred at Lakewood Memorial Park, Clinton, Hinds County, Mississippi. He was survived by three children: Clyde Vernon, Jr. (b. June 28, 1918), John Max (b. ca. 1925), and Alice.

Scope and Content:

This collection consists of four diaries and four letters written by Clyde Vernon McKee of Kemper County, Mississippi.

The first diary dates from September 11, 1911, to September 12, 1912. It begins with McKee preparing to leave for William Penn College in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He describes traveling through Cairo, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri, and arriving at Oskaloosa. McKee notes class attendance and preparation and mentions going to dances and church services in the remaining entries. He also describes returning to Mississippi for summer vacation. The diary ends with McKee preparing to leave on a trip, probably to return to school.

The second diary dates from January 1, 1913, to December 31, 1913. McKee kept the diary while he was enrolled at Meridian Male College. He describes some of the classes he attended or taught at the college. McKee also comments on some students’ attitudes toward learning. He also mentions attending various religious services and social events. Of interest is the September 26, 1913, entry in which McKee reveals that he met Wanda O’Daniel, his future wife. Scattered throughout the remainder of the entries are references to their courtship.

McKee kept the last two diaries while serving in the United States Army during and immediately after World War I. The first entry is dated May 27, 1918, the day McKee reported to his draft board in Meridian. The diary contains entries in which McKee describes his trip to a military camp in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the subsequent preparations for the trans-Atlantic voyage to Europe. McKee and his unit departed from New Jersey aboard the USS George Washington and arrived in Brest, France, on July 30, 1918. Shortly after arriving, there was an outbreak of influenza and something McKee refers to as a “poison germ.” He was subsequently sent to a hospital with racially integrated wards. McKee comments on the quality of care given by the doctors and officers in charge of the hospital. He also notes the mental and physical condition of fellow soldiers.

After recovering from influenza, McKee and his unit were sent to Germany. He describes some of the areas along the Rhine River that his unit is marching through, including the towns of Andernach and Niedermendig, and notes the physical well-being of the troops. The armistice was signed while McKee was stationed in Germany. As part of the army of occupation, McKee was assigned the duty of teaching English to Italians and Russians. He describes the difficulty in obtaining materials for the class, as well as the attitudes of some students toward learning. In later entries, McKee occasionally expresses opinions on the peace negotiations taking place in France. In the last entry, dated July 9, 1919, he mentions that he received a letter from his wife, Wanda, which made him homesick.

McKee wrote four letters to his mother, Sarah Elizabeth Newell McKee, while he was recuperating in Evacuation Hospital 27, Koblenz, Germany, in July and August, 1919. The July letter recounts an incident in which McKee received two stab wounds after surprising a burglar in the process of raiding a storehouse. In the three August letters, McKee expresses his desire to return to Mississippi, provides updates on his health, and offers his thoughts on the competency of army officers at the hospital.

Series Identification:

1. Diaries. 1911-1919. 4 bound volumes.

   Box 1, folders 1 and 3

2. Correspondence. 1919. 1 folder.

   Box 1, folder 2