Denna Frank Fleming Papers
Scope and Contents
The papers of Denna F. Fleming include material from several areas of his life and work -- those of teacher, writer, political scientist, and concerned citizen. The correspondence files, an excellent source of information, cover the period from 1930-1974 and include both personal and professional material. Dr. Fleming’s work as a teacher is represented by student papers, course outlines, examinations, and correspondence concerning university activities. Examples of his writing include reprints from published articles, several book manuscripts, and book reviews. He published frequently in publications such as The Western Political Quarterly, Events, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, The Nation, British Weekly, and War/Peace Report.
From 1939 to 1947, Fleming presented a series of weekly radio programs broadcast from WSM over much of the United States concerning events leading up to, during, and after the World War II. The programs were favorably received and many of them were collected and published in the book While America Slept. Transcripts of most of these broadcasts are in the collection.
Files on international and national organizations in which Fleming had an interest show a concern about the Vietnam War and the possibilities of a third world war. Committed to peace, Fleming supported numerous organizations including the American Association for the United Nations, Inc., the Arms Control Association, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Fund for Peace.
Professor Fleming had a large collection of clippings on topics such as Vietnam, Cambodia, China-U.S. relations, U.S.-U.S.S.R. relations, and atomic weapons. The clippings were taken from the following publications: Newsweek, Ramparts, New York Times, New Republic, New Yorker, Tennessean, ILFL, Stone’s Bi-weekly, Between the Lines, Nation, Foreign Affairs, Congressional Record, The Progressive, War/Peace Report, Wall Street Journal, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Commentary, Look, Atlantic Monthly, Nucleus, New World Review, Minority of One, and Saturday Review. The clippings were removed from the collection.
This Addition to the Denna Frank Fleming Papers came to Vanderbilt University Special Collections after the death of Mrs. Doris Fleming in 1989. It measures 4.26 linear feet and is contained in 7 full Hollinger boxes and one oversize box and covers the years 1893 - 1989. It completes the Denna Frank Fleming Papers which were given to Vanderbilt in February 1981, and which measure 7.55 cubic feet, 21 Hollinger boxes.
These papers include materials from several areas of his life and work - those of teacher, writer, political scientist, concerned citizen, husband, friend, and colleague.
Series List:
The Correspondence includes personal letters, letters with publishers, and testimonial letters both before and after his death.
Personal and Biographical materials includes a narrative of Fleming’s life written by his wife Doris S. Fleming; memorials by colleagues and friends, tributes at the memorial service with the order of service, and other items dating from his birth.
Academic Career papers include correspondence with Vanderbilt University administration, announcements of his lectures, conferences, and other professional activities, and papers by a former student J. Louis Adams.
The Writings series includes material on books, articles, addresses, scripts of radio broadcasts, reviews and an extensive collection of comments by others about Fleming’s publications and radio broadcasts.
Publications are comprised of a small number of publications by others.
The Subject Files contain collections of papers on the D.F. Fleming - Johns Committee Affair, 1961, his conflict with James Maddox, his collection of materials about Southeast Asia, the Vietnam War, and other topics of interest to Dr. Fleming over his long career as a professor and political scientist.
Photographs and Slides include images from his many travels and personal photographs of Dr. Fleming and his wife Doris.
The Memorabilia is contained in one oversize box of keepsake items belonging to Dr. Fleming and includes a Distinquished Service Award from the Nashville Chapter United Nations Association, May 17, 1977; a plaque with program from the Appreciation Dinner honoring Fleming at Belmont United Methodist Church, May 17, 1977; his Phi Beta Kappa key ( alpha of Tennessee,1940); his gold and enamel 50 year Masonic pin (square and compass), and his 1928 gold Phi Kappa Phi key (University of Illinois collegiate honor society for all disciplines). Other keepsake items include a small army issue New Testament, and a collection of first day issues for the United Nations Association, 1971.
Dates
- 1930 - 1974
Conditions Governing Access
This collection may be viewed only in the reading room of Special Collections in the Jean and Alexander Heard Library. Collections should be requested 2-3 days prior to visiting in order to facilitate easier access. For questions or to request a collection, contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu.
Denna Frank Fleming -- Chronology
- 1893 Born in Paris, Illinois to Albert and Eleanor McCormack Fleming, March 25
- 1905-1912 Eastern Illinois State College
- 1912-1914 Principal of High School, Hume, Illinois
- 1916 High School Teacher, Freeport, Illinois
- A.B., University of Illinois
- 1917 High School Teacher, Walla Walla, Washington
- 1918 Aircraft Machine Gun Instructor in France
- 1919-1921 Superintendent of Schools, Tonica, Illinois
- 1920 A.M., University of Illinois
- 1921-1922 Superintendent of Schools, Colfax, Illinois
- 1922-1923 Assistant Professor, Monmouth College
- 1923-1924 Associate Professor, Monmouth College
- 1924-1927 Professor & Head of Department, Monmouth College
- 1926-1927 Summer Instructor, Iowa State Teachers College
- 1928 Ph.D., University of Illinois
- 1928 30 - Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University
- 1929 Married Doris Anundson, June 29
- 1930-1938 Associate Professor, Vanderbilt University
- 1932-1933 Penfield Traveling Scholar. Attended Disarmament Convention in Geneva
- 1932 Published the United States and the League of Nations
- 1934-1937 Columnist for Nashville Tennessean
- 1935 Attended talks on the Ethiopian Crisis, Geneva
- 1938 Professor, Vanderbilt; in London during the Munich Crisis
- Published The United States and World Organization
- 1938-1939 Penfield Traveling Scholar
- 1937-1947 Foreign Affairs commentator for Radio Station WSM, Nashville
- 1940-1951 Head of the Political Science Department, Vanderbilt University
- 1941 President of the Southern Political Science Association
- 1943 Vice-President of the American Political Science Association
- 1945 Published The United States and the World Court
- Founded the Nashville chapter of the Association for the United Nations
- 1946 Member of Bernard Baruch’s staff in the State Department during the atomic energy negotiations with the U.S.S.R.
