Contents
Collection Overview
Biographical Note
Scope and Contents of the Collection
Organization of the Collection
Search Terms
Series 1: CORRESPONDENCE,
1909-1950
Series 2: MISCELLANEOUS,
n.d.
Series 3: Typescript of The Memory of Certain Persons,ca. 1946-1947
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John Erskine Papers, 1909-1950
Finding Aid
Finding aid prepared by Sarang Gopalakrishnan, Peter Nelson.
Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
© 2003
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Creator:
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Erskine, John, 1879-1951 |
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Title:
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Erskine Papers |
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Dates:
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1909-1950 |
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Abstract:
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Educator, writer, musician. Papers include correspondence and a corrected typescript of Erskine's book The Memory of Certain Persons.
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Extent:
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2 archives boxes(1 linear ft.) |
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Language:
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English. |
John Erskine, educator, writer and musician, was born in New York on October 5, 1879. He received an A.B. in 1900, an A.M. in 1901, a Ph.D. in 1903 and an LL.D. in 1929 from Columbia University, as well as honorary degrees from Amherst College and the University of Bordeaux. He served during World War I in France, and was made a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor. He served as instructor in English at Amherst before joining the faculty of Columbia University, where he spent most of his life. Erskine is credited with having started the system of General Education at Columbia through his Great Books colloquium. Erskine was also a musician of considerable talent, who performed occasionally at concerts and wrote two opera librettos, and a prolific writer who said that he had written something every day since the age of 16. He was married twice: to Pauline Ives until their divorce in 1945, and later to Helen Worden. Erskine died in 1951 at the age of 71.
Erskine's books include the autobiographical works The Memory of Certain Persons (1947), My Life as a Teacher (1948), My Life in Music (1950) and My Life as a Writer (unfinished); as well as several essays, poems and novels, of which the most successful was The Private Life of Helen of Troy (1926).
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The papers consist mainly of Erskine's correspondence and a corrected typescript of his autobiography, The Memory of Certain Persons (J.B. Lippincott: New York, 1947). There are also four miscellaneous items: a manuscript poem, class notes, a pamphlet and a newspaper clipping.
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Return to the Table of Contents
This collection is organized into three series:
Return to the Table of Contents
Series 1: CORRESPONDENCE,
1909-1950
Series 1, CORRESPONDENCE, includes both incoming and outgoing correspondence from individuals as well as correspondence about many of those individuals. The series is arranged alphabetically by the individuals' names.
Box
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Folder
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| 1 |
1 |
Allis, Frederick - 1
1937 Jun 21
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2 |
Bianchi, Martha Dickinson. From - 40 letters + 2 postcards; To - 3 letters; Regarding - letters from Dr. Guy Hinsdale, Winnifred Brown, Jane Crowell, Alfred Hampson, Arthur Stanley Pease, Mabel Hill, Malcolm Young, and Curtis Hidden Page, with replies from Erskine.
1933-1947
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3 |
Bigelow, William P. - 70 + 4 replies; Mrs. Bigelow - 2 + 5 replies
1927-1948
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4 |
Bishop, Merrill - 4 + 5 replies
1934-1948
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5 |
Blyth, Charles - 2
1943, 1957
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6 |
Cobb, Charles - 9 + 2 replies; Cobb, Mary - 1; Cobb, William H. - 2
1909-1948
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7 |
Cowles, William - 1
1921 Feb 13
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8 |
Dakin, A. Hazard - 5 + 2 replies; Dakin, Rodney G. - 1
1947
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9 |
Davis, Pierpont - 3 + 2 replies
1945
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10 |
Genung, J.F. - 3 + 1 New Year's card; Mrs. Genung - 1; Marsh, Stephen - 1 letter regarding Genung
1910-1928
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11 |
Hanson, Howard - 1
1935 Mar 26
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12 |
Hobkins, M.B. - 1
1940 Dec 27
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13 |
Houghton, Albert B. - 3
1910-1915
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14 |
Meiklejohn, Alexander - 18
1913-1916
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15 |
Morrow, Dwight W. - 2 + 2 replies; Morrow, Elizabeth C. - 6 + 3 replies; Allen, David J. - 1 letter regarding Morrow; McKay, A.I. - 1 letter regarding Morrow
1926-1937
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16 |
Morse, Anson D. - 1
1910 Jan 15
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17 |
Nitze, William A. - 9 + 9 replies; Mrs. Nitze - 6
1932-1947
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18 |
Pease, Arthur Stanley - 1 + 1 reply
1927
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19 |
Powell, Chilton - 10 letters + 5 replies; Article by Powell, "For Better or for Worse, the Puritan vs. the Modern View"; Nash, Dean Philip C. - 1 letter regarding Powell + 1 reply
1925-1927
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20 |
Rand, Frank Prentice - 1 letter to
1949 Jan 26
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21 |
Ruckmick, Christian - 1
1950 Apr 19
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22 |
Scandrett, Richard - 1
1944 Mar 16
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23 |
Sherman, Stuart P. - 6 + 1 reply; Holton, Genevieve - 2 letters regarding Sherman; Zeitlin, Jacob - 2 letters regarding Sherman + 1 reply
1914-1941
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24 |
Shoop, Max - 2 + 1 reply
1927
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25 |
Smith, Frederick P. - 4 + 3 replies
1927-1940
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26 |
Smith, H. de Forest - 1
1926 May 2
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27 |
Smith, Harold Ladd - 1 + 1 reply
1950 Apr
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28 |
Smith, Robert M. - 1 letter to
1948 Dec 27
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29 |
Spaulding, F.E. - 7 + 7 replies
1920-1949
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30 |
Sproul, Harold - 11 + 7 replies; "Introduction to English 7" by Harold Sproul; Thomas, Joseph M. - 1 letter regarding Sproul + 1 reply
1925-1927
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31 |
Stephens, H. Morse - 1
1913 Feb 22
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32 |
Thompson, F.L. - 3; Mrs. Thompson - 1 + 1 reply
1914-1935
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33 |
Thompson, Joseph O. - 11 + 4 replies
1935-1948
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34 |
Walker, Williston - 1
1905 Nov 13
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35 |
Whicher, George F. - 6 + 3 replies; Whicher, Harriet F. - 1 + 1 reply; Pamphlet, "Shakespeare for America" by George F. Whicher
1923-1948
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36 |
Woodbridge, F.J.E. - 4 + 1 reply; Plimpton, George A. - 1 letter regarding Woodbridge + 2 replies
1909-1937
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Series 2: MISCELLANEOUS,
n.d.
Box
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Folder
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| 1 |
37 |
Personal class notes
n.d.
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38 |
Pamphlet: "Jane A. Harris," by George Harris and George Harris Jr.
n.d.
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39 |
Ms poem by JE, "Wildwood"
1911
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40 |
Newspaper clipping regarding memorial service held for (former Amherst president) George D. Olds
1930 Jun 22
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Series 3: Typescript of The Memory of Certain Persons,
ca. 1946-1947
Box
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Folder
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1 |
Corrected typescript, pp. 1-287
ca. 1946-1947
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2 |
Corrected typescript, pp. 288-653
ca. 1946-1947
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