Ann and Howard J. Wilkinson, Jr. Collection

<p>The Ann and Howard J. Wilkinson, Jr. Collection contains one album with photographs related to the lives of Ann and Howard J. Wilkinson, Jr. Featured in the photographs are images of Neighborhood Gardens, the first public housing project, ca. 1930; St. Louis Zoo, ca. 1933; Color Day at Central High School, March 7, 1941; Clean Up Parade, Spring 1941; Senior Play, Spring 1941; and Senior Picnic, Spring 1941. The senior activities photographs are those of Ann (nee Netzeband) Wilkinson, and it is likely that she was the compiler of this album. Ann's uncle, Percival John Hoener, was a member of the Better Housing Committee and the design firm Hoener, Baum, and Froese - the firm behind the design of Neighborhood Gardens.</p>

<p>Howard John Wilkinson, Jr. was born on March 20, 1921, the son of Alma and Howard J. Wilkinson, Sr. He enlisted in the United States Navy on April 3, 1940 and served a six-year term. During his military career, Howard was initially assigned to the USS Wasp as a seaman and was promoted to a 2nd Class Aviator Machinist Mate by September 1942, at which time the USS Wasp was sunk by a Japanese submarine. Wilkinson survived the ship's sinking and was assigned to the USS Belleau Wood as a 1st Class Aviation Machinist from January 15, 1943 through June 1, 1944. By the end of his tour on the USS Belleau Wood in February 1944, Wilkinson was promoted to Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate and Flight Deck Chief. In June 1944, Chief Wilkinson returned stateside and was transferred to Catapult and Arresting Gear School as a leading Chief instructor. He held this role until his enlistment expired in 1946. Chief Wilkinson was discharged at Jefferson Barracks in April 2 1946. Although he did not reenlist, Wilkinson opted to stay in the Reserve and during the Korean War was stationed in Adak, Alaska from October 1950 to February 1952. Chief Wilkinson was discharged in Seattle in March 1952 and did not re-enlist in the reserves. Following his military service, Howard worked as an insurance entrepreneur, and in March 1993, he was elected as a commissioner of the History Museum Subdistrict of the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District. Howard J. Wilkinson, Jr. died on September 24, 2015.</p>

<p>Howard J. Wilkinson married Ann L. (nee Netzeband) Wilkinson, daughter of Ester and Rudolph W. Netzeband, in 1942. The Wilkinsons were married until Ann's death on May 22, 2007. During her life, Ann was an avid gardener and active member of the Boxwood Society, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Tell it Like it Is Club, and Bellerive Country Club, all of St. Louis.</p>

<p>安和霍华德·J·威尔金森夫妇藏品中包含一套与安和霍华德·J·威尔金森夫妇生平相关的照片专辑。其中展出的照片包括邻里花园（美国首个公共住房项目，约1930年）、圣路易斯动物园（约1933年）、中央高中校庆日（1941年3月7日）、春季大扫除游行（1941年春季）、毕业戏剧（1941年春季）以及毕业野餐（1941年春季）。这些高年级活动照片是安（原名内茨班德）·威尔金森的照片，她很可能是该专辑的编纂者。安的叔叔，珀西瓦尔·约翰·霍纳，是更好的住房委员会成员，同时也是霍纳、鲍姆和弗罗伊斯设计公司的一员——该公司负责设计了邻里花园。</p><p>霍华德·约翰·威尔金森出生于1921年3月20日，是阿尔玛和霍华德·J·威尔金森（老）的儿子。他于1940年4月3日加入美国海军，服役六年。在其军事生涯中，霍华德最初被分配到“黄蜂”号担任水手，并于1942年9月晋升为二级航空机工长。当时，“黄蜂”号被日本潜艇击沉。威尔金森在船沉没后幸存，并于1943年1月15日至1944年6月1日被分配到“贝尔沃德”号担任一级航空机工长。到1944年2月结束在“贝尔沃德”号的服役时，威尔金森被晋升为首席航空船员长和飞行甲板长。1944年6月，首席威尔金森返回美国本土，并被调至弹射器和阻拦装置学校担任高级首席教官。他一直担任此职务，直到1946年服役期满。1946年4月2日，首席威尔金森在杰斐逊要塞退役。尽管他没有再次入伍，但威尔金森选择留在预备役，在朝鲜战争中，他从1950年10月至1952年2月被派驻阿达克，阿拉斯加。1952年3月，首席威尔金森在西雅图退役，并最终没有再次加入预备役。在军事服务之后，霍华德成为了一名保险业的创业家，并于1993年3月被选为都市动物园和博物馆区历史博物馆子区的专员。霍华德·J·威尔金森于2015年9月24日逝世。</p><p>霍华德·J·威尔金森于1942年与安·L·（原名内茨班德）·威尔金森结婚，她是艾斯特和鲁道夫·W·内茨班德的女儿。威尔金森夫妇一直结婚到安于2007年5月22日去世。在她的一生中，安是一位热心的园艺家，也是圣路易斯博茨伍德协会、密苏里植物园、Tell it Like it Is Club和Bellerive Country Club的积极成员。</p>