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Finding Aid for the Richard Beale Davis Papers


MS-1162

University of Tennessee Special Collections Library, Knoxville, TN


Encoded by: Will Dewey, August 24, 2006

Summary Information
Title: Richard Beale Davis Papers

Extent: 31.5 linear feet

Abstract:
This collection consists of: correspondence between Dr. Davis and international colleagues, family, etc.; papers relating to the publication of his books and articles; reprints and reviews of his works and the works of other writers; as well as notebooks and journals, some describing his experiences in Norway and India. The papers date as early as 1906, a year before Dr. Davis's birth (with his parents' correspondence), and end in late 1980, a few months before his death.

Call number: MS-1162

Repository: University of Tennessee Special Collections Library, Knoxville, TN

Access and Use
Aquisition Information:
Collection is property of Special Collections
Access Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Copyright:
The copyright interests in this collection remain with the creator. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library.
Preferred Citation:
[Identification of Item], Richard Beale Davis Papers, MS-1162. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Special Collections Library.

Arrangement

Collection consists of 19 series:

  1. Series I: American Literature (newletters, etc.)
  2. Series II: Awards
  3. Series III: Bibliographies
  4. Series IV: Conferences, meetings, travels
  5. Series V: Correspondence, general
  6. Series VI: Specific Correspondence
  7. Series VII:Lectures
  8. Series VIII:Letters of Recommendation
  9. Series IX:Libraries
  10. Series X: Notebooks and Index Cards
  11. Series XI: Offprints
  12. Series XII:Phi Beta Kappa
  13. Series XIII:Publications and Correspondence of Former Students
  14. Series XIV:Publishing Material
  15. Series XV:Randolph-Macon College Bulletins
  16. Series XVI:Reprints
  17. Series XVII:Reviews, Articles, and Clippings.
  18. Series XVIII:Southern Literature
  19. Series XIX:Writers, etc.

Biography / History

The Colonial South was of great interest to Richard Beale Davis, whose distinguished career represents an intensive investigation of Early American culture expressed through the writings of James Fenimore Cooper, Francis Walker Gilmer, Thomas Jefferson and many others. Dr. Davis was a member of the Department of English Faculty at the University of Tennessee from 1947 until his retirement in 1977. Among the numerous honors Dr. Davis received during his career was the National Book Award for his last major work, Intellectual Life in the Colonial South , 1585-1763.


Collection Scope and Content Note

This collection consists of: correspondence between Dr. Davis and international colleagues, family, etc.; papers relating to the publication of his books and articles; reprints and reviews of his works and the works of other writers; as well as notebooks and journals, some describing his experiences in Norway and India. The papers date as early as 1906, a year before Dr. Davis's birth (with his parents' correspondence), and end in late 1980, a few months before his death.

In addition to the boxed material, there are two Davis scrapbooks: 1) Davis's books and publications 2) Davis's retirement 3) Davis general papers

Subject Terms

  • Davis, Richard Beale, 1907-1980
Contents List
   

Series I: American Literature (newsletters, etc.)
Box   1     Folder   1    
American Antiquarian Society
Box   1     Folder   2    
American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)-Grant
Box   1     Folder   3    
American Literary Scholarship
Box   1     Folder   4    
American Literature-Colonial Group correspondence
Box   1     Folder   5    
American Literature-correspondence, etc.
Box   1     Folder   6    
American Literature-Editorial Board
Box   1     Folder   7    
American Literature Group-MLA Advisory Council
Box   1     Folder   8    
"American Literature in the World Today"

Box   1     Folder   9    
American Philosophical Society
Box   1     Folder   10    
American Quarterly Award Committee
Box   1     Folder   11    
American Studies Association
Box   1     Folder   12    
American Studies in Norway Since 1945
Box   1     Folder   13    
American Studies in Transition
Box   1     Folder   14    
American Studies News
Box   1     Folder   15    
Americana-scientific, etc.
Box   1     Folder   16    
Articles: "The American Dream" ; etc.
Box   1     Folder   17    
Ashantilly Press
Box   1     Folder   18    
Early American Literature-Manual for Editing (1969-70)
Box   1     Folder   19    
Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore
Box   1     Folder   20    
Folk and Historical Themes and Materials in Formal Writing

Box   1     Folder   21    
Hawthorne Society Newsletter
Box   1     Folder   22    
Modern Humanities Research Association (MHRA)
Box   1     Folder   23    
PMLA-American Literature (1974-81)
Box   1     Folder   24    
Poe Studies Association Newsletter
Box   1     Folder   25    
The Valley of Virginia in Early American Literature

