Wartime Love Letters Offer Intimate Look at WWII Couple's Romance

Trove of letters between William Raymond Whittaker and Jane Dean reveal their courtship and marriage during the war years.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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More than 200 love letters exchanged between William Raymond Whittaker and Jane Dean during World War II have been donated to the Nashville Public Library, offering an intimate glimpse into the couple's courtship and marriage. The letters, found in a Nashville home, chronicle the pair's relationship from their initial reconnection in 1942 when Whittaker was drafted, to their eventual marriage that November.

Why it matters

The collection provides a rare first-hand account of the personal lives and challenges faced by ordinary Americans during the tumultuous World War II era, shedding light on issues of race, gender, and the experience of soldiers and their loved ones on the home front.

The details

Whittaker, from New Rochelle, New York, met Jane Dean while attending the historically Black Meharry Medical College in Nashville. After losing touch, Whittaker reconnected with Dean in 1942 when he was drafted into the Army and stationed in Arizona. Their letters chronicle their rekindled romance, with Whittaker eventually proposing marriage just two months after their initial contact. The couple wed in November 1942, though they had to remain apart as Whittaker returned to his Army base.

  • In the summer of 1942, Whittaker was drafted into the Army and stationed at Fort Huachuca in Arizona.
  • On July 30, 1942, Jane Dean wrote a reply to Whittaker's first letter to her since they lost touch.
  • In an undated letter from September 1942, Whittaker told Dean he had something important to tell her, hinting that he might propose marriage.
  • On September 23, 1942, Dean expressed skepticism about Whittaker's proposal plans.
  • On November 7, 1942, Whittaker and Dean were married in Birmingham.

The players

William Raymond Whittaker

A soldier from New Rochelle, New York who attended Meharry Medical College in Nashville, where he met and dated Jane Dean.

Jane Dean

A student at Meharry Medical College in Nashville who dated Whittaker before he was drafted into the Army in 1942.

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What they’re saying

“It sure was a pleasant and sad surprise to hear from you. Pleasant because you will always hold a place in my heart and it's nice to know you think of me once in a while. Sad because you are in the armed forces — maybe I shouldn't say that but war is so uncertain, however I'm proud to know that you are doing your bit for your country.”

— Jane Dean (Letter to William Raymond Whittaker, July 30, 1942)

“I have something very important to tell you when I do see you and you will be surprise to know as to what it is. I might even ask you to marry me. One never knows.”

— William Raymond Whittaker (Letter to Jane Dean, September 1942)

“It's a wonderful thing to have such and sweet and lovely husband. Darling you'll never know how much I love you. The only regret is that we didn't marry years ago... As it is now things are so uncertain and we are not together but such a few happy hours. But maybe this old war will soon be over and we can be together for always.”

— Jane Dean (Letter to William Raymond Whittaker, November 9, 1942)

What’s next

The Nashville Public Library plans to continue digitizing and making the full collection of letters publicly accessible online.

The takeaway

This trove of wartime love letters provides a rare, intimate window into the personal lives and relationships of ordinary Americans during the tumultuous World War II era, offering insights into the challenges, hopes, and resilience of a couple navigating the uncertainties of war.