Fathers in the Archives

by Gayle O’Hara, University Archivist, Special Collections & Archives - June 10, 2025

Father’s Day dates back to the middle-ages and is a day celebrated all over the world at different times of year and with different traditions. In the United States, we began observing it in 1910. In honor of Father’s Day on June 15th, this Peek in the Stacks brings you four different collections highlighting the special relationship between fathers and their children.

The Pavel llyin Soviet Sailor Collection is on view in the Gohstand Reading Room on the 2nd floor of the University Library. It consists of dozens of small wooden sailors collected by Pavel and his father, children’s author Mikhail IIyin, during their travels across the Soviet Union. Mikhail and Pavel began collecting these soldiers in 1958 when Mikhail was doing a geographical-themed children’s radio show. As they travelled, they looked for locally manufactured sailor figures to add to their collection and continued to do so until 1982, when the radio show ended. These sailors are an example of an enduring bond between a father and his son.

Another sweet example of a bond between a father and his young son are the letters found in the Richard Embleton Correspondence Collection. Richard was known as “Dickie” as a young boy and his father, also Richard Embleton, was a Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. For a period of time in the early 1950s, he was stationed in England and frequently sent home letters to his son, many with little cartoons, telling his son how much he misses him, and encouraging him to continue to be a good boy for his mother. The letters are notable for the many hugs and kisses Dickie’s father signed his letters with – XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO. As they are quite well taken care of, you can see how cherished the correspondence is; the paternal love embodied in this small collection now has a forever home in Special Collections & Archives.

The challenges endured by fathers to keep their children safe is foregrounded in the Zaruhy "Sara" Chitjian Collection. Zaruhy “Sara” Chitjian’s parents, Hampartzoum and Ovsanna Chitjian, survived the Armenian Genocide (1915-1923). Documented in the collection are writings by Sara’s father, also known as “Harry”, who recorded the story of his family during the genocide. Harry’s father placed him and his three brothers in a Turkish school, where they were forbidden from speaking or writing Armenian; his father believed this was their best chance to survive. Harry’s father, along with multiple members of his family, were later murdered by Turkish forces. Sara went on to become an educator and publicly shared her father and grandfather’s legacies, as well as her parents’ immigration experiences to Mexico and later Los Angeles.

June is also Pride Month, a time dedicated to celebrating the contributions of LGBTQ+ communities. Due to homophobia and discrimination, for years gay fathers felt forced to hide who they are. Many feared losing their children if they came out. The Homosexual Information Center Subject Files contain a wide range of materials relevant to LGBTQ+ communities in the 20th century, including files from the 1980s concerning the Gay Fathers Coalition. Originally formed in 1980, the Gay Fathers Coalition was determined to “dispel the myth that it is incompatible to be a father and be gay as viewed by society at large and, all too often, by many gay fathers as well.” The Gay Fathers Coalition also had chapters in Canada. The collection’s subject file for Gay Father’s Toronto contains a lengthy 1981 press release detailing a book some members wrote documenting the loneliness and struggles of gay fathers. While things have improved tremendously since the 1980s, sadly, fathers from LGBTQ+ communities still face challenges due to society’s lack of understanding and acceptance. 

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Post tagged as: special collections, archives, correspondence, ephemera, international