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 1: Personal And Family

Sub-Series 1: Julison Family

This sub-series includes Yulissen/Schall-Scherer genealogical and family history information. The families were from Tallinn, Estonia and Selz, South Russia respectively. The Jacob Schall (1751-1821) Family of Kaidenburg, Alsace-France, was one of the Kutschurean colonists who founded Selz, South Russia in 1808. This subseries also contains biographical information and miscellaneous papers and school certificates for Julison, his brothers, and sister Mary, who graduated from UND in 1925.

Box 1

Folder 1: Yulissen/Schall-Scherer Family Genealogies and Papers.
Folder 2: William Julison - Personal and Biographical Materials.
Folder 3: Correspondence - Reflections on Julison's life, 1970-1987.
Folder 4: Julison Family Papers.
Folder 5: Mary Julison's Scrapbook, Central High School 1918, 1922; UND 1924, 1934- 1936 Athletics.
Folder 6: Mary Julison - Loose items from scrapbook and certificates.
Folder 7: Julison's Nieces and Nephews - news clippings and miscellany.
Folder 8: Correspondence - To Julison from Nieces and Nephews, 1966-1988.
Folder 9: Correspondence - Julison's sympathy messages, 1972-1985.
Folder 10: Correspondence - Opinion letters to the "Mail Bag", CBC, etc.
Folder 11: Letters to the Editor and miscellaneous articles for the Grand Forks Herald by William Julison.
Folder 12: Correspondence - General miscellaneous.
Folder 13: Correspondence - Christmas Cards.

Sub-Series 2: Civilian Conservation Corps

Materials in this sub-series relate to Julison's twenty-three month stint of service in Company 1604 CCC Camp, Gays Mills, Wisconsin, July 1939 to June 1941. The materials include two historical sketches of Company 1604. Donald Niendorf, a Camp superintendent, wrote a brief history in 1966 for the Camp's first reunion held at Kankakee, Illinois, while Julison produced a pictorial booklet for the 50th anniversary of Company 1604 held at Gays Mills, Wisconsin, 1983. The sub-series also includes general historical information of the Civilian Conservation Corps; original copies of Company 1604 CCC Camp newsletter, Kickapoojian, August 1940 to June 1941; Company 1604 memorabilia; correspondence regarding the writing of Julison's historical 50th anniversary booklet, his orders for CCC buttons which he designed and fashioned, and general correspondence from various ex-CCCers; and newsletters from the Brotherhood of XCCCers and Potomac Chapter 13. A scrapbook documenting the history of Company 1604 CCC Camp has been placed with the oversize material. Photographs depicting life at Company 1604 have been separated and placed in the Photograph File Cabinets.

Box 1

Folder 14: CCC - "History of 1604th Co. of C.C.C., Gay Mills, Wisconsin", written by Donald Niendorf, 1966.
Folder 15: CCC - "Civilian Conservation Corps Company 1604 Connection, Fort Sheridan, Ill., Clam Lake, Richland Center, Gay Mills, Wis.", by William Julison, 1985.
Folder 16: CCC - "Civilian Conservation Corps Company 1604 Connection ...", rough draft.
Folder 17: CCC - "Civilian Conservation Corps Company 1604 Connection ...", correspondence requesting photo- graphs and information.

Box 2

Folder 1: CCC - Correspondence, Re: CCC Camp 1604, 1970- 1988.
Folder 2: CCC - Company 1604 Newspaper Kickapoojian, August 5, 1940 - June 30, 1941.
Folder 3: CCC - Company 1604 Memorabilia.
Folder 4: CCC - Company 1604 Memorabilia 1940-41 and NACCCA Memberships 1979- 87.
Folder 5: CCC - Company 1604 Reunions and other CCC company reunions, 1963-84.
Folder 6: CCC - Fort Sheridan Centennial celebration - correspondence and miscellany, 1985-87.
Folder 7: CCC - Company reunions in North Dakota, 1984-87.
Folder 8: CCC - Correspondence regarding orders for Julison's CCC buttons, 1983-84.
Folder 9: Civilian Conservation Corps - General historical information.
Folder 10: CCC - National Association of Civilian Conservation Corps Alumni, correspondence, 1982-87.
Folder 11: CCC - Brotherhood of XCCCers Newsletters, 1983-85.
Folder 12: CCC - Potomac Chapter 13 Newsletters, 1987-88.

