Nora Lourie Percival Papers, 1932-2011, bulk 1934-1938

Nora Lourie Percival Papers, 1932-2011, bulk 1934-1938

Summary Information

Abstract

A collection of correspondence between Nora Lourie Percival (BC '36) and her first husband, Herman Gund (CC '34 and Journalism MA '35) as well as copies of Columbia and Barnard College literary publications to which they both contributed.

At a Glance

Call No.:
UA#0213
Bib ID:
12264294 View CLIO record
Creator(s):
Percival, Nora, 1914-; Columbia University
Repository:
Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Physical Description:
1.46 linear feet (3 document boxes and one half-size document box)
Language(s):
English .
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.

This collection is located on site.

This collection has no restrictions.

Description

Summary

Nora Lourie was born in Russia on October 14, 1914. In 1922, she immigrated to America and grew up in New York City. Nora attended Barnard College, graduating in 1936. It was during her college years that she met her first love, Herman Gund, who received his B.A. from Columbia College in 1934 and his M.A. degree from the Graduate School of Journalism in 1935. They married in 1936 after Nora graduated college. Nora and Herman were front and center for Columbia's literary renaissance during the 1930s. Under the guidance of John Erskine, Mark Van Doren and other faculty members, Herman spearheaded the rejuvenation of the literary and debate group Philolexian Society (he was president in 1934-5), the Boar's Head Poetry competition, and the resulting printed poetry collections; while Nora started the Barnard Literary Club. As Herman and Nora fell in love, they became the nucleus around which the Columbia and Barnard literary groups crystallized and grew. They influenced and encouraged Robert Giroux, John Berryman, Herman Wouk, Thomas Merton, John Treville Latouche, Ad Reinhardt, and other artistic and literary giants on campus at that time - as well as influencing the next generation of Columbia literati, including Robert Lax and Ralph de Toledano. Herman died of leukemia in 1939, six months before their son was born. A collection of his poems"Out of Time", with a foreword by Mark Van Doren, was published posthumously in 1980. Nora married her second husband Jim Percival in 1943 with whom she had four daughters. Jim Percival died in 1984. Nora Lourie Percival currently lives in Carolina High Country near two of her daughters and is the proud grandmother of eleven and great grandmother of three.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in two series.

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.

This collection is located on site.

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); Nora Lourie Percival Papers; Box and Folder; Columbia University; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Accrual

No additions are expected

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Source of acquisition--This collection was donated by Peter Gund CC 61 (Nora Lourie Percival's son) in 2015.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Papers accessioned PTL 7/1/2015.

Papers processed Emily Felsen (BC 2018) 6/30/2016.

Finding aid written Jocelyn K. Wilk 12/6/2016.

Revision Description

2016-12-14 xml document instance created by Christopher M. Laico.

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

Biographical Note

Nora Lourie was born in Russia on October 14, 1914. In 1922, she immigrated to America and grew up in New York City. Nora attended Barnard College, graduating in 1936. It was during her college years that she met her first love, Herman Gund, who received his B.A. from Columbia College in 1934 and his M.A. degree from the Graduate School of Journalism in 1935. They married in 1936 after Nora graduated college.

Nora and Herman were front and center for Columbia's literary renaissance during the 1930s. Under the guidance of John Erskine, Mark Van Doren and other faculty members, Herman spearheaded the rejuvenation of the literary and debate group Philolexian Society (he was president in 1934-5), the Boar's Head Poetry competition, and the resulting printed poetry collections; while Nora started the Barnard Literary Club. As Herman and Nora fell in love, they became the nucleus around which the Columbia and Barnard literary groups crystallized and grew. They influenced and encouraged Robert Giroux, John Berryman, Herman Wouk, Thomas Merton, John Treville Latouche, Ad Reinhardt, and other artistic and literary giants on campus at that time - as well as influencing the next generation of Columbia literati, including Robert Lax and Ralph de Toledano. Nora and Herman played this role during the dark days of the depression, as they were struggling to balance academics, their literary lives, and their budding romance - while worrying about having enough to eat.

Herman died of leukemia in 1939, six months before their son was born. A collection of his poems, "Out of Time", with a foreword by Mark Van Doren, was published posthumously in 1980.

Nora married her second husband Jim Percival in 1943 with whom she had four daughters. Jim Percival died in 1984. Nora Lourie Percival currently lives in Carolina High Country near two of her daughters and is the proud grandmother of eleven and great grandmother of three.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form
Letters (correspondence)
Memoirs
Periodicals
Name
Barnard College
Columbia College (Columbia University)
Gund, Herman, -1939
Percival, Nora, 1914-
Subject
Poetry

Series I: Correspondence, 1934-1938

Letters between Herman Gund, CC '34 and Nora Lourie, BC '36 written between 1934 and 1939. Correspondence is arranged chronologically.


Box 1

Letters, December 1934


Box 1

Letters, June -July 1934


Box 1

Letters, June -November 1934


Box 1

Letters, December 1934--February 1935


Box 1

Letters, 1934


Box 1

Letters, July 1-July 15, 1935


Box 1

Letters, July 15-31, 1935


Box 1

Letters, August 1-19, 1935


Box 1

Letters, August 20-30, 1935


Box 1

Letters, October 1935


Box 1

Letters, June 1936


Box 1

Letters, February 1936


Box 2

Herman to Nora, March1936


Box 2

Herman to Nora, April 1936


Box 2

Herman to Nora, May 1936


Box 2

Nora to Herman, January 1936


Box 2

Herman to Nora, August 1936


Box 2

Letters, 1937-1938

Series II: Publications, 1932-2011

This series contains copies of Columbia periodicals from the 1930s, many of which contain poems written by Herman Gund and/or Nora Lourie Percival as well as by other notables of that era. Titles include Varsity, Columbia Review, Jester, and The Barnard Quarterly. In addition to the 1930s periodicals this series contains copies of three memoirs written by Nora Lourie Percival and a book of poems written by Herman Gund which was published posthumously.


Box 2

The Varsity Review , May 1932


Box 2

The Columbia Review , 1932 October -- December


Box 2

The Columbia Review, 1933 February, Apr, Nov, Dec, 1933


Box 2

The Columbia Review, 1934 Apr, May, Nov, 1934


Box 2

The Columbia Review, 1935 January -- May, 1935


Box 3

The Columbia Review, 1936 March-- May, 1936


Box 3

Palms, 1939 September, 1939


Box 3

The American Criterion, 1936 January, 1936


Box 3

The New Broom, 1932 February-- April, 1932


Box 3

Jester, 1935 March-- May, 1935


Box 3

Jester , 1936


Box 3

The Barnard Quarterly , 1934


Box 3

The Barnard Quarterly , 1935


Box 3

Columbia Poetry , 1932-1936


Box 3

Poetry Magazine, 1936-1938


Box 4

Out of Time , 1980


Box 4

Weather of the Heart , 2001


Box 4

Silver Pages on the Lawn , 2005


Box 4

The Whirligig of Time , 2011