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Roebling family papers

Roebling family papers

Descriptive Summary

Title: Roebling family papers
Creator: Roebling family
Inclusive Dates: 1930-2010
Language(s): English
Extent: 11 Linear Feet 4 boxes
Collection Number: ms4329
Repository: Hargrett Library

Collection Description

Historical Note

Donald Roebling (1908-1959) was an engineer, philantropist, and inventor who created the Alligator, a tracked vehicle to be used for rescues after hurricanes in Florida. This vehicle was tested by and developed for the United States Marine Corps to be used as an amphibious assault vehicle during World War II. His great grandfather John A. Roebling designed the Brooklyn bridge and died early in the building process, and his grandfather Washington Roebling and his wife Emily oversaw and completed it. Donald Roebling built his mansion, Spottis Woode, in Clearwater, Florida in 1929, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Karl "Bucky" Roebling (1929-1009) was an author of several books on military history.

Scope and Content

This collection contains family clippings, photographs and correspondence; materials regarding the development of Donald Roebling's amphibious vehicle, The Alligator; and W.R. Roebling's efforts to record memories and organize reunions of veterans who served in the 2nd Amphibious Tractor Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps. It also contains manuscripts and research for several of Karl Roebling's military pubications.


Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Roebling family papers, ms4329, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries.


Related Materials and Subjects

Subject Terms

AMTRACs (Amphibian tractors)
Authors, American -- Manuscripts.
Family papers.
Roebling, Donald
Roebling, John Augustus, 1867-1952
Roebling, Karl
Roebling, W. R.
Tracked vehicles
United States . Marine Corps. Amphibian Tractor Battalion, 2nd
United States. Marine Corps
World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Pacific Ocean.
World War, 1939-1945 -- Equipment and supplies.
World War, 1939-1945 -- Naval operations.

Related Collections in this Repository

The audiovisual materials related to this collection are housed in the Walter J. Brown Media Archives.

Though the collection is open for research, the audiovisual recordings do not have reference copies; however, reference copies are available upon request. Audiovisual research requests are dependent upon the format and condition of the recordings.


Series Descriptions and Folder Listing

 

1. Family

boxfolder
11History
12Clippings, photographs (copies)
13John A. Roebling
14Donald Roebling
15Reade Tilley, Mary Tilley Bessemer
16Family history - William and Gloria Bruckart
17Family history - printed material
18Spottiswoode
19Spottiswoode - Rosalie Morris
110Spottiswoode - Pam, Elliott Rubinson
111Belleview Biltmore
112Morton Plant Mease Foundation
113Heritage Village - The Roeblings - Four Generations of an Illustrious Family
item
1DeRenne wooden wine box
 

2. Correspondence

boxfolder
114Donald Roebling from John A. Roebling (photocopies), 1918-1940
115John A. Roebling from Donald Roebling (photocopies), 1935-1939
116W.R. "Rip" Roebling - various people
117W.R. Roebling - Karl Roebling
118W.R. Roebling - Jim Cecil
119W.R. Roebling - Rick Graham
120W.R. Roebling - Col. Martin Johnson
121W.R. Roebling - Vincent Luisi, Dunedon Historical Museum
122W.R. Roebling - Meldon, David Laury
123W.R. Roebling - Roger Smith
124W.R. Roebling - Bing Swain
125W.R. Roebling - Jim Thompson
126W.R. Roebling - Mary, Bob Yeomans
127W.R. Roebling - Clifford Zink
128W.R. Roebling - Skidaway
129-322nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion Reunions, 2000-2005
boxfolder
212nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion Reunions, 2006
22Marine Corps Heritage Museum [missed 2007 reunion], 2007
23-42nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion Reunions, 2008-2009
252nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion Reunions - photographs, 2009
262nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion Reunions - photo album, notes
272nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion Reunions - souvenir coins, badges
28Christmas cards, 2002-2003
29Christmas cards to send, 2004
 

3. Writing

boxfolder
210W.R. Roebling - Alligator presentations
211W.R. Roebling - Donald Roebling presentation, Savannah, Georgia, 2015
212W.R. Roebling - slides from presentations
213W.R. Roebling - notes
214W.R. Roebling - Carl Wise
215-17Karl Roebling - working papers
218-19Karl Roebling - rough drafts
boxfolder
31Karl Roebling - drafts
32Karl Roebling - drafts, notes
33Karl Roebling - Assault Wave drafts
34Karl Roebling - Florida's Alligator-LVT in WWII
35-6Karl Roebling - Great Myths of WWII - research notes
37Karl Roebling - Great Myths of WWII - backup papers
38Jim Boring - war memoir
39Richard Roan - Roebling's Amphibian
310Richard "Buck" Sommerville - One Man's War
311Jim Thompson - Memories of WWII
312Everett "Bill" Daniel - FMC - interview, 2002
313Jim Jenkins - FMC - interview
314John Moore - memories, photographs
315Don Phillips - interview, 2002
316Mike Sanders - interview, 2002
317Leonard Wilson - notes
 

4. Alligator, AMTRAC

boxfolder
318Photographs - Test run of Alligators, McDill AFB - Carl Wise
319Photographs - First mechanics to Marine barracks, 1942
320Photographs - 2nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion
321Photographs, copies - Alligator, LVT
322Photographs (photocopies) - amphibious crafts
323Alligator brochure (2), 1940
324The Alligator - photo album of development
boxfolder
41-2The Alligator - photo album of development (scanned selections)
43-4Donald Roebling - Catalog 18 - Alligator development file (Photocopies with notes)
45USMC Amphibious Warfare School - LVT history, development, 1948-1950
46Tarawa by Charles Gregg - photocopy selection with notes
47Assault from the Sea by J.D. Ladd - with notes, 1976
48Amphibious Warfare Development in Britain and America from 1920-1940 by Kenneth Clifford - photocopy with notes, 1983
49COMPHIBPAC Operations Plan A11-45 by James Davis - photocopy
410WWII book catalog, Seapower Almanac
411WWII Books, booklets
4Roebling's "Alligator" for Florida Rescues - article in Life Magazine, 1937 October 4