William Knowlton Vaughan (1921 - 1966)

Born 14 Jun 1921 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

Ancestors

Son of William Swift Vaughan and Maud Osborn (Knowlton) Vaughan

Died 30 Aug 1966 at age 45 in Winthrop Harbor, Lake, Illinois, United States

Biography

2Lt William Vaughan served in the United States Army in World War II
Service started: 11 Apr 1945
Unit(s): Combat Command B, 49th Armored Infantry Battalion, 8th Armored Division, United States Army
Service ended: 21 April 1946

William Knowlton Vaughan was born to William Swift Vaughan and Maud Osborn Knowlton Vaughan, on June 14, 1921, in Chicago, Illinois.^[1][2][3]

According to his Birth Certificate, "Wm Knowlton Vaughan" was born to "Wm R Vaughan" and "Maud Knowlton", on June 14, 1921, in Chicago, Illinois.^[4]

According to the U.S. Census of 1930, "Willian K Vaughn" was found living, at age 8, in Milton, DuPage, Illinois, with his father, "William S Vaughn," age 50; his mother, "Maud K Vaughn," age 37; and his brother, "Sidney K Vaughn," age 6. Everyone in the family was born in Illinois, except William S. Vaughan, who was born in Kansas.^[5]

As children, Bill and his brother Sid were close, and created a magazine they called "Boys Nature," with a typewriter, pens, colored pencils, and brass paper fasteners.^[6]

According to the U.S. Census of 1940, "William K Vaughan" was found living, at age 18, in Glen Ellyn, Milton Township, DuPage, Illinois, with his father, "William Vaughan," age 60; his mother, "Maud K Vaughan," age 47; and his brother, "Sidney K Vaughan," age 16.^[7]

According to 8th-armored.org and the 8th Armored Division Association, "William Knowlton 'Bill' Vaughan (2nd Lt) Platoon Leader," reinforced the 49th Armored Infantry, on April 11, 1945, and served with "49th Armored Infantry Battalion, Combat Command B (CCB)."^{[8] [9]}

Bill's brother, Sid must have scheduled his wedding to take place while Bill was on Terminal Leave, because a wedding photograph shows Bill standing beside him, opposite his bride, Char, and, according to her obituary this wedding took place on April 13, 1946, eight days before the date of Bill's discharge.

William Knowlton Vaughan graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, with a Bachelor's Degree in Letters and Science, and Psychology, in 1950.^[10][11]

William Knowlton Vaughan was a non-fiction writer whose work "Academic Freedom from the Inside," appeared in the September 1954 issue of The American Mercury.^[12]

Although his family was Methodist, Bill served as a Mormon Missionary in Australia. He discovered Mormonism when he moved to Logan, Utah, to study zoology at Utah State University, and his landlady was a Mormon.^[3]

William Knowlton Vaughan and Merle Mortensen were engaged to be married, on March 24, 1961, in the Salt Lake City Temple. Merle was the daughter of Mrs. Hyrum C. Mortensen and the late Mr. Hyrum C. Mortensen. William Knowlton Vaughan was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. William S. Vaughan. William Knowlton Vaughan graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. He also attended Utah State University, and did graduate work at Brigham Young University. Joseph Fielding Smith performed Bill and Merle's wedding, at the Salt Lake City Temple.^[13][14][15]

William Knowlton Vaughan and Merle Mortensen had one child, William Mortensen Vaughan, who was born in Brigham City, Box Elder County, Utah, on October 5, 1962.^[16][3]

William Knowlton Vaughan died August 30, 1966.^[1][2]

William Knowlton Vaughan was buried at the Willard Grove Cemetery, in Channahon, Will County, Illinois.^[1]

DNA

• Paternal relationship is confirmed by a Family Tree DNA Y-DNA test match between me and one of my 3rd cousins. Our Most Recent Common Ancestors appear to be Luther Clay Vaughan and Mary Catharine Swift, the parents of William Swift Vaughan and Rutherford Dewitt Vaughan. My 3rd cousin is the son of Birchard George "Bert" Vaughan, the son of Bert Dewitt Vaughan, the son of Rutherford Dewitt Vaughan. My 3rd cousin and I are an "exact match," based on 67 of 67 markers. Our TiP sheet indicates an 18.5% chance of having an ancestor in common within three generations (as is the case); >50% in eight; >60% in ten; and >75% in fifteen. William Vaughan 01:00, 1 October 2021 (UTC)

Research Notes

My father was nicknamed "Bill." I was nicknamed "Willie." People who knew us, knew this, and avoided confusion by not calling one of us by the other's nickname. I never learned to answer to "Bill." Calling me "Bill" is a dead give-away you don't know me (e.g., you're a salesperson or a substitute teacher) and/or you disrespect me.William Mortensen Vaughan 14:13, 8 March 2019 (UTC)

