Manchester College Archives and Brethren Historical Collection

Manchester College Collection

Title: William Stafford Collection
Number: MC2005/13
Size/Location: Large boxes 48 (Faculty Staff 3)
Citation: William Stafford Collection, MC2005/13, Archives and Brethren Historical Collection, Funderburg Library, Manchester College, North Manchester, Indiana.
Access and Reproduction: Researchers are responsible for determining copyright status of archived materials where this is relevant to their intended use of the materials.
Provenance:

William Stafford Archives and Lewis & Clark College Special Collections
Date of Accession: 17 August 2005
Biographical/Historical Note:

William Stafford (1914-1993), US Poet Laureate 1970, received Relief and Rehabilitation training in Civilian Public Service Camp 101 at Manchester College 1943, was member of MC English faculty 1955-56, and visited the college many other times. See enclosed letter for further information.
Scope and Content Note: File 1: William Stafford at Manchester College.

Contents: Enclosed correspondence describes contents in more detail.

Photocopies:

1943 time in CPS Camp 101

  1. untitled, unpublished poem dated 5 July 1943
  2. untitled, unpublished poem dated 6 July 1943
  3. letter to Mephisto, CPS friend, dated 6 July 1943
  4. "Life at Manchester" typed description of college, people and community, 3 pages

1955-56 MC English faculty

  1. letter to Dean Howard of Lewis & Clark College announcing Stafford's decision to take job at MC. "Manchester is a college I have been thinking about for a long time. Several of my friends are there; it is a school with a direction I sympathize with." 19 April 1955
  2. early drafts, typescripts, and published texts (photocopies) of poems written by Stafford 1955-56 at MC: "Sayings from the Northern Ice"; "Ice-Fishing"; "The Summons in Indiana"; "On Quitting a Little College"; "With My Crowbar Key"; "Fall Wind"; "The Farm on the Great Plains"

1979 Visit to Manchester College

  1. 12 April 1979 entry in travel journal
  2. 22 April 1979 letter to Paul Keller upon Keller's retirement from MC faculty
  3. typescript of unpublished poem "For Tippy" (Keller's dog) May 1956

F.O.R., the journal of the fellowship of reconciliation.  October, 1950, Vol. XVI - No. 9.  Cover poem by William Stafford.

Photographs from 1943, taken by Tom Polk Miller on CD:

  1. "Los Prietos Peacemakers." Back Row: Ed Crill, Bob Pope, Tom Polk Miller, Ron Gordley; Front Row: Dan Force, Bob Cochran, William Stafford, Caleb Frantz.
  2. "Do-si-do (and they had to draft us for this!)" Folk dance on lawn behind Administration building.
  3. "Samaritans" persons around a hospital bed (L to R) Louis Newman, Bob Cochran, (unidentified), (unidentified), Thurl Metzger, Bill Stafford, Ron Gordley, Dr. Carmen, and Dan Force.
  4. 'We have just begun to not fight.' Manchester Unit 1943" and Stafford's note adds "Manchester College CO Relief & Reconstruction Training Unit, July, 1943."
  5. Manchester College Fountain "From this you can't see the . . . ferns and violets . . . the water lilies floating . . ."
  6. "Giver of Middlewestern food and culture--Dan West" West instructing class of CPSers on lawn behind Administration Building

 

Description prepared 17 August 2005 by Travis E. Poling. Last updated 06 February 2007 by Jeanine Wine.

© Manchester College Archives and Brethren Historical Collection