Jesse Stuart Collection
Scope and Contents
This collection contains papers related to author and educator Jesse Stuart dating from 1937-1987, mostly consisting of correspondence to and from Stuart and inscribed items.
Part of this collection also contains correspondence between Jesse Stuart and the Mississippi-born, Massachusetts-based fellow educator and collector, James C. Mitchell. In the letters Stuart discusses book collecting, his travel plans and speaking schedules, his works-in-progress and future publications, and the pride he has in his daughter Jane's work.
Also included are letters from the artist and illustrator Robert G. Henneberger, color photographs, a number of Stuart family Christmas cards, a broadside and theatre program both inscribed by Stuart, and the typescript of a poem on Dean Martin which has been signed and dated by Stuart.
Dates
- Creation: 1937 - 1987
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1966 - 1977
Language of Materials
English
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
Jesse Hilton Stuart (August 8, 1906 – February 17, 1984) was an author, teacher, and school administrator known for his short stories, poetry, novels as well as non-fiction autobiographical works set in Appalachia.
Timeline
- August 8, 1907
- Born in Riverton, Kentucky, son of Mitchell and Martha Stuart
- October 1939
- Married Naomi Dean Norris
- 1929
- A.B. Degree from Lincoln Memorial University
- 1931-1932
- Attended Vanderbilt University and Peabody College. Worked as a farmer, newspaper editor, and steel mill laborer, and also taught school in Greenup County, Kentucky and Portsmouth, Ohio.
- 1932-1934
- Superintendent of Greenup County schools
- 1934
- Jeannette Sewal Davis poetry prize
- 1937
- Guggenheim fellowship
- 1941
- Academy of Arts and Sciences award for Men of the Mountains
- 1954
- Made poet laureate of Kentucky
- 1955
- Berea College Centennial award for literature
- 1961
- Academy of American Poets award
- 1960-1961
- Visiting Professor of English and Education, The American University, Cairo, Egypt
- 1962-1963
- American specialist abroad for Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, State Department
- February 17, 1984
- Died, Ironton, Ohio
Full Extent
0.21 Linear Feet (1 letter half-Hollinger)
Abstract
This collection contains papers related to author and educator Jesse Stuart dating from 1937-1987, mostly consisting of correspondence to and from Stuart and inscribed items. Part of this collection contains correspondence between Stuart and and fellow educator and collector, James C. Mitchell.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
An addition to this collection was purchased in 2019.
Topical
- Title
- Finding Aid for the Jesse Stuart Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Zach Johnson
- Date
- revised May 2019
- 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.