Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Allison H. Dean Papers, 1920-1990
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Dean, Allison H., 1897-
- Title
- Allison H. Dean Papers
- Dates
- 1920-1990 (inclusive)19201990
- Quantity
- 1.5 cubic feet, (5 document cases)
- Collection Number
- Coll 198
- Summary
- Papers of a real estate developer, architect, and amateur writer of Portland, Oregon, active in 1920s through the 1950s. Includes biographical materials, correspondence, and drafts of fiction and poetry.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Born in Scituate Harbor, Massachusetts, on February 2, 1897, Allison H. Dean spent his childhood on the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada, served in the Royal Air Force, and moved to Portland, Oregon in the mid-1920s to work as a real estate developer and architectural designer. He was a pioneer in the pre-fabricated homes industry starting in the 1940s. As an amateur actor and singer, he was active in local theater productions. He was a writer, working on poetry, autobiographical works, novels, short stories, and articles related to real estate beginning in the1930s. Some writings had success, but most went unpublished.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists of 5 boxes of material related to both Dean’s professional work in real estate and his endeavors in theater and writing. The collection contains personal and professional correspondence, newspaper and magazine clippings, original architectural drawings, theater programs, unpublished manuscripts, accounting records, photographs, and the collected writings of Queene B. Ryan (1891-1973), a friend of Dean’s.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright holders.
Preferred Citation
Allison H. Dean papers, Coll 198, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in the following series:
- Series A: Biographical
- Series B: Correspondence
- Series C: Writings
- Series D: Photograph
Acquisition Information
Acquired 2008, Library Accession 26550.
Related Materials
A collection of Allison H. Dean's photographs, including images of houses and house designs, in designated Org. Lot 187; and an oral history with Dean is designated SR 9057 -- both in the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series A: Biographical materials, 1924-1977Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | Career materials
|
1938-1969 |
| 1/2 | Career materials
|
1941-1977 |
| 1/3 | Account Book |
1931-1947 |
| 1/4 | Clippings
|
1931-1965 |
| 1/5 | Clippings
|
1930-1966 |
| 1/6 | Clippings
|
circa 1958-1959 |
| 1/7 | Queene B. Ryan
collection
|
circa 1920-1973 |
| 1/8 | Programs of theater
productions
|
circa 1930-1931 |
Series B: Correspondence, 1930-1990Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/9 | General, primarily with
publishers
|
1962-1990 |
| 1/10 | Publishers |
1930-1968 |
| 1/11 | Stout, Rex |
1974 |
| 1/12 | Willkie, Wendell |
1944 |
Series C: Writings, 1935-1976Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/1 | Professional documents, article
manuscript
|
1961-1976 |
| 2/2-2/6 | Novel, “Singer in the
Temple |
circa 1955 |
| 3/1-3/4 | Novel, “Singer in the
Temple |
circa 1955 |
| 3/5 | Political writings and
publications
|
1935 |
Short stories |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4/1 | “A Matter of
Experience” |
undated |
| 4/2 | “Angus
Rusk” |
undated |
| 4/3 | “Betting
Blacksmith”
Published in Sunday Empire, The Magazine of the Denver Post,
January 5, 1964
|
1964-1-5 |
| 4/4 | “Businessman's
Bible” |
undated |
| 4/5 | “Concrete
Bulls” |
1960 |
| 4/6 | “Dear
Teacher” |
undated |
| 4/7 | “Depends on How You
Say It” |
undated |
| 4/8 | “Flacon of
Parfum” |
undated |
| 4/9 | “From the Road to
the River” |
undated |
| 4/10 | “From the Road to
the River” |
undated |
| 4/11 | “From Under a
Bushel” |
undated |
| 5/1 | “Harvest
Idyll” |
undated |
| 5/2 | “John McCormack and
I” |
undated |
| 5/3 | “Jones For Joyous
Service” |
undated |
| 5/4 | “Life of a
Salesman” |
undated |
| 5/5 | “Lunch
Hour” |
1965 |
| 5/6 | “Man Who Saw
God” |
1964 |
| 5/7 | “Moonlight
Sonata” |
undated |
| 5/8 | “My
Garden” |
undated |
| 5/9 | “My Sod Home on the
Prairie”
Published in Sunday Empire, The Magazine of the Denver Post, May
16, 1965
|
1965-5-16 |
| 5/10 | “Ninety-Eight
Cents” |
undated |
| 5/11 |
“Organist” |
undated |
| 5/12 | “Prairie
Boy”
|
undated |
| 5/13 | “Second
Chance” |
undated |
| 5/14 | “Soddy” |
undated |
| 5/15 | “Sports
Day” |
undated |
| 5/16 | “They
Smiled” |
undated |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 5/17 | Speeches |
undated |
Series D: Photograph, 1950Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 5/18
Photograph of two women, tentatively identified as Dean’s daughters.
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Authors--Oregon.
- Prefabricated houses--Design and construction--Oregon--Portland.
- Real estate agents--Oregon--Portland.
- Theater--Oregon--Portland--History.
Personal Names
- Dean, Allison H., 1897- --Archives (creator)
- Ryan, Queene B.
Geographical Names
- Portland (Or.)--Biography
- Portland (Or.)--Buildings, structures, etc.
Form or Genre Terms
- Letters (correspondence)
- Manuscripts (for publication)
- Poems
