Letter from Sarah, in Charleston, to her mother at Hopeton. She discusses the weather, the state of the house and her mother's things, and the health of their family.
A letter from Anna Bella Wilkinson to her father, who is in Charleston for business. She discusses her trips to Town, and passes on an apology from her mother for not packing Dr. Wilkinson's shaving apparatus.
In this letter, Emma apologizes for not keeping in touch with Anna since Emma's marriage, and reports that she has traveled frequently, from Beaufort to Charleston to Savannah and back. She also laments the damage done to Charleston by a fire, particularly the destruction of its two Methodist churches.
A letter from Dr. Willis Wilkinson to his daughter Anna. He discusses her upcoming visit, and talks about a nurse who may be available to work for Mary, if Mary prefers a white nurse.
A letter from Anna Bella Wilkinson to her mother, sharing family news from Charleston. Anna reports that Mary has a family of goslings, and that Ellen was recently vaccinated. She also discusses the high cost of renting a house, and says that small houses are renting for $600 per year.
A letter from Mary Wilkinson Memminger to "Stanner" - Anna Bella Wilkinson, her sister. She tries to clear up some confusion brought about by letters from their mother and Virginia. She says she does not have much news, and talks about Ellen (her daughter).
William “Bill” H. Carson (pronouns: He/Him) discusses the challenges growing up as a bright African American gay male in Columbia, SC, his Harvard and medical school education, professional life as an out psychiatrist, and his subsequent international work in corporate pharmacology, while also addressing his patronage of the arts. His school teacher parents did their best to shield him from the worst aspects of segregation, with little disparagement of LGBTQ people, but with few role models available. Education was of prime importance in his environment. Turning down Senator Strom Thurmond’s appointment to the US Naval Academy, Carson went to Harvard instead, participating in the Harvard Glee Club and gay life on campus while avoiding Boston, then experiencing racial tensions. Outed just as he began to attend Case Western Reserve Medical School, he embraced the opportunities of self-growth and educating others. His status (coming out professionally before doing so with his family) continued in 1988 as he became a psychiatry resident at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. He mentions the local LGBTQ scene, describes board work on Lowcountry AIDS Services, and the current lack of knowledge among younger gay people of the battles of that era. Beginning a long-term relationship in Charleston, Carson left in 1998 to work for Bristol Myers Squibb, in charge of life cycle management programs of the drug Abilify. That led to his 2002 employment with the Japanese company Otsuka working with the psychopharmacological drug aripiprazole. Carson talks of the learning curve regarding Japanese culture and his subsequent work with international drug conglomerates, noting his excitement in learning new skills and points of view, necessary on national and international boards. Carson is also Board Chair Emeritus of the Sphinx Organization, helping in its mission to promote the careers of Black and Hispanics in the field of classical music. He speaks of the production of Omar by Michael Abels and Rhiannon Giddens, whose world premiere at the Spoleto Festival USA in brought him back to Charleston; he also discusses being a co-producer of Pulitzer Prize winner Michael R. Jackson’s A Strange Loop on Broadway. He sums up the possibilities of gene therapy in possibly helping cure diseases such as AIDS, and despite retiring in 2020, he still stays connected with various boards and projects.
A letter from Mary Wilkinson Memminger to "Stanner" - Anna Bella Wilkinson, her sister. She writes from Greenville, reporting that the weather has been very stormy and rainy. She talks about her children, and plans for their stay at Mamma's house in Charleston.
In this letter from Mary Wilkinson Memminger to her mother, Eleanora Wilkinson, Mary shares news from Charleston. She discusses two deaf-mute children who came to stay with her on their way to an institute in Hartford.
Letter from Virginia Wilkinson Belin to her mother. She talks of taking her daughters, Hess and Ginger (Jinny), to their cousin Johnny's birthday party, where there was iced cream and cake.
