Elmer and Ruth Deiss papers
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Elmer and Ruth Deiss papers
- Date
- 1939-1971
- Creator
- Deiss, Elmer
- Extent
- 0.63 Cubic feet
- Subjects
- Covered bridges
- Football
- Historic bridges.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject.
- Preferred Citation
- 2012MS029: [identification of item],Elmer and Ruth Deiss papers, 1939-1971, University of Kentucky Special Collections.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Ruth Deiss served as president of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and played an instrumental role in the decision to save a historic covered bridge in Cynthiana, Kentucky. She and her husband, Elmer Deiss, wrote the memoir, The Thin Red Line, under the pseudonym Para Deiss.
- Scope and Content
- The Elmer and Ruth Deiss papers contain materials about the conservation of a covered bridge in Cynthiana, Kentucky, a copy of The Thin Red Line, and press information for the commission of the USS Dixon. The collection includes letters to Ruth Deiss, which detail the decision to restore the historic covered bridge in Cynthiana, Harrison County, Kentucky, as well as maps of the roads in Cynthiana, The Thin Red Line is a short memoir about the University of Alabama's football team and quarterback, Dr. W. Simrall Wyatt. Elmer and Ruth Deiss wrote the work under the pen name Para Deiss. The press information for the Commission of USS Dixon at Norfolk Naval Shipyard on August 7, 1971, consists of a program of events for the ceremonies, a history of the ship, and biographies and photographs of the Captain David S. Boyd and Commander Leo S. Masterson.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections.
Special Collections Research Center - Closed
The Breckinridge Research Room will be closed starting May 11, 2026, and anticipates re-opening Fall semester 2026 in an alternate location for the duration of the King Library renovation.
Reproduction requests will still be available during the closure.
Contact SCRC with questions.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
Special Collections Research Center - Closed
The Breckinridge Research Room will be closed starting May 11, 2026, and anticipates re-opening Fall semester 2026 in an alternate location for the duration of the King Library renovation.
Reproduction requests will still be available during the closure.
Contact SCRC with questions.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
