Paulson, Benjamin ("Uncle Ben"), 1946-1961

The most voluminous files in the collection comprise the family correspondence sent and received by Belden, mostly to and from his parents, Evelina and Henry Paulson; his uncle, Benjamin Paulson; and his sister, Mary (“Chow”) Harrington. These are rich letters dating primarily from 1946 when Belden was in the Navy Reserve and the 1950s and 1960s when he was working in Italy. Few letters exist from 1947 to 1949 when Belden was a student at Oberlin College, and almost none exist after the death of his mother in 1966. Also noteworthy are the letters sent to Belden from his mother, Evelina (OC 1909), who provides sound advice and guidance based on her own social work experiences with the Red Cross in Poland following World War I.