Walter Elbert Barton
Walter E. Barton Papers
L 252
1912-1981
2 mss. boxes
Manuscript Section, Indiana Division
Indiana State Library
Processed by: Christina Baich, April 2006
Additions: June 2007
Biographical Note:
Walter Elbert Barton was born on November 7, 1886, in Wadesville, Posey County, Indiana. His parents were Anson and Sophia Ann (Blackburn) Barton. In 1914, Barton received his LL.B. degree from George Washington University. He was admitted to the Indiana bar the following year and practiced law in Evansville, Indiana. On December 6, 1917, he married Martha R. Browning with whom he had three daughters, Eleanor, Martha, and Mary Ellen.
During World War I, Barton served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and was stationed in France. In 1920, he moved to Washington, D.C. to practice tax law before the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. On April 1, 1955, he married his second wife, Isabelle Stockett Nixon. Barton wrote numerous articles and books on tax law. Late in his life, he wrote two historical memoirs, The Lost Heritage (1978) and In the Twilight of My Memory (1981). He died on October 21, 1983, in Washington, D.C.
Source:
Thompson, Donald E., comp. Indiana Authors and their Books, 1917-1966. Crawfordsville, IN: Wabash College, 1974.
Scope and Content Note:
The collection contains Barton’s articles and speeches including those for the Rigby Star describing the nation’s capital and others on the topic of taxation; legal briefs regarding cases Barton argued before the U.S. Supreme Court; and the manuscripts of his two memoirs, The Lost Heritage and In the Twilight of My Memory, as well as published copies. Also included is a photograph of Barton
The collection is organized into three series: Articles & speeches, Legal briefs, and Manuscripts. Each series is organized chronologically.
Box and Folder Listing:
Box 1. Articles and speeches & Legal briefs
Folder
1. Articles for Rigby Star, 1912-1913
2. Valedictory address, 1914
3. Articles on taxation, 1949-1963
4. Legal briefs, 1930 May 8
5. Legal briefs, 1939 Oct.
6. Legal briefs, 1956 Oct.
7. Legal briefs, 1957 Oct.
8. Legal brief, 1961 Oct.
9. Legal briefs, 1968 Mar. 15
Box 2. Manuscripts
Folder
1. Lost Heritage manuscript, title page-p. 40
2. Lost Heritage manuscript, p. 41-90
3. Lost Heritage manuscript, p. 91-139
4. Lost Heritage manuscript, p. 140-200
5. The Lost Heritage, 1978. signed copy
6. Twilight manuscript, Contents-p. 39
7. Twilight manuscript, p. 40-79
8. Twilight manuscript, p. 80-119
9. In the Twilight of my Memory, 1981. signed copy
10. Walter E. Barton photograph, circa 1930s.
Collection Information:
Size of Collection:
2 manuscript boxes
Collection Dates:
1912-1981
Provenance:
Walter Barton, 21 Dec. 1978, 3 June 1981; American Heritage Center, 28 May 2007
Access: This collection is open for research.
Restrictions:
None
Reproduction Rights:
Permission to reproduce, exhibit, or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Manuscript Section, Indiana State Library. Possession of a reproduction from an Indiana State Library collection does not constitute permission for use.
Language Materials are entirely in English
Alternate Formats:
Related Holdings:
OH, Walter E. Barton oral history transcript
Notes:
Search the Indiana State Library's Online Catalog.