Dates: 1882 – 1960
Size: 1.0 cubic ft.

Biography:
Frederick Clark Jacobs

Frederick Clark Jacobs (September 26, 1926 - September 27, 1960), or “Toby” as the family knew him, was the youngest male member of the Jacobs family from Rosedale, Bolivar County, Mississippi. He is the son of Charles Clark Jacobs, Sr. (1875-1938) and Vera Joest Jacobs (1889-1994). His second oldest sister Margaret Adelia Jacobs Stringer is mentioned in Fred's correspondence as Madel, a combination of her first and middle name. Charles Clark Jacobs, Junior, was Fred's older brother. His youngest sister was Vera Jacobs Speakes.

Frederick attended Rosedale Consolidated School in Rosedale, Bolivar County. Later, he found work with the Purser Brothers Printing Company in the summer of 1943 where he gathered paper, envelopes, stamps, and other items for the automatic press machines. While working with Purser Brothers, he would eventually make as much as $60 a month. Six months after working for Purser Brothers Printing, Frederick enlisted into the United States Marine Corps at the rank of Private. Stationed at Camp Elliot, a U.S. Marine tank, parachute, artillery, and scout training facility in San Francisco, California, he and his fellow Marines trained and prepared for combat actions in the Pacific Theater. His training included visiting the rifle range for target practice and qualification of rifle use. In his last two weeks of training, his range instructor deemed him “good shot.” By January 1944, he was given his permanent combat assignment as a mortar and artilleryman.

At the end of April 1944, Frederick is in a unit known as Company B of the 56 Replacement Battalion, a temporary unit assignment. By May 18, 1944, however, he was on a ship bound for the island of New Caledonia. It was during this time that he discovered that his brother, Lieutenant Charles Clark Jacobs, Jr., was assigned to an amphibious corps within the Marines. A week after he landed at New Caledonia, Fred assigned to his permanent unit, the Headquarters and Service Battery, 4th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, of the 1st Marine Division and was sent to Pavuvu. He served here until his discharge from the Marine Corps. He worked the security section responsible for protecting the large artillery pieces of the Battery.

Frederick left Pavuvu on August 22, 1944, for Guadalcanal where his regiment began training for the amphibious landings on the Island of Peleliu. After their training concluded, they set sail on September 8 for the invasion of Peleliu and landed on September 15. The Battle of Peleliu lasted until November 27, 1944. It was during his time on Peleliu that Frederick discovered that one of his friends from Rosedale, a man named Sammy Ray, was also a member of the 11th Marines and was able to visit him.

While campaigning in October and November of 1944, Fred received news that his brother Charles had command of a battery of artillery and he learned Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected for his fourth term as President for the United States. After the conclusion of hostilities on Peleliu, Frederick was shipped back to Pavuvu for rest, before later training at Guadalcanal for the last major Allied offensive of the Pacific war, the Battle of Okinawa. During the holiday season of 1944, Frederick learned his brother Charles received a promotion to Captain in the Marine Corps. Frederick received a promotion to Private First Class by the end of December 1944. On January 21, 1945, he learned that his brother Charles received the Bronze Star for actions on Saipan. While training at Guadalcanal, Frederick heard about his brother’s military exploits and described them in his letters. Frederick and the 11th Marine Regiment would fight for the duration of the Battle of Okinawa. After the battle, on September 25, 1945, Frederick embarked on the U.S.S. Geneva and headed for Tientsin, China, modern Tianjin, China. While stationed in China, Frederick befriended a Russian man who spoke Russian, Chinese, and English. He learned some Chinese and Russian during his time there. During the winter of 1945-1946, Frederick received new duties that included working for the property sergeant of the H&S Battery until he was discharged from the Marines in March of 1946.

After coming home, Fred focused upon completing his education. He graduated from Rosedale High school in the spring of 1946, and later that year attended Millsaps College. Frederick pledged to the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. While attending Millsaps, he developed arthritis that would plague him the rest of his life. In the fall of 1948, he transferred to Mississippi Delta State Teachers College, the modern Delta State University, to continue his education. Frederick served as a staff writer for the university's paper, but by Christmas of 1947, he was sick with a cold and fever that required x-ray examinations to aid in treatment. He finished out the academic year at the Mississippi Delta State Teachers College.

