The late Charles White Whittlesey, Class of 1905, had a presence in the March 2025 opening of the new National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas: The museum borrowed several items from the Williams College Archives that had belonged to Whittlesey, including parts of his uniform, a World War I victory medal and a medal of honor. “It is rare to have a medal of honor on public display or in a museum collection,” says Williams’ Head of Special Collections Lisa Conathan. “Most are kept in families.”

After his graduation, Whittlesey became a lawyer, practicing in New York City until he entered the U.S. Army as a major in 1917. The following year, he was among 463 soldiers who held off a German attack for five days without adequate food or ammunition. Offered a chance to surrender, Whittlesey refused. When they were rescued, the “Lost Battalion” had dwindled to 194 men. For his bravery, Whittlesey received the Congressional Medal of Honor in December 1918.

As a nationally recognized war hero, Whittlesey did not relish the attention he received. When called upon to speak at military occasions, he was known to praise the enlisted men he served with and give little detail about his experience. Yet he continued to be a leader. In addition to returning to his law practice, Whittlesey was promoted to colonel in the Organized Reserves. He also served as a pall bearer in ceremonies honoring the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery and led the Williamstown parade in 1920 to dedicate Thompson Memorial Chapel.

In 1921, Whittlesey took a steamship from New York to Havana, Cuba. On the second night of his trip, he suddenly jumped overboard. Letters to friends and family found among his possessions suggested no reason for his apparent suicide, but it has since been largely acknowledged that the trauma of war had an effect on his mental state—in an era when post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans was not widely recognized.

Read more about the papers and artifacts donated to Williams and about Whittlesey’s legacy at Special Collections.

Top photograph courtesy of Williams College Special Collections

Bottom photographs courtesy of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation

Regina Velázquez is an associate editor and senior writer in the Office of Communications.