Z 1287.001 Griffith (B.W.) and Westbrook (Rondo A.) Papers

Biography:

B. W. Griffith was born in Hinds County on January 2, 1852. His father, Richard Griffith, and his mother, Sally Whitfield Griffith, were of Welsh descent. Griffith’s early education was in local private schools. He entered Mississippi College in 1870 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1872. Griffith then entered Eastman Business College and completed a commercial course in eight weeks. He returned to Mississippi College to teach mathematics. Griffith was hired as bookkeeper of the Capital State Bank of Jackson in 1878 and was elected as cashier of that bank in 1884. He became the first president of the First National Bank of Vicksburg in 1893 and was named chairman of the board in 1928.

Rondo A. Westbrook enlisted as a sergeant in the Mississippi National Guard on July 1, 1911. He was promoted to second lieutenant on August 3, 1915, and to first lieutenant on July 25, 1917, when he entered the United States Army during World War I. He was later promoted to captain.

Box List:

• Box 1, folders 1-3: Correspondence, August 7, 1857-October 13, 1931; n.d.
             folder 4: Telegrams, August 4, 1905-August 20, 1931.
             folder 5: Genealogy of Griffith family.
             folder 6: Tributes to B. W. Griffith.
             folder 7: Tribute to Jefferson Davis by B. W. Griffith, Jr., n.d.
             folder 8: Narratives concerning siege of Vicksburg and Appomattox.
             folder 9: Speeches of B. W. Griffith and Bill G. Lowrey.
             folder 10: Narrative entitled "Eulogies."
             folder 11: Article entitled "Law Making and Law Enforcement," by Arthur T. Hadley, 1925.
             folder 12: Narrative entitled "Maryland Goose Hunt," by Ebb J. Ford, Jr., December 15, 1963.
             folder 13: Record of friends and relatives invited to Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. B. W. Griffith, May 7, 1929.
             folder 14: United States Army songbook of Rondo A. Westbrook, 1918.
             folders 15-18: Newspaper articles on Griffith family.

• Box 2, folder 19: Speech on General Robert E. Lee by Lyon Gardiner, Hollins College, January 18, 1929.
             folder 20: Poems.
             folder 21: Biographical information on J. D. Griffith. folder 22: Issue of Our Heritage, November 1917.
             folder 23: Catalog, Blue Mountain College, 1913-1914.
             folder 24: Army List and Directory, January 1, 1933.
             folders 25-26: Programs. Family photographs.
• Box 3: Letter book of B. W. Griffith, 1872-1879.
• Box 4: The Epistle to the Romans, by James M. Stifler, D.D., 1897; The Baptist Hymnal, by W. Howard Doane and E. H. Johnson, 1883; and The New Testament, Norwich, Conn: Henry Bill Publishing Company, 1881.
• Box 5: Scrapbook and accompanying materials.
• Box 6: Photograph album (empty); a book (incomplete) containing French paintings of nudes; and sheet music.
• Box 7: Diplomas (3) of B. W. Griffith, 1872-1875.
• Box 8-9: Scrapbooks (2) containing various newspaper articles.