John Cope Caldwell Papers
Scope and Contents
The John Cope Caldwell Papers contain travel diaries, correspondence, news reports and articles, book drafts, contracts, and photographs. The travel diaries cover Caldwell’s travels in Asia, Africa, and South America in 1955-1960 and 1963-1964. The correspondence contains hundreds of letters spanning 1943-1966. The news reports and articles contain documents from Nashville, Tennessee, papers and articles and short publications by Caldwell. The book drafts include material from 74 books, including several travel guides, written by Caldwell. The contracts include material related to Caldwell’s book deals. The photographs include photos from various countries which Caldwell visited on his travels.
Dates
- Creation: 1943 - 1969
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 Cope Caldwell (1913-1984), son of Mary Belle Cope and Harry Russel Caldwell, was born on 27 November 1913 in Fujian Province, China. His parents were Methodist missionaries from Tennessee. Caldwell completed his BA at Vanderbilt in 1935 and completed graduate coursework at the University of Tennessee from 1938-1940. He worked as the educational director of the UT Conservation Department from 1935-1943, the director of the Southeast China Branch of the Office of War Information in 1943, and the chief of Information and Cultural Activities, Far East Division, for the United States Department of State from 1944-1950. He went on to write for journals and newspapers and published several books about East Asia. Caldwell died in Nashville, Tennessee on 31 October 1984.
Full Extent
18.69 Linear Feet (44 letter Hollingers, 1 letter half-Hollinger)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The John Cope Caldwell Papers, 1943-1969, consist of the travel diaries, correspondence, news reports and articles, book drafts, contracts, and photographs of author and United States government official John Cope Caldwell, 1913-1984.
Topical
- Title
- Finding Aid for the John Cope Caldwell 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 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.