Box   1     Folder   26    
Miscellaneous American Studies Publications
   

Series II: Awards
Box   2     Folder   1    
Awards, Honors, etc.
Box   2     Folder   2    
Chancellor's Research Scholarship
Box   2     Folder   3    
Cosmos Club
Box   2     Folder   4    
National Book Awards (1979)
Box   2     Folder   5    
National Endowment for the Humanities
Box   2     Folder   6    
National Humanities Center
   

Series III: Bibliographies
Box   2     Folder   7    
Bibliographic Society of America
Box   2     Folder   8    
Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia
Box   2     Folder   9    
Bibliography-American Literature through Bryant, 1585-1830
Box   2     Folder   10    
Bibliography-Goldentree
Box   2     Folder   11    
Bibliography-Richard Beale Davis
Box   2     Folder   12    
Botetourt Bibliographical Society
Box   2     Folder   13    
Miscellaneous Bibliographies
   

Series IV: Conferences, meetings, travel
Box   3     Folder   1    
Clippings (India) (1957)
Box   3     Folder   2    
College of William and Mary-Consultan'ts Report (for April 26-28, 1977 visit)
Box   3     Folder   3    
Conference Papers-Fulbright Exchange Program
Box   3     Folder   4    
English Institute
Box   3     Folder   5    
Inaugurations of College President
Box   3     Folder   6    
International Association of University Professors of English
Box   3     Folder   7    
Jamestown (1957)
Box   3     Folder   8    
Madison College-Founder's Day
Box   3     Folder   9    
Norway Trip-papers, and two bound journals (1954)
Box   3     Folder   10    
Reynolds Conference
Box   3     Folder   11    
Southern Humanities Conference
Box   3     Folder   12    
Speech materials-schedules, etc. (India, 1957)
Box   3     Folder   13    
Travel-University of Tennessee
Box   3     Folder   14    
Travel items-vouchers, receipts, etc.(India, 1957)
Box   3     Folder   15    
Travel Journal (India, 1957)
Box   3     Folder   16    
University of South Carolina English Department Evaluation (1964)
Box   3     Folder   17    
Miscellaneous conference material
   

Series V:Correspondence, general
Box   4     Folder   1    
1906-1938 (letter box #1)
Box   4     Folder   2    
1946-1950 (letter box #2)
Box   4     Folder   3    
1950-1952 (letter box #3)
Box   5     Folder   1    
1953-1954 (letter box #1)
Box   5     Folder   2    
1955-1957 (letter box #2)
Box   5     Folder   3    
1958 (letter box #3)
Box   6     Folder   1    
1959-1960 (letter box #1)
Box   6     Folder   2    
1960-1961 (letter box #3)
Box   6     Folder   3    
1962-1963 (letter box #3)
Box   7     Folder   1    
1964-1965 (letter box #1)
Box   7     Folder   2    
1965-1966 (letter box #2)
Box   7     Folder   3    
1967 (letter box #3)
Box   7     Folder   4    
1968 (folder #1)
Box   7     Folder   5    
1969 (folder #2)
Box   8     Folder   1    
1970
Box   8     Folder   2    
1971
Box   8     Folder   3    
1972
Box   8     Folder   4    
1973
Box   8     Folder   5    
1974
Box   8     Folder   6    
1975
Box   8     Folder   7    
1976
Box   8     Folder   8    
1977
Box   9     Folder   1    
1978
Box   9     Folder   2    
1979
Box   9     Folder   3    
1980
   

Series VI:Specific Correspondence
Box   9     Folder   4    
Specific correspondence: Bower, Fredson (Sandy's Project)
Box   9     Folder   5    
Specific correspondence: Colonial Southern Bookshelf (1979)
Box   9     Folder   6    
Specific correspondence: Correa
Box   9     Folder   7    
Specific correspondence: Hubbell, Jay B. Sr.
Box   9     Folder   8    
Specific correspondence: Lectureship in India (1957-58)
Box   9     Folder   9    
Specific correspondence: Mooney, Stephen
Box   9     Folder   10    
Specific correspondence: Old Authors Farm
Box   9     Folder   11    
Specific correspondence: Southern Anthology
Box   9     Folder   12    
Specific correspondence: Virginia Historical Society-Annual Address (1970)
   

Series VII:Lectures
Box   10     Folder   1    
Copies of lectures given in India (1957)
Box   10     Folder   2    
Lamar Lectures
Box   10     Folder   3    
Lectures-religion, politics, etc.
Box   10     Folder   4    
Longest Lecture Series-the University of Mississippi (1980)
Box   10     Folder   5    
Phi Kappa Phi lecture
Box   10     Folder   6    
Smidt Lectures (1961)
Box   10     Folder   7    
Speeches-unpublished
Box   10     Folder   8    
Wittenberg Lectures
   

