Person Page 101

Robert Singleton Woodson^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17}

Photo - Woodson, Robert Singleton Portrait (MJR Collection)

Facts and Notes

• Religious Affiliation: Presbyterian^7,3
• Birth: 4 December 1894; Laddonia, Audrain County, Missouri, USABGO; In the 1930 census he also indicated that he was born in Missouri, however, in the 1940 census he indicated that he was born in Mississippi.^{1,2,3,4,5,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16}
• Baptism: 1895; Baptized by Reverend France Mitchell during the Spring.³
• Event: 4 June 1900; Fulton, Callaway County, Missouri, USABGO; Age: 5; Relation to Head of House: Grandson; Robert and his family were visiting his grandparents (Roberstson and Anna Woodson) when the census was taken. They had returned to Indiana by 11 Jun and were enumerated there a 2nd time.¹⁸
• Residence: 11 June 1900; Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, USABGO; Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Son¹
• Residence: 1 March 1905; Derby, Sedgwick County, Kansas, USABGO; Age: 10¹⁹
• Residence: 1910; Manning, Clarendon County, South Carolina, USABGO; Age: 15; Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Son⁹
• Education: Between 1912 and 1915; Presbyterian College, Clinton, Laurens County, South Carolina, USABG; Robert was popular at school. He was class president during the 1913-14 school year, was captain of his basketball team in 1913-14 and 1914-15, played on the baseball and football teams, and was a member of many social clubs.⁷
• Residence: Between 1917 and 1918; Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina, USABGO; Age: 23¹⁰
• Description: 5 June 1917; He was of medium height and build, and had blue eyes and dark hair¹⁰
• Residence: Before 29 May 1918; Glade Valley, Alleghany County, North Carolina, USABGO^16,20
• Military: Between 29 May 1918 and 31 December 1954; World War 1, World War 2, Korean War. See person note for details.^{14,16,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33}
• Education: After 18 June 1918; He acquired a bachelor of divinity degrees from the Columbia Theological Seminary, an MA degree from the University of South Carolina, and a doctorate of theology from the Union Theological Seminar of Richmond³⁴
• Ordination: 16 October 1921; East Alabama Presbytery³⁰
• Occupation: Between 1922 and 1923; Andalusia, Covington County, Alabama, USABGO; Began his ministry as pastor of the Andalusia First Presbyterian Church^34,35
• Marriage: 15 June 1922; Janie James McDill; Chester, Chester County, South Carolina, USABGO; The ceremony was performed by Dr. Flaurnay Shepperson at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph W. Wood, on Hemphill Avenue^3,2,36
• Occupation: Between 1923 and 1927; Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Virginia, USABGO; Student pastor at First Church for the University of Virginia students.³⁰
• Residence: 1924; 413 Park Street, Charlottesville, Albemarle, Virginia, USABG; Assistant Pastor Occupation: Assistant Pastor^17,37
• Occupation: Between 1927 and 1936; Starkville, Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, USABGO; Pastor at Mississippi State^34,30
• Residence: 12 April 1930; Starkville, Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, USABGO; Age: 35; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Head⁴
• Occupation: Between 1936 and 1939; Tupelo, Lee County, Mississippi, USABGO; Pastor of the First Church; He oversaw the construction of a sanctuary and educational building at Tupelo to replace buildings destroyed by a tornado.^34,30
• Occupation: Between 1939 and 1940; Hot Springs, Garland County, Arkansas, USABGO; Pastor of the First Church³⁴
• Residence: 1 April 1940; Hot Springs, Garland County, Arkansas, USABGO; Age: 45; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Head¹³
• Occupation: Between 1946 and 1958; Yazoo City, Yazoo County, Mississippi, USABGO; Pastor of the First Church; he was forced to leave by his congregation because of his more liberal views on racism.^34,30,24
• Residence: 1950; Yazoo City, Yazoo County, Mississippi, USABGO; StreetAddress: Main Street; Age: 55; Minister Occupation: Minister; ClassofWorker: Private; EnumerationDistrict: 82-22; HoursWorked: 56; Industry: Prestytician; LiveOnFarm: No; OccupationCategory: Working; ThreeOrMoreAcres: No; Head RelationToHead: Head; Married MaritalStatus: Married¹⁵
• Anecdote: 1954; Washington, District of Columbia, USABGO; In 1954, he was invited by Mississippi Senator John Stennis to give the prayer in the US Senate. Robert joked afterward that he was asked to pray for the Senate, but when he got to the podium and looked that body over, he decided to pray for the country instead!²²
• Residence: Between 1958 and 1974; 3211 Providence Road, Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, USABG⁸
• Occupation: After 1958; Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, USABGO; Associate Pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church^4,8,12,34,30
• Retirement: 4 December 1964; Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina, USABGO³⁰
• Occupation: Between 1967 and 1971; Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, USABGO; He came out of retirement to serve as Associate Pastor at Westminster Church, continuing to serve until his health deteriorated. He retired again as an "Associate Pastor Emeritus" of the church.^30,38
• Death: 17 March 1974; Oteen Veterans Administration Hospital, Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina, USABG. Cause of Death: Malnutrition and cachaxia as a result of chronic brain syndrome and cerebral arteriosclerosis^5,8,11,12,14
• Burial: 21 March 1974; Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USABG^5,8,30

