William Worden papers , 1910-1982

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Worden, William L.
Title
William Worden papers
Dates
1910-1982 (inclusive)
Quantity
5 linear feet, (5 containers)  :  1 manuscript box, 1 legal manuscript box, 1 clamshell box, 2 record storage boxes
Collection Number
Ax 638
Summary
William L. Worden (1910-1982) was a journalist who settled in the Pacific Northwest and wrote about the region. The collection consists of Worden's early correspondence and manuscripts, including manuscripts and research for his history of the Matson Navigation Company.
Repository
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.

Additional Reference Guides

Paper finding aid with additional information is available in Special Collections & University Archives.

See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for production of this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Historical NoteReturn to Top

William L. Worden (1910-1982) was born in Koshkonong, Missouri. His family moved to Fort Scott, Kansas, where Worden attended public schools. After graduating from Drake University in 1930, he joined the staff of the Omaha Bee-News as a reporter. After a brief stint in Omaha, Worden worked for various papers eventually landing at the Knoxville Tennessee Journal, where he served on the copy-desk, as Sunday editor, and as writer of a column, "Gay Talk", clippings of which are included in the collection.

Worden settled in the Pacific Northwest in 1933, working in newspapers and advertising in Portland, Oregon. From 1934 to 1944, he was an Associated Press correspondent in their San Francisco, Tacoma, Olympia, and Seattle offices. Worden also served as a war correspondent in Alaska and the Pacific. He covered the Pacific front for the Saturday Evening Post from 1944 to the conclusion of the war.

After World War II, Worden became a free lance writer, living in Tacoma and specializing in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and Western Canada. He wrote both journalism and fiction about these regions.

At the outbreak of the Korean conflict, Worden again signed on with the Saturday Evening Post as a contract writer in Korea and Japan for two years. In 1952, he returned to free-lancing as a regular contributor to the Post and other major magazines. Writings from this period show a fascination with "motor-yachting" in the Puget Sound-Western Canada-Inland Passage area. In 1959, Worden joined Boeing in Seattle, serving variously as Boeing Magazine's supervisor, financial writer, and International Public Relations manager. Copies of two Boeing Magazine articles are included in the collection.

Worden died in Washington in 1982.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection is organized into two major sections, the initial collection dating to 1971, and addenda of 1982.

The 1971 materials consist of correspondence, manuscripts, tearsheets, and clippings.

Correspondence consists of outgoing and incoming letters from 1944 to 1964. Major correspondents include D. E. Barbey and Dolly Connelly, as well as Brandt & Brandt (a New York literary agency) and the Saturday Evening Post.

The manuscripts are mainly magazine articles, including one unpublished article titled "A quiet place to stay", as well as two short stories.

The clippings consist of two unsorted folders of Worden's columns and news stories.

The 1982 addenda consists of manuscripts of and research for Worden's book Cargoes: Matson's First Century in the Pacific, a history of the first hundred years of the Matson Navigation Company. The research materials include interview records, correspondence, and brochures, among other materials, related to Matson Navigation Company.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Authors, American--20th century
  • Journalism--Authorship
  • Journalists--Northwest, Pacific
  • Journalists--United States

Personal Names

  • Barbey, Daniel E. (Daniel Edward), 1889-1969
  • Barbey, Daniel E. (Daniel Edward), 1889-1969
  • Connelly, Dolly
  • Worden, William L.
  • Worden, William L.

Corporate Names

  • Brandt & Brandt
  • Matson Navigation Company

Form or Genre Terms

  • Clippings
  • Correspondence
  • Manuscripts for publication