urn:taro:utexas.cah.00336 A Guide to the Paul G. Bell Papers, 1824-1877, 1912, 1937-2002 4/07/2004Encoded in XMetal 2 by Telesa Rountree according to instructions in TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. August 2010 Additions 2005-157, 2009-215, 2010-186, updated bio/scope notes, and fixed inventory and subjects by Laurel Rozema. Descriptive Summary Bell, Paul G. Paul G. Bell Papers 1824-1877, 1912, 1937-2002 Materials are written in English. 2000-181; 2001-044; 2002-030; 2005-157; 2009-215; 2010-186 55890170 5 ft., 5 in. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History,The University of Texas at Austin Speeches, correspondence, chronological files, genealogical research, photographs, financial and legal documents, certificates, Bell’s 1999 biography My War Story, and military records comprise the Paul G. Bell Papers, 1824-1877, 1912, 1937-2002, which relate to Bell's research on the Austin, Bryan, Gawley, Perry, Shepard, and Lewis families as well as his military career during and following World War II. Biographical Note

Paul Gervais Bell, Jr. was born July 15, 1922 in Fort Knox, Kentucky to Paul Gervais and Mary Bryan Bell. After graduating from Lamar High School in 1939, he graduated from the New Mexico Military Institute in 1942. During World War II, he entered the U.S. Army in 1943 to fight in the European Theater of War and earn a Purple Heart and an European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Two Bronze Stars, among other honors. After the war, he was promoted to Captain on November 8, 1949, and continued to serve until his honorable discharge in 1954. Bell served the Texas State Historical Association as second vice president (1996) and president (1998-1999). He is a descendant of Moses Austin Bryan and a member of the Sons of the Republic of Texas. Due to interest in his family genealogy, Bell has extensively researched the Bryan, Gawley, Austin, Perry, Shepard, and Lewis families.

Scope and Contents

Speeches, correspondence, chronological files, genealogical research, photographs, financial and legal documents, certificates, Bell’s 1999 biography My War Story, and military records comprise the Paul G. Bell Papers, 1824-1877, 1912, 1937-2002. Genealogical research on Bryan, Gawley, Austin, Perry, Shepard, and Lewis families includes copies of letters, financial invoices, a diary, a 1912 school yearbook, and photographs. Original correspondence, receipts and bills, property inventories, land papers, and other legal and financial documents, 1824-1877, pertain to the personal and business lives of Guy M. Bryan, Moses Austin Bryan, Cora Lewis Bryan, the Bryan family, Thomas Jefferson Chambers, Chauncy B. Shepard, the Shepard family, Ira Randolph Lewis, and the Lewis family. Additionally, correspondence, certificates, army officer’s notebooks, a military patch, an insignia medal, and other military records document Bell’s service during and after World War II as an officer in the U.S. Army. His 1999 privately printed biography, My War Story, contains transcriptions and photocopies of his war documents.

 Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research use.

Photographic negatives are restricted for preservation purposes.

Preferred Citation

Paul G. Bell Papers, 1824-1877, 1912, 1937-2002, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

 Index Terms Subjects (Persons) Bell, Paul G. – Archives Austin family. Bryant family. Bryan, Moses Austin, 1817-1895. Gawley family. Ledbetter, Paul V. Lewis family. Perry family. Subjects (Organizations) Texas State Historical Association. Sons of the Republic of Texas. Subjects World War, 1939-1945 -- Texas. Places Texas -- Genealogy. Texas -- History -- Republic, 1836-1846. Texas -- History -- 1846-1950. Detailed Description of the Papers Inventory 4Ac107 Hazel Ledbetter 4Ac107 Gawley family documents 4Ac107 Bryan, Martha S. (Shepard) 4Ac107 Research on Austin and Bryan families (copied letters) 4Ac107 Financial invoices of Austin, Bryan, and Perry families (copied) 4Ac107 Personal research notes and correspondence 4Ac107 Family genealogy 4Ac107 Reminiscences of M.A. Bryan 4Ac107 Mary Bryan Bell: 4Ac107 Correspondence 4Ac107 Envelopes 4Ac107 Certificates and work contract 4Ac107 Sketch 4Ac107 Dr. Paul V. Ledbetter: 4Ac107 Diary 4Ac107 Postcards 4Ac107 Clippings 4Ac107 Sue Ledbetter 4Ac107 Briar Patch College Yearbook, 1912 4Ac107 Clippings 4Ac108 M.A. Bryan 4Ac108 Ledbetter Family 4Ac108 Ira R. Lewis 4Ac108 Assorted clippings 3S62c Photographs: 3S62c Dr. Paul V. Ledbetter 3S62c Shepard/Bell family 3S62c Assorted photographs 3S62c Bryan and Shepard family 3S62c Gawley family 3S62c Shepard family 3X144 Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary booklet, February 9, 2002 3X144 Programme Coronation Celebration of Queen Elizabeth, May 31, 1953 3X144 Awards 3X144 Financial documents 3X144 Correspondence, 1937, 1943, 1967-1980, 1985-1992, 1995-1999 3X144 San Jaunto Chapter Sons of the Republic of Texas 3X144 Country club material 3X144 Monumental Myths speech 3X144 Speeches given by Paul G. Bell 3X144 Essays and reports 3X144 Miscellaneous 3X144 Research on Ira Lewis (index cards) 3X144 Date books of Paul G. Bell, 1993-1999 3X145 Chronological files of Paul G. Bell, 1967, 1977, 1978 2.325/F51.3 My War Story by Paul G. Bell, 1999 2.325/F51.3 Correspondence, September 7, 1944-July 1, 1945 2.325/F51.3 Material relating to Paul G. Bell’s army service 2.325/F51.4 Correspondence, January 6, 1943-September 2, 1944 2.325/F51.4 Assorted clippings and correspondence 2.325/F51.4 Envelopes 2.325/D6c Oversize documents 2.325/A74d Original documents for the Bryan, Lewis, and Shepard families, 1824-1877 3S6.1 Photographs: 3S6.1 Paul G. Bell 3S6.1 Moses Austin Bryan 3S6.1 Assorted 3S174 Gawley family photograph 3S125 Oversize Photographs 3S105b Negatives [RESTRICTED] 2X82a Memoirs of Dr. Paul V. Ledbetter (5 audiocassettes) 4Ad103a-b Approximately 47 photographs of Andrews, Austin, Bryan, Lewis, and Shepard families