• Note: Military Service (1918-1954)
  
  Robert Singleton Woodson served in the military during three of the United States’ 20th-century wars: World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
  
  In June 1917, he requested an exemption from the World War 1 draft based on his standing as a theological student.[1] However, near the end of the next school year, he decided the time was right to serve his country, enlisting in the U.S. Navy as a Hospital Apprentice 2nd Class on 29 May 1918. He signed up “for the duration of the war” and was paid $19 a month, plus an extra $1.90 bonus (10%) for a total pay of $20.90 monthly. [2]
  
  The Navy sent him to the “Receiving Ship” at Camp St. Helena in Norfolk, Virginia, where he remained until 8 June, when he was transferred to the Hospital Corps School at the Naval Operating Base in Hampton Roads for his basic training. After he completed his training on 10 August, the Navy sent him to Fort Crockett in Galveston, Texas, where he arrived four days later and was assigned to the Hospital Detachment of the U.S. Marine Corps’ 8th Regiment. [2]
  
  Despite being in the Navy, he was issued a Marine Corps uniform, which he donned for a group photo in front of the 8th Regiment’s Sick Bay sometime in 1918 or 1919. [3] He played on the Regiment’s football team in 1918 and posed with his USMC teammates, one of whom proudly held a football marked with a score of one of their victories. [4] His superiors thought well of him and promoted him to Hospital Assistant 1st Class on 30 September 1918. [2]
  
  World War 1 officially came to an end on 11 November 1918. So, on 15 November 1918, Robert formally requested a discharge from the Navy to continue his studies at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Columbia, SC. The 8th Regiment’s surgeon’s office approved his request the next day, citing as justification a newspaper article in which the Navy secretary was quoted as saying college men who left their courses to enlist could be discharged on official request. His regimental and brigade commanders endorsed and approved Robert’s request, but the Navy Department’s Bureau of Navigation denied the request. [2]
  
  Consequently, Robert continued to serve in the 8th Regiment Hospital Detachment, even performing as a dentist for two months. His superiors also continued to be impressed with his work, and on 29 January 1919, they promoted him to Pharmacist’s Mate 3rd Class. [2]
  
  He served with the 8th USMC Regiment for another four months until 4 April 1919, when the Navy transferred him to the “Receiving Ship” in New Orleans and then, on 16 April, to the New Orleans Naval Hospital, where he served until his enlistment ended on 18 June. He was discharged from New Orleans rather than Norfolk because it was closer to Columbus, GA, where his parents now resided. [2]
  
  Later in life, he quipped about his year with the Navy, saying, “They won without me. I didn’t have a single day of sea duty.” [5]
  
