Biographical and Historical Note

Lowell Ray Tillett was born December 6, 1923, in Tennessee, to Randall Henry Tillett and Artie Nevada Breeding. He held a doctorate from the University of North Carolina (1955) and was a professor of history, with a focus in Russian history, at Wake Forest College (1956-1991). His book The Great Friendship: Soviet Historians on the Non-Russian Nationalities was published in 1969.

Anne Wharton Smith Tillett was born on September 17, 1915, in Norton, Virginia, to Baptist preacher Leland Watts Smith and Cora Lee Smith. She earned undergraduate degrees from Virginia Intermont College and Carson Newman College, a masters degree from Vanderbilt University, and a doctorate from Northwestern University, and also attended Columbia and University of Pennsylvania. Tillett taught a variety of languages - including Latin, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Russian - at Carson Newman and WFU (1956-1986). She served as Department of Romance Languages chair from 1974-1977.

Together Lowell and Anne raised three daughters, Janine, Ellen, and Lyn. The Tillett family traveled around the world, including trips to Western Europe, trips through WFU study abroad programs, and a road trip in the Soviet Union that Lowell and Anne wrote about together. They also wrote academically together. After Lowell's death, the Lowell R. and Anne S. Tillett Scholarship was created to support student travel to or from European countries or Russia.

Lowell died on December 31, 1991, and Anne died on June 15, 2007, both in Winston-Salem.

Collection Overview

Materials from Lowell R. Tillett include article and book drafts, article reprints and published versions, course materials, photographs, newspaper clippings, student trip materials, and some personal and professional correspondence. A couple of grade books are also included.

Materials from Anne S. Tillett include article and translation drafts, course materials, and personal and professional correspondence. A couple of Anne's grade books, some materials related to her father, Leland W. Smith, and items documenting University community are also present.

Summary Information

Repository

Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives

Creator

Tillett, Lowell Ray, 1923-1991

Creator

Tillett, Anne S.

Title

Lowell R. Tillett and Anne S. Tillett Papers

ID

MS417

Date

circa 1915-2006

Quantity

2 record cartons, 1 document box, 1 half-document box

Extent

3.23  Linear Feet

Mixed Materials

3

Mixed Materials

2

Mixed Materials

1

Mixed Materials

4

Administrative Information

Publication Information

Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, 2005

Revision Description

Revised by Stephanie Bennett, 2021

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for use. 

Copyright Notice

The nature of the WFU Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Archives and Special Collections of ZSR Library claims only physical ownership of most materials. The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. 

Preferred Citation

Lowell R. Tillett and Anne S. Tillett Papers (MS417), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. 

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