Guide to the Bro. William O. Wehrle, S.M., papers, 1933-1973

Overview of Collection

Biography of Bro. William O. Wehrle, S.M.

William Otto Wehrle was born in Pittsburgh on July 4, 1896. He came to Dayton in 1909 to enter the Society of Mary and made his first vows in 1913 and his perpetual vows on July 7, 1920. He received his bachelor's degree in English in 1918 from St. Mary's College (University of Dayton). Before returning to the University of Dayton in 1933 as an English professor, Bro. Wehrle taught in many schools around the country: at St. Barbara's Grade School in Brooklyn, NY, in 1916; at West Catholic High School in Philadelphia in 1917; at Cathedral Latin High School in Cleveland, OH; and at four different high schools in California from 1921-1933. From The Catholic University of America, Bro. Wehrle received a master's degree in 1931 and a Ph.D. in 1933. That year he returned to UD as head of the Dept. of English, a post he held until 1956. In this capacity, he authored an English textbook, found in this collection.

Bro. Wehrle was known for entertaining children at Christmas time in the role of Santa Claus. He was deeply interested in Christmas lore and traditions. He also helped to start the University Choir. It was during a choir rehearsal that Bro. Wehrle died on December 23, 1959 at the age of 63.

Scope and Content

The Bro. William O. Wehrle, S.M., papers include two publications by Bro. Wehrle, 32 reels of magnetic audiotape containing recorded lectures and dramatic readings, and the 1973 dissertation of Rev. Bernard Horst, S.M., of the Dept. of English. Although Bro. Wehrle lived from 1896-1959, this collection was donated in his name and described as materials that he owned. Because some material is undated, it is difficult to distinguish what belonged to Bro. Wehrle and what was added to his belongings after his death. Therefore, the materials were kept together as donated. Bro. Wehrle also wrote a short history of the University of Dayton, which is located with the University histories in the University Archives.

Related Material

University of Dayton histories. 1H

Dept. of English records. 20 QE

Statement of Arrangement

This small collection is contained in one box in the order in which it was received.

Search Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the University of Dayton Libraries Catalog. Researchers may use these headings to search the catalog for resources on related topics, persons, or places.

Personal Names

Corporate Names

Administrative Information

Access to Materials

This collection is open and available to the public for research in the University Archives and Special Collections reading room. The materials are non-circulating.

Copyright

The materials in this collection may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code). The materials are available for personal, educational, or scholarly use. It is the responsibility of the researcher to locate and obtain permission from the copyright owner or his or her heirs for any other use, such as reproduction and publication.

Technical Requirements

The magnetic audio recordings in this collection require digital conversion or special audio equipment to access. If you are interested in accessing these materials, please contact the University Archives in advance.

Acquisition Information

The materials in this collection were deposited in the University Archives by Fr. Horst of the Dept. of English on August 10, 1984 (accession 84-19).

Processing Information

The Bro. William O. Wehrle, S.M., papers were processed by Rachel DeHart in December 2010.

Preferred Citation

[Item title]. Bro. William O. Wehrle, S.M., papers, 1933-1973. University Archives and Special Collections, University of Dayton Libraries, Dayton, Ohio.

Contents of Collection