Dr. Charles A. Bicking was an award-winning mechanical engineer active in the fields of Industrial Engineering, Industrial Statistics, Engineering Statistics, Operations Research, and Quality Control. A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Techology, Bicking has held numerous posts as an engineer, consultant, and lecturer in a number of countries. Bicking also published and presented dozens papers in the above fields. Bicking was an official U.S.A. delegate for the 1953 session of the International Statistical Institute in Rome. He won the ASTM Award of Merit in 1962. Some of the organizations, corporations, and associations that Bicking worked with include the American Society for Quality Control, the American Statistical Assocation, A.S.Q.C., Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry, White Sands Missile Range, Carborundum Company, Hercules Powder Company, NASA, Nashua Corporation, Tracor Jitco, the American Society for Testing and Materials, and the Control Data Corporation.
The Charles Bicking Papers contains documents spanning across the entirety of Dr. Bicking's career, as described above.
The Florence Brigham Papers consist of four boxes of material totalling two cubic feet of files. The Papers include research materials Brigham compiled from numerous primary and secondary sources including articles and books, diaries, notes and other materials. Brigham also conducted interviews with early Keys residents, including many employees of the Federal East Coast Railroad Company. Newspaper clippings dated 1935-69 detail local history, "pioneers," hurricanes and other topics. In addition to these records, the files include correspondence with a number ofarchives and libraries, and photostats of original documents and maps. Brigham also collected prints of Marathon dated 1906-1960.
The Papers include notes on Keys deer, birds, reptiles and other animals, as well as clippings and notes on schools, churches, fishing, libraries and other institutions and activities in the Keys. Historical material includes copies of early maps, records tracing the title of Keys lands, and materials documenting the construction of the "Overseas Railroad" and the development of Marathon.
The personal papers of Frederick H. Koch, dramatist and educator, were donated to the University of Miami Archives by his son Fred H. Koch Jr., a Professor in Drama here at the University of Miami from 1939 to 1977. The collection was received in the early 1950's. Frederick H. Koch was a famous dramatist and gained fame from the founding of two major college theatre troupes as well as through his involvement in the production of native American folk drama.
The Frederick H. Koch Collection contains the personal papers of Frederick H. Koch and material he collected throughout his lifetime. The material extends from 1823 to 1947, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period of time between 1905 and 1944. The bulk of the collection is composed of theatre programs collected by Koch. These come mainly from New York but there is a good selection of theatre programs from other parts of the United States. Many of these programs date prior to Koch's birth.
The personal papers are composed mainly of material from Koch's work as an English and drama professor at the University of North Dakota (1905-1918) and the University of North Carolina (1918-1944), including a large number of folk plays written by his students.
The correspondence in the collection is mainly correspondence within the Koch family, including many letters between Koch and his four sons: Robert, Fred Jr., Bill, and George.
Of special interest to the University of Miami is a folder containing material related to the University and the University of Miami Playmakers founded by Fred H. Koch Jr. in the 1940's.
Gareth and Janet Dunleavy were historians of Irish literature and culture. The Gareth and Janet Dunleavy Collection was donated by Gareth and Janet Dunleavy in memory of Bernard Benstock, a colleague who served the University of Miami in many capacities.
The collection contains typescripts and articles by Gareth and Janet Dunleavy, as well as research materials for projects by both authors. Prominently featured are research materials on Mary Lavin, an Irish short story and novella writer who died in 1996. Of special interest among these research materials are copies of Lavin's working manuscripts, obtained by Professor Janet Dunleavy in the 1970s with the permission of Mary Lavin. Janet Dunleavy had planned a critical study of Lavin's work based on these materials, but had abandoned the idea. The collection also contains notes, letters, and other documents assembled during Gareth and Janet Dunleavy's preparation of their Douglas Hyde: A Maker of Modern Ireland (1991) and O'Connor Papers (1977).
The H. Franklin Williams Papers provide an extensive record of the activities of the Economic Opportunity Program, Inc. (EOPI), a non-profit corporation established to provide "through governmental or private means economic opportunity for the citizens and residents of Dade County, Florida and to further assist in the war against poverty...". The program coordinated governmental units and local agencies involved in implementing the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. Williams was a professor of history and administrator at the University of Miami from 1939 to 1972.
Hy Gardner was a longtime Broadway and gossip columnist who worked for the New York Tribune, hosted a television show Glad You Asked That, and appeared as a panelist on To Tell the Truth. The collection consists of various documents from his work in the above ventures, correspondence, interview transcripts and cassettes, photographs, publicity, articles, memorabilia, and other archival materials.
