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Description
Transcription of an interview with Gracie Williams York (1900-1984), the widow of Alvin York, in Pall Mall, Tennessee, on June 26, 1984 conducted by Dr. Charles W. Crawford of Memphis State University. The transcription was by Betty Williams. Gracie Loretta Williams married Sergeant Alvin Cullum York in 1919. York (1887-1964) was born in Fentress County, Tennessee, as one of 11 children. He went to France with the U.S. Army in 1918 and in October took part in an action that won him the Medal of Honor. Returning a national hero, York and Gracie were given a farm by the Nashville Rotary although it took an appeal to clubs beyond the state to complete the purchase of the 400-acre farm. He participated in charity work and helped establish the York Agricultural Institute. He worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and during World War II supported the war effort through bond drives and touring training camps. A successful film based on his life was released in 1941 starring Gary Cooper. He died on September 2, 1964.
Identifier
sc.0484.02.056_002.001
Date
1984 June 26
Keywords
York, Alvin Cullum, 1887-1964., York, Gracie Loretta, 1900-1984.
Recommended Citation
"Gracie York interview, 1984" (2021). Documents. 1.
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/speccoll-mss-oralhistory1/1