Series VIII:Letters of Recommendation
Box   10     Folder   9    
Letters of Recommendation
   

Series IX:Libraries
Box   10     Folder   10    
Folger Library Reports
Box   10     Folder   11    
Research in southern libraries
Box   10     Folder   12    
Salley Library
Box   10     Folder   13    
Southeastern Library Association (1980)
Box   10     Folder   14    
University of Virginia Library-Monthly News Notes
Box   10     Folder   15    
Virginia Librarian
   

Series X:Notebooks and Index Cards
Box   11     Folder   1    
Notebooks, index cards while at the University of Tennessee 12 notebooks, ca. 4 inches of index cards
Box   12     Folder   1    
Notebooks while at the University of Virginia 20 notebooks total (3 spiral, 1 boxed, 16 bound)
   

Series XI:Offprints
Box   13     Folder   1    
Offprints, American Literature (in a letter box)
Box   14     Folder   1    
Offprints, English and general (in a letter box)
   

Series XII: Phi Beta Kappa
Box   15     Folder   1    
Phi Beta Kappa material
Box   15     Folder   2    
Phi Beta Kappa newsletter-The Key Reporter
   

Series XIII: Publications and Correspondence of Former Students
Box   15     Folder   3    
Publications of former students
Box   15     Folder   4    
Correspondence of former students #1
Box   15     Folder   5    
Correspondence of former students #2
   

Series XIV: Publishing Material
Box   15     Folder   6    
American Literature Through Bryant, 1585-1830
Box   15     Folder   7    
Binding-Southern Library Binder
Box   15     Folder   8    
A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland legislature, 1635-1789
Box   15     Folder   9    
Book orders-White House, etc.
Box   15     Folder   10    
Books, book collecting
Box   15     Folder   11    
Centers For Scholarly Editions, American Authors, etc.
Box   15     Folder   12    
A Colonial Southern Bookshelf-original
Box   16     Folder   1    
A Colonial Southern Bookshelf-xerox copy
Box   16     Folder   2    
Institute of Early American History and Culture
Box   16     Folder   3    
Intellectual Life in Jefferson's Virginia
Box   16     Folder   4    
Intellectual Life in the Colonial South. 1585-1763- illustrations, correspondence #1
Box   16     Folder   5    
Intellectual Life in the Colonial South. 1585-1763- illustrations, correspondence #2
Box   16     Folder   6    
Intellectual Life in the Colonial South. 1585-1763- illustrations, correspondence #3
Box   16     Folder   7    
McGraw-Hill
Box   16     Folder   8    
Modern Language Association of America-copyright committee
Box   16     Folder   9    
Modern Language Association of America-Educational Resources Information Center
Box   16     Folder   10    
Southern Literature Anthology-Odyssey Press
Box   16     Folder   11    
Unpublished manuscripts
Box   16     Folder   12    
Virginia Magazine of History and Biography-75th Anniversary Essay
Box   16     Folder   13    
The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish-notes, correspondence
Box   16     Folder   14    
Miscellaneous Tennesse Publications
   

Series XV:Randolph-Macon College Bulletins
Box   17     Folder   1    
Randolph Macon College bulletins #1
Box   17     Folder   2    
Randolph Macon College bulletins #2
   

Series XVI: Reprints
Box   17     Folder   3    
Reprints: A
Box   17     Folder   4    
Reprints: B-C
Box   17     Folder   5    
Reprints: D-F
Box   17     Folder   6    
Reprints: G
Box   17     Folder   7    
Reprints: H
Box   17     Folder   8    
Reprints: I
Box   17     Folder   9    
Reprints: J
Box   17     Folder   10    
Reprints: K
Box   17     Folder   11    
Reprints: L
Box   17     Folder   12    
Reprints: M
Box   17     Folder   13    
Reprints: N
Box   17     Folder   14    
Reprints: O-P
Box   17     Folder   15    
Reprints: Q-R
Box   17     Folder   16    
Reprints: S
Box   17     Folder   17    
Reprints: T-U
Box   17     Folder   18    
Reprints:V
Box   17     Folder   19    
Reprints: W-Z
   

