Clarence Louis Frank Gohdes papers, 1811-1990s and undated, bulk 1905-1981, bulk 1905-1981

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Summary

Creator:
Gohdes, Clarence, 1901-1997 and Jay B. Hubbell Center for American Literary Historiography
Abstract:
Collection consists of research materials, correspondence, writings, clippings and other printed materials, and a few photographs, mainly from the latter half of Gohdes's career. The earliest date (1811) refers to reproductions of original research materials. Correspondence with other American Literature teachers and authors, combined with other materials relating to Gohdes's institutional and organizational affiliations, in particular with Duke University, the Modern Language Association (MLA), and the journal AMERICAN LITERATURE, comprise the most substantive aspects of this collection. They provide insight into American literary scholarship in the early and mid-twentieth century. Noted authors and scholars of the time whose letters and other writings are in the collection include Alexander Blackburn, Oscar Cargill, Lewis Chase, Robert Elias, Norman Foerster, Arthur Rubin, Arthur Quinn, and Upton Sinclair. Original manuscripts by Gohdes, inscribed reprints of writings by his colleagues, and materials relating to many major British and American literary figures, make up the rest of the collection. There is substantial material on Edgar Allen Poe and American humor. The collection also includes papers documenting Gohdes's research and writing for his last book project, a history of the muscadine grape in North Carolina entitled Scuppernong, North Carolina's Grape and Its Wines. Acquired as part of the Jay B. Hubbell Center for American Literary Historiography
Extent:
6.2 Linear Feet (11 boxes)
4650 Items
Language:
English.
Collection ID:
RL.00458

Background

Scope and content:

The Clarence Louis Frank Gohdes Papers date from 1811 to the 1990s, with the bulk of the collection dating from 1905 to 1981. Collection consists of research materials, correspondence, writings, clippings and other printed materials, and a few photographs, mainly from the latter half of Gohdes's career. The earliest date (1811) refers to reproductions of original materials used in his research. Correspondence with other American Literature teachers and authors, combined with other materials relating to Gohdes's institutional and organizational affiliations, in particular with Duke University, the Modern Language Association (MLA), and the journal AMERICAN LITERATURE, comprise the most substantive aspects of this collection. They provide insight into the bureaucratic and institutional exigencies of American literary scholarship in the early and mid-twentieth century. Noted authors and scholars of the time whose letters and other writings are in the collection include Alexander Blackburn, Oscar Cargill, Lewis Chase, Robert Elias, Norman Foerster, Arthur Rubin, Arthur Quinn, and Upton Sinclair. Original manuscripts by Gohdes, inscribed reprints of writings by his colleagues, and materials relating to many major British and American literary figures, make up the rest of the collection. There is substantial material on Edgar Allen Poe and American humor. The collection also includes papers documenting Gohdes's research and writing for his last book project, a history of the muscadine grape entitled Scuppernong, North Carolina's Grape and Its Wines.

The Gohdes Papers are divided into seven series: Biographical Data, Correspondence, Author Files, Subject Files, Writings and Speeches, Scuppernong, and Clippings.

The Biographical Data Series briefly sketches the major events of Gohdes's life. It consists of only a few items, including a one-page sketch by Gohdes of his career's highlights, and photocopies of Gohdes's obituaries. Further biographical information, especially pertaining to Gohdes's academic life, can be culled from materials in the Correspondence Series.

The Correspondence Series contains letters exchanged with university administrators, publishers, colleagues, librarians, and literary figures. The series is divided into four subseries, American Literature, Lewis Chase, Duke University, and General. The bulk of the correspondence concerns professional and academic affairs, such as appointments, editorships, research and reviews, and publishing. Included are exchanges between Gohdes and Duke University administrators about English Department and American Literature affairs, as well as between Gohdes and contemporary literary critics about the study of American literature. There are also several documents that illuminate Gohdes's political affiliations and social concerns.

Materials on approximately fifty authors, largely major British and American writers, are in the Author Files Series and were originally gathered by Gohdes and his colleague, Lewis Chase. The folders contain a variety of information on the represented authors, in an equally varied mix of formats: clippings, notes, lectures, student papers, photographs, and reproductions or photocopies of original writing.

Included in the Subject Files Series are materials relating to several projects and interests which engaged Gohdes during his career. These include: bibliographies, poetry, travel narratives and the American West, and the United Nations' Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)/American Literature Section's Best American Books List. The bibliographies collected in this series reflect Gohdes's interest in this genre, as he participated in and edited many such projects throughout his career.