The James A. Michener Papers consist of correspondence, notes, research materials and drafts of manuscripts created and compiled by best-selling author James A. Michener (1907-1997) in the course of his work on the novel Caribbean (1989).
Correspondence and memoranda found within the files provides information concerning the intellectual preparation required to compose an historical novel that spans more than four hundred years. Michener chose to preserve the results of his research and editorial efforts "... so that aspiring writers can see what work lies ahead for them if they finally succeed. Stated better, what work they will have to do if they want to succeed." Exchanges with editorial staff members throughout the stages of manuscript preparation, and the concurrent suggestions, recommendations and revisions to the manuscript noted on various "copies" of the manuscript illuminate the internal aspects of the modern publishing industry.
The author includes notes and correspondence concerning the logistical, financial and personal decisions that influence the creative process. The pervasive degree of experimentation, discovery and change inherent in the process of creative writing appears throughout the stages of this manuscript. The very title of the novel, Caribbean, is a reflection of this evolutionary process, for the author first conceived on calling the volume Lost in the Sun.
The Jean P. Lesperance Papers consist of correspondence, articles, book manuscripts, and newspaper clippings relating to the merging field of management studies. Lesperance joined the University of Miami faculty in 1947and taught management courses. He later served as the director of the Time and Motion Study Laboratory.
The Joseph Auslander and Audrey Wurdemann Collection consists predominantly of correspondence, programs, and scripts relating to their involvement with the CBS radio program Housewives' Protective League. The Housewives' Protectice League, airing from 1948 to 1962, was a daily CBS radio feature which explored a variety of issues from childrearing and health to fidelity and marriage troubles. The letters are either from publishers confirming the Auslander's permission to review or discuss their books on air, or from CBS executives discussing their scripts. Included also are several scripts not by Auslander or Wurdemann, and an untitled typescript. Finally, the collection contains a leasing agreement from the Auslanders for a house in New York City. several periodicals, 15 research notebooks, and 28 photographs (with French inscriptions) depicting trench warfare in Belgium during World War I.
The Julian Corrington Papers contain teaching and academic files concerning the University of Miami in addition to materials on scientific research and literature. Class records and course materials, dated 1944-63, include syllabi, memos, lecture notes, book lists, lists of research topics, correspondence with students and student recommendations. Other correspondence and memos, relating to the Biology Department discuss such topics as the curriculum, course requirements, faculty meetings and building plans. University of Miami "faculty notices," and "university memoranda" cover announcements of library news, information on education, and the Science Department. The records also contain publications such as "Self Portrait of a University," and a program from the 1962 dedication of the Otto G. Richter Library. Correspondence with faculty of other universities discusses the merits of general introductory science courses versus more specialized instruction.
Several files contain manuscripts and correspondence dealing with publications. Other files include materials on the electron microscope and include photographs taken through the microscope, reprints of articles and news clippings relating to the microscope. "Field Check Lists," dated 1917-21, and field trip reports record observations on the sea coast at Georgetown University. Photographs document trips led by Corrington. Reprints and publications on various scientific topics as well as and bulletins, newsletters, and programs from various scientific and scholarly organizations are included in files. Additional files of particular interest contain newspaper clippings and literature from various organizations on eugenics, genetics and the teaching of evolution. Corrington collected these materials, dated 1920-44, for inclusion in class lectures.
Author Laura Kalpakian, described by some critics as one of the "most unheralded, brightest talents" in the country, has published several novels and short story collections, novellas, short stories, essays and interviews for magazines and newspapers including Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, McCall's, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, and Hawaii Review.
The Laura Kalpakian Papers contain manuscripts and drafts of stories, novels, and speeches. Correspondence relates to the creation and publication of several works. Writings are arranged in chronological order within three series: Novels, Short Stories and Other Writings, and Short Story Collections.
The M.S. Mishler Collection consists of two account books of Mr. M.S. Mishler and one account book of the Little River Mutual Telephone Co. of Little River, Florida. Mr. Mishler and his family moved in 1899 from Chicago to Little River, an area south of Opa-Locka and east of Hialeah in Miami-Dade County. The account books also contain notes and clippings regarding South Florida weather and the hurricane of 1926.
The Ethel E. Murrell Papers document the activities of the National Woman's Party (NWP) under her leadership from 1952-53. The files include correspondence, newsletters and other materials with other women's organizations including the General Federation of Women's Clubs, the World Woman's Party, the American Woman's Foundation, and the American Woman's Council. The papers document the cooperative efforts of these groups in working for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, including articles written from 1938 to 1953 publicizing the Amendment.
