John L. McGrady Collection

Collection

Identifier: 1221

Scope and Contents

This accession consists of photographs taken by John L. McGrady documenting the lives of the veteran students and their families who lived in the trailer court at Alabama Polytechnic Institute (API, now Auburn University) in the late 1940s following the Second World War.

Dates

Creation: 1946 - 1949

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Biographical / Historical

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After World War II, millions of veterans enrolled in educational institutions using benefits offered by the Servicemen's Readjustment Act (also known as the G.I. Bill). Alabama Polytechnic Institute (API, now Auburn University) saw enrollment increase so much due to the influx of veteran students that a student housing shortage occurred. In order to provide on-campus housing for the large number of veteran students and their families, API offered accommodations in trailers. The site on which these trailers were located came to be known as trailer court. The photographs in this accession were taken by John L. McGrady, a veteran of World War II who attended API as a pharmacy student on the G.I. Bill. McGrady lived in a trailer at trailer court with his wife and daughter during his time at API from 1946 to 1949. His photographs show inside and outside views of the trailers, everyday life, and special activities at trailer court, and various scenes on the API campus. Activities depicted in the pictures include the construction of a wading pool, a birthday party, and a Christmas party. McGrady graduated from API in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy.

Full Extent

0.25 Cubic Feet (1/2 doc box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

This finding aid is organized by accessions. Each accession represents an addition to the collection. Each accession also represents a transfer of physical and legal custody of archival materials from the donor(s) to Auburn University Special Collections and Archives.

Processing Information

Accession 16-050 processed by Jaimie Kicklighter, 2016. Finding aid entered into ArchivesSpace by Shelby Strozier, 2024. Finding Aid edited by Abbott Kleiner 8/2026.