Ross W. Hippensteel papers, 1912-1960 | Purdue University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections

By David Hovde and Mary A. Sego

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Collection Overview

Title: Ross W. Hippensteel papers, 1912-1960

Predominant Dates:1932-1950

Primary Creator: Hippensteel, Ross (1912-1997)

Extent: 13.5 Cubic feet

Date Acquired: 06/07/2007

Subjects: Engineering, Purdue University--Alumni and alumnae, World War, 1939-1945

Forms of Material: Artifacts (object genre), Certificates, Clippings (Information artifacts), Correspondence, Diplomas, Ephemera, Lecture notes, Pencil sketches

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Ross W. Hippensteel papers (1912-1960; 13.5 cubic feet) document the college and military career of Ross W. Hippensteel. The collection contains many artifacts, papers, handbooks, manuals, certificates, class notes, clippings, correspondence, ephemera, a pencil sketch, clothing and other miscellaneous items. Some of the items belonged to his wife, Jean Rankin Hippensteel. The class notes are from many of his Purdue University, mechanical engineering and physics courses from 1929-1934, along with many Purdue University Military Department manuals. There is also a strong emphasis on U.S. army artifacts and manuals from the years proceeding World War II, World War II and the years thereafter.

Biographical Note

Ross W. Hippensteel was born to Benjamin F. and Amelia (Guempelein) Hippensteel, August 22, 1912 in Peru, Indiana. He was a 1930 graduate of Peru High School, and graduated from Purdue University in 1934. Ross Hippensteel married Geneva "Jean" Rankin in Wabash on September 19, 1934.

He retired October 31, 1974 after forty years as an engineer at Continental Steel Corporation. He also retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after serving twenty-eight years in the Reserves and active duty from 1942-1945, during World War II in the European Theater.

His memberships included First Congregational Church; a forty year member of Kokomo Metropolitan Kiwanis Club and was Lieutenant Governor of the Sycamore Division 1981-1982 and president of the Metropolitan Club 1971-1972; Society of Professional Engineers (A. A. Potter Chapter); Kokomo Elks Lodge No. 190; Kokomo Management Club; appointed 1958-1962 to serve on the Kokomo Center Township School Board and Library Board. He was appointed as a civilian engineer to the Advisory Board to help the new jail in 1968.

He had two sons, Benjamin R. and David L. Hippensteel and two grandchildren. Ross W. Hippensteel died April 7, 1997. He was buried with military honors by the Veterans of Foreign War.

Subject/Index Terms

Engineering
Purdue University--Alumni and alumnae
World War, 1939-1945

Administrative Information

Repository: Purdue University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections

Access Restrictions: Collection is open for research.

Physical Access Note: All materials have been housed in polyester sleeves, acid-free folders, and acid-free boxes. Some of the manuals have been removed from the collection for preservation purposes and cataloged as part of the Archives' book collection.

Acquisition Method: Donation received from Gary Hippensteel (grandson) on June 7, 2007.

Preferred Citation: MSA 34, Ross W. Hippensteel papers, Karnes Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries

Other URL: http://collections.lib.purdue.edu/fa/pdf/hippensteel_r.pdf

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1: Military Equipment and Artifacts, circa 1918-1950],
[Box 2: Military Clothing and Insignia, 1919-1950],
[Box 3: Military Clothing, 1940-1960],
[Box 4: Military Equipment, Assorted Equestrian Items, U.S. Army, circa 1936-1960],
[Box 5: Military Manuals, Military Correspondence, and Related Materials, 1927-1950],
[Box 6: Purdue University Military and Engineering Student Materials, 1929-1934],
[Box 7: School Papers, Railroad Related Materials, and Miscellaneous Material, 1912-1955],
[Box 8: Diplomas and Bill of Rights Reproduction, 1925-1932],
[Box 9: Adult and Children’s Clothing, circa 1935-1940],
[Box 10: Adult and Children’s Clothing, undated],
[Box 11: Artifact - Oversized, circa 1940],
[Item 1: Artifact - Oversized, circa 1940],
[Item 2: Artifact - Oversized, circa 1940],
[Item 3: Artifact - Oversized, circa 1940],
[All]

