Ralph Elijah Cloward papers

Ralph Elijah Cloward papers, 1911-1967

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Cloward, Ralph Elijah, 1883-1964
Title: Ralph Elijah Cloward papers
Dates: 1911-1967 (inclusive)
19111967
Quantity: 3 linear feet
Collection Number: MS 0243
Summary: The Ralph Elijah Cloward papers (1911-1967) consists of biographical information, family correspondence, articles and correspondence by Cloward on medicine, religion, the United Nations, politics, education, military philosophy, China, communism, India, the LDS Church, and Samoa. Cloward (1883-1964) was a doctor who had a great concern for the people of Samoa, as well as other Polynesian people, and their welfare.
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

Ralph Elijah Cloward (1883-1964) was born on 21 April 1883. He was raised in Utah as a member of the LDS Church. He spent three years, 1904-1907, serving a proselytizing mission in Samoa. His stay there created a life-long interest in the Samoan people and their welfare. Shortly after his return from the Pacific, Cloward married Virginia Staker and began classes at the University of Utah. After graduation Cloward went east to study medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated in 1913 and returned to Price, Utah to begin his practice.

The world unrest in the early 1900s caused Cloward to join the Medical Reserve Corps. He was commissioned a First Lieutenant on 16 July 1917. When the United Stated entered the first World War (WWI) his reserve group was activated. In August 1917, Cloward was sent to Fort Riley, Kansas for training. By June of the following year he was in Liverpool, England with the fourth Sanitary Train headed for France. While in France, Cloward worked near the front lines in various ambulance dressing stations as well as the field hospital at Cuisy before being promoted to Captain and commander of Ambulance Company number nineteen. He also served as commander of Ambulance Company number twenty-eight, in Germany, in early 1919. Captain Cloward was given an honorable discharge in 1919.

For four months in 1919 and 1920, Cloward took postgraduate courses in eye, ear, nose and throat (EENT) at Harvard University, before re-enlisting in the Army Medical Corps as a Captain. While in the Army he worked at his profession and took various military courses including those qualifying him as a flight surgeon. After transferring to Hawai'i, in 1926, Cloward resigned his commission to accept a position as an EENT specialist at The Clinic. He continued to practice medicine in Hawai'i, including doing necessary surgery at various island charitable hospitals until 1939. Cloward officially retired on 15 July 1939, because heart ailment and Parkinson's disease made it impossible for him to perform surgery.

After a period of travel, Cloward settled in Los Angeles, California, in 1940. He reintegrated himself with the LDS Church community there and eventually found himself in conflict with many of the teachings and practices of the church. He wrote numerous letters to LDS Church authorities seeking definitive historical and archeological proof that the Book of Mormon was actually the history of the people of ancient America. Cloward also conducted vigorous letter writing campaigns for socialized medicine, civil rights for the people of American Samoa, and other subjects he found of interest. He wrote many articles on these subjects although few were published. Having earlier been divorced from Virginia, Cloward married Elizabeth (Betty) Connoly in Honolulu, on 4 July 1939. In 1960, he and Betty, took a trip around the world. They visited many of the countries behind the Iron Curtain and wrote letters, to their family, filled with their impressions of people, their social, economic, and political systems, and the places they visited. Upon returning they settled in Honolulu. Cloward died in Honolulu on 7 May 1964, at the age of eighty-one.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Ralph Elijah Cloward papers (1911-1967) consists of correspondence and articles on subjects of interest to Cloward. The collection contains personal materials, as well as correspondence, articles and other information regarding China, Communism, education, India, the LDS Church, medicine, military philosophy, politics, religion, Samoa, the United Nations, and other topics of interest to Cloward and his colleagues. There are several correspondence regarding the topics mentioned above, with Sterling McMurrin, a former US Commissioner of Education, Israel A. Smith, the former president of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now the Community of Christ), James A. Pike, a controversial Catholic Bishop of California, and others.

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

Acquisition Information

Donated by Mrs. W.M. Clinger in 1968.

