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General Correspondence and other materials, 1960-1964

 File — Box: 1, Folder: 7

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

This material details the personal and professional activities of Oscar L. Betts, Jr. and, to a lesser extent, Oscar L. Betts, III (known as Buster), as well as R. H. Taliaferro, the father of Buster's wife, Sue Malone Taliaferro. These papers are arranged in three two series: Series 1 – The Betts Family; Series 2 – The Taliaferro Family and Series 3 – The Crawford Family. Within each series items are generally arranged chronologically, with Betts, Jr. and Betts III materials filed together. Within the Betts series there are three sub-divisions: Association of the United States Army (AUSA); Rotary Club; Spirit of Fort Benning Award.

Among the Betts' areas of interest are such subjects as the Ralston Hotel, the Columbus Airport (also known as the Muscogee County Airport and the Municipal Airport), the Highway 27 Association, Fort Benning, World War II, the Rotary Club, the AUSA (Association of the U.S. Army), the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, The Jordan Company, Tom's Foods, etc.

Among the Taliaferros' areas of interest are Jordan Vocational High School, Taliaferro's retirement in 1967, his fundraising for Brookstone (Trinity) School, other Columbus civic organizations and the genealogies of the Crawford family of R. H Taliaferro's wife, Harriet Crawford.

The scrapbooks kept by both Oscar Betts, Jr. and R. H. Taliaferro are in very poor physical condition.