  He resumed military service in 1927 when he joined the US Army Reserves chaplain corps as a commissioned officer. He was presumably commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant but, by 13 May 1935, was a captain and Department Chaplain for the Mississippi Military District, US Army Reserves. [6, 7]
  
  He was a major in December 1940 when he was placed on active duty and ordered to report to Fort Bliss, Texas, during the lead-up to World War 2. [8, 9] It’s unclear if he was stationed at Fort Bliss for any time, but by 1941, the Army had transferred him to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he became the post chaplain. He was designated the camp chaplain at Camp Robinson, Arkansas, in 1943. [6, 10] In 1944, while he was still at Camp Robinson, he was elected Moderator of the Synod of Arkansas. [11] He also wrote the devotional booklets “Spiritual K Rations” and “Spiritual Service Record,” of which more than 240,000 were distributed among service personnel. [6, 12]
  
  He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1944* and sent to France in 1945, where he served as the senior chaplain at the 239th General Hospital. [6, 10] In that role, he ministered to thousands of soldiers after the Battle of the Bulge and conducted almost 1,000 graveside services. [10] He also presided over weddings of service members, including one in which General Omar Bradley stood in for the father of his aide’s French bride, walking her down the aisle and to the altar, where Robert Woodson performed the marriage ceremony. [13] He served in Europe for most of 1945 before the Army discharged from active duty on 9 January 1946. [14]
  
  He was again recalled to active duty for the Korean War from 4 May 1951 until 17 April 1953. [14] Unfortunately, details of his service during this interval are unknown, but he likely served stateside since he didn’t mention this service in his retirement interviews. He officially retired from the Army on 31 December 1954. [10, 15]
  
  * This is deduced because he was a major when “Spiritual K Rations” was published in 1944 and was a Lieutenant Colonel in France.
  
  SOURCES:
  [1] World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918.
  [2] Official Records, Personnel File for Robert Singleton Woodson.
  [3] Group photo of Robert Singleton Woodson in front of the 8th USMC Regiment Medical Detachment sick bay building.
  [4] Group photo of Robert Singleton Woodson with the USMC football team.
  [5] Newspaper article, “Woodson Will Retire As Pastor,” 3 August 1964.
  [6] Biographical Sketch, 205th Rotary District.
  [7] Official Correspondence, Reserve Officer's Association of the United States, 13 May 1935.
  [8] Newspaper article, “Army Orders,” 3 December 1940.
  [9] Newspaper article, “Army Orders,” 6 December 1940.
  [10] Newspaper article, “Memorial to Robert Singleton Woodson,” June 1974.
  [11] Newspaper article, “To Preach Here,” 1 October 1948.
  [12] Spiritual K Rations Meditation Unit.
  [13] Woodson Family Reunion.
  [14] Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010.
  [15] Registers of officers who served in the U.S. Army, 1798-1969.
  

• Related Pages: Ancestors of Marianna Woodson; Arlington National Cemetery List of People; Descendants of John Woodson (#1); Descendants of John Woodson (#2); Veterans (#1); Veterans (#2); Veterans (#3)

Citations

1. [S407] Ancestry.com, 1900 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1464186:7602, Year: 1900; Census Place: Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana; Roll: 391; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 0184; FHL microfilm: 1240391
2. [S435] Woodson, Robert S., Family Record, Woodson, Robert S.. Family Record. about 1928. Privately held by Mary Jane Reyes, Lorton, Virginia. 2014.
3. [S436] Woodson, Robert S., Brief Family History of Robert S. Woodson, Woodson, Robert S.. Brief Family History of Robert S. Woodson. Privately held by Mary Jane Reyes, Lorton, Virginia, 2014., NOTE: Robert Woodson states that Middleton Singleton attended Missouri State University in 1847. However, he probably meant the University of Missouri, which was established at Columbia in Boone County in 1839; Missouri State wasn't established until 1905.
4. [S447] Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1930usfedcen&h=37488504&indiv=try, Year: 1930; Census Place: Starkville, Oktibbeha, Mississippi; Roll: 1158; Page: 16A; Enumeration District: 0002; Image: 205.0; FHL microfilm: 2340893, Record for Robert S Woodson
5. [S403] Ancestry.com, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=FindAGraveUS&h=31545209&indiv=try, Record for Robert Singleton Woodson
6. [S454] Woodson, Henry Morton, Historical Genealogy of the Woodsons and Their Connections, Woodson, Henry Morton. Historical Genealogy of the Woodsons and Their Connections. Memphis, Tennessee: H.M. Woodson, 1915.
   
