William Wallace Bilyeu philately collection
Scope and Contents
The collection primarily consists of postmarked envelopes, postcards, and correspondence that Bilyeu organized in albums. The albums included postmarked envelopes from all 36 Oregon counties as well as Portland, Oregon; postcards, stationery, and other material relating to the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland; and to railroad lines. The collection also includes books, catalogs, scholarly articles, and other loose materials that Bilyeu possessed.
Dates
- 1849-2016
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Biographical Note
William Wallace Bilyeu was born in 1923 in Albany, Oregon. His father was a career postal carrier, which inspired Bilyeu's lifelong passion for philately. Bilyeu studied at Oregon State College (later Oregon State University) in Corvallis, Oregon, and then at the University of Oregon Dental School (later part of Oregon Health and Science University) in Portland, where he earned a doctorate in dental medicine. After graduating, he practiced dentistry in his hometown of Albany before serving as a captain in the United States Army Dental Corps in Korea and at Camp Stoneman, Pittsburg, California.
After completing his military service in 1954, Bilyeu moved to California, where he established a private practice in Mill Valley and joined a dental group practicing in both Oakland and San Francisco. Bilyeu retired in 1985. Throughout his life he was a member of a number of dental, fraternal, civic, educational and philatelic organizations. He died in his San Francisco home in 2015.
Extent
13.5 Cubic Feet (37 letter document cases; 1 slim letter document case.)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Postmarked envelopes, postcards, correspondence, and other materials collected by William Wallace Bilyeu (1923-2015), primarily relating to philately. Bilyeu was a dentist who held a lifelong passion for philately.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in six series: Series 1. Philatelic materials by Oregon county; Series 2. Philatelic materials from Portland; Series 3. Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition postage, postcards, and ephemera; Series 4. Railroad postage and ephemera; Series 5. Books and other publications; Series 6. Other materials.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gifts of the William Wallace Bilyeu estate, 2016 (Lib. Acc. 28730 and Lib. Acc.28946).
- Title
- Guide to the William Wallace Bilyeu philately collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Jeffrey A. Hayes
- Date
- 2016
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is written in English
- Sponsor
- Funding for this finding aid was provided by the William W. Bilyeu 2000 Trust.
Repository Details
Part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Repository
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240
libreference@ohs.org