Louis C. Zucker papers, 1904-1982

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Zucker, Louis C., 1895-
Title
Louis C. Zucker papers
Dates
1904-1982 (inclusive)
Quantity
9 linear feet
Collection Number
MS 0485
Summary
The Louis C. Zucker papers (1904-1982) consist of personal materials; teaching materials relating to his teaching in English and Judaic studies; research on Rabbi Adolph H. Fink and Sara Teasdale; a section of the papers of Judge Herbert Schiller; religious materials including articles and addresses on Judaism and religion generally, songbooks, Jewish organizations, and holidays. Zucker was a professor of English at the University of Utah. He was also active in Jewish affairs and organizations in Salt Lake City.
Repository
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860

Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu
Access Restrictions

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Louis Clement Zucker was born April 10, 1895, to Polish-Jewish immigrant parents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Pennsylvania where he completed a bachelor of art (1919) and a master of art degree (1920) in English. In 1920, Zucker married Ethel Kaplan and the couple moved to Wisconsin where Zucker was employed as an instructor of English at the University of Wisconsin while he worked on a doctorate degree.

In 1928, Zucker moved to Salt Lake City to accept a position as assistant professor of English at the University of Utah. In addition to his duties as an English professor, he was active in promoting Judaic studies at the university, and taught courses in Hebrew, Yiddish, and Jewish law, literature, and history.

Zucker was well known for his research on the agricultural colony at Clarion, Utah. In 1967, he began collaborating with Juanita Brooks on her research into the history of Jews in Utah, and eventually edited Brooks's book, The History of the Jews in Utah. In 1962, Zucker collaborated with Leroy J. Robertson in translating the Israeli national anthem, "Hatikva," into English for the music Robertson had been commissioned to compose by Columbia Recording Studios.

In addition to his academic activities at the University of Utah, Louis Zucker was involved with the local Jewish community. He served as a board member of the Temple B'nai Israel, and as president of the Congregation Montefiore Religious School. Additionally, he was instrumental in the construction of the James L. White Jewish Community Center and a new synagogue in Salt Lake City.

Dr. Zucker was a board member of the Salt Lake Civic Music Association and the Utah chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. He was a charter member of most cultural and artistic organizations in Utah including the Utah Symphony Orchestra, Ballet West, and the Utah Heritage Foundation. Zucker served as secretary of the Utah Conference for Human Welfare, as chair of the humanities section of the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters, and was a book reviewer for both the Deseret News and the Salt Lake Tribune.

In 1977, Zucker donated funds for the construction of a fountain in Perception Garden at Memory Grove in Salt Lake City, as a memorial to his wife who had died in 1974. The Ethel Zucker Memorial Fountain was completed and dedicated in October 1981, six months before Louis C. Zucker himself passed away.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Louis C. Zucker spent most of his professional career at the University of Utah. He became an influential member of the Utah Jewish community and was active in promoting Judaic studies at the university. Dr. Zucker's papers were donated to the Marriott Library in 1982, by his son, Alex Wilson, and have been organized into the four sections: personal, religious, University of Utah, and miscellaneous materials.

The personal section of the collection contains information on Zucker and his family. Additional materials include personal correspondence, poetry, information on awards Zucker received, and materials relating to his doctoral thesis.

Dr. Zucker collected, as well as authored, numerous articles and addresses on religious topics. These items comprise the largest portion of the religious section and can be located in boxes five and six. Other materials in the religious section include prayer and song books, information on Jewish organizations Zucker affiliated with, and material on Jewish holidays.

As a professor at the University of Utah, Zucker taught numerous courses in English and Judaic studies. The third section of the collection contains lecture notes, exams, and other materials used in his classes. Also, materials pertaining to Zucker's association with the Middle East Center and the University of Utah Libraries can be located in this section.

The final section of the collection consists of a wide assortment of materials Zucker collected. Of particular interest are the materials related to Rabbi Adolph H. Fink, who was active in the anti-Nazi movement in the United States prior to and during the Second World War, and letters and poetry written by early twentieth- century American poet, Sara Teasdale. Additionally, Zucker acquired a portion of Judge Herbert Schiller's personal papers. These can be located in boxes seventeen and eighteen.