Frederick attended classes at the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee, during the summer of 1949, and he remarked in a letter that he liked the reserve and formality of the Episcopalian school. However, his health began to worsen while he was in Tennessee. After many physician visits and a variety of medical procedures and treatments, his ailments were never resolved.

Frederick Clark Jacobs died September 27, 1960, just one day after his 34th birthday. He is buried at the Historic Clark Cemetery in Beulah, Bolivar County, located on the site of the Doro plantation founded by his great-grandfather Charles Clark.

 
Scope and Content Note:

The Frederick C. Jacobs and Family Papers consists of correspondence, educational documents, photographs, and other printed materials that document the life, family, and military service of Frederick Clark Jacobs.

There are substantial financial records, including a ledger and an address book that pertains to the Jacobs' family financial status, the family farm, and the family business accounts. Finally, this collection includes a sizable amount of sympathy cards, floral placards, and various correspondence concerning the passing of Frederick Clark Jacobs at thirty-four years old.

 

Series Identification:

Series 1: Correspondence. 1930-1950; n.d.

This series contains correspondence ranging nearly twenty years in scope. The majority of personal correspondence is from Frederick during his stint overseas in the South Pacific. There is some correspondence from other family members interspersed within the series. Of interest, might be the correspondence received by Vera Jacobs concerning the passing of Charles Clark Jacobs, Sr.

In his letters, Frederick wrote of his experiences in life and the Marine Corps. Several of his letters are noteworthy. The first of these was a postcard he sent from Florida in May of 1942. Another letter in December 1943 states Frederick joined the Marines and nearly done with his basic training.

His wartime correspondence to Vera updated her on his well-being, his duties, and to discuss day-to-day matters. Included is a letter containing his Marine insurance paperwork. Another letter included cartoons drawn and written by Frederick. He also sent home a letter containing a unit commendation from General Stewart of the U.S. Army while on Okinawa. In September 1945 after the war concluded, Frederick sent a letter detailing his exact location during his time as a Marine and the letter was not censored.

Box 1, folders 1-13
Box 2, folders 1-16

 

Series 2: Photographs. 1945, n.d.

Of the ten photographs in this series, there is one of several unknown individuals outside of the Bolivar County Courthouse. There is a group of pictures during wartime photographed by Frederick Jacobs. Included in this group are pictures of Frederick, some of his fellow soldiers, and some of the military equipment they used during World War II.

Box 3, folders 1-2

 

Series 3: Financial Records. 1882; 1918-1961.

This series consists of promissory notes from several banks, a variety of deposit slips and reciept, cotton sales receipts, stock shares, and various other records. There are land tax records from Bolivar County and stock shares in the Delta Oil Company, the Memphis Packaging Corporation, and the Knights of Pythias Order.

Some financial records include Frederick's application for National Service Life Insurance, his Discontinuance of Allotment form and Mustering-Out Payment forms from when he mustered out of the United States Marine Corps, and a Veterans Administration Subsistence Allowance suspension letter. One of the most personal documents of this series is a Provident Life and Accident Company letter sent to Vera Jacobs when Frederick died in 1960, as well as a receipt from Columbus Marble Works.

Also included is a financial ledger circa 1935 with Frederick's father's initials on the cover, C.C. Jacobs, and contains an indexed record of several accounts mostly concerning the sale of cotton bales, labor, and other financial transactions.

Box 3, folders 3-14

 

Series 4: Address Book. Circa 1950.

This series contains a single address book that includes the past contact information for friends and family members of the Jacobs family.

Box 3, folder 15

 

Series 5: Printed Materials. 1942; 1945; n.d.

This series consists of a small selection of various printed materials: an article from the Commercial Appeal newspaper of Memphis, Tennessee, dated February 27, 1945, about the war in the South Pacific. One news clipping includes a list of the staff of the Mississippi Delta State Teachers College newspaper of which Frederick Clark Jacobs was a staff writer. The last printed material is a complete copy of the Mississippi Supervisor Newsletter, dated May 1942, featuring an article about the nature of agricultural business in Bolivar County.

Box 3, folders 16-17

 

Series 6: Education.

Subseries 6.1: Frederick Clark Jacobs. 1941-1942; 1945-1949.

This subseries includes grade reports, commencement programs, collegiate correspondence, and a student receipt for Frederick Clark Jacobs. Included is a report card from Rosedale High School for the 1941-1942 academic year. There are also grade reports from the universities that he attended: Millsaps College in Jackson; Mississippi Delta State Teachers' College in Cleveland; and the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.