Charters, minutes, speeches, press releases, resolutions, and correspondence dated 1946-53 detail Murrell's efforts as a lawyer, writer and political organizer. The files also highlight NWP attempts to promote its agenda. The papers are significant as a record of activity during the 1940's and 1950's, years considered by many as a period of decline between the two larger feminist movements of the early twentieth century and the 1960's. The records also include references to cold war anticommunism. One letter of resignation, for example, dated June 17, 1953 expressed a sentiment characteristic of several members: "...I wondered...if the 'pinkos' had not taken over. I certainly do not want to be connected with any organization that does not stand for good Americanism."
Richard A. Kahn was a lawyer and economist who taught
economics and business law courses, published numerous articles and held a variety of positions in the United States government. The Richard A. Kahn Papers, arranged in three series, contain correspondence, newspaper clippings, book manuscripts, copies of published articles, and marketing research. Much of the content of this collection concerns his work with various fishery institutions, such as the U.S. Branch of Commercial Fisheries and the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute.
The Theodore Spicer-Simson Collection contains the Spicer-Simson medallions as well as photographs, correspondence, typescripts and other related material.
The bulk of the collection consists of the Spicer-Simson medallions. These are portrait medallions cast in bronze of major world and literary figures from Spicer-Simson's lifetime. All of these were sculpted from life. Notable among these are David Fairchild, Padraic Colum, Henry Ford, Sir Ernest Rutherford, Sherwood Anderson, Theodore Dreiser, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and other important figures in addition to person friends and family members of Spicer-Simson.
The collection contains many other examples of Spicer-Simson medals in the form of medals, awards, and sculptings that Spicer-Simson created. Included in these are medals sculpted for the National Academy of Sciences, Princeton University, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the U.S. Congress. The collection also contains clay and plaster molds of medallions, including some small pieces of sculpture. In addition to all his sculpture and medallions, the collection contains examples of Spicer-Simson's other artwork in the form of sketches, drawings, and bookplates.
Spicer-Simson's autobiography, A Collector of Characters is held in the collection, along with the typescripts of the book. The collection's correspondence includes correspondence from Hervey Allen, Padraic Colum, H.L. Mencken, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sir Ernest Rutherford, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas. The photographs include mostly photographs of medallions and sculpture, including some not in the collection, but also contain many photos of Spicer-Simson's subjects, some of these mounted and autographed.
The Virginia Spencer Carr Collection contains correspondence, research notes, interviews (transcripts and audio tapes), photographs, manuscript drafts of publications and other materials compiled and created by Virginia Spencer Carr in the course of her research and writing of John Dos Passos: A Life. John Dos Passos, a noted American literary figure of the "lost generation," published a number of important works, including the trilogy U.S.A.
Among important materials in the collection are the personal reminisces of family members, colleagues and contemporary figures of Dos Passos (notably, letters by Simone de Beauvoir, William F. Buckley, William Slater Brown, Frances Scott Fitzgerald, and family members of both Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck are included). The collection also includes extensive research files on the life and publications of Dos Passos and family members.
The Walter Tennyson Swingle Collection contains research material and correspondence of Walter T. Swingle as well as translations and correspondence of Michael J. Hagerty. The Swingle portion of the collection is comprised of his articles, manuscripts, diaries, and most of Swingle's correspondence between 1885 and 1951.
The correspondence gives an overview of his botanical and plant introduction work as well as his personal life and travels. The bulk of the correspondence are letters from distinguished colleagues such as Herbert J. Webber, Dr. Beverly T. Galloway, W.A. Kellerman and others from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Also included in this group are correspondence between Swingle and David G. Fairchild, noted Florida naturalist and one of the men who conceived of a sub-tropical garden in Florida and for who Fairchild Tropical Garden in Miami, Florida is named. Their correspondence details an account of their collaborative work and friendship.
Swingle's research material includes notes, notebooks, and large number of first accounts of citrus in the Original Citrus Literature, containing a number of articles by Carolus Linnaeus.
Of special interest to the University of Miami is material dealing with Swingle's tenure as Consultant in Tropical Botany at the University, as well as some interesting material dealing with his U.S.D.A. work in Brazil in the 1930's.
The Hagerty portion of the collection consists most importantly of translations made by Hagerty of Chinese accounts on botany for the Swingle's work in the Department of Agriculture. It includes a very large translation of the Chinese accounts of citrus from the Chinese Imperial Encyclopedia which is over 500 pages long and very important to Swingle's study of citrus. Also in this portion are found a very large amount of correspondence between Hagerty and Swingle which details most of their work together for the U.S.D.A.
