William Julison Papers, 1908-1988

William Julison Papers

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Collection Overview

Title: William Julison Papers, 1908-1988

Predominant Dates:1930-1988

ID: OGLMC1169

Primary Creator: Julison, William (1916-1988)

Extent: 42.75 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 06/23/1988

Subjects: Grand Forks, Great Depression, Military History - World War II (WW2), Sports and Recreation, Theater and Film

Languages: English

Abstract

1916-1988; Grand Forks business owner who chronicled city athletics

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The William Julison Papers date from 1908 to 1988, although the bulk of the material is from 1930 to 1988. The papers originally measured 62.5 linear feet and were completely unorganized. Therefore, at the time of acquisition, it was deemed expedient to do only a cursory appraisal of the material on site. Upon processing, the papers were rearranged to reflect Julison's personal life, his work as a commercial artist/cartoonist, and his interest in sports and silent western films. The Julison Papers are arranged into seven series:

Series 1: Personal and Family

Series 2: Art Mart

Series 3: Sports

Series 4: Grand Forks and North Dakota History

Series 5: Silent Western Movies

Series 6: Oversize

Series 7: Photographs

Collection Historical Note

William Julison was born August 30, 1916, in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the fifth of six children born to Gustav and Marie Anne Scherer Julissen (Yulissen). Gustav, an ethnic German from Russia, was born near Tallinn, Estonia, August 17, 1867, and Marie Anne in Selz, Russia, December 2, 1877. Gustav was pressed into the Russian Army at age 15 and met Marie in Odessa while working in one of Czar Nicholas' many estates near Odessa. They were married in 1902 and lived in the village of Mixtov where their first three children were born. Gustav saw service in the Russian-Japanese War of 1904. He immigrated with his family to the United States in June 1906 via Antwerp, Belgium, and Canada, before arriving in Neche, North Dakota, in September 1906. The family moved to Grand Forks shortly thereafter to join sponsoring relatives, Marie's parents, Barbara and Joseph Scherer. Gustav worked for the Great Northern Railroad for 35 years as a section hand and then a car repairman. Gustav died in Grand Forks February 3, 1948, and Marie Anne June 28, 1950.

William Julison grew up in the Dyke Avenue/Washington Street neighborhood of Grand Forks. He graduated from Central High School in 1934 and then worked for Griffith's Department Store and odd jobs until the fall of 1937 when he enrolled at the University of North Dakota majoring in art and journalism. He left UND Spring semester 1939 because of unsatisfactory scholarship and went to live with his sister, Mary, who was teaching in Milwaukee. Unable to find work, Julison enrolled in Company 1604 CCC Camp, Gays Mills, Wisconsin, on July 30, 1939. He joined other CCC men who were in the same boat "coming from big families, no jobs, and disgusted with hard times." He participated in a variety of work: Soil Conservation Service topographical projects, limestoning, and KP, latrine, and dispensary duty. He was also a columnist and the cartoonist for the Camp's daily newspaper Kickapoojian. Julison was discharged from Company 1604 CCC Camp on June 30, 1941, and the Camp was disbanded in July 1942.

Julison registered for the Draft at Company 1604 CCC Camp on October 15, 1940. Instead of having his induction papers transferred to North Dakota, he chose to join some of his CCC enrollees and was inducted August 3, 1941, at Prairie Du Chein, Wisconsin. He received his basic training at Camp Grant, Illinois, and then was stationed at Chanute Field, Illinois, Lincoln, Nebraska, and Harding, Louisiana. He was sent overseas in December of 1944. He served in England and France and then spent approximately one year in Germany where his knowledge of the German language enabled him to serve as an interpreter. He also worked in the air disarmament program decoding Nazi aircraft development secrets. Throughout his five years in the Army, Julison was also a cartoonist/illustrator for army post newspapers, worked in public relations, and produced art work for various projects. He was awarded an ETO Certificate of Merit and a Bronze Star and was discharged May 16, 1946, as a Master Sergeant.

