Wilhelmina Kuenstler Warren Papers

Collection

Identifier: 2008.089

Staff Only

The Wilhelmina Kuenstler Warren Papers is arranged into two series, Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings. Series I, Correspondence consists of photocopies of WKW's mail to friends and relatives. The only incoming mail occurs in 1945. The correspondence consists of descriptions of WKW activities during her husband's Foreign Service beginning in 1921 at their first appointed station in Havana, Cuba. Correspondence from 1929 consists of WKW's everyday activities of Spanish lessons, playing golf and bridge, and social events in Barranquilla, Columbia. Correspondence in the early 1930s includes her impressions of life in Europe beginning with their move to Budapest, Hungary and a trip to Austria, Germany, Poland, and Czecho-Slovakia in 1931. She described her daily activities, perception of European culture, and German studies. WKW also wrote of the effects of the Depression beginning in 1933. The Warrens left Budapest in September 1934. By 1935, the Warrens were stationed in Managua, Nicaragua where WKW reflected on water shortages and life there. Correspondence in 1937 includes their move to Riga, Latvia and sight-seeing trips. WKW wrote her impressions of travel by ship and shipboard activities, local customs, household activities, managing maids, social events, Texas politics, and religion. WKW illustrated her letters with maps of parts of the city she lived and floor plans of her home. Correspondence does not include descriptions of FW's work in any detail but does mention when he traveled and persons they encountered or entertained that were affiliated with his career.

Series II, Newspaper clippings from 1956 are a part of a series of published correspondence from her trip to Ankara, Turkey titled "My Trip to Ankara, Turkey."

Dates

1921-1937, 1945, 1956

Creator

Warren, Wilhelmina Kuenstler (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Items in this collection are protected by applicable copyright laws.

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet

Additional Description

Biographical / Historical

Wilhelmina Kuenstler Warren was the wife of Fletcher Warren (1896-1992), who was a former consular and diplomatic officer from 1921-1945 and a United States Ambassador from 1945-1956. WKW was born in Lavaca County near Sweet Home, Texas in 1897 to E.H. and Ida Stoermer Kuenstler. She was a student at Rice University and attended a summer program at the University of Texas in 1920 where she met FW. They married November 21, 1921 after FW received notice of his Foreign Service appointment in Havana, Cuba. WKW moved to Cuba with FW followed by Budapest, Nicaragua, Colombia, Latvia, Paraguay and Venezuela. In 1961, the Warren’s retired in Greenville, Texas where FW was mayor from 1969-1970 and Ambassador-in-Residence at East Texas State University. They were also members of Kavanaugh United Methodist Church of Greenville. WKW died in 1996.

Related Materials

Fletcher Warren Papers, 2008.037. Texas A&M University-Commerce

Warren, Fletcher. An interview with Fletcher Warren, OH 115.01-20. Texas A&M University-Commerce.