Dates

  • Other: 1960-1964

Extent

From the Collection: 2 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

General

19th Annual meeting Opelika Chamber of Commerce program, February 1, 1960 Photograph of Annual Barbeque at the Standard Oil Company for the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, September 22, 1960 Newspaper clipping, Columbus Enquirer, New Officers of Chamber Take Posts, February 1, 1961 Letter to Betts from Philip Alston regarding Betts being named engineer of the year, March 9, 1961 Letter to A. Thornton Arnold acknowledging a note congratulating Betts on being named engineer of the year and referring to Ralston Hotel activities as well, March 18, 1961 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer photograph of the front of the Betts' home at 2901 Fleetwood Dr. in Columbus, Georgia, May, 1961 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Photograph of a group of Columbus businessmen, including Betts, December 31, 1961 Newspaper clipping, "Generals, staffs feted" (Betts pictured and identified as President of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce), 1961 (?) Columbus Ledger, article on Ralston Hotel sale, April 3, 1962 Columbus Enquirer, article on Ralston Hotel sale, April 3, 1962 Letter to Dan J. Graves, Columbus Postmaster from Betts concerning where to deliver mail addressed to members of the Betts family after their move from the Ralston Hotel, May 3, 1962 Sea Island Special Meeting List (Betts Jr. listed), April 7 (?), 1962 Memorandum from Betts from G. Gunby Jordan to the directors of the Jordan Company with regarding Betts' appointment as a vice president of the company August 18, 1962 This memo says in part "For some time, I have felt the need in the company for an executive with sufficient business acumen and experience together with a technical education and experience, to coordinate, administer, and control company policies as well as to conduct continual studies of the company's operations in the light of operating reports, combined with forward thinking as to trends of new business in areas that we might be interested in pursuing." It further says, "In carrying out these responsibilities, Mr. Betts is being asked to act as a management consultant, controller, and researcher. He will, by necessity, confer with all of us many times, review all fiscal matters, operating statistics, and policies under which we conduct our affairs . Mr. Betts will serve as a Vice President of the company and will maintain his office at the company's building as 1220 Second Avenue." Three copies of Betts resume are attached, one of which was updated in 1984 after his retirement. Letter to Betts from Leonard Pfaelzer to Betts commenting on his departure from the Ralston Hotel and congratulating him on his new position with the Jordan Company, September 5, 1962 Letter to Betts from Jack A. Bell regarding the Business Committee of the Gas Light Co. of Columbus Georgia, October 17, 1962 Congratulations to Betts from James W. Blanchard, president of the Columbus Bank and Trust Co. on his joining the Jordan Company with Betts acknowledgment of the next day attached, August 22, 1962 Congratulations to Betts from J. Quentin Davidson, partner in the firm of Swift, Pease, Davidson & Chapman, Attorneys on his joining the Jordan Company with Betts acknowledgment of the next day attached, August 22, 1962 Congratulations to Betts from W. M. Page, partner in the firm of Swift, Pease, Davidson & Chapman, Attorneys on his joining the Jordan Company with Betts acknowledgment of the next day attached, August 22, 1962 Handwritten letter of congratulations to Betts from Thornton [Arnold?], August 23, 1962 Letter from Philip Alston Jr. of the law firm Alston, Miller and Gaines of Atlanta, congratulating Betts on his appointment to the Jordan Company. He also thanks Betts for his sympathy note after the recent death of Alston's father. He also attached a letter concerning his father's death, dated July 5, 1962, addressed to the family of Philip Alston Sr. from the Piedmont Hospital Business Office, August 23, 1962 Congratulations to Betts from C. E. Thwaite, Jr., chairman of the board of the Trust Company of Georgia, on his joining the Jordan Company with Betts acknowledgment of August 27 attached, August 23, 1962 Letter to G. Gunby Jordan, with a cc to Betts, from Foley, Chappell, Young, and Hollis, regarding Betts appointment to the Jordan Company, August 24, 1962 Congratulations to Betts from John L. Street, Assistant Vice President of the Chemical Bank New York Trust Company, National Division on his joining the Jordan Company with Betts acknowledgment of September 7 the next day attached, August 30, 1962 Congratulations to Betts from R.L. Ireland III (Tim), of Brown Brothers Harriman & Co, Private Bankers on his joining the Jordan Company with Betts acknowledgment of September 25, 1962 attached, September 16, 1962 Letter to Betts from Mary A. Hearn, an employee at the Ralston Hotel, thanking Betts for the loan of $30 and many other kindnesses over the years, and saying how much they all miss him there, December 2, 1962 Letter to Betts from John L. Street, Jr. regarding quail hunting and an administrative issue regarding a Jordan Company account with the Chemical Bank New York Trust Company, with Betts replay of January 14, 1963 attached, December 19, 1962 Letter to Betts from Jack A. Bell of the Gas Light Company of Columbus thanking Betts for his work on the Red Carpet tour earlier that month, April 16, 1963 Letter to Betts from James W. Blanchard of the Columbus Bank and Trust Company thanking Betts for his work on the Red Carpet tour earlier that month, April 19, 1963 Letter to Betts from Philip Alston Jr. about quail hunting, December 17, 1963 Letter to Betts from Mark F. Rosenberg, December, 1963 (?) Note for a speech on the 1962/1963 United Givers Campaign given at Baker High School and at Jordan Vocational High School sometime during the year, 1963 Ribbon, pamphlet, note card, and a note to Betts offering nominations for The Southern Company, 1963 Letter to Betts from Major General A. C. Welling regarding a meeting held that week, March 20, 1964 Welcome Letter to charter members of the Green Island Country Club detailing membership benefits, methods for nominating new members, etc., April 7, 1964 Letter to Betts from Bentley H. Chappell, pledging his "wholehearted and active support" should Betts decide to run for mayor of Columbus, April 16, 1964 Letter to Betts from George C. Griffin, Dean of Students, Emeritus, at Georgia Tech, thanking Betts for his kindness on the occasion of Griffin's retirement, July 20, 1964 Recommendation form on behalf of Derwood Westley Terry, October 2, 1964 Recommendation form on behalf of Henry Wilson Hawthorne, October 5, 1964 Annual Meeting of The Jordan Co., list of elected officers and directors, November 24, 1964

Repository Details

Part of the Columbus State University Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
4225 University Ave
Columbus Georgia 31907 United States