Ralph Chester Lapham papers
Scope and Contents
Private Ralph Chester Lapham served with the 116th Evacuation Hospital during World War II in the European Theater of Operations. Chester assisted with providing care for former prisoners of Dachau concentration camp after the camp's liberation. The collection contains photographs of the camp and letters describing the unit's work setting up a hospital at Dachau and a Typhus epidemic.
Dates
- Created: 1944-1945
- Other: Majority of material found in 1944-1945
- Other: Date acquired: 2004-09-08
Creator
- Lapham, Ralph Chester (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open to all researchers.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to quote, publish, broadcast or otherwise reproduce from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Associate Dean for Special Collections & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Florida State University Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Biographical or Historical Information
Ralph Chester Lapham was born on January 24, 1910, in Salem, Massachusetts. After he finished his education he moved to New York City to pursue a career in singing. In 1943 he was drafted into the United States Army. At the liberation of Dachau, he helped treat sick and wounded survivors as a member of the 116th Evacuation Hospital. After the war, he went on to open and operate an electronics store in Salem, Massachusetts. Lapham passed away on June 18, 2012, at 102 years old.
Extent
1.00 folders
Language of Materials
English
Custodial History
Transferred from the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience to FSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives in July 2022.
Source of Acquisition
Eric Blanchard
Method of Acquisition
Donated.
- Concentration camps--Germany Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Dachau (Concentration camp) Subject Source: Lcnaf
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Photographs Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Salem (Mass.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- United States. Army. Evacuation Hospital, 116th Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- World War, 1939-1945--Displaced persons Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- World War, 1939-1945--Germany Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- World War, 1939-1945--Hospitals Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- World War, 1939-1945--Prisoners and prisons Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Ralph Chester Lapham papers
- Author
- Hillary Sebeny and Julianna Witt
- Date
- 09/08/2018
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- eng
Repository Details
Part of the FSU Special Collections & Archives Repository
116 Honors Way
PO Box 3062047
Tallahassee FL 32306-2047 US
850-644-3271
lib-specialcollections@fsu.edu