Antique Steamer Trunk

This trunk has a sticker from the Cunard White Star freightlines. The drawers in this trunk are on the left hand side instead of the right like most others.  Could have been customized for the left handed.

 It also has a name tag with the name of "Alvin Mansfield Owsley".  Upon some research I found that Mr. Owsley was Owsley was born and raised in Denton, Texas, son of Alvin Clark and Sallie (Blount) Owsley.

In 1933 Owsley was rewarded for his efforts as a campaign speaker for Franklin D. Roosevelt with an appointment as the U.S. minister to Romania (1933–35). He also served terms as Ambassador to the Irish Free State (1935–1937)and completed his diplomatic work in Denmark (1937–39). Owsley resigned as the Minister to Denmark and Iceland in 1939 with increased international tensions and Roosevelt's announcement for a third term as President.

Today at the University of Texas, there is the Alvin Owsley Jr. Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law dedicated to the memory of Alvin and Lucy Owsley.Alvin Owsley was an active participant in the American Legion from its inception. In 1920 Alvin left his post as an assistant attorney general before the Court of Criminal Appeals in Texas to become assistant director of the American Legion's Americanism Commission.  The very next year Owsley was thrust into the directorship of the commission, due to a debilitating injury suffered by then director Henry Ryan.  Owsley continued and improved the "education for citizenship" program of the commission, joining with the National Education Association in sponsoring American Education Week.  Owsley became the principal speaker for the commission, earning the attention of the populace and the approval of Legion members. In October 1922, Owsley was elected National Commander of the American Legion at the Legion's national convention in New Orleans.  At age 34, he was the youngest commander to date and the first commander from the South.

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