Box 3, folder 18

Subseries 6.2: Charles Clark Jacobs, Jr. 1947.

This subseries includes one grade report from the University of Mississippi Law School dated January 30, 1947, the same year in which he graduated from the Law School.

Box 3, folder 19

 

Series 7: Bereavement. 1960.

This series contains the bereavement correspondence sent to Mrs. Vera J. Jacobs upon the death of her son Frederick Clark Jacobs. This consists of letters, telegrams, and cards that serve as conveyances of sympathy. There are fifty-two flower arrangement placards. A notable item of this series is the list kept by Mrs. Jacobs of the family and friends who sent cards, letters, flowers, and other correspondence.

Box 3, folders 20-23

 

Series 8: Poetry. n.d.

This series contains two pages of poetry set to song. Each line is marked for men, women, and all singers. The titles included are: “Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee” by Mildred Plew Merryman Miegs; “A Memory” by William Allingham; Psalm 24; “Outwitted” by Edwin Markham; and “The Dance” by Paul Fort.

Box 3, Folder 24

 

Box List:

Box 1

Folder 1: Correspondence: Jacobs family, 1930.
Folder 2: Correspondence: Condolences, 1938.
Folder 3: Correspondence: Legal, 1939.
Folder 4: Correspondence: Charles C. Jacobs, Jr., Telegram, 1941.
Folder 5: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, 1942.
Folder 6: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, June-July 1943.
Folder 7: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, October; December 1943.
Folder 8: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, January 1943 [1944].
Folder 9: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, April 1944.
Folder 10: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, May-June 1944.
Folder 11: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, August-October 1944.
Folder 12: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, October 1944.
Folder 13: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, November-December 1944.

Box 2

Folder 1: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, January-March 1945.
Folder 2: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, April 1945.
Folder 3: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, May-July 1945.
Folder 4: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, August-September 1945.
Folder 5: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, October-December 1945.
Folder 6: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, January-March 1946.
Folder 7: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, April-July 1946.
Folder 8: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, September-October 1946.
Folder 9: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, 1947.
Folder 10: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, 1948.
Folder 11: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, 1949.
Folder 12: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, 1950.
Folder 13: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, n.d.
Folder 14: Correspondence: Fred C. Jacobs, Empty envelopes, 1944-1946; 1949.
Folder 15: Correspondence: Wedding Invitations, 1935; 1944; n.d.
Folder 16: Correspondence: Blank postcards, n.d.

Box 3

Folder 1: Photographs: Bolivar County Courthouse, n.d.
Folder 2: Photographs: Fred C. Jacobs; Soldiers; Equipment, circa April 1945.
Folder 3: Financial Records: Promissory notes 1918; 1921-1922; 1938; 1947.
Folder 4: Financial Records: Stock shares, 1926; 1928; 1940.
Folder 5: Financial Records: Cotton sales receipt, March 1882.
Folder 6: Financial Records: Cotton sales receipts, November 1931.
Folder 7: Financial Records: Receipt, Daughters of the American Revolution, 1940.
Folder 8: Financial Records: Bank statements and notes, 1938; 1942; 1947.
Folder 9: Financial Records: Receipts, 1943-1944; 1947; 1961.
Folder 10: Financial Records: Veterans Administration papers, 1943; 1946-1947.
Folder 11: Financial Records: Land taxes, Bolivar County, 1938-1940; 1942.
Folder 12: Financial Records: Insurance papers, 1960.
Folder 13: Financial Records: Miscellaneous financial record materials, n.d.
Folder 14: Financial Records: Financial Ledger, circa 1935.
Folder 15: Address Book: Address book, circa 1950.
Folder 16: Printed Materials: Newsclippings, 1945; n.d.
Folder 17: Printed Materials: Mississippi Supervisor newsletter, May 1942.
Folder 18: Education: Fred C. Jacobs, 1941-1942; 1945-1947; 1949.
Folder 19: Education: Charles C. Jacobs, Jr., 1947.
Folder 20: Bereavement: Letters and telegrams, 1960.
Folder 21: Bereavement: Cards, 1960.
Folder 22: Bereavement: Lists, 1960.
Folder 23: Bereavement: Floral placards, 1960.
Folder 24: Poetry, n.d.