Clarise DeQuasie Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.0108

  • Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Clarise DeQuasie Collection (23.7 linear feet) consists of letters, postcards, cards, tickets, tour dates, programs, newsletters, newspaper clippings, correspondences, scrapbooks, personal records, recipes, drawings, cloths, phonebooks, diplomas, magazines, typescripts, books, t-shirts, posters, pamphlets, notes, decors, pins, miscellaneous realia, artworks, administrative documents, VHS tapes, and cassette tapes. A large portion of the materials reflect the personal relationships between DeQuasie, a former Vanderbilt University librarian who retired in 1997, and the opera star Luciano Pavarotti (Box 1-14). DeQuasie was a devoted fan and friend of Pavarotti. The collection also contains some materials related to the Jean and Alexander Heard Library at Vanderbilt (Box 15). Some materials are preserved in the cold storage (Box 16-19).

Dates

  • 1960s-2001

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.

Biographical Note - Clarise Ann DeQuasie

Clarise Ann DeQuasie was born on February 15, 1938 to Thomas Glen DeQuasie and Hilda Ellen Smith in Oak Hill, West Virginia. She relocated to Nashville in 1963 to attend Vanderbilt University Divinity School. She graduated in 1966 from the George Peabody College for Teachers with a Master’s degree in Library Science. She was a librarian at the jean and Alexander Heard Library of Vanderbilt from 1966-1997, eventually serving as the University Librarian. She died on June 12, 2001 in Hermitage, Tennessee.

She was a devoted fan of opera star Luciano Pavarotti and bequeathed her Pavarotti collection to Vanderbilt in her will.

Extent

23.75 Linear Feet (19 Paige boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection largely contains material related to opera star Luciano Pavarotti collected by Clarise DeQuasie, a former University Librarian at Vanderbilt who retired in 1997. DeQuasie was a devoted fan and friend of Pavarotti. The collection also contains some materials related to the Heard Library at Vanderbilt.

Physical Location

Offsite Storage, Special Collections & Archives

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Finding Aid for the Clarise DeQuasie Collection
Status
Partially Processed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Revision Statements

  • October 2022: Scope and content note revised by Nawat Masavisut and Elizabeth Batiuk.

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Vanderbilt University Special Collections Repository

http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/specialcollections/
Contact:
Jean and Alexander Heard Library
419 21st Avenue South
Nashville TN 37203 United States

 

About this Site

This site contains collection guides, or finding aids, to the archival collections held by Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives, the History of Medicine Collection, and the Scarritt Bennett Center. Finding aids describe the context, arrangement, and structure of archival materials, allowing users to identify and request materials relevant to their research.

Requesting Materials

Each finding aid contains a link to request materials from the collections. Collections can also be requested by emailing the repository directly through the library website. Each repository has its own location, hours, and contact information. Please consult the repository with questions about using the materials. Collections are non-circulating and must be used in the repository’s reading room. In many cases, the collections are stored off-site and require advance notice for retrieval.