Robert deTreville Lawrence III Papers, 1730-2003

Collection

Identifier: SC-L-001

Staff Only

Content Description

The collection consists of papers of Robert deTreville Lawrence, III and the Lawrence Family of Marietta, Cobb County, Georgia from 1730-2003. It includes articles, correspondence, photographs, deeds, brochures, pamphlets, postcards, letters, magazines, notebooks, drawings, maps and newspaper clippings. Topics covered include military service and the homefront during World War II, R.D.T. Lawrence III's service in the United States Information Service during the Cold War, and genealogical research files. Genealogical records are included of the Lawrence families in New Jersey, New York and South Carolina. The genealogical records of these families are also included: Atkinson, Brumby, Clagett, de Treville, Glover, Laverty, Loucks, McDonald, Newcomb and Vander Horst. Of particular interest are the genealogical records of Georgia Governor, Charles James McDonald.

Dates

1730-2003

Creator

Lawrence, Robert de Treville, III (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research. Archival materials may contain sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state “right to privacy” laws. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals without the consent of those individuals may have legal cause for action if facts concerning an individual’s private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person. Privately donated materials may carry restrictions imposed by deed as a condition of donation and require the permission of the donor or donor’s agent. The KSU archives does not itself waive such restrictions, nor will it act as an advocate for any researcher seeking such waivers. KSU archives staff have taken care to identify and, in some cases, remove sensitive information found within its archival collections when undertaking archival processing work. However, privacy protected information may be revealed during use of the archival collections, particularly in those collections that are unprocessed or have been minimally processed. Researchers agree to make no notes or other recordation of privacy protected information if found within the archival collections, and further agree not to publish, publicize, or disclose such information to any other party for any purpose if found within the archival collections. Researchers agree to indemnify and hold harmless Kennesaw State University and its officers, employees, and agents from and against all suits, claims, actions, and expenses arising out of use of archival collections held by the Kennesaw State University Archives.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. Permission to publish, reproduce, publicly display, broadcast, or distribute this material must be secured from the repository and/or copyright holder.

Biographical Note

Robert deTreville “Treville” Lawrence III (1915-2007) was born in Marietta, Georgia to Maryon McDonald Lawrence (4 Sept. 1881 - 29 July 1960) and Mary Warren Laverty Lawrence. His parents also had two daughters, Mary Warren Sessions (Mrs. Lee M Sessions, born 1908) and Helen Lawrence Vander Horst (Mrs. John Vander Horst, born 1910). Robert deTreville Lawrence III married Lelia Aiken Friend Turner and their children were Robert deTreville Lawrence IV, Lelia Lawrence Clark, and Caro Lawrence Bahnson.
Maryon McDonald Lawrence was the son of Robert deTreville Lawrence I (1841- 1933) and Anne Eliza Atkinson Lawrence (1843-1919). He was the first graduate in Civil Engineering from Georgia Technical Institute (1902). Over the course of his career, Maryon McDonald worked for Meador Construction Company, the city of Atlanta and Cobb County. He was a life-long resident of Marietta, Georgia and a member of St. James Episcopal Church.
Robert deTreville Lawrence III graduated from the University of Georgia in 1937 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. He worked as a journalist for Atlanta newspapers from 1939 to 1940. During World War II, he trained at Fort Benning, Georgia, served as an adjutant of the headquarters and headquarters squadron for the First Air Force at Mitchell Field, New York, and as a base intelligence and public relations officer at Chatham Field. He was then transferred overseas to serve as Public Relations Officer with the Air Transport Command in Kunming, China, where he remained through the end of World War II. Following World War II, Lawrence served in Greece, Vietnam, and South Africa, working with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States Information Service (USIS) to promote American interests abroad during the Cold War. When living in the United States, Lawrence and his family resided in The Plains, Virginia.

Extent

6.25 cubic feet (6 record cartons, 1 document case)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

Index compiled by Thomas A. Scott, 19 September 1996.

Method of Acquisition

Books and papers donated Robert de Treville Lawrence III to Bentley Rare Book Gallery, Sturgis Library.

Separated Materials

261 books donated with the collection are housed in the Bentley Rare Book Museum. The titles can be accessed by doing a keyword search of the phrase "Gift of Robert de Treville Lawrence III" in Kennesaw State University's OPAC catalog.