VAN DER VEER, JOHN STEWART
Papers, 1909-1966
Biography:
John
"Stewart" Van der Veer was born in Frankfort, Kentucky on June 27,
1893.
He was raised in
Kentucky and attended the University of Kentucky until his
family moved
to New Orleans, Louisiana. Once in
New Orleans, Van der Veer worked at an oil
company while pursuing his dream of becoming an opera singer,
which he never
realized.
In 1916, Van der Veer joined the Washington Artillery of New Orleans in order to
participate in the Pershing Expedition into Mexico. When the United States
entered
World War I, Van der Veer
was anxious to participate. He joined the American Red
Cross and went to the Italian Front as an ambulance
driver. While serving in
Italy, he
received the Italian War Cross and a promotion to Lieutenant. He wrote about
his
experiences in correspondence with his family during the war and later in his
autobiography Walk in My
Moccasins. In his letters, Van der Veer
mentioned taking a
member of his squad to a hospital in Milan. In Walk
in My
Moccasins, he related an
encounter with this man and identified him as Ernest Hemingway.
Upon his
return from the war, he began working at a newspaper in New Orleans,
The Time-Picayune.
He wrote and edited for several newspapers in various
parts of the
country before establishing his own
advertising agency in Birmingham, Alabama in
the fall of 1924. After residing in Birmingham several years, Van
der Veer began to
cultivate a
desire to write fiction. He began by writing short stories and having them
published
in
pulp magazines. Then in 1939 he published his first novel, Death For the Lady.
He went
on to have two more
novels published, Remembered April and Interlude
at Pelican Bend.
Van der Veer was forced to give up
fiction "for economic reasons" and
returned to
advertising and newspapers. His latter years were spent tending to
his ranch,
The Lazy V,
outside of Birmingham. He also undertook one last writing endeavor, a narrative
based on
his life entitled Walk in My Moccasins, but he was unable to get it
published. John
Stewart Van der Veer died
on December 27, 1966.
Scope and Content:
This
collection contains documents connected to the life of James Stewart Van der
Veer, including some
of his correspondence and writings, newspaper articles
written about
him, and photographs. The bulk of the
correspondence consists of two sets, one
of which
is made up of letters Van der Veer wrote while serving as a
ambulance driver in
Italy
during World War I. The other correspondence file pertains to Van der Veer's
efforts to
have his autobiography, Walk in My Moccasins, published. The collection
contains that
manuscript, a copy of
one of his published books, Interlude at Pelican's
Bend, and one of
his short stories. The newspaper articles
focus on his writing career and The
Lazy V
Ranch. Photographs range from ones taken during World War I to
pictures of Van
der
Veer in retirement. The scrapbook contains newspaper clippings, primarily
relating to the
publication of the mystery novel Death for the Lady.
Subjects Areas:
Authors --
Alabama -- Birmingham.
Birmingham
(Ala.) -- Authors.
Hemingways,
Ernest, 1899-1961.
Journalists
-- Alabama -- Birmingham.
Van der Veer,
John Stewart, 1893-1966.
World War,
1914-1918.
Size: 1 linear foot (3 boxes)
Source: Van der Veer Family
Restrictions: Standard preservation and copyright restrictions.
Do not photocopy book or scrapbook.
Guide Prepared by: Mike Ross (February 2001)
File Number Description
357.1.1
Biographical Sketch of John Stewart Van der Veer; written
after Death For The Lady was published, circa
1940.
357.1.2
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to his mother, New York
City, February 3, 1917.
357.1.3
Letter from J.M. Van der Veer to Stewart Van der Veer,
New Orleans, February 11, 1918.
357.1.4
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to J.M. Van der Veer,
New York City, May 26, 1918.
357.1.5
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to Van der Veer family,
New Orleans, June 14, 1918.
357.1.6
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to J.M. Van der Veer,
Milan, Italy, June 23 1918.
357.1.7
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to Van der Veer family,
Italian front, June 26, 1918.
357.1.8
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to J.M Van der Veer,
Italian Front, June 28, 1918.
357.1.9
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to Van der Veer family,
Italian Front, July 3, 1918.
357.1.10
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to Van der Veer family,
Venice, Italy, July 5, 1918.
357.1.11
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to J.M. Van der Veer,
Venice, Italy, July 8, 1918.
357.1.12
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to J.M. Van der Veer,
Milan, Italy, July 12 1918. This letter discusses the event of
Stewart taking a man to the hospital. The man is thought to have
been Ernest Hemingway.
357.1.13
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to Rosalie Van der Veer,
Fangolo, Italy, July 30, 1918.
357.1.14
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to his mother, Bearle,
Italy, August 2, 1918.
357.1.15
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to J.M. Van der Veer,
Italian Front, August 10, 1918.
357.1.16
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to his mother, Italian
Front, August 10, 1918.
357.1.17
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to Elizabeth Van der
Veer, Italian Front, August 13, 1918.
