February 26, 1942

Wash DC, Thurs 2/26-42

My dear Ina & Boys,

Cannot come home this week & it may be a week from now. Bruce will get here Sat. morning & I’ll have to go over the work I have been doing & leave it with him. Also, I have a trip to New Brunswick N Jersey to see some Rutgers College men & some mosquito repellent men. It looks like I may have to go to Chicago, leaving here Tuesday night to check on a steam sterilization the Army is making at Chicago. If so, I’ll probably leave there Wed. night & come to Pensacola by train then by bus to Panama City. This would make it at least Thursday night before I could get there.

February 26, 1942

February 26, 1942

We had a conference with 5 Rockefeller men this PM. 2 of them will work on the same problem I am undertaking at Orlando. They are interested especially in typhus as a post war disease.

With love
Walter.

Walter doesn’t provide much detail about the trip to New Jersey here, but that’s probably when he visited the Geigy Corporation‘s US headquarters to hear about a compound they’d been working on.

March 9, 1942

Walter and Ina are now moving to Orlando so Walter can run the new insecticide research facility the USDA has set up there. They’re going to be testing any chemicals they think might work against disease vectors, especially lice and mosquitoes. Various companies make compounds that are purported to kill insects, but most are just marginally effective extracts from pyrethrum daisies, or toxic arsenic-based products. Chlorpicrin (tear gas) and a new compound from Geigy called Neocid look promising, but nobody knows whether either will actually work under field conditions. The Orlando lab’s job is to get those data, and then develop practical insecticides if possible.

Monday P.M. 3/9-42

My dear Ina & Boys,

I arrived here at 4:30 PM Eastern War time which made 11 hours to get here, a distance of 348 miles by the speedometer. Mr. Glass had already arrived & he was looking for an apartment with Mr. Burris the realtor. They came back to the lab just as I got out of the car. I went with Mr. Burris to see Mrs. Smith & I gave a check for $45. Of this $30 is the balance of 1 month’s rent & $15 covers deposits & gas electricity & water. The realtor will make the deposits & get the services connected. It is a good thing that I made a deposit with Mrs. Smith. One party has been trying all day to rent the house & she had made them wait until tomorrow. Mr. Glass helped me unload the car & we put the things inside. THe house looks even better than it did the other day. There is a closet in to the sleeping porch room & big closets in other rooms. Also shades are on all windows except the 2 little windows over the book cases. The bed rooms seem a little larger than they did the other day.
Mr. Bushland asked me to use their day-bed tonight & I will go out there. Tomorrow I’ll get the bed material that Ed brought down & fix a bed at the house. I am writing this in the car because I do not have a key yet & all are away just now.

With love
Walter.

March 11, 1942

Wednesday Night.

We did get the house OK and the address is 712 Woodward St. We did not get the exhibit building for the Lab overflow, but I think we can get other lab quarters about four blocks from the office. Mr. Glass came Monday and Mr. A.L. Smith reported today. I have been sleeping at the Bushlands, also eating breakfast and Dinner. The water is on at our house & the gas heater has been connected. Lights & gas will be on soon.

With love
Walter.

March 11, 1942

March 11, 1942

March 15, 1942

Sunday PM.

My dear Ina & Boys,

The income tax blank was made out this PM & I’ll file it tomorrow. I am drawing a check in the amount of $192.51 and I am sending a check for $65.58 to the Panama City bank for deposit. This figures a balance of about $55 to cover any checks that you may have given after I left Panama City. Also the Chamberlain check should come on the 15th and I would suggest that you cash it. If you should find that something unexpected took up the available cash please telephone me at the office here number 3106 and I’ll telegraph or send you more.

March 15, 1942

March 15, 1942

We are late in getting the bids to Wash. & we hope to have one from the Van Horn Co. of Panama City. It would be convenient if they could get the low bid. Will try to come Friday night or Saturday if possible. In a pinch we could get Mr. Weir to come in our car with you, but it puts too much responsibility on you to get the household things loaded & care for 3 boys. I think I’ll come in a car (pick up truck) so that Mr. Weir can return to Orlando in it with a lab desk, washing machine, & any cages or wire fence we may want from Panama City.

I had dinner with the Bushlands today.

Will be glad when the whole family can get moved here & all of the work is started here. Travis will be here next Friday. Glass, Smith & Schecter are here now.

With love
Walter.

Later

We received the bid from Van Horn and it is the same amount as the other low bid from Jacksonville. We are recommending Van Horn and I am sure that they will get it, but we have to have approval from Washington. The bids are going to Wash. by air mail tonight.

My salary check came too, so I’ll deposit two salary checks here tomorrow.

May 30, 1942

Telegram.

W E DOVE=
BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY & PLANT QUARANTINE 415 NORTH

PARRAMORE ST ORLANDO FLO (RX)=
CUSHING LEFT FOR ARMY SERVICE THURSDAY. PROCEED TO WASHINGTON YOUR EARLY CONVENIENCE IN LINE WITH MY CONVERSATION WITH YOU IN ORLANDO. STAGE HANDLING THINGS SATISFACTORILY NOW BUT YOU MAY WISH TO COME HERE BEFORE FINALLY TRANSFERRING YOUR HOUSE HOLD GOODS AND FAMILY. WIRE YOUR PLANS=

P N ANNAND.