According to his wife, William Knowlton Vaughan was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II, and given a Commission, because he had already received a college degree. According to the request for his military tombstone, Bill served as a Second Lieutenant with the 49th Armored Infantry, a battalion (later a regiment) subordinate to the 8th Armored Division during World War II. (See "See Also" below.) Also according to the application for his tombstone, Bill was discharged from the U.S. Army on April 21, 1946. He received three Medals: The World War II Victory Medal, The American Campaign Medal, and The European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.^[1][3]

According to the 8th Armored Division Association, the U.S. Army was so desperate to commission Officers during World War II that they probably "fast tracked" Bill into a Commission before he graduated from any college. Tavern-2 18:03, 26 February 2024 (UTC)

"Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1940" indicates that the father of "Wm Knowlton Vaughan" as "Wm R Vaughan." This is an error; anyone who knew the family, knew that William Swift Vaughan was William Knowlton Vaughan's father, and that our middle names were the maiden names of our mothers. This was the case in naming me, my father, and his father.Vaughan-3997 15:18, 15 May 2019 (UTC)

This was apparently not the case with Luther Clay Vaughan, the father of William Swift Vaughan; it remains unclear to me how Luther's first and middle names were selected.Vaughan-3997 15:18, 15 May 2019 (UTC)

My mother]always maintained that my father had a college Degree when he was drafted into the U.S. Army to serve in World War II, and that he was therefore commissioned as a Lieutenant. However, I have no evidence that he graduated from any college other than the University of California at Berkeley, in 1950, years after World War II ended. My mother also maintained that he studied zoology at Utah State University, which is where he discovered Mormonism, because his landlady in Logan, Utah, was a Mormon. This is also indicated by their engagement announcement in the Deseret News; perhaps he received a Degree from Utah State University.Vaughan-3997 02:58, 28 May 2019 (UTC)

William Knowlton Vaughan's FindaGrave Memorial indicates that he was born to "William Swift Vaughan" and "Maud Knowlton Vaughan", in Chicago, Illinois, on June 14, 1921, and that he died on August 30, 1966, and was buried in the Willard Grove Cemetery, in Channahon, Will County, Illinois. I don't remember where the three of us were living when he died, but I remember that it was near the Great Lakes. After his death, my mother and I stayed with his brother and his family, briefly, until my Aunt Sylvie moved us to the Hollywood Apartments in Salt Lake City, Utah, where I turned 5. she later moved us into her previous home, at 1745 Childs Avenue, in Ogden, Utah, where my mother and I lived alone together, until she married Ralph L. Allen, Senior, who moved us into his home, around the corner, at 252 18th Street, after their marriage on October 8, 1976.Vaughan-3997 15:18, 15 May 2019 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 11 March 2019), memorial page for William Knowlton Vaughan (14 Jun 1921–30 Aug 1966), Find A Grave Memorial no. 7392761, citing Willard Grove Cemetery, Channahon, Will County, Illinois, USA ; Maintained by Julia Coffey (contributor 46575077).[1]
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JRKR-JZK : 20 May 2014), William Vaughan, Aug 1966; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).[2]
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} First-hand information as remembered by William Mortensen Vaughan.
4. ↑ "Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7QC-5RJ : 18 May 2016), Wm Knowlton Vaughan, 14 Jun 1921; Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, reference/certificate 25033, Cook County Clerk, Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm 1,379,015.[3]
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSY3-G5H : accessed 11 March 2019), Willian K Vaughn in household of William S Vaughn, Milton, DuPage, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 48, sheet 26B, line 78, family 638, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 511; FHL microfilm 2,340,246.[4]
6. ↑ Boy's Nature Magazine created circa 1930, and mailed to William Mortensen Vaughan by his Uncle Sid, circa 2000. Illustrations, ibidem[5]
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KW45-ZMC : 15 March 2018), William K Vaughan in household of William Vaughan, Glen Ellyn, Milton Township, DuPage, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 22-68, sheet 4A, line 19, family 81, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 798.[6]
8. ↑ History of the 49th Armored Infantry Battalion, 8th Armored Division, After Action Review, April 1945.[7]
9. ↑ 8th Armored Division Association Facebook, Turk Nilesum, Moderator & Group Expert, November 11, 2023.[8]
10. ↑ University of California-Berkeley: The Eighty-Seventh Commencement, 1950, page 67 [9]
11. ↑ The Deseret News, March 6, 1961,ibidem[10]
12. ↑ Academic Freedom from the Inside by William Knowlton Vaughan, The American Mercury, September, 1954, pp. 84-89 [11]
13. ↑ The Deseret News, March 6, 1961,ibidem[12]
14. ↑ The Salt Lake Tribune, March 8, 1961,ibidem[13]
15. ↑ Events Merle Mortensen recounted to William Mortensen Vaughan between 1962 and 1981
16. ↑ Birth Certificate of William Mortensen Vaughan, WikiTree,[14]

See also:

Find A Grave: Memorial #7392761

The Biography of World War II U.S. Army Second Lieutenant William Knowlton Vaughan

The Genealogy of William Mortensen Vaughan