Series XVII:Reviews, Articles, and Clippings.
Box   18     Folder   1    
Articles-Fulbright
Box   18     Folder   2    
Articles-neglected materials
Box   18     Folder   3    
Articles from The Phillipian
Box   18     Folder   4    
Clippings-historical
Box   18     Folder   5    
Clippings-literary, etc.
Box   18     Folder   6    
Clippings-personal
Box   18     Folder   7    
Field Reading-Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
Box   18     Folder   8    
Review and articles by R.B. Davis #1
Box   18     Folder   9    
Reviews and articles by R.B. Davis #2
Box   18     Folder   10    
Reviews and articles by R.B. Davis #3
Box   18     Folder   11    
Reviews of Correa
Box   18     Folder   12    
Reviews of R.B. Davis's work
Box   18     Folder   13    
William and Mary Quarterly-book reviews (April, 1977)
   

Series XVIII: Southern Literature
Box   19     Folder   1    
The Ball Papers-South Carolina Historical Magazine (1964)
Box   19     Folder   2    
Ellen Glasgow Society newsletter
Box   19     Folder   3    
"A Fitting Representation"

Box   19     Folder   4    
Institute of Early American History and Culture #1
Box   19     Folder   5    
Institute of Early American History and Culture #2
Box   19     Folder   6    
Institute of Early American History and Culture- newsletters
Box   19     Folder   7    
"Intellectual Golden Age in the Colonial Chesapeake Bay Country"

Box   19     Folder   8    
SAMLA-Executive Committee
Box   19     Folder   9    
Seventeenth century Virginia - Captain John Smith
Box   19     Folder   10    
Society for Southern Literature-newsletter (1968-1980)
Box   19     Folder   11    
South Caroliniana Society-correspondence
Box   19     Folder   12    
South Caroliniana Society-newsletter (1952-1980)
Box   19     Folder   13    
Southern literature discussion group
Box   19     Folder   14    
The Sut Society
Box   19     Folder   15    
Tennessee Poetry Journal (1967)
Box   19     Folder   16    
Tennessee Studies in Literature (1956-1971)
Box   19     Folder   17    
"Three Poems from Colonial North Carolina" (1968-69)
Box   19     Folder   18    
University of Mississippi-Center for the Study of Southern Culture
Box   19     Folder   19    
University of Virginia Newsletter
Box   19     Folder   20    
"The Valley of Virginia in Early American Literature"

Box   19     Folder   21    
Virginia: 17th and 18th century literature
Box   19     Folder   22    
Virginia Colony
   

Series XIX: Writers, etc.
Box   20     Folder   1    
Alexander, Anne Tuke
Box   20     Folder   2    
Blackamore, Arthur
Box   20     Folder   3    
Bludder, Sir Thomas
Box   20     Folder   4    
Byrd, William
Box   20     Folder   5    
Channing, Edward T.
Box   20     Folder   6    
Chivers, Thomas H.
Box   20     Folder   7    
Conway, Moncure D.
Box   20     Folder   8    
Cooper, James Fenimore
Box   20     Folder   9    
Correspondence between Thomas Jefferson and F.W. Gilmer
Box   20     Folder   10    
Correspondence between Hugh Legare' and F.W. Gilmer
Box   20     Folder   11    
Davies, Samuel-Collected Poems
Box   20     Folder   12    
Dinwiddianae (The Virginia Satirist)
Box   20     Folder   13    
Fitzhugh, William #1
Box   20     Folder   14    
Fitzhugh, William #2
Box   20     Folder   15    
Foster, Augustus
Box   20     Folder   16    
Freneau, Peter
Box   20     Folder   17    
George Sandys Project-working papers
Box   20     Folder   18    
Gilmer, Francis Walker
Box   20     Folder   19    
Hawthorne, Julian
Box   20     Folder   20    
Hayne, Paul H.; Porcher, Francis P.
Box   20     Folder   21    
Irving, Washington
Box   21     Folder   1    
Jefferson, Thomas
Box   22     Folder   2    
Knapp, Samuel L.
Box   22     Folder   3    
Manford, William
Box   22     Folder   4    
Ogilvie, James
Box   22     Folder   5    
Poe, Edgar Allan; Wirt, William
Box   22     Folder   6    
Reid, James
Box   22     Folder   7    
Simms, William Gilmore
Box   22     Folder   8    
Southern Writing-working papers #1
Box   22     Folder   9    
Southern Writing-working papers #2
Box   22     Folder   10    
Southern Writing-working papers #3
Box   22     Folder   11    
Southern Writing-working papers #4
Box   22     Folder   12    
Southern Writing-working papers #5
Box   22     Folder   13    
Wirt, William
Box   22     Folder   14    
Miscellaneous items, photographs
Box   22     Folder   15    
Miscellaneous items, #2 (Read Works)