   A copy of this book is available on Ancestry.com (see http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=15304), openlibrary.org (see https://openlibrary.org/books/OL1758627M/Historical_genealogy_of_the_Woodsons_and_their_connections), and Google Books (see http://books.google.com/books/about/Historical_genealogy_of_the_Woodsons_and.html?id=GuhfAAAAMAAJ)., Page 604
7. [S562] Ancestry.com, U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=YearbooksIndex&h=159907476&indiv=try, Record for Robert Singleton Woodson
8. [S668] Ancestry.com, North Carolina, Death Certificates, 1909-1976, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=NCdeathCerts&h=2035744&indiv=try, Record for Robert Singleton Woodson
9. [S393] Ancestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1910USCenIndex&h=182280339&indiv=try, Year: 1910; Census Place: Manning, Clarendon, South Carolina; Roll: T624_1456; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 0095; FHL microfilm: 1375469, Record for Albert R Woodson
10. [S392] Ancestry.com, U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=WW1draft&h=16504679&indiv=try, Registration State: North Carolina; Registration County: Anson; Roll: 1765559, Record for Robt S Woodson
11. [S404] Ancestry.com, U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=ssdi&h=68792314&indiv=try, Number: 425-70-6498; Issue State: Mississippi; Issue Date: 1954, Record for Robert Woodson
12. [S545] Ancestry.com, North Carolina, Death Indexes, 1908-2004, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=NCdeaths&h=4669058&indiv=try, Record for Robert Woodson
13. [S373] Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1940usfedcen&h=105305651&indiv=try, Year: 1940; Census Place: Hot Springs, Garland, Arkansas; Roll: T627_137; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 26-28, Record for Robb S Woodson
14. [S563] Ancestry.com, U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=VADeaths&h=5667871&indiv=try, Record for Robert Woodson
15. [S815] Ancestry.com, 1950 United States Federal Census, https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=62308&h=47710432&indiv=try, United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Yazoo, Yazoo, Mississippi; Roll: 2237; Sheet Number: 1; Enumeration District: 82-22, Record for Robert S Woodson
16. [S819] Ancestry.com, North Carolina, World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919, https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=61958&h=92485&indiv=try, Record for Robert Singleton Woodson
17. [S661] Ancestry.com, U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995, https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=2469&h=689872939&indiv=try, Record for Rev Robert S Woodson
18. [S407] Ancestry.com, 1900 United States Federal Census, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1900usfedcen&h=29029660&indiv=try, Year: 1900; Census Place: Fulton, Callaway, Missouri; Roll: 844; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0027; FHL microfilm: 1240844, Record for Robert Woodson
19. [S669] Ancestry.com, Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=KSstatecen&h=7084562&indiv=try, Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, Kansas; 1905 Kansas Territory Census; Roll: ks1905_144; Line: 31, Record for A.R. Woodson
20. [S771] Official Records, Woodson, Robert Singleton. Military Service Record [US Navy Personnel File]. National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO., Robert Reyes possesses a digitized copy of this file.
21. [S36] Newspaper article, The Camden News (Camden, Arkansas), pg 1, “To Preach Here,” 1 October 1948.
