Jenison, Edward H. Papers, 1943-1945

This collection consists of letters and postcards from Edward H. Jenison to Marguerite Jenison Pease and Theodore Calvin Pease from 1943-1945.

Edward H. Jenison (1907-1996), a newspaper editor and U.S. congressman (R-IL), was born and raised in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. In 1927 he moved to Paris, Illinois to join the staff of his father Ernest M. Jenison's newspaper, the Beacon-News. He became the newspaper's editor in 1938 and, in 1939, its associate publisher. He served as editor of the Beacon-News until his death in 1996.

In 1943, Jenison joined the U.S. Navy and served as lieutenant commander under the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air, with service in both the Pacific and Atlantic Theatres. Following his return to Illinois in September 1946, Jenison was elected to the U.S. Congress, where he served from 1947 to 1953. Later, Jenison was a delegate to the Republican National Convention (1956 and 1968) and to the Illinois Sixth Constitutional Convention (1969-1970). Jenison also served as the director of two Illinois state agencies: first, the State Chamber of Commerce (1938-1942) and later, the State Department of Finance (1960-1961).

This collection contains Jenison's World War II correspondence and is divided into two parts. Part One includes letters from Edward H. Jenison mainly to Marguerite Jenison Pease, Theodore Calvin Pease, and Albert Pease. These letters document Jenison's experience training and working as a lieutenant commander during World War II. Part Two includes two letters from Jenison's cousin Dana Walker (an ensign in the U.S. Navy Reserve) to Theodore Pease and Albert Pease, and one letter from F.G. Orelup to Marguerite Pease regarding a visit to Edward Jenison.

Marguerite Jenison Pease donated this collection to the Library in 1991.