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 3: Sports

William Julison and his brothers, Steve and Adam, were active in hockey and softball in Grand Forks for over forty years, both as team members on local and state championship teams in the 1930s and 1940s and as team sponsors in the 1960s. William sponsored the Art Mart softball team in the Commercial League and Adam sponsored the Adam's Place team in the City League. Adam's Place won the state softball championship in 1965. Steve and Adam played hockey for various Grand Forks teams: the Dragons and Junior Dragons, Grand Forks Central, the Cavaliers, and the Flyers. William was manager of the Grand Forks American Legion Post 6 Amerks team in the States Dominion Hockey League, from 1947 to 1950. This series also provides information on most sports played in Grand Forks and to some extent at UND. The material particularly documents the years of the 20s, 30s, and 40s and is arranged alphabetically by sport with emphasis on softball, hockey, and football. The materials include correspondence, team rosters, handbills, newspaper clippings, Julison's sports illustrations and historical booklets, and memorabilia. Sports photographs are extensive and have been separated and placed in the Photograph File Cabinets. Several scrapbooks have been placed with the oversize material. The softball portion of the series contains Julison's "Greater Grand Forks Softball History Album" which he compiled and published in 1978. It traces the organization of the sport from the early days of "Kittenball" in the 1920s through the organization of leagues and the establishment of a North Dakota Softball Hall of Fame. Both Steve and Adam Julison are members of that Hall of Fame. This section also provides information on Eddie Feigner, the King and His Court, a professional exhibition softball team who appeared numerous times in Grand Forks in the 1960s and 1970s. Julison, a fan and supporter, designed logos and local promotional items for Feigner, worked on an idea for a softball board game, and designed an Eddie Feigner comic book. It was submitted to Dell Publishing Co., but never published. Julison documented the history of local hockey in his "Greater Grand Forks Hockey Album" compiled and published in 1974. Items integral to its compilation are found in the collection, as well as information regarding the inception of the North Dakota Hockey Hall of Fame and Memento Museum at Grand Forks in 1975. Julison was a co-founder of the Hall of Fame along with J.A. (Lottie) Wambach and Cliff (Fido) Purpur and Julison's Art Mart housed the display. Julison compiled and published a booklet entitled "Clifford J. Fido Purpur: North Dakota's Only National Hockey Leaguer". The majority of the football material consists of Julison's illustration work and his "Sportraits". The "Redskins Sports Review" and accompanying documentation was compiled in 1986 for Central High School's centennial celebration. He also illustrated Ben Hokum's "Powerful Golf for Men Past 40" in 1958.

Box 8

Folder 8: Baseball, Grand Forks Chiefs.
Folder 9: Baseball, Grand Forks - Harold C. "Pinky" Kraft.
Folder 10: Baseball, Newspaper clippings - 1931, 1970, 1978, 1980-1986.
Folder 11: Baseball, miscellaneous.
Folder 12: Baseball, Year Books - 1960 Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.
Folder 13: Basketball - Class A State Tournament - 1952, 1956, 1962, 1963, 1964.
Folder 14: Basketball - UND, illustration work.
Folder 15: Boxing - Virgil Hill, 1984-1988, news clippings.
Folder 16: Football, correspondence - UND and Central High School Redskins, 1951-1987.
Folder 17: Football, Greater Grand Forks Teams, Miscellany.
Folder 18: Football, UND, 1928-1983, miscellany.
Folder 19: Football, UND, news clippings.
Folder 20: Football, Grid-O-Grams, UND Sioux and Pro teams.
Folder 21: Football, Illustration work, players, UND.
Folder 22: Football, Illustration work, miscellaneous UND material.
Folder 23: Football, Illustration work, general.
Folder 24: "Powerful Golf for Men Past 40" by Ben Hokum, Illustrated by Bill Julison, 1958.
Folder 25: Hockey, Hannah, North Dakota Hockey team, 1908 Grand Forks Flickertails, 1914 Grand Forks Cavaliers.
Folder 26: Hockey, Dakota Ice Hockey League, Grand Forks, 1937-1939.
Folder 27: Hockey, Fourth Annual Ice Carnival, 1939.
Folder 28: Hockey, States-Dominion Hockey League, Grand Forks Amerks, 1939-1952.
Folder 29: Hockey, Grand Forks Amerks and UND Sioux, news clippings, late 1940s.