Processing Note

Processed by Marlene Lewis in 1980.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Personal Materials, Correspondence, Articles, and EducationReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
1	1	Personal Materials This folder contains papers reflecting Cloward's personal life, including a chronology written in 1941, information on various licenses to practice medicine, and an address on Cloward family history given by Cloward at the celebration of the centennial of the Cloward family in Utah, and other related items.	1911-1962
1	2-3	Cloward Family Correspondence These correspondence describe various countries and people Cloward encountered in his trip around the world.	1960
1	4	Genevieve McDermott Correspondence These correspondence with Cloward express opinions regarding private and public education and religion.	1956-1963
1	5	Charles A. Moore Buddhist Philosophy Correspondence	1956-1959
1	6	Herond H. Sheranian Correspondence These correspondence are about religion, the LDS Church, and family events.	1949-1962
1	7	C. Neils Taveres Justice and Law Correspondence	1961-1963
1	8-12	Personal Correspondence	1948-1964
1	13-15	Honolulu, Hawai'i, Star Bulletin Correspondence This folder contains Cloward's opinions on issues of the day. Some of these letters were not meant for publication.	1961-1964
1	16-17	Publication Correspondence These letters express Cloward's opinions set to various publications in Hwawai'i and on the mainland.	1945-1963
1	18-19	Cloward Articles These folders contain articles submitted to for possible publication, as well as articles on a variety of subjects of interest to Cloward.
1	20	Cloward Public and Private Education Articles
1	21	Education Articles This folder contains articles from various magazines about education in the United States.
1	22	Newspaper Clippings
1	23	California Public Education Correspondence and Information	1962
1	24	Hawai'i Public and Private Education Correspondence and Information	1962-1964
1	25-26	Kamehameha Schools This folder contains correspondence, information, and newspaper clippings about boys' and girls' schools in Hwawai'i and their system of instruction which stresses the Hawai'ian culture.	1962
1	27-28	United States Department of Health, Educaiton, and Welfare This folder contains correspondence and information about public support of education and the educational system in the United States.	1961-1963
1	29-30	University of Hawai'i This folder contains correspondence and newspaper clippings about the inauguration of Thomas H. Hamilton as university president. Cloward was asked by University of Utah president, A. Ray Olpin, to represent the University of Utah at the ceremonies. Included is Cloward's report on the inauguration.	1963

Education, India, and MedicineReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
2	1	University of Hawai'i This folder contains correspondence with Cloward and various staff members, about education.	1961-1962
2	2-4	University of Hawai'i East-West Culture Center These folders contain correspondence, reports, information, and newspaper clippings about the center and its funcitons.	1961-1962
2	5-6	Philosopher's Conferences These folders contain texts of papers read at the Philosophers' Conferences sponsored by the University of Hawai'i East-West Culture Center. Also included are notes, programs, and newspaper clippings.	1959-1964
2	7-9	India Correspondence, Articles, and Information These folders contain correspondence from Shri Kuldip Singh Aneja, about India, and include three hand painted greeting cards. Also included are correspondence about a possible visit to India, about Indian and Hindu philosophy, some lists of books about India, and other information.	1959-1964
2	10	Medicine Correspondence This folder contains correspondence, with various doctors and medical groups, about medical problems and statistics.	1927-1963
2	11	Published Medicine Articles This folder contains Cloward's articles on medical and diagnostic problems, which were published in the "Proceedings of the Staff Meetings of The Clinic."	1925-1937
2	12-14	Unpublished Medicine Articles These folders contain unpublished Cloward articles, about medical cases, medicine and society, and the use of tobacco.
2	15	Ralph Bingham Cloward Medicine Articles This folder contains published articles written by Cloward's son.	1952-1957
2	16	Medicine Articles	1962-1965
2	17	Medicine Newspaper Clippings
2	18-20	Americn Physicians Art Association These folders contain materials from American Physicians Art Association, of which Cloward was a member. Included are correspondence about the yearly exhibits and prizes won by Cloward, newsletters, and catalogues of the annual exhibits.	1944-1949
2	21	American Physicians Literary Guild This folder contains correspondence about publishing "The White Rose of England," a book written by Dr. and Mrs. Cloward. A summary of the book is included.	1947-1949
2	22	Cloward's Hawai'i Medical Practice Correspondence This folder contains correspondence concerning Cloward's medical practice at "The Clinic" in Hawai'i as well as his assignments to work in certain hospitals by the territorial board of health.	1932-1939
2	23	Midwinter Clinical Course This folder contains rosters for a course in ophthalmology and otolaryngology.	1934-1938
2	24	Phi Beta Pi Medical Fraternity Correspondence and Newsletters