Along with the written materials, an authentic Sumerian cuneiform tablet accompanied the Zucker collection. The tablet is now housed in the Rare Books Division of Special Collections.

Historical charts of French, German, and Spanish literature, as well as a drawing of a perception fountain, are located in the map case.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Preferred Citation

Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Organized in four sections: I. Personal; II. Religious; III. University of Utah; IV. Miscellaneous.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Alex Wilson in 1982.

Processing Note

Processed by Suzanne M. Stauffer, Allesen Peck, and Lynette Peck in 1988.

Separated Materials

Photographs transferred to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections (P0313).

Audio tape of interviews transferred to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections (A0298).

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

I:  Personal MaterialsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
General Materials
Box Folder
1 1
Louis C. Zucker Vitae
1 2-4
Anatole France Zucker (son)
Court records, transcripts of testimonies, letters entered as evidence, and other materials pertaining to the petition of Anatole Zucker for adoption by Alexander and Ruth Wilson Levinson.
1 5
Miscellaneous Financial Material
1 6
National Jewish Welfare Board Distinguished Service Certificate
1 7
B'nai B'rith Outstanding Service Award
 1963
1 8
Salt Lake Hadassah Chapter Award
 1962
1 9-12
Zucker, Poetry
1 13
Address--"A New Look at the Problem of Criminal Responsibility"
1 14
Drayton's Pastorials
Word index compiled by Zucker.
1 15
Miscellaneous Material
Education
Box Folder
2 1-3
University of Pennsylvania
Miscellaneous notebooks and classwork.
2 4-16
University of Wisconsin
Doctoral thesis material, 1920-1928.
Personal Materials--Ethel Zucker
Box Folder
3 1
Correspondence
 1920-1942
3 2
State Training School Association for Retarded Children
 1964-1967
3 3
Miscellaneous Certificates
3 4-8
Get Well Cards
 1974
3 9
Obituary and Memorials
 1974-1975
3 10-17
Letters of Condolence
 1974-1975
3 18-21
Memorial Contributions
3 22-25
Ethel Zucker Memorial Fountain
Correspondence, pamphlets, dedication materials, and newsclippings.
Box
4
Personal Correspondence
 1916-1982

II:  Religious MaterialsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Articles and Addresses
Box Folder
5 1-8
Zucker, "Joseph Smith as a Student of Hebrew"
5 9-21
Zucker, "Mormon and Jew: Meeting on the American Frontier"
5 22
Davis Bitton, "Anti-Intellectualism in Mormon History"
 1966
5 23
J. H. Benton, "The Book of Common Prayer: Its Origin and Growth"
 1910
5 24
Zucker, "What is A Pharisee?"
 1970
6 1
Rabbi Aryeh Lew, "Response To Chaplains"
 1953
6 2
Samuel Sandmel, "Role of the Rabbi"
6 3
Zucker, "Jews of Salt Lake City: Our Background"
6 4
Zucker, "Judaism"
 1979
6 5
Harry Orlinsky, "The Septuagint: The Oldest Translation of the Bible"
 1949
6 6
Leo Jung, "What is Judaism?"
 1944
6 7
Ellis Rivkin, "A Decisive Pattern in American Jewish History"
 1969
6 8
Ellis Rivkin, "Defining the Pharisees: The Tannaitic Sources"
 1970
6 9
Ellis Rivkin, "The Meaning of the Messiah in Jewish Thought"
 1971
6 10
Ellis Rivkin, "Pharisaism and Crisis of Individual in Greco-Roman World"
6 11
Ellis Rivkin, "Zeitlin's Contribution to Understanding the Second Commonwealth"
 1964
6 12
Ellis Rivkin, "Ben Sira and the Non-Existence of the Synagogue"
 1969
6 13
Ellis Rivkin, "Modern Trends in Judaism"
 1959
6 14
Ellis Rivkin, "History of the Jews"
6 15
Henry Slonimsky, "The Philosophy Implicit in the Midrash"
 1956
6 16
Leon Zucker, "What Judaism Teaches About God"
6 17
Marc Chagall, "Ten Prints: Illustrations of the Bible"
6 18
"The New Literature of an Ancient People"
6 19
Abraham J. Heschel, "Existence and Celebration"
 1965
6 20-21
Arnold H. Green, "Survey of L.D.S. Proselyting to the Jewish People"
 1968
6 22
Sermons on the Readings from the Prophets
6 23
Sermons on the Torah Readings
6 24
Cyrus H. Gordans, "Homer and the Bible"
 1955
6 25
A. Biran, "Archaelogical Activities"
 1968
Religious Organizations and Books
Box Folder
7 1-13
The Society of Biblical Literature
Programs, speeches, and notes.
1950-1970
7 14-17
Union of American Hebrew Congregations
Articles and miscellaneous material.
1957-1971
7 18
National Council of Jewish Women, Salt Lake City Chapter
Membership list.
1965-1966
7 19
Hadassah Roster
7 20
Jewish Relief Society
Statement of purpose.
7 21
Congregation Kol Ami Dedication
Articles, program, and newsclippings.
7 22
Correspondence with Miscellaneous Jewish Organizations
 1968-1973
Volume
7 1
J. Seixas, Hebrew Grammar
With annotations by Zucker.
1981
General Religious Materials
Box Folder
8 1-3
Passover Services
8 4
Hanukkah
8 5
Assorted Holiday Materials
8 6
Jewish Music
8 7
American Jewish Tercentenary
 1954
8 8-9
Centennial of Jews in Utah
Correspondence, articles, and programs.
1981
8 10
James L. White Jewish Community Center Dedication Program
 1959
8 11
Cuneiform Tablet
Documentation and related notes only. The tablet itself is housed in the Rare Books Division of Special Collections.
8 12
Martin Buber
Notes.
8 13
Haim Nahman Bialik
Notes.
8 14
General Material

