Collection #
M 0578

JOHN W. MCPHEETERS
FAMILY PAPERS, 1940–1952

Processed by
Charles Latham
1 April 1991
Updated 26 January 2005

Manuscript and Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269

www.indianahistory.org

collection INFORMATION

VOLUME OF COLLECTION: 1 manuscript box

COLLECTION DATES: Inclusive 1920-1952; Bulk 1942-1946

PROVENANCE: Mrs. Jeannette McPheeters Winters, Boca Raton, Florida, 19 February 1991

RESTRICTIONS: None

ALTERNATE FORMATS: None

ACCESSION NUMBER: 1991.0244

John W. McPheeters (1908-1944) was born in Indianapolis. He graduated from Arsenal Technical High School in 1924, attended Butler University for one year, and graduated from Purdue University in 1928, with a degree in electrical engineering. After graduation he worked for some time as a construction engineer for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Then in 1934 he established his own business, the Mid West Soap Company, in Indianapolis. He developed a mail order business. He later founded two other companies in the same field, the Knoxall Corporation and Griffey Industries.

A member of ROTC in college, McPheeters graduated from Field Artillery School at Fort Sill in 1935, and went on active duty in 1940. During World War II he served in the 27th Field Artillery, then as executive officer of the First Armored Division. In 1942-1944 he served in Tunisia and then in Italy, and was regarded as an artillery expert. He was killed at Anzio while studying the landscape for future disposition of his guns. He received several awards for bravery in action.

Jeannette Epler was born in Indianapolis, attended grade schools in Alabama and Tennessee, then returned to Indianapolis to graduate from Arsenal Technical High School, majoring in art. She then attended the Herron Art School and Jordan Conservatory. She married John McPheeters in 1929.

When her husband went overseas, Jeannette McPheeters worked with her father to keep the soap business going. After the war she took two trips with the Chamber of Commerce to help find markets for American goods, one to South America in 1946, one to Europe in 1952. She was active in numerous clubs and civic activities. She married O. C. Winters about 1948.

Source: Materials in collection

SCOPE AND CONTENT note

This collection, filling one manuscript box, contains correspondence, clippings, and booklets from the years 1940-1952. They concern the lives of John W. McPheeters and Jeannette Epler McPheeters. They are arranged chronologically by correspondent.

Folders 1 and 2 contain material on John W. McPheeters, mainly correspondence from the War Department about his military record and death, and clippings.

Folders 3-7 contain material on Jeannette McPheeters. In Folder 3 is correspondence, including some biographical and autobiographical material. Folders 4 and 5 contain material about her 1946 Chamber of Commerce trip to South America.

Folders 8 and 9 contain genealogical material, about Mrs. McPheeters's Howland ancestors in Folder 8, and about the McPheeters family in Folder 9.

The collection also includes twenty-four photographs, mainly portraits and group pictures, which are stored in Visual Collections.

FOLDER LISTING

FOLDER

1: John W. McPheeters-- correspondence

2: John W. McPheeters-- clippings

3: Jeannette McPheeters-- correspondence, 1944-1954

4: Jeannette McPheeters-- clippings--general

5: Jeannette McPheeters-- South America trip--correspondence

6: Jeannette McPheeters-- clippings

7: Jeannette McPheeters-- trip to Europe 1952

8: Genealogical-- Howland

9: Genealogical-- McPheeters

PHOTOGRAPHS

10 photos John W. McPheeters
4 photos Jeannete E. McPheeters
6 photos Jeannette McPheeters trip to South America 1946
2 photos Knoxall plant in Indianapolis
1 photo Morris Howland
1 photo Mary Catherine Howland Epler

CATALOGING INFORMATION

For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:

1. Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog: http://opac.indianahistory.org/

2. Click on the "Basic Search" icon.

3. Select "Call Number" from the "Search In:" box.

4. Search for the collection by its basic call number (in this case, M 0578).

5. When you find the collection, go to the "Full Record" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.

Collection # M 0578