357.1.18
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to J.M. Van der Veer,
Italian Front, August 13, 1918.
357.1.19
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to J.M. Van der Veer,
Italian Front, August 15, 1918.
357.1.20
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to J.M. Van der Veer,
Italian Front, 25, 1918.
357.1.21
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to his mother, Italian
Front, August 25, 1918.
357.1.22
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to his mother, Italian
Front, August 31, 1918.
357.1.23
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to his mother, Italian
Front, September 2, 1918.
357.1.24
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to J.M. Van der Veer,
Italian Front, September 2, 1918.
357.1.25
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to his mother, Italian
Front, September 7, 1918.
357.1.26
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to J.M. Van der Veer,
Italian Front, September 8, 1918.
357.1.27
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to his mother, Italian
Front, October 14, 1918.
357.1.28
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to his mother, Italian
Front, October 25, 1918.
357.1.29
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to J.M. Van der Veer,
Italian Front, October 26, 1918.
357.1.30
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to his mother,
Italian Front, October 26, 1918.
357.1.31
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to J.M. Van der Veer,
Italian Front, October 27-29, 1918.
357.1.32
Letter from Stewart Van der Veer to Van der Veer family,
Italian Front, November 8, 1918.
357.1.33
Travel Orders, Headquarters American Expeditionary
Forces, Paris, France, December 23, 1918.
357.1.34
"Latest Bulletins from Section 5 Piave River Italy" undated.
357.1.35
Letter from J.W. Blackburn to John McClelland Van der
Veer, American Canal Zone, November 13, 1918.
357.1.36
Letter from Sylvester Labrot to John McClelland Van der
Veer, Paris, France, December 15, 1918.
357.1.37
Telegram from R.H. Whitney to K.N. Van der Veer,
February 3, 1919.
357.1.38
Several Items of correspondence related to the Stewart Van
der Veer's works, March 31, 1937- June 24, 1943.
357.1.39
Letter to Stewart Van der Veer from Ellene Winn and his
response, September 1965.
357.1.40
Correspondence with Crown n Publishers in regard to
Stewart Van der Veer's autobiography Walk in My
Moccasins, January 26, 1962 - September 18, 1963.
357.1.41
Correspondence related to Walk in My Moccasins,
November 4, 1963 - August 3, 1966.
357.1.42
Correspondence of Elizabeth Van der Veer on behalf of her
deceased brother, Stewart Van der Veer, concerning
Walk in My Moccasins.
357.1.43
Newspaper article (photocopy) about Stewart Van der Veer
winning the Middle State championship in pole vaulting, circa 1909.
357.1.44
Newspaper article announcing Stewart Van der Veer return
from the Italian Front at the conclusion of World War I, February
9, 1919.
357.1.45
Newspaper articles related to Stewart Van der Veers first
two novels and his experience as an aspiring author.
357.1.46
Article from the Birmingham News Magazine concerning
Stewart Van der Veer's ranch, the Lazy V, September 13, 1953.
357.1.47
Photograph of Stewart Van der Veer when he was a
member of the Pershing Expedition, circa 1916.
357.1.48
Photographs of the American Red Cross on the Italian Front
during World War I (photocopies).
357.1.49
Map of the Piave River area.
357.1.50
World War I photographs.
357.1.51
Photographs that were to be included in Walk in My
Moccasins.
357.1.52
Portrait of Stewart Van der Veer.
357.1.53
Photograph of Stewart Van der Veer at the Lazy V Ranch.
357.2.1
August 9, 1939 issue of Grit containing the story "Arizona
Cyclone" by Stewart Van der Veer.
357.2.2
Two Copies of the Prologue to "Walk in My Moccasins,"
Stewart Van der Veer's autobiography.
357.2.3
Manuscript of "Walk in My Moccasins," pages 1 - 7. This
autobiographical text discusses many aspects of Stewart Van der
Veer's life, such as his childhood in Kentucky, his days in New
Orleans, his experiences as an ambulance driver in Italy during
World War I, and his life as an aspiring fiction writer.
357.2.4
"Walk in My Moccasins," pages 8 - 50.
357.2.5
"Walk in My Moccasins," pages 51-100.
357.2.6
"Walk in My Moccasins," pages 101-150. In the latter pages
of this section Van der Veer writes that he knew
Ernest Hemingway and drove him to a hospital in Milan when
Hemingway was wounded during World War I.
357.2.7
"Walk in My Moccasins," pages 151-200.
357.2.8
"Walk in My Moccasins," pages 201-250.
357.2.9
"Walk in My Moccasins," pages 251-300.
357.2.10
"Walk in My Moccasins," pages 301-350.
357.2.11
"Walk in My Moccasins," pages 351-379.
357.2.12
Certificate for the Italian War Cross, 1918.
357.3.1
Interlude at Pelican Bend, a novel by Stewart
Van der Veer, New York: Phoenix Press, 1947.
357.4.1
Scrapbook, February 3, 1939 to June 15, 1939.
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