III:  University of Utah MaterialsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Course Materials
Box Folder
9 1
English 142
9 2-3
English 165
9 4-6
English 250
9 7
Political Science 223, Hebrew Law
9 8
Old Testament as World Literature
9 9
Jewish Literature Since the Bible
9 10
Hebrew 2R
9 11
World Religions, Summer Institute
 1961
9 12-22
General Course Materials
10
General Course Materials
Student Papers
Box Folder
11 1
Robert F. Bennett, "Moses"
11 2
Lynn Bennion, "Examination of References to Egypt of the Exodus"
 1942
11 3
Blanche Cannon, "Dombey and Son...Almost a Tragedy"
11 4
Ann Chamberlin, "Modern Israeli Folk Dance"
 1974
11 5
William Mulder, "Relation Between Righteousness and Prosperity"
11 6
Sister M. Philip, "Hebraism in the Psalms"
11 7
Alexander Schreiner, "The Music of Biblical Times"
 1950
11 8
John A. Tvedtnes, "The Jews in Moslem Spain"
11 9
Larry Wilcox, "Comparative Analysis of Bible Found in Book of Mormon"
 1949
Middle East Center and University of Utah Libraries
Box Folder
12 1-10
Middle East Center
Departmental correspondence, gifts, graduate studies program, and other material.
12 11
Louis and Ethel Zucker Prize for Hebrew Studies
 1971-1980
12 12
Yiddish Material
12 13
Friends of the Library Newsletters
 1973
12 14
University of Utah Libraries Gifts
 1964-1973
12 15-20
University of Utah Libraries Judaica Collection
Correspondence, contributions, fund raisers, and collection development policy.
1946-1979
12 21
Learning Center and Library Dedication
Newsclippings, program, and correspondence.
1968
12 22
Louis C. Zucker Gift to the Marriott Library
Correspondence regarding Zucker's donation of an Epstein portrait and metal stamps of Israel.
1971
General University of Utah Material
Box Folder
13 1
Albert Ray Olpin Inauguration
Program and correspondence.
1946
13 2
James C. Fletcher Inauguration
Program.
1964
13 3
David Gardner Inauguration
Program and correspondence.
1973
13 4
Louis C. Zucker Retirement and Emeritus Appointments
 1962-1981
13 5-6
University of Utah Centennial
Programs and other material.
1950
13 7
School Song Contest
 1934-1935
13 8
English Department Newsletters
 1956-1975
13 9
Lecture Series Announcements
 1930-1955

