Trove of 200 WWII Love Letters Reveal Couple's Courtship

Highlights from the intimate correspondence between William Raymond Whittaker and Jane Dean are now on display at the Nashville Public Library.

Published on Feb. 16, 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 a rare 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 to their wedding just months later, despite the challenges of wartime separation.

Why it matters

The collection provides a deeply personal perspective on the experiences of an interracial couple navigating the complexities of love and life during the war years. Beyond a romantic narrative, the letters offer insight into issues of race, gender, and the realities faced by soldiers and their families at the time.

The details

Whittaker, a medical student from New York, met Jane, a lab technician, while attending the historically Black Meharry Medical College in Nashville. After losing touch, Whittaker reconnected with Jane in 1942 when he was drafted into the Army and stationed in Arizona. Their correspondence quickly blossomed into a proposal of marriage, and the couple wed in November of that year, though they had to remain apart as Whittaker returned to his Army duties.

  • In the summer of 1942, Whittaker was drafted into the Army and stationed at Fort Huachuca in Arizona.
  • On July 30, 1942, Jane replied to Whittaker's first letter since their reconnection.
  • In an undated letter from September 1942, Whittaker told Jane he had something important to ask her.
  • On September 23, 1942, Jane expressed skepticism about Whittaker's proposal.
  • On November 7, 1942, Whittaker and Jane were married in Birmingham.

The players

William Raymond Whittaker

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

Jane Dean

A medical lab technician at Vanderbilt University who reconnected with Whittaker when he was drafted into the Army in 1942.

Kelley Sirko

The metropolitan archivist at the Nashville Public Library, which is now displaying highlights from the couple's love letter collection.

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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

“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

“It's a wonderful thing to have such a 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

What’s next

The Nashville Public Library plans to continue digitizing and displaying more of the couple's love letters to share their story with the public.

The takeaway

The Whittaker-Dean love letters offer a rare, intimate glimpse into the lives of an interracial couple navigating the challenges of wartime separation and the complexities of race, gender, and identity during World War II.