- 1946, 1948-49 Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton
- 1949 Honorary degree, Ph.D., University of Illinois
- 1950-1955 Board of Directors, Woodrow Wilson Foundation
- 1951 Research Professor, Vanderbilt University
- 1952-1960 Columnist for Classmate (Methodist Publication)
- 1954-1957 Executive Council, The American Association of University Professors
- 1954 Fulbright Lecturer, Cambridge
- 1956 Delegate to the Fifth National Conference of the U.S. National Convention for UNESCO for the AAUP
- 1956-1962 Columnist for the British Weekly
- 1957 Phi Beta Kappa Associates
- 1959-1960 Fulbirght Lecturer, Indian School of International Studies, New Delhi
- 1961 Retired from Vanderbilt University
- Published The Cold War and Its Origins
- 1964 Visiting Lecturer, University of Arizona
- 1965 Visiting Lecturer, California State College at Los Angeles
- 1966 Visiting Professor, University of Arizona
- 1969 Visiting Professor, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, B.C.
- 1980 Died, September 03, age 87, in Nashville
- 1893
- Born in Paris, Illinois to Albert and Eleanor McCormack Fleming, March 25
- 1905-1912
- Eastern Illinois State College
- 1912-1914
- Principal of High School, Hume, Illinois
- 1916
- High School Teacher, Freeport, Illinois
- A.B., University of Illinois
- 1917
- High School Teacher, Walla Walla, Washington
- 1918
- Aircraft Machine Gun Instructor in France
- 1919-1921
- Superintendent of Schools, Tonica, Illinois
- 1920
- A.M., University of Illinois
- 1921-1922
- Superintendent of Schools, Colfax, Illinois
- 1922-1923
- Assistant Professor, Monmouth College
- 1923-1924
- Associate Professor, Monmouth College
- 1924-1927
- Professor & Head of Department, Monmouth College
- 1926-1927
- Summer Instructor, Iowa State Teachers College
- 1928
- Ph.D., University of Illinois
- 1928
- 30 - Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University
- 1929
- Married Doris Anundson, June 29
- 1930-1938
- Associate Professor, Vanderbilt University
- 1932-1933
- Penfield Traveling Scholar. Attended Disarmament Convention in Geneva
- 1932
- Published the United States and the League of Nations
- 1934-1937
- Columnist for Nashville Tennessean
- 1935
- Attended talks on the Ethiopian Crisis, Geneva
- 1938
- Professor, Vanderbilt; in London during the Munich Crisis
- Published The United States and World Organization
- 1938-1939
- Penfield Traveling Scholar
- 1937-1947
- Foreign Affairs commentator for Radio Station WSM, Nashville
- 1940-1951
- Head of the Political Science Department, Vanderbilt University
- 1941
- President of the Southern Political Science Association
- 1943
- Vice-President of the American Political Science Association
- 1945
- Published The United States and the World Court
- Founded the Nashville chapter of the Association for the United Nations
- 1946
- Member of Bernard Baruch’s staff in the State Department during the atomic energy negotiations with the U.S.S.R.
- 1946, 1948-49
- Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton
- 1949
- Honorary degree, Ph.D., University of Illinois
- 1950-1955
- Board of Directors, Woodrow Wilson Foundation
- 1951
- Research Professor, Vanderbilt University
- 1952-1960
- Columnist for Classmate (Methodist Publication)
- 1954-1957
- Executive Council, The American Association of University Professors
- 1954
- Fulbright Lecturer, Cambridge
- 1956
- Delegate to the Fifth National Conference of the U.S. National Convention for UNESCO for the AAUP
- 1956-1962
- Columnist for the British Weekly
- 1957
- Phi Beta Kappa Associates
- 1959-1960
- Fulbirght Lecturer, Indian School of International Studies, New Delhi
- 1961
- Retired from Vanderbilt University
- Published The Cold War and Its Origins
- 1964
- Visiting Lecturer, University of Arizona
- 1965
- Visiting Lecturer, California State College at Los Angeles
- 1966
- Visiting Professor, University of Arizona
- 1969
- Visiting Professor, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, B.C.
- 1980
- Died, September 03, age 87, in Nashville
Extent
8.76 Linear Feet (21 Hollinger boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The papers of Denna F. Fleming include material from several areas of his life and work - those of teacher, writer, political scientist, and concerned citizen. They cover the years 1930-1974.
Physical Location
Offsite Storage, Special Collections & Archives
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Denna F. Fleming papers were given to the Vanderbilt University Library by Mrs. Fleming in February 1981. The material is contained in twenty-one Hollinger boxes and measures 8.76 cubic feet (approximately 15,750 pages)
General
An addition to this collection was previously designated MSS.0706. That addition has since been incorporated into MSS.0142.
- Title
- Finding Aid for the Denna Frank Fleming Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Vanderbilt University Special Collections Repository
Special Collections Library
1101 19th Ave. S.
Nashville TN 37212 United States
specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu