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Milner Library

Elmer Cavins Collection

Man in military uniform

Elmer Warren Cavins (1864-1938) was born on a farm near Charleston, Illinois. Like six of his eight siblings, he attended Illinois State Normal University after secondary school, graduating in 1892. Cavins subsequently continued his education with courses at Chicago University and Illinois Wesleyan University. He married Gertrude Cartmell (1867-1949) on August 14, 1895. Together they had two children, Warren Cartmell Cavins (1898-1971) and Joe Loren Cavins (1900-1982). He taught penmanship and orthography in ISNU’s English Department from 1898 to 1935.

Cavins, his sons, and his older brother Lester all participated in World War I in various capacities. Cavins enlisted with the YMCA in November 1918 and was assigned to the short-lived American Expeditionary Forces University at Beaune, France. There he served as secretary of the College of Correspondence, teaching spelling and penmanship to soldiers as they waited to return home during demobilization. The AEF University closed in June 1919 and Cavins, after a period of sightseeing in France with fellow ISNU faculty member D.C. Ridgely, landed back on American soil on July 13th.

How to Access

View the Collection

Collection Contact

April Anderson-Zorn
University Archivist
aander2@IllinoisState.edu

Related Collections

Collection Highlights

  • Postcard displaying a military base.

    American Expeditionary Forces University

    The AEF university taught upwards of 10,000 soldiers during its three months of operation using volunteer instructors like Cavins.

  • Old envelop with hand-written addresses.

    Letters home, 1919

    Cavins extensively documented his service abroad with the YMCA, writing 69 letters over a period of seven months.

  • Old envelop with hand-written addresses.

    Letters home, 1911

    Cavins journeyed to Europe as a tourist prior to World War I and penned 23 letters detailing his travels.

  • Handwriting and illustrations on lined paper.

    Professional materials

    Cavins school notebooks, as well as a few essays and other artefacts of his teaching career, give insight into life at Illinois State Normal University in the early 20th century.

Transcription

Our enduring and heartfelt thanks go out to the volunteer transcribers who helped make this collection searchable and accessible, especially Ann Hopkinson. Want to contribute to future digital collections? Sign up as a collaborator at From The Page and start earning rewards – the more you transcribe, the more Milner swag you get!

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