George Edward Woodberry papers, 1866-1951

Summary Information

Description

Summary

Correspondence, manuscripts, documents, photographs, and printed materials of and relating to Woodberry. Included are letters from Woodberry to Melville H. Cane, John Erskine, John S. Harrison, Robert Underwood Johnson, and Joel E. Spingarn. There are 330 letters from Woodberry to Harry Harkness Flagler telling of Woodberry's daily life in Beverly, Mass. and of his travels in Europe and Africa. Additional correspondence, notes, and printed materials relate to Woodberry's life, writings, teaching career, retirement, the controversy in 1902 that led to his resignation from the Columbia University faculty in 1904, the bequest of his books to Harvard University and Phillips Exeter Academy, the Poetry Room dedicated in his honor at Harvard University, an exhibit of Woodberriana at the New York Public Library and the Woodberry Society. There are more than fifty manuscripts of his essays and poems. Among the printed materials are his poems, essays, and book reviews, most of which have been cut from THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY. Other printed materials are about Woodberry, reviews of his books, obituaries, memorials, and books, many inscribed.

2000 addition: Letters, transcripts and copies of letters, manuscripts, documents, card files, microfilms, photographs, and printed materials compiled by Joseph Doyle for his biographical and critical thesis on Woodberry in 1947.

Arrangement

Cataloged and arranged.

Using the Collection

Restrictions on Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

The following boxes are located off-site: 13A, 14-15, 19, 22-47. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

This collection has no restrictions.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); George Edward Woodberry papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Accruals

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Source of acquisition--Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--1968. Accession number--M-68.

Gifts of various donors.

Gift of Mary Flagler Cary Charitable trust, 1968.

Gift of Katherine Doyle, 2000.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Cataloged Christina Hilton Fenn 09/--/89.

Processed by Bernard Crystal and DH, 8/1978; HR, 9/2001.

Revision Description

2010-04-02 Legacy finding aid created from Pro Cite.

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

Biographical / Historical

Poet, critic, educator. Woodberry was professor of English at the University of Nebraska, 1877-1878. 1880-1882 professor in the Columbia University Dept. of Comparative Literature. 1891-1904 Woodberry was chairman of Columbia University Dept. of Comparative Literature until 1904. In 1904, he became lecturer in English literature at Amherst College and in 1908 professor of English literature at Cornell University.

Subject Headings

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