IV:  General MaterialsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
14 1-4
Good Reading
Correspondence, manuscripts, and published editions.
1944-1967
14 5-6
Jews In Utah Lecture Series, Utah Heritage Foundation
Notes and miscellaneous materials.
1981
14 7
Israel
Miscellaneous material pertaining to Israel.
14 8
"Hatikva"
Materials relating to Zucker's translation of the Israeli national anthem. Included are correspondence, notes, articles, and a copy of the song.
14 9-14
History of Jews in Utah
Manuscript and correspondence with Juanita Brooks regarding the book.
1967-1969
14 15
Jewish Cultural Exhibit at Children's Museum of Utah
Correspondence and notes.
1980-1981
14 16-26
Clarion, Utah
Correspondence, research notes, newsclippings, and articles.
1904-1970
15 1
Brandeis University Presidential Inauguration
Program and correspondence.
1948
15 2
Gilbert Murray, The Stoic Philosophy
15 3
Mayor's Prayer Breakfast
Program and miscellaneous material.
1977
15 4-5
Utah State University Visiting Professor Program
Correspondence and articles.
1967-1970
15 6
Capital Punishment
Notes.
15 7
Garreta Helen Busey, "Reflection of Positivism in English Literature"
 1924
15 8
American Civil Liberties Union
Correspondence and newsletters.
1967-1972
15 9
Oriental-Western Literary and Cultural Relations Conference
Correspondence, articles, and travel materials.
1988
15 10
Joseph Rosenblatt
Correspondence.
1969
15 11
Simon Bamberger
Correspondence and articles.
15 12
Solomon Numes Carvalho
Miscellaneous notes and correspondence.
15 13
International Comparative Literature Association
Programs and miscellaneous material.
1958
15 14
William Mulder
Fulbright Fellowship recommendation.
15 15
Miscellaneous Material
Books
The books in this series are from Zucker's personal collection. All of the books contain handwritten notes by Zucker, and many of them have been autographed by the authors.
Box Volume
16 1
Leonard J. Arrington, The Price of Prejudice
1962
16 2
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engles, The Communist Manifesto
1948
16 3
Louis Locke, William Gibson, George Arms, Introduction to Literature
1948
Folder
16 4
Cynthia A. Pugh, A Book of Short Stories
1931
16 5
Fawn M. Brodie, Thaddeus Stevens
1959
16 6
Roger Loomis, Donald Clark, Modern English Readings
1939
16 7
Albert Einstein, Ideas and Opinions
1954
16 8
E. M. Forster, A Passage to India
1952
Volume
16 9
Grant Overton, Great Modern Short Stories
1930
Folder
16 10
John Stuart Mill, On Liberty
1947
16 11
Robert Browning, Pippa Passes
1926
Herbert Schiller
Box Folder
17 1-4
Herbert Schiller Estate
Correspondence, will, tributes, certificates, and miscellaneous material.
1910-1965
Volume
17 1
"Corporate Proceedings of Continental Cleaning and Dyeing Company"
 1928-1951
Folder
17 5-11
Hebert Schiller Files, A-E
Speeches, articles, and other miscellaneous materials arranged alphabetically.
18
Herbert Schiller Files, F-Z
Speeches, articles, and other miscellaneous materials arranged alphabetically.
Fink and Teasdale materials
Box Folder
19 1-4
Rabbi Adolph H. Fink
Correspondence, newsclippings, and miscellaneous material.
19 5
Sarah Teasdale
Poetry and Correspondence
General Materials
Box Folder
20 1
Utah Jewish Family Genealogies: Cohn, Hirschman, and Friedman
20 2
Correspondence with Bernice Tumen concerning Genealogies
20 3
Various Correspondence
 1966-1981
20 4
Newspaper Clippings
 1980-1981
20 5
Newspaper Clippings
 1980-1981
20 6
Materials from Congregation Kol Ami
Includes a program from the cornerstone dedication (1976), and various congregational announcements.