22. [S36] Newspaper article, The source of this article is unknown. Although the first two paragraphs are similar to an article published on pg 4 of the Charlotte News on 3 Aug 1964, the remaining content in this article is original. A copy of this article is attached, but it has been clipped from the original source without any notations except for the date., ** Clipping from unknown newspaper (Charlotte, North Carolina), "Woodson Will Retire As Pastor," 3 August 1964., Digital copy in possession of Robert Reyes.
23. [S851] Chaplain Robert S. Woodson, Major, US Army, Spiritual K Rations Meditation Unit
24. [S839] Personal Communication, Woodson Family Reunion (Yorktown, Virginia; 2023), Ancestral stories, family history, and first-hand accounts provided by the participants.
25. [S852] Photograph, Woodson, Robert Singleton. Fort Crockett, Galveston, Texas, 1918 or 1919. Group photo of the 8th USMC Regiment Medical Detachment in front of the sick bay building. Woodson Family Collection.
26. [S852] Photograph, Woodson, Robert Singleton. Fort Crockett, Galveston, Texas, 1918. USMC Football Team Group Photo. Courtesy of Brent Dorsey.
27. [S842] Biographical Sketch, 205th Rotary District, Rotary International, Sketch for Robert Singleton Woodson., Digital copy in the files belonging to Robert Reyes.
28. [S36] Newspaper article, El Paso Herald-Post (El Paso, Texas), "Army Orders," 6 December 1940, Newspapers.com; accessed 2 Nov 2016
29. [S36] Newspaper article, https://www.newspapers.com/image/115393188/?terms=%22robert%2Bsingleton%2Bwoodson%22#, The Anniston Star (Anniston, Alabama), “Army Orders,” 3 December 1940, Newspapers.com; accessed 2 Nov 2016.
30. [S36] Newspaper article, The Mecklenburg Presbyterian (Charlotte, North Carolina), pg 4, "Memorial to Robert Singleton Woodson," June 1974., A digital copy of the article is available from Robert Reyes.
31. [S640] Woodson, Robert S, Protestant Services (Order of Worship), Woodson, Robert S, Chief of Chaplain's Section. Protestant Services (Order of Worship). Leaflet. Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas., Sunday, 20 Aug 1944
32. [S781] Fold3 by Ancestry, https://www.fold3.com/image/312847578, Registers of officers who served in the U.S. Army, 1798-1969 (scattered dates), Vols 2 & 3 (1959), pg 592., Record for Robert Singleton Woodson
33. [S765] Official Correspondence, Reserve Officer's Association of the United States, 2LT BD Hardy Jr. to Cpt Robert S. Woodson, 13 May 1935.
34. [S639] Hammet, Editor, Ben Hay, "Woodson Brothers: Careers of Service", Hammet, Editor, Ben Hay. "Woodson Brothers: Careers of Service: PC Profiles". Presbyterian College Magazine. Volume 14, Number 2, pgs 14-15 (Spring, 1961). Online archives. Archive.org. http://www.archive.org/details/presbyteriancoll142pres : 9 Nov 2016., The subjects of the article are Robert Singleton Woodson and Marshall Scott Woodson
35. [S36] Newspaper article, The Mecklenburg Presbyterian (Charlotte, North Carolina), "Memorial to Robert Singleton Woodson," June 1974., A digital copy of the article is available from Robert Reyes.
36. [S636] The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, North Carolina (print edition), https://www.newspapers.com/image/76354781/?terms=robert%2Bsingleton%2Bwoodson, McDill Woodson Marriage; Article published in the Sunday, 18 June 1922 edition; Online version accessed 2 Nov 2016
37. [S771] Official Records, Woodson, Robert Singleton. Military Service Record [US Navy Personnel File], "Application for Service Credit." National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO., Robert Reyes possesses a digitized copy of this file; this document is on pg 12 of the pdf.
38. [S36] Newspaper article, Clipping from unknown newspaper (Charlotte, North Carolina), "Dr. Woodson is Dead at Age 79), March 1974., Digital copy of the article is in possession fo Robert Reyes.