Eugene and Margaret Triman papers, 1944-1946

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Summary

Creator:
Triman, Eugene.
Abstract:
Eugene and Margaret Triman both served in the United States military during World War II; Eugene was a sailor and was stationed on submarines, and Margaret was a member of the Women's Army Corps. The majority of this collection consists of Eugene's letters to Margaret while the couple was dating and engaged to marry. There are also five photographs of their wedding day, in April 1946, as well as some newspaper clippings about Margaret's WAC service and two booklets on birth control.
Extent:
0.5 Linear Feet
Language:
Materials in English
Collection ID:
RL.10172

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists largely of correspondence from Eugene Triman to Margaret Bond between December 1944 and April 1946. It is unclear how the couple met, but early letters indicate that Margaret was originally dating another man, "Bert." By August 1945, Eugene and Margaret had begun dating, and by February 1946 they were engaged. There are a few letters from Margaret to Eugene in the weeks leading up to their marriage. Their wedding occurred in late April or early May, 1946. The last letter in the collection is from Margaret's mother in May 1946, wishing the couple a happy married life and enclosing photographs of the wedding ceremony.

Most letters are from Eugene to Margaret, and largely center on his affection and love for her. He writes intimately about their relationship, and discusses their future, his expectations of her as his wife, his sexual desires, their need for birth control and contraceptives once married, his conversion to Catholicism, and his plans for employment and education following his discharge from the U.S. Navy. Other topics of interest are his activities and Navy life aboard submarines, particularly the USS Howard Gilmore, and his various deployments in New York, Florida, and other locations which were classified.

Margaret's letters to Eugene center largely on the logistics of their wedding, particularly the requirement of a blood test in order to receive their marriage license.

Other items in the collection are three clippings from local newspapers announcing Margaret's deployment as a servicewoman in the Women's Army Corps, dating from August 1944.

Biographical / historical:

Eugene Louis Triman was born on Jan. 2, 1915, and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a petty officer, and was stationed on submarines and at naval bases in the United States and in the Pacific Ocean.

Margaret Elizabeth Bond Triman was born on Feb. 19, 1914, and grew up in New Jersey. She attended Asbury Park High School and Glassboro State Teachers College before graduating from Rutgers University with a bachelor's degree in education. In 1944, Margaret joined the Women's Army Corps and completed basic training in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, before serving in the Signal Corps at Arlington Hall, Virginia, until the conclusion of the war.

The couple married in April, 1946, and moved to Chicago. Margaret died on Dec. 28, 1967. Eugene died on Jun. 17, 2006.

Acquisition information:
The Eugene and Margaret Triman Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift in May 2014.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. The library may require up to 48-hours to retrieve these materials for research use.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Eugene and Margaret Triman Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.