Sub-Series 3: World War II

Sub-series 3 consists of materials collected during Julison's active duty years in the United States Army during World War II and more recent newspaper articles about both World War I and II. Included is Julison's diary of his service years, 1941 to 1946, personal documents, correspondence, and miscellaneous items. Separated and placed in oversize boxes are scrapbooks containing news clippings which recorded the names of those men from the Grand Forks area who entered service, were on furlough, or were wounded or killed in action; approximately two years of the Airplane Mechanic, the Lincoln Army/Air Base newspaper, August 1942 to April 1944; random editions of other military newspapers; and Julison's caricature drawings of his fellow servicemen. Photographs from World War II have been placed in the Photograph File Cabinets.

Box 2

Folder 13: WW II - Personal documents.
Folder 14: WW II - Julison diary, 1941-1946.
Folder 15: WW II - Miscellaneous correspondence, 1944-1980.
Folder 16: WW II - Chanute Field - Photocopies of photographs of personnel, scenes from the school, clippings of Chanute Field Sports Stars, souvenir cards, and correspondence.
Folder 17: WW II - Lincoln Army Air Base - Pamphlet on history of the Air Force Technical School, pamphlet on the physical training program, clippings of the "Hangar Flying" column in the base newspaper, souvenir cards, and "H Street Bugle" newsletter.
Folder 18: WW II - Lincoln Army Air Base - correspondence with former personnel, 1971- 1984.
Folder 19: WW II - Sixth Air Disarmament Group - Pamphlet on, and newsletters(The Oracle), May 30 - September 22, 1945.
Folder 20: WW II - Military personnel - caricature of, poems about.
Folder 21: WW II - Military Teams - football programs, news releases, miscellany, 1945-46.
Folder 22: WW II - Local servicemen - news clippings on those entering service, killed in action, furloughs. Great Northern Railway report , with names, of employees killed in WW II.
Folder 23: WW II - Military Magazines - Army Talks, July 10, 1945, The American Legion, April 30, 1977.
Folder 24: WW II - Foreign currencies.
Folder 25: WW II - News clippings, 1942-1985.
Folder 26: WW II - Miscellaneous news clippings.
Folder 27: WW II - Concentration Camps - Brochure on Dachau; press release on camps.
Folder 28: WW II - Catalogue of Military Collectibles.
Folder 29: WW II - European cities - Pamphlets on Berlin, photo and description of Heidelberg, booklet on Napoli.
Folder 30: WW II - Miscellaneous.
Folder 31: WW I - News clippings and pamphlet on the "Defeat of the German Army, 1918", typescript of speech on the war and its veterans

Sub-Series 4: Germans from Russia

This sub-series contains information about Germans from Russia who migrated in large numbers from the Black Sea area of Russia to Dakota Territory, beginning in 1873. Julison was a member of the Deutsche Kinder Chapter of the Germans from Russia Heritage Society founded on January 9, 1971, under the name North Dakota Historical Society of Germans from Russia. Its headquarters is located in Bismarck, North Dakota. The Grand Forks Chapter was formed in 1977. Items included in this series are membership lists, correspondence, newsletters, convention brochures, publication lists, and art work produced by Julison for the brochure of the Society's 10th annual convention held in Grand Forks in 1980. The materials date from 1967 to 1988.

Box 2

Folder 32: Germans from Russia Heritage Society - Grand Forks Deutsche Kinder Chapter newsletters, officer lists, news clippings, and miscellany, 1977-1988
Folder 33: Germans from Russia Heritage Society, 1980 Convention in Grand Forks, brochures, correspondence, and music.
Folder 34: Germans from Russia Heritage Society - North Dakota-state newsletters, convention brochures, publication lists, miscellaneous, 1979-1987.
Folder 35: Germans from Russia Heritage Society - Julison's illustration work.

Box 3

Folder 1: Germans from Russia Heritage Society - Chapters other than Grand Forks, newsletters and miscellaneous, 1981-1986.
Folder 2: Germans-Russian Immigrants and other miscellaneous news clippings, 1970- 1986.
Folder 3: Germans from Russia genealogy - correspondence, publication lists, miscellaneous, 1977-1979.
Folder 4: Souvenirs from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Germany, including photos of Hitler's "Eagles Nest".
Folder 5: German Cooking - news clippings on restaurants, recipes, 1967-1980.
Folder 6: Germans from Russia Heritage Society - miscellaneous.

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