Julison spent the summer of 1946 working for the Progress, a weekly newspaper in Dawson Springs, Kentucky, before joining the Grand Forks Herald as a sports writer and cartoonist. He established a free-lance illustration/commercial art service shop called the Art Mart in 1956, contracting work in illustrating, designing, printing, cartooning, photo-retouching, posters, and T.V. slides. He maintained this business at several downtown locations before moving it to his home in 1967.

Julison never married but nurtured close ties with his extended family, especially his nieces and nephews. He was a member of the Grand Forks Quarterback Club, the American Foreign Legion, and was a lover of classical music, a sports enthusiast, and a silent western movie buff. William Julison died July 1, 1988.

Subject/Index Terms

Grand Forks
Great Depression
Military History - World War II (WW2)
Sports and Recreation
Theater and Film

Administrative Information

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Source: Adam Julison, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Acquisition Method: Donation; Accession 88-1614

Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). William Julison Papers. OGLMC 1169, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid migrated to Archon in August 2015.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Personal And Family],
[Series 2: Art Mart ],
[Series 3: Sports],
[Series 4: Grand Forks And North Dakota History],
[Series 5: Silent Western Movies],
[Series 6: Oversize],
[Series 7: Photographs],
[All]

Series 6: Oversize

Box 16

Folder 1: Julison/Scherer-Schall Genealogies; Family embroidery. CCC posters. Art Mart advertising poster.
Folder 2: Artwork for Germans-from-Russia Heritage Society. News articles on Germans- from-Russia, 1971-1983.
Folder 3: Custer and the Battle of the Little Bighorn - news articles. Crazy Horse Monument - news articles. Chief Joseph, Battle of Wounded Knee - news articles.
Folder 4: Two scrapbooks containing news clippings on Grand Forks area Service personnel.
Folder 5: Scrapbook - Cartoons and articles by Julison, 1941-1946.
Folder 6: Three cartoon boards for "Heroes at Harding" by S/Sgt Bill Julison, for the Echelon.
Folder 7: His Cartoons for the A.E.F. by Abian Wallgren.
Folder 8: 399th In Action with the 100th Infantry Division.

Box 17

Folder 1: Airplane Mechanic - Lincoln Army Air Base newspaper, July 19, 1942 - August 30, 1942.
Folder 2: Airplane Mechanic - Lincoln Army Air Base newspaper, September 1942 - October 25, 1942.
Folder 3: Airplane Mechanic - Lincoln Army Air Base newspaper, November 1, 1942 - December 20, 1942.
Folder 4: Airplane Mechanic - Lincoln Army Air Base newspaper, December 27, 1942 - February 28, 1943.
Folder 5: Airplane Mechanic - Lincoln Army Air Base newspaper, March 6, 1943 - April 30, 1943.
Folder 6: Airplane Mechanic - Lincoln Army Air Base newspaper, April 30, 1943 - June 18, 1943.
Folder 7: Airplane Mechanic - Lincoln Army Air Base newspaper, June 25, 1943 - August 13, 1943.
Folder 8: Airplane Mechanic - Lincoln Army Air Base newspaper, August 20, 1943 - October 22, 1943.
Folder 9: Airplane Mechanic - Lincoln Army Air Base newspaper, October 29, 1943 - December 24, 1943.
Folder 10: Airplane Mechanic - Lincoln Army Air Base newspaper, December 31, 1943 - February 25, 1944.
Folder 11: Airplane Mechanic - Lincoln Army Air Base newspaper, March 3, 1944 - April 14, 1944.
Folder 12: The Echelon - Harding Field newspaper, June - October 1944; Stars and Stripes, May, August 1945.

Box 18

Folder 1: Julison's miscellaneous sketch work.
Folder 2: Julison's sketchbook.
Folder 3: Art Mart - Advertising for Bill Larson Co. and menus for Grand Forks and East Grand Forks restaurants.
Folder 4: Julison's miscellaneous sports illustration work.
Folder 5: Sports news clippings - scrapbook pages, 1934-1935.
Folder 6: Sports news clippings - scrapbook pages, 1934-1935.

