John T. Dorsey Collection
Scope and Contents
This collection is mostly made of newspaper clippings. Most of the articles in the first “half” are about political affairs in Central America and how America gets involved with them. There are also papers about the affairs of the Vatican and more miscellaneous topics. The collection holds documents about more personal matters including two calendars, letters, pamphalets, tax forms, documents from the hospice, and a yearbook of unknown origin.
The second half of the collection is also made primarily of newspaper clippings but with a focus on John Dorsey Jr’s relatives. This includes John’s Father, Isham Dorsey, and his business partner Ike Dorsey, Evans Dorsey, John Dorsey Senior who was invested in politics, the missing Ruth Dorsey, and many other members of the Dorsey family. This part of the collection also contains general articles about Opelika Alabama, and archaeology in Alabama.
Dates
- Creation: 1920 - 1990
Conditions Governing Access
The physical materials from this collection may be viewed only in the reading room of Vanderbilt’s Special Collections and University Archives. Materials should be requested two to three days in advance to facilitate easier access. Contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu to schedule an appointment.
Biographical / Historical
John T. Dorsey Jr. was born in 1925 in Opelika, Alabama. He joined the military and fought in France during World War 2 from 1943 to 1945. After his service, he studied at the University of Alabama. He graduated in 1955 and was awarded the “First Doctor of Philosophy” the school had given. He then joined the faculty at Michigan State. In 1961 he joined the staff at Vanderbilt University in Nashville where he lived the rest of his life. While working at Vanderbilt, he was fascinated with Central American politics and what he viewed as the United States’ unjust interference with them. The most grievous of these controversies in his mind was the Iran-Contra Affair. He joined the Christic Institute and La Casa, organizations dedicated to spreading awareness about the United States’ imperial actions in the region and holding those responsible accountable. He died in 1993 at the age of 68.
Full Extent
2.84 Linear Feet (2 letter Hollingers, 1 oversize folder)
Language of Materials
English
- Title
- Finding Aid for the John T. Dorsey Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Alex Chouinard
- Date
- 2024 June
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives Repository
Special Collections Library
1101 19th Ave. S.
Nashville TN 37212 United States
specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu
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.