Box 9

Folder 1: Hockey, Grand Forks Central and East Grand Forks Sacred Heart, miscellany.
Folder 2: Hockey, Illustration work, UND Sioux.
Folder 3: Hockey, UND Sioux, news clippings.
Folder 4: Hockey, UND Sioux, miscellany.
Folder 5: Hockey, "Greater Grand Forks Hockey Album", William E. Julison.
Folder 6: Hockey, Correspondence, UND and Grand Forks, 1959- 1987.
Folder 7: Hockey, Correspondence, UND and Grand Forks, 1959- 1987.
Folder 8: Hockey, Julison's Hockey sports columns.
Folder 9: Hockey, Olympic Teams, news clippings, 1956-1984.
Folder 10: Hockey, Governor Wendell Anderson's Olympians vs. Greater Grand Forks Old- Timers All-Stars, 1976.
Folder 11: Hockey, Senior Olympics Hockey Tournament, Santa Rosa, CA, 1979-1987.
Folder 12: Hockey, Grand Rapids, MN Indians, 1975 State Tourney, news clippings.
Folder 13: Hockey, News clippings, miscellaneous materials.
Folder 14: Hockey, North Dakota Hall of Fame.
Folder 15: Hockey, North Dakota Hall of Fame, brochures and buttons.
Folder 16: Hockey, North Dakota Hall of Fame, correspondence, 1978-1987 and inductees.
Folder 17: Hockey, North Dakota Hall of Fame, finances.
Folder 18: Hockey, North Dakota Hall of Fame, news clippings.
Folder 19: Hockey, United States and the International Hall of Fame.
Folder 20: Hockey, Cliff "Fido" Purpur, miscellany.
Folder 21: Hockey, Cliff "Fido" Purpur, news clippings.
Folder 22: Hockey, Al Purpur, UND Grounds Keeper(Cliff "Fido" Purpur's brother).
Folder 23: Hockey, James Patrick "Itts" Williams.
Folder 24: Hockey, Illustration work, general.
Folder 25: Hockey, Hockey Publications.
Folder 26: Hockey, North Dakota State High School Tournament, 1975-1979.

Box 10

Folder 1: Hockey, North Dakota State High School Tournament, 1981-1987.
Folder 2: Hockey, miscellaneous programs, Winnipeg and Warroad, MN.
Folder 3: Hockey, Hockey Publications, 1960-1966.
Folder 4: Hockey, Hockey Publications, 1962-1964.
Folder 5: Softball, North Dakota Hall of Fame.
Folder 6: Softball, State and Regional Tournaments - 1953, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965.
Folder 7: Softball, State and Regional Tournaments - 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1987.
Folder 8: Softball, By-Laws of the Grand Forks Softball Association.
Folder 9: Softball, "Greater Grand Forks Softball History Album", William E. Julison.
Folder 10: Softball, correspondence, North Dakota and Grand Forks, 1948-1988.
Folder 11: Softball, Grand Forks players, illustrations.
Folder 12: Softball, Art Mart team, 1963-1966.
Folder 13: Softball, articles from Valley View and Explorer, 1980?.
Folder 14: Softball, news clippings - 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s.
Folder 15: Softball, "Balls and Strikes", Grand Forks articles and "Softball News".
Folder 16: Softball, National and World Tournaments - 1963, 1973, 1974.
Folder 17: Softball, Miscellaneous.
Folder 18: Softball, Eddie Feigner, History of the "King and His Court".
Folder 19: Softball, Eddie Feigner, correspondence.
Folder 20: Softball, Eddie Feigner, promotional material.

Box 11

Folder 1: Softball, Eddie Feigner, Pitching and Hitting Literature.
Folder 2: Softball, Eddie Feigner, Programs, 1953-1983 (incomplete).
Folder 3: Softball, Eddie Feigner, Newspaper clippings.
Folder 4: Softball, Eddie Feigner, Miscellaneous.
Folder 5: Softball, Rosie Black, "The Queen and Her Court".
Folder 6: Sports - Correspondence, general, 1971-1984.
Folder 7: Sports - General illustration work.
Folder 8: Sports - UND, general illustration work.
Folder 9: Sports - Miscellaneous news clippings.
Folder 10: Sports - Miscellaneous programs, 1938-1986.
Folder 11: Sports - Miscellany.
Folder 12: Track - Patty Purpur, 1982-1985, news clippings.
Folder 13: Track - Vern Booth Reminiscences, 1978.

Department of Special Collections
Digital Finding Aids