Box 19

Folder 1: Sports news clippings - scrapbook pages, 1936-1937.
Folder 2: Sports news clippings - scrapbook pages, 1936-1937.
Folder 3: Sports news clippings - scrapbook pages, 1930s.
Folder 4: "The Silent Guns" - Paste-Ups and negatives.
Folder 5: Pressbooks - "Shane" and "The Night of the Generals".
Folder 6: Julison's biographical pictorials of silent western stars.
Folder 7: Julison's Western pictorials: "Ride-M-Ranch, Home of the Western Film Stars". "Top 20 of the Silent Guns". "General Custer's Trail to the Battle of the Little Big Horn".

Box 20

Folder 1: Julison's Western pictorials: "Tom Mix and Tony" and Tom Mix Festival, Dubois, PA, 1980. "All-Time Top Guns of Silent/Sound Films and TV Westerns". "Best of the Badmen"; "Winners of the Wilderness" - Tim McCoy".
Folder 2: Lobby Cards - Grand Theater, Jamestown, ND, early 1970s.
Folder 3: Film Collectors newspapers: Wild West Stars, 1969 - 1971; Film Collectors Registry, 1969-1977; Memory Lane, 1979-1980.

Box 21

Folder 1: Cartoon Sketches for Lincoln Army Air Base newspaper.
Folder 2: Cartoon Sketches for Lincoln Army Air Base newspaper.
Folder 3: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Private Harvey Black, Major Edward Bloom.
Folder 4: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Technical Sergeant Carl Brockman, Captain William Chafee.
Folder 5: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Master Sergeant John Cooper, Major Thomas Cox.
Folder 6: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Staff Sergeant Raymond Daniels, Major Wallace Dunn.
Folder 7: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Private Carl Edman, Staff Sergeant Edward Estlow.
Folder 8: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Technical Sergeant John Frankey, PFC William Gaskins.
Folder 9: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Lieutenant Stanley Hall, Private William Harris.
Folder 10: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Private Earl Harris, Sergeant Chester Haupt.
Folder 11: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Staff Sergeant Robert Henderson, Major Henry Iker.
Folder 12: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Major Emmett Jones, Sergeant James Kennedy.
Folder 13: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Captain Lincoln Kilbourne, Captain Aaron Lindeman.
Folder 14: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Corporal Irving Marcus, Major Raymond Maxwell.
Folder 15: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Corporal Henry Morrison, Staff Sergeant William Potter.
Folder 16: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Master Sergeant Henry Proctor, Private Ernest Puccini.
Folder 17: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Sergeant Leonard Ross, Sergeant Oliver Sansen.
Folder 18: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Captain Ervin Schiesl, Staff Sergeant Glen Schuster.
Folder 19: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Private Frankie Serna, Corporal Edward Shubert.
Folder 20: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Major William Snowden, Sergeant William Tebay.
Folder 21: Sketches of Lincoln Army Air Base personnel - Sergeant James Terrell, Technical Sergeant Floyd Thraser.

Box 22

Item 1: Plaques, Buttons, Patches and Miscellaneous Memorabilia.

Box 23

Item 1: Photograph Album: Miscellaneous
Item 2: Photograph Album: Miscellaneous
Item 3: Photograph Album: Miscellaneous

Box 24

Item 4: Photograph Album: Miscellaneous
Item 5: Photograph Album: Miscellaneous
Item 6: Photograph Album: Miscellaneous

Box 25

Item 1: Brown Scrapbook: North Dakota Hockey Hall of Fame: Located at Julison's business, the Art Mart
Item 2: Blue Scrapbook: Fastpitch Softball, 1963-1975
Item 3: Red Scrapbook: Fastpitch Softball, 1975-1978
Item 4: Gray Photo Album: Company 1604 CCC Camp, Gays Mills, Wisconsin

Scrapbook 1: Large Black Scrapbook: 1930s

The scrapbook depicts various local events and subjects, especially sports. The scrapbook was separated and placed on the shelves adjacent to the collection.

Department of Special Collections
Digital Finding Aids