The Writings and Speeches Series contains manuscript and printed materials in two subseries: Writings by Gohdes and Writings by Others. The Writings by Gohdes Subseries includes manuscripts of short stories, poetry, and academic essays, as well as notes and notecards. The manuscripts also contain folders pertaining to unfinished projects and writings. The Writings by Gohdes Subseries also contains several folders of printed materials, consisting of reprints and reproductions of as well as advertising and promotional materials for Gohdes's published writings. This subseries consists almost entirely of reprints that are inscribed to Gohdes by the authors.

Materials relating to the writing and research of Gohdes's last published book, Scuppernong, North Carolina's Grape and Its Wines, are in the Scuppernong Series. Three subseries make up this series: Correspondence, Research and Notes, and Publication Materials. Correspondence plus photocopied articles and essays about the grape and agricultural production form the bulk of the series. Also included are Gohdes's many notes and notecards, as well as reviews and materials relating to the book's publication.

The Clippings Series contains the few clippings that are not housed in the Author Files Series. These clippings mostly consist of articles relating to literary figures.

Related collections in the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library include the records of American Literature and the Modern Language Association's American Literature Section, as well as the papers of many of Gohdes's colleagues, such as Jay B. Hubbell and Arlin Turner.

Processing Note:

Roman numerals and transcribed titles taken from the original folders have been appended to certain folders, such as the Contemporary Poetry Selections.

Acquired as part of the Jay B. Hubbell Center for American Literary Historiography at Duke University.

Biographical / historical:
Date Event
1901, July 2
Born, San Antonio, Tex.
1921
A.B., Capital University, Columbus, Ohio
1922
A.M., Ohio State University
1926-1927
Assistant Professor of English, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Tex.
1928
M.A., Harvard University
1929-1930
Instructor in English, New York University
1930-1938
Assistant and Associate Professor of English, Duke University
1931
Ph.D., Columbia University
Published The Periodicals of American Transcendentalism
1932-1954
Managing Editor, American Literature (journal)
1932
Published Uncollected Lectures of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Reports on American Life and Natural Religion (editor)
Visiting lecturer, Columbia University
1938
Married Celestine Marie Beamer
1938-1961
Professor of English, Duke University
1944
Published American Literature in Nineteenth-Century England
1949
Published Faint Clews and Indirections: Manuscripts of Walt Whitman and His Family (co-editor)
1951
Published Literature of the American People (contributor)
1954-1969
Editor-in-chief, American Literature (journal)
1955
Published America's Literature (co-editor)
1959
Published Bibliographical Guide to the Study of the Literature of the U.S.A.
Served as Chairman, Modern Language Association, American Literature Group
1961-1971
James B. Duke Professor of American Literature, Duke University
1962
Guggenheim Fellow
1967
Published Literature and Theater of the States and Regions of the U.S.A.: A Historical Bibliography
Published Hunting in the Old South (editor)
Published Essays on American Literature in Honor of Jay B. Hubbell (editor)
1971
Retired from Duke University
1982
Published Scuppernong, North Carolina's Grape and Its Wines
1988
Published Pioneers in English at Trinity and Duke
1997
Died, Durham, N.C.

Clarence Louis Frank Gohdes began his post-undergraduate studies at Harvard, where he turned his attention from Latin to American literature under the tutelage of Bliss Perry, J. L. Lowes, G. L. Kittredge, and Kenneth B. Murdock. At Columbia, Gohdes wrote his dissertation under Ralph L. Rusk.

Gohdes earned his scholarly reputation through his work in American literature. He published two texts, one on Ralph Waldo Emerson and the other on Walt Whitman, that contributed to American literary scholarship through his original research and archival work. Gohdes also influenced the formation of American literary studies through his long-standing position as Managing Editor (under Jay B. Hubbell, founding editor) and then Editor-in-Chief of American Literature, the discipline's foundational academic journal. Similarly, Gohdes's A Bibliographical Guide to the Study of the Literature of the U.S.A., which went through five editions, played a key role in documenting and making accessible American literary criticism. Gohdes's career achievements attest to his role in extending the work of scholars of American literature.

Acquisition information:
The Clarence Louis Frank Gohdes papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift from 1976 through 2000.
Processing information:

Processed by Lauren Coats, August, 2003

Physical facet:
Approximately 4650 items
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

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Restrictions:

Collection is open to research.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

In addition, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. There may be a 48-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

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The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Clarence Louis Frank Gohdes Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

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