Walter Howard Draper papers
Scope and Contents
Contains missionary diaries, scriptures, and memorabilia; military, NASA, and other civil service personnel papers; family history book and photographs; assorted personal, insurance, and legal papers; and ephemera that includes items from the Netherlands, from the 1938 World's Fair, and NASA. Items dated 1936-1987.
Dates
- 1936-1987
Creator
- Draper, Walter Howard, 1909-1987 (creator, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Open for public research.
Conditions Governing Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from Walter Howard Draper papers must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Coordinating Committee.
Biographical History
Walter Howard Draper (1909-1987) was a Latter Day Saint scientist, engineer, and missionary.
Walter Howard Draper was born on September 21, 1909, in Wellington, Utah, to parents Walter Nephi and Clara Maud Critchlow Draper. Draper attended Brigham Young University (BYU), where he played basketball and studied agronomy and geology. He interrupted his studies in 1936 to serve an LDS mission to Holland; then returned to BYU to graduate in 1942. He joined the U.S. Air Force, and served as an intelligence officer, and was involved in the liberation of U.S. prisoners of war. After the war, he married Jane Renee Olmiccia, and had two children. They were later divorced. He then married Constance Ross. He had two step-children.
Draper worked as a personnel officer at Norton and Edwards Air Force Bases. He also spent several years working as a soil scientist for the Bureau of Reclamation in Colorado, Nevada, Washington, and Utah. At the time of his retirement in 1981, he was the Utah County Flood Control Director, and authored the county's first comprehensive flood plan.
After he retired, the Drapers served two LDS missions to Holland, served in the Provo temple, and as a new missionary escort at the Provo Missionary Training Center.
Draper died on 18 January 1987, in Provo, Utah.
Extent
1 carton (1.0 linear ft.)
3 boxes (1.5 linear ft.)
3 oversize folders (0.6 linear ft.)
1 oversize box (0.25 linear ft.)
Language of Materials
English
Custodial History
Donated by Constance Draper in 2008.
Donated by Lawrence E. B. Draper in 2014.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated; Constance Draper; 2008.
Donated; Lawrence E. B. Draper; 2014.
Appraisal
Utah and the American West and LDS cultural, social, and religious history (20th century Western & Mormon Manuscripts collection development policy, 5.VII, 2007).
Processing Information
Processed; John Murphy; June 2008.
Processed; Kelsey Samuelsen, student manuscript processor; and John M. Murphy, curator; 2012.
Processed; Margaret Weddle, student manuscript processor; and John M. Murphy, curator; 2014.
Processed; Carol Allred, student manuscript processor; and John M. Murphy, curator; 2017.
- 45 rpm records
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Missions--Netherlands
- Draper, Walter Howard, 1909-1987 -- Archives
- Latter Day Saint missionaries -- Netherlands
- Military
- Military records
- Missions and Missionaries
- Photographs
- Politics, Government, and Law
- Printed ephemera
- United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Title
- Register of Walter Howard Draper papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Karen Glenn, student processor, and John Murphy, curator
- Date
- 2009
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English in Latin script.
Repository Details
Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Repository
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo Utah 84602 United States