More than 200 love letters exchanged by a couple during World War II have been digitally published by the Nashville Public Library, offering a deeply personal glimpse into love, uncertainty and hope during wartime.
The letters, written by William Raymond “Ray” Whittaker and Jane Dean, were discovered in a Nashville home that once belonged to Jane and her siblings. The collection was donated to the Metro Nashville Archives in 2016.
Ray, originally from New Rochelle, New York, came to Nashville to study at the historically Black Meharry Medical College, where he met Jane, also a student. They later lost contact when Ray left the city. In 1942, after being drafted into the Army and stationed at Fort Huachuca in Arizona, Ray reached out to Jane, who was then working as a medical lab technician at Vanderbilt University.
Although the archive does not have Ray’s first letter, it includes Jane’s reply dated July 30, 1942. Addressing him formally as “Dear Wm R.,” she wrote that hearing from him was both a “pleasant and sad surprise.” She said she was proud of his service but worried about the uncertainties of war. She ended the letter warmly, urging him to “Write, wire or call me real soon — Lovingly Jane.”
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According to metropolitan archivist Kelley Sirko, the letters provide an intimate look at two ordinary people navigating extraordinary times. “You really can’t help but smile,” Sirko said, noting how the correspondence reflects not just romance but also the realities of racial segregation, gender roles and military life.
As the letters continued, their relationship grew stronger. Ray, later assigned to help organize the segregated 92nd Infantry Division in Alabama, hinted at marriage. In one letter, he joked that as an officer he would earn more money if married and needed someone to help him spend it.
Jane initially questioned whether his feelings were genuine or driven by loneliness. But Ray soon wrote more seriously about wanting a future together.
The couple married on Nov. 7, 1942, in Birmingham. In a letter two days later, Jane addressed Ray as “my darling husband,” expressing joy in their marriage despite being separated by war.
The collection also includes photographs and Ray’s Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity patch. Archivists have not located any living relatives. Ray died in Nashville in 1989.