Call Number:  MS-2 
Name:  An Inventory of the Papers of Emory Pate Bass (1892?-1971) held in the Valdosta State University Archives 
Dates:  1940-1970 
Size:  3 boxes; 2100 items 
Biography:

Emory Pate Bass (1892? -May 4, 1971) was born in Worth County, Georgia; attended Ashburn High School.  Graduate of Emory University.  Served with U.S. Army in World War I and World War II.  Attained rank of second lieutenant in World War I; served as major with Patton's Third Army in Europe during World War II.  Member of the committee which organized Company G, Infantry National Guard in Valdosta, Georgia.  Worked with railroad for thirty years, held position of General Traffic Manager for the Georgia and Florida Railroad.  Realtor, headed his own firm.  Chairman of the Board of Valdosta Savings and Loan Association.  City councilman, served as mayor of Valdosta from 1956-1958.  Candidate for mayor of Valdosta in the 1964 and 1966 elections.  Candidate for Georgia State Senator from the Sixth Senatorial District in the 1962 election.  He was president of the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club.  He was State Commander of the American Legion and organizing chairman of the Junior chamber of Commerce.  Member of the Elks and the Masons, Member First Methodist Church.  He was highly instrumental in establishing Moody Field in 1941 and in reactivating it in 1951.

Scope and Content:

The papers consist mostly of correspondence relating to Bass's work in establishing and reactivating Moody Air Force Base.  Major correspondents include U.S. Senators Richard Russell, Walter F. George, and Herman Talmadge and Georgia Eighth district Congressmen.  Also included are miscellaneous maps, photographs, and newspaper clippings relating to Moody Air Force Base.  The papers also include clippings, campaign literature and memoranda relating to Bass's political campaigns.  Similar material relating to the Rotary Club and the American Legion is included.  Business and legal papers relate mostly to deposition of property at 606 N. Lee Street owned by Charles H. and Ethel Elliott.

The papers are arranged in four groups; correspondence, legal papers, bills and receipts, and memorabilia.  Within each group items are arranged chronologically by date (if material is dated) and numbered consecutively.  The papers contain more than one copy of some items.  Duplicate material is identified by the same number with a copy number as "CORRESPONDENCE 3, c.2".  All parts of multi-page items are identified by same number with a page number as "CORRESPONDENCE 4, p.2".  Material which has no date is filed at the end of each group by subject.  Not attempt was made by the librarian to establish a date if it did not appear on the material except for newspaper clippings.

Correspondence: 

Includes all form letters; telegrams, wires, and night letters; letters tot he editor.  Correspondence includes a survey on housing, transportation, etc. in Valdosta, Georgia, dated Jan. 26, 1951.

Bills and Receipts:

Includes campaign statements, financial reports, bank statements and canceled checks.

Memorabilia: 

Includes newspaper clippings, photographs, memoranda, speeches, campaign literature, newsletters, programs, and resolutions.  Included in memorabilia is a petition requesting Bass to announce himself as candidate for mayor.  In memorabilia is a biographical sketch of Major George P. Moody, for whom Moody Air Force Base was named; it appeared in the Meteor, November 18, 1953.  If material of this type was attached to a correspondence, and referred to in it, it remains with the correspondence and has the same number.

Legal Papers: 

Includes certificates of ownership, copies of contracts for land sales, agreements with real estate agents, credit reports, contracts, and records of money received.  The dates run from 1941-1967.  Also included are bills and Receipts which are mostly for personal expenses, such as campaigns, taxes, and other expenses, some business related.

Subject Headings: 

Bass, Emory Moody Air Force Base Valdosta, Georgia--Mayors 
Valdosta, Georgia--Politics and Government  Moody, George P.  Rotary Club--Valdosta, Georgia 
Russell, Richard  George, Walter F. American Legion 
Talmadge, Herman Elliott, Charles H. Elliott, Ethel 

Inventory:

The papers include the following parts:

Box 1:  Correspondence 

[Folder 1] Bass Papers--Correspondence 1-60 (1940) 
[Folder 2] Bass Papers--Correspondence 61-168 (January-March 1941) 
[Folder 3] Bass Papers --Correspondence 169-297 (April-June 1941) 
[Folder 4] Bass Papers --Correspondence 298-359 (July-December 1941) 
[Folder 5] Bass Papers --Correspondence 360-384 (1942-1949) 
[Folder 6] Bass Papers --Correspondence 385-431 (1950) 
[Folder 7] Bass Papers --Correspondence 432-478 (January-March 1951) 
[Folder 8] Bass Papers --Correspondence 479-542 (April-June 1951) 
[Folder 9] Bass Papers --Correspondence 543-577 (August-December 1951) 
[Folder 10] Bass Papers --Correspondence 578-662 (1952-1955) 
[Folder 11] Bass Papers --Correspondence 663-713 (1956-1959)

Box 2:  Correspondence and Memorabilia [Folder 1]Bass Papers --Correspondence 714-768 (1960-1963) 

[Folder 2]Bass Papers --Correspondence 769-800 (1964-1966) 
[Folder 3]Bass Papers --Correspondence 800-831 (undated) 
[Folder 4]Bass Papers --Memorabilia 1-27 (1940-1941) 
[Folder 5]Bass Papers --Memorabilia 28-67 (1944-1951) 
[Folder 6]Bass Papers --Memorabilia 68-110 (1952-1957) 
[Folder 7]Bass Papers --Memorabilia 111-132 (1958-1960) 
[Folder 8]Bass Papers --Memorabilia 133-173 (1961-1962) 
Includes Photographs: 
[Folder 9]Bass Papers --Memorabilia 174-240 (1963-1970)

Box 3: Memorabilia and Legal Papers Includes Photographs: 

[Folder 1]Bass Papers --Memorabilia 241-290 (undated) 
[Folder 2]Bass Papers --Memorabilia 291-345 (undated) 
[Folder 3]Bass Papers --Memorabilia 246-424 (undated) 
[Folder 4]Bass Papers --Legal Papers (1941-1967) 
[Folder 5]Bass Papers --Bills and Receipts 1-34 (1951-1966) 
[small box] Bass Papers --Bills and Receipts 35-163 (1951-1966)

Processing Date: Early 1970's by Diane Wright, updated and revised 2/2002 by Deborah S. Davis.