1975-1981
20 7
The Voice of Kol Ami Newsletters
 1977-1979
20 8
Jerry Gephart, "Jewish Assimilation Takes an Unusual Form"
Concerning the merger of the two Jewish congregations in Salt Lake City.
1971
20 9
Jack Goodman, "Jews in Zion"
20 10
Materials Concerning Utah's Jewish Community
20 11
Newsletters and annoucements of Utah's Jewish Community
20 12
Periodicals and Articles from National Jewish Organizations
21 1
Salt Lake City Illustrated
1887
21 2
Newsletters Concerning Utah
21 3
Collected Magazine Articles, Advertisements, and Flyers
21 4-7
Notes
21 8
Zucker, drafts of The Jews of Salt Lake City: Our Background
21 9
Drafts for papers on History of the Jews
Writing and Correspondence
Box Folder
22 1
Zucker, Writings
22 2-3
General Correspondence
 1928-1980
22 4
Ethel Zucker Postcards
These postcards are from Ethel Zucker's youth and are written in Russian.
22 5
Correspondence with Mordecai Gorelik
22 6
Correspondence with the Jewish Institute of Religion
22 7
Correspondence About James G. McDonald Luncheon
 1947-1948
22 8
University of Utah Correspondence
22 9
Correspondence, University of Utah and Israeli Consulate
Correspondence through Zucker concerning possible Israeli students to study at the University of Utah.
22 10
Notes Concerning University of Utah Middle East Center
The University of Utah
Box Folder
23 1
University of Utah Announcements and Pamphlets
23 2
Judaica Library Project at the University of Utah
 1946-1972
23 3
University of Utah Library Materials
23 4
Other Judaica and Hebraica Collections
23 5
Class Sylabi
23 6-7
Class Papers
Jewish History, Education and Literature
Box Folder
24 1
Jewish Congregations in Utah, Notes
24 2
Kol Ami and B'Nai Israel Materials
Kol Ami and B'Nai Israel are synagogues in Salt Lake City.
24 3
George Washington on Judaism in America
24 4
Israel Academy
24 5
Judaism and Other Religious Culture
24 6
Jewish History and Literature
24 7
Jewish Literature and Zionism
24 8
Article and Other Material on Esther and Job
24 9
Papers and Pamphlets on Judaism
24 10
The Reconstructionist
The Reconstructionist is a Jewish Cultural Journal.
24 11
Hebrew University Materials
Judaism and Hebrew Materials
Box Folder
25 1-2
Newsletters
25 3
Hebrew Materials and Notes
25 4
Photocopies of Hebrew Manuscript
25 5
Yiddish Materials
25 6
The Jewish Experience
25 7
Anti-Semitism
25 8
Book Reviews and Advertisements
General Materials
Box Folder
26 1
Anniversary Celebrations at Universities
 1936-1940
26 2
Maps and Atlases
26 3
The Dybbuk
26 4
Saul Bellow Materials
26 5
Lucius Marsden Durham, "Dante Today"
 1941
26 6
Emma Kafler Helwing, "My Neighbors and I"
26 7
Pamphlets and Notes
26 8
Notes and Correspondence
26 9
General Papers and Pamphlets
Articles and Notes
Box Folder
27 1
News and Feature Articles
27 2-6
Notes
28 1-4
Notes
28 5-6
Newspaper Clippings
29
Newspaper Clippings
 1932-1981

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Jewish college teachers--Utah
  • Jews, American--Utah
  • Jews--Study and teaching--Utah
  • Jews--Utah

Personal Names

  • Fink, Adolph H., Rabbi
  • Schiller, Herbert, Judge
  • Teasdale, Sara, 1884-1933

Corporate Names

  • Ethel Zucker Memorial Fountain (Salt Lake City, Utah)
  • University of Utah--Faculty

Geographical Names

  • Clarion Colony (Utah)--History

Form or Genre Terms

  • Articles
  • Correspondence
  • Lecture notes
  • Memorabilia

Finding aid prepared by Suzanne M. Stauffer, Allesen Peck, Lynette Peck
1988 (last modified: 2019)

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