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Stan and Jean Cummings oral history

 Collection
Identifier: C MSS OH401

Scope and Contents

The interview was conducted with Jean Cummings in September 2000 as part of a documentary on people active in WWII. Jean A. (Bruce) Cummings was born in Summit, N.J. in 1918. She was a graduate of Brown University (1940), Northwestern University (M.S. 1942). She joined her husband, Stan Cummings at Camp Hale, Colo. in 1943 where she worked as a histopathologist. Jean Cummings provides information and personal observations about both her and her husband's experiences: how they met; activities as a wife of a 10th Mountain Division Soldier; living conditions and working at Camp Hale, Colo., and Camp Swift, Tex.; excerpts from letters written to her by Stan Cummings.

Dates

  • 2000

Creator

Language of Materials

Material is in English unless otherwise noted.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the author of the items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Biographical / Historical

Stan Cummings was born in Sherburne Falls, Mass. on February 14, 1918 and graduated from Brown University in 1940. He was attending the University of Chicago Law School when the war started and eventually received his Bachelor of Law degree in absentia in 1943. Cummings joined the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale, Colo. where he was assigned to Company A of the 85th Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to Staff Sargeant before acceptance to Officer's Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga. in July 1944. Cummings received his commission on November 16, 1944 and rejoined the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Swift, Tex. where he was assigned to Company B of the 85th Infantry Regiment. During combat operations in Italy as a Platoon Leader, Cummings suffered a concussion during a German artillery attack. After the war he completed his service working as a journalism and enlish instructor at the American GI University in Florence, Italy. When the school closed he was transferred to the 88th Division and discharged in October 1946. His wife, Jean Cummings (1918-2009) joined her husband in Italy and the couple moved to Switzerland so that Stan Cummings could study international law. They returned to the United States where Cummings began the practice of law. He died in Greenfield, Mass. on August 10, 2000.

Extent

1 DVD

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift;Jean Cummings;n.d.

Varying Form of Title

How I helped win the war.

Linking Entry Complexity Note

Forms part of the 10th Mountain Division Resource Center Collection.

Title
Finding Aid for the Stan and Jean Cummings oral history,2000[videorecording]
Author
Finding Aid prepared from MARC data.
Description rules
Anglo American Cataloguing Rules
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Denver Public Library, Western History and Genealogy Repository

Contact:
10 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy
Denver CO 80204 United States