May 30, 1942

May 30, 1942

The stint in Orlando didn’t last long. Walter has now been promoted to direct the entire USDA Division of Insects Affecting Animals and Man. The Orlando lab is part of that Division, but Walter, Ina, and their boys will now have to move to Washington, DC so Walter can oversee the war-oriented insecticide programs at a higher level.

June 3, 1942

Stationery from the Bellevue Hotel, Washington, DC.

Wed. 8 PM.

My dear Sweetheart,

The train was almost two hours late and it took about that much time to get breakfast. Had to wait in line at the diner for more than 30 min. When I reported at Dr. Annand’s office about 11:30 he was in conference, so I did not see him until after lunch.

June 3, 1942

June 3, 1942

On the 6th floor Mr. Stage greeted me as “boss,” and Miss Lynch offered congratulations. My room was spick and span with a bouquet of roses which Miss Lynch brought from her home. During the PM most everyone seemed to have the news, which was announced by Dr. Annand last Saturday morning to the division Chiefs’ meeting.

Cushing looks just fine as a Major and he joined me in a conference with Dr. Annand. This had to do with Army & Bureau services, also use of other entomologists in the Army. Saw Rohner and Hoyt in the hall and they were most cordial. Dr. B. came in at 5:30 and welcomed me to the city. This was in the presence of Claudelle. Claudelle and I ate dinner together and she went to Clarendon on a bus. She had parked her car there. Tomorrow she is going to drive in and I will go out there tomorrow night. She is helping find me a house for us, but has no encouragement so far. She asks if we want to buy a place. I’ll see Cushings, but I understand from C. that Deniza wants $100 per month for her place furnished. They can sell OK if they want to. Annand is building a new home and his may be available. I may inquire about it.

Tomorrow morning I have a session in regard to a chemist. Mr. Jones is to meet me and Dr. Haller at Dr. B’s office at 9 AM. If Jones comes to Orlando he will need a house & we may get him to take ours. If he has a suitable one here, we may be interested in it. I’ll inquire, if this is in line with a move for him. If this develops, you may be moving earlier than you had anticipated. I have not had time enough to determine if it will be necessary to make a trip soon. I’ll need several days to get oriented here.

Under the present conditions I think you will like Wash. C has a secret. Please keep to yourself (next Dec.) She looks fine & has a little tan. She is over joyed at our moving here. B.M. is in Gulfport for about a week.

With love
Walter.

P.S. I am writing Mr. Knipling.

June 11, 1942

Thursday PM.

My Dear Ina,

Your letter was received last night. I think the checks have been delivered by now as additional funds were sent to Atlanta when I wired from Orlando. Please deposit it if this is possible, otherwise you may hold it until I return. Mr. Jones will move into our house and I think we should phone Mr. J. A. Allison realtor, to that effect. We will move into their home on Taussig Ave. It is by far the best place I’ve found. In fact I have found practically nothing in Va. and had looked at some for sale, knowing that it was unwise to purchase. Mr. Jones will leave gas stove, refrigerator & I agreed to leave ours at Orlando for them to use also oil circulator. They will leave groceries, sugar etc. & we can do the same thing on an exchange basis. They will leave on next Thursday & will expect to arrive Orlando about Saturday night. I asked them to take some linens & silver and use our beds. We are to use theirs until the move is made. We do not know the successful bidder yet and we do not know which one will load first. Told them we would leave the key with McKelvey across the street.

June 11, 1942

June 11, 1942

B.M. is expected tomorrow (Fri). Emery is here yet and this has been helpful. I see him for a while every day.

I would not advise a chiropodist for W.W. They are like chiropractors. Believe we should get a physician to remove the two nails without destroying the matrix. Will come as soon as I can & we will manage for W.W. when I get there if you want to wait that long. Would like to come this week end but cannot say just yet.

With love
Walter.

On the reverse:

June 9, 1942

Dear Dr. Dove:

Since I wrote you yesterday I have learned that you are now chief of the Division. At the time I wrote that letter I was completely mystified as to your new station, and was guessing that you might be taking Dr. Hawkins’ place.

I’ll feel better to write this letter and make this clear, since my letter could, in view of your new position, easily be interpreted in a way not intended. So just consider that as a personal letter written by me without knowledge or suspicion that you were chief. I believe you know my general attitude well enough anyway to understand this.

The surprise, as you well know, was the most pleasant one I have received since being in the Bureau, and I wish you all the good fortune there is.

Sincerely
[illegible initials – SMS?]

June 17, 1942

Walter White, the eldest son, is visiting Ina’s parents in Mississippi while his parents and brothers are settling into the new house in Washington, DC.

P.O. Box 64
Roxie, Miss.
June 17, 1942

Dear Mother & Daddy

I arrived safely & without much trouble. Had a little trouble transferring at Gulfport & Hattiesburg. I had to leave my suitcase at Williston because the buses were crowded & they used an old bus without a luggage compartment. My suitcase arrived yesterday & was I glad! (I had to wear my slack suit & could not play around much). I have to stop because Revah is going to Roxie.

Love,
Walter

June 17, 1942

June 17, 1942

July 6, 1942

Dear Daddy,

This is just to tell you I am leaving for Aunt Ethel’s Thurs. July 2. I will leave Roxie at 6:40 A.M. & arrive in Phila. about 8:00 P.M. I am planning to take the train from Meridian on Mon., July 13 to avoid the week-end crowds.

Love,
Walter

July 6, 1942

July 6, 1942

Phila. refers to Philadelphia, MS.