Box 5: Military Manuals, Military Correspondence, and Related Materials, 1927-1950

Folder 1

Welcome to the States: Boston Port of Embarkation Camp Myles Standish, undated[four-fold pamphlet] "Bravest of the Brave," booklet, Paris: Desfosses-Neogravure, 1945 [The story of the 95th Infantry Division.]

Folder 2

Military manuals, World War II era, 1927-1942

[1. A Manual for Courts-Martial U.S. Army 1928. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1927 and memorandum, documents related to specific court-martial cases, and slips of numbered paper

2. Basic Field Manual: 37-MM Gun, Antitank, M3, FM 23-70

Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1940

3. Basic Field Manual: Infantry Drill Regulations, FM 22-5. Washington,

DC: United States Government Printing Office, undated

4. Basic Field Manual: Military Courtesy and Discipline, FM 21-50

Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1942),

5. Basic Field Manual: Military Intelligence Combat Intelligence, Restricted

M 30-5 (Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1940),

6. Basic Field Manual: Military Training, FM 21-5 (Washington, DC: United

States Government Printing Office, 1941) and a hand written note titled Curtz

& Sill & Gammon,

7. Basic Field Manual: Signal Communication, FM 24-5. Washington,

DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1942.

8. Basic Field Manual: Soldier's Handbook, FM 21-100, Washington, DC:

United States Government Printing Office, 1941.

9. Basic Field Manual: U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1903. Washington, DC:

United States Government Printing Office, 1940 and associated handwritten

order titled Sgt. Lowery & all men.

10. Field Artillery Field Manual: Firing, FM 6-40. Washington, DC: United

States Government Printing Office, 1939.

11. Field Artillery Filed manual: Tactics and Technique. Washington, DC:

Superintendent of Documents, 1940.

12. H. F. Handy, and V. F. Burger, How to Produce an Efficient Firing

Battery. Washington, DC: The Field Artillery Association, undated.

13. Staff Officers' Filed Manual: The Staff and Combat Orders, FM 101-5

(Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1940),

14. Technical Manual: Surveying Tables ((Washington, DC:

United States Government Printing Office, 1940) stamped Lee

H. Gardner, Capt 360th F. A. BN. and associated note of mathematical figures

also stamped Lee H. Gardner, Capt 360th F. A. BN. [Some manuals removed

from the collection for preservation purposes and cataloged]

Folder 3

Packet of U.S. Army Documents, 1942-1945 [Packet mailed from J. Hippensteel, 732 So. Brandon, Kokomo, Indiana to Captain Ross Hippensteel 0-318687, Hq. 360th F.A. Bn., A.P.O. 95, Camp Shelby, Mississippi. The documents are official U.S. Army transfer orders, request for leave, medical forms, receipts, promotion, special orders, general court-martial, justification for the award of silver star and bronze star for a large number of individuals form the 95th Infantry Division dated April 4, 1945, application for ration currency, and other documents.]

Folder 4

Miscellaneous U.S. Army Documents, 1941-1945 [division commendation, receipts, leave of absence, pass, tobacco ration card, selective service card, custom luggage tags.]

Folder 5

Military Instructional Memoranda, World War Two era, 1941-1942 [Manuals removed from the collection for preservation. Blue cloth bound binder containing numerous Field Artillery School instructional memoranda and one loose memorandum titled Time Fire Using Shell Fuzed With Fuze M54 and M55.]

Folder 6

Associated documents found in A Manual for Court-Martial U.S. Army, 1928; Basic Field Manual: U.S. Rifle, Caliber, 30, M1903, FM 23-10, 1940; Basic Field Manual: Military Training FM 21-5, 1941.