Medicine and Military PhilosophyReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
3	1	Socialized Medicine Correspondence	1949-1963
3	2-4	Cloward Socialized Medicine Articles These folders also Cloward's "The Confessions of a Doctor," and "Should the State Control the Practice of Medicine?"
3	5-8	Socialized Medicine and Great Britain Medical System Articles	1959-1962
3	9	University of Maryland Alumni Association Correspondence This folder also contains Cloward's summary of his life since graduation.	1963
3	10	Cloward's University of Minnesota Anatomy Drawings
3	11	Utah State Legislature Correspondence This folder contains correspondence between Cloward and members of the Utah State Legislature, to provide funding to establish hospitals in each county in the state. A copy of the proposed bill is included.	1916-1917
3	12-16	Military Order of the World Wars Correspondence These folders also contain a series of correspondence between Cloward and military authorities at Fort Shafter, Hawai'i, concerning his access to the post for meetings of the group. Also included are some rosters, and pamphlets issued by the organization.	1961-1966
3	17	National Fourth Infantry (IVY) Division Association This folder contains Clwoard's dues card and a letter acknowledging payment.	1964
3	18-19	Cloward WWI Military Records These folders contain Clowards special orders, reports, and other information about his military career in the medical corps.	1917-1926
3	20	Tripler Hospital Correspondence This folder contains correspondence about the excellent medical treatment Cloward received there, and about care of Samoans living in Hawai'i.	1957-1961
3	21-22	Veterans Administration and Disability Pension Correspondence	1941-1962
3	23-24	Cloward Philosophy Articles These folder contain Cloward's aritcles on various types of philosophy, charts on branches of philosophy, and newspaper clippings.

PoliticsReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
4	1	Dwight D. Eisenhower, Foreign Policy Correspondence	1958
4	2	Hiram L. Fong, Socialized Medicine and Medicare Correspondence	1962
4	3	J. William Fullbright, Communism and Soman Scholarship Correspondence	1961
4	4-6	Thomas P. Gill, Campaign Articles and Correspondence	1962-1963
4	7	Daniel K. Inouye, Somoa, National Debt, and Political Issues Correspondence	1962-1964
4	8	John F. Kennedy, Somoa and Socialized Medicine Correspondence	1961-1962
4	9	Oren E. Long, Somoa, Socialized Medicine, Aging, and Education Correspondences	1961-1962
4	10	Wayne Morse, Samoa Correspondence	1960-1961
4	11	Richard M. Nixon Correspondence This folder contains correspondence about Cloward's paper, entitled, "The Church and the State."	1959
4	12-16	James Roosevelt, Israel, Education, Civil Rights, Samoa, and Socialized Medicine Correspondence	1955-1963
4	17	Various Political Figures Correspondence	1940-1963
4	18	China Articles	1961-1967
4	19-21	Communism Correspondence and Artilces These folders contains correspondence and magazine articles about the Alger Hiss case. There are also some of Cloward's communism articles.	1956-1967
4	22-23	Cloward, Freedom of the Press Articles	1962-1964
4	24-25	Israel Correspondence These folders contain correspondence and statements about Arab-Jewish relations and the state of Israel with Henry A. Wallace and various Jewish leaders. Also included are articles written by Cloward.	1948-1962
4	26	Cloward, Segregation Articles This folder contains articles about Cloward's opposition to racial segregation, from a scientific standpoint.
4	27-30	Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Articles
4	31-34	Cloward, United Nations Articles These folders includ Cloward's "Red China and the United Nations," "United Nations and International Communism," and "United Nations in World Affairs," as well as other information and articles.
4	35	United States Government and Legislation Articles	1961-1962

ReligionReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
5	1	Charles S. Casassa Correspondence Casassa was the president of Loyola University of Los Angeles. These correspondence are about the controversy between public secular education and private religious education.	1955
5	2	Robert R. Mackey Correspondence Mackey was president of the Catholic Chaminade College of Honolulu. These correspondence are about public secular eduation and private religious educaiton.	1961-1963
5	3	James A. Pike Correspondence Pike was the Catholic Bishop of California and a controversial figure in the Catholic Church. These correspondence are about religious subjects, and include newspaper clippings about Pike.	1957-1960
5	4	Cloward and Clergymen Correspondence	1949-1963
5	5-9	Cloward Religion Articles Among the articles in these folders are, "The Evolution of Religion and Architecture," "Prologominia to the Religions of India," and "The State and the Church."
5	10-11	Religion Statements Articles
5	12	John T. Bernhard Correspondence These correspondence concern religious philosophy and the theology of the LDS Church.	1947-1952
5	13	Adam S. Bennion Correspondence This folder contains a letter to Bennion criticizing his conduct as a speaker in an LDS Church meeting.	1953
5	14	Hugh B. Brown Correspondence These correspondence concern policies and practices of the LDS Church, and proof that the Book of Mormon was actually translated by Joseph Smith in the manner in which the chruch claims.	1952-1963
5	15	Richard Evans Correspondence This series of letters concerns the program "The Spoken Word" in which Cloward takes Evans to task for his editorials and offers his own opinions on various religious subjects, especially concerning the LDS Church.	1941-1959
5	16	Wells M. Jakeman Correspondence Jakeman was a professor of archaeology at Brigham Young University. These correspondence concern archaeological proofs of the Book of Mormon.	1955-1958
5	17	David O. McKay Correspondence These correspondence concern church service conduct, and the Book of Mormon.	1952-1955
5	18-19	Sterling McMurrin Correspondence McMurrin was a member of the Department of Philosopy at the University of Utah, and he was the United States commissioner of Education. These correspondence discuss religious philosophy, the Book of Mormon, the LDS Church, and religious influence in public educaiton, as well as other subjects of interest to both McMurrin and Cloward.	1947-1963
5	20	Hugh Nibley Correspondence These correspondence concern anthropological proofs of the Book of Mormon.	1950-1956
5	21	LeGrande Richards Correspondence These correspondence are about the Book of Mormon and the LDS religion.	1958-1962
5	22	Israel A. Smith Correspondence Smith was the president of the Reorganized Churdch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now the Community of Christ). These correspondence concern the Book of Mormon. The correspondence open amicably but degenerates into controlled hostility on both sides.	1955
5	23	John L. Sorenson Correspondence These correspondence are concerned with the authenticity of the Book of Mormon and include a paper on Central American archaeology, written by Sorenson.	1956
5	24	Kimball Young Correspondence Young was a professor of sociology at Northwestern University. These correspondence are concerned with historical or archaeological evidence to support the Book of Mormon.	1955
5	25	Levi Edgar Young Correspondence These correspondence are concerned with religious philosophy and the dietary rules of the "Word of Wisdom."	1950-1956
5	26	Book of Mormon Correspondence This folder contains correspondence between Cloward and various scholars seeking information about historical or archaeological evidence which would prove or disprove the story offered by the Book of Mormon.	1950-1964
5	27	Improvement Era Correspondence This folder contains correspondence and a "letter to the editor" about an article on the "Word of Wisdom" which was submitted by Cloward and rejected for publication.	1962-1963
5	28	Los Angles Stake Correspondence This folder contains correspondence between Cloward and his local church leaders about tithing, the conduct of the church meetings, and other religious concerns. Also included are two of Cloward's temple recommends.	1948-1958
5	29	Correspondence This folder contains correspondence about the membership and financial status of the LDS Church in Hawai'i, and the resignation of Ernest L. Wilkinson as president of Brigham Young University to seek the Republican Party nomination to stand for the United States Senate for Utah.	1958-1964
5	30-31	Cloