Harry Thomas Adkins Sr.

  General Notes:

The WWI Draft Registration Card for Harry Thomas Adkins dated September 7, 1918 lists his date of birth as May 17, 1900. He is living with his father, W. T. Adkins 485 West Main Street in Danville, VA. and is a Student at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, VA. His physical description is medium height and build with brown eyes and brown hair.

V.M.I. Archives On Line Rosters Database
Harry Thomas Adkins
V.M.I. Class of 1921
Matriculated: September 1, 1917
Dropped: September 1919

According to articles written in the Bee (Danville, VA), Harry & Elise were living in Richmond, VA in the early 1920s. In 1924 Harry & Elise moved to Danville where Harry was appointed an agent of Union Central Life Insurance Company. In May 1924 Harry signed up for the intial formation of Coast Artillery Company of the Danville Grays and left for a four day camp of instruction at Fort Monroe. Upon his return he was nominated to be a Captain in the Danville Grays. On July 30, 1924 Capt Harry T. Adkins left for two weeks of training at Fortress Monroe. John R. [Harry's brother, Reginald] Adkins was a Sergeant in that group.
Historical Note: the original Danville Grays were formed early in the Civil War and were Company B of the 18th Virginia Infantry, of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.


Harry was a Lt. Col. U. S. Army in WWII. The U.S. Military Records for the National Guard (1925-1930) record Harry as a Captain in the 246 Coast Artillery (H D), Battery B in Danville, VA.

The 1930 Federal Census Danville, Ward 4, Pittsylvania Co., Virginia, District 10, page 208B, dated April 3, 1930 records Harry T. (29 - VA/VA/VA) and Elise D. (32 - VA/VA/Ohio) and children Harry T. Jr (4 11/12 - VA) and Julian (2 7/12 - VA) living at 383 Watson Street. Harry and Elise have been married for 7 years.

The 1940 Federal Census Danville, Ward 8, Pittsylvania Co., Virginia, District 106-24, page 382A, dated April 22, 1940 records Harry T. (40 - VA) and Elise (42 - VA) and children Harry T. Jr (14 - VA) and Julian (12 - VA) living at 215 Watson Street. Harry has complted 4 years of college and is working as Superentendent of Continental Life Insurance Company earning $2,000 while working 50 weeks during the last year. Elise has completed 1 year of college. They are renting their home at $40 / month. They indicate that the whole family was living in Suffolk, Nansemond Co., VA as of April 1, 1935.


Obituary for Harry T. Adkins in The Danville Register, June 6, 1976
H. T. Adkins Dies At 76
Harry Thomas Adkins, a retired U. S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, of Ringgold, Rt. 1, died yesterday in Veterans Hospital, Durham, NC.
A native of Danville, he was born May 5, 1900 to the late William Thomas Adkins and Lula Belcher Adkins. He was married to the former Elouise (sic) Dodson.
Adkins was educated in the Danville Public Schools and attended V. M. I. Before WWII he was active with the National Guard's 246th Coastal Artillery Unit of Danville. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1944.
A 50-year Mason, he also belonged to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Department of the Army Veterans, and Mount Vernon Methodist Church.
He is survived by his widow and two sons, Harry T. Adkins, Atlanta, Georgia, and Julian D. Adkins, Richmond, two sisters, Mrs. Doris A. Pritchard and Mrs. Dorothy A. Young, both of Richmond; five brothers, A. Howard Adkins, William T. Adkins, both of Arlington, J. Reginald Adkins, Reed Springs, Mo., B. Hughes Adkins, Richmond, and Berkley G. Adkins, Danville.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Election, Virginia Military Institue.

Harry married Lucy Elise Dodson, daughter of Henry Joel Dodson and Lucy Mary Stutz, circa 1923. (Lucy Elise Dodson was born on 18 Jul 1897 in Ringgold, Pittsylvania Co., VA, died on 29 Nov 1981 in Danville, VA and was buried in Green Hill Cemetery, 700 Block Lee St., Danville, VA..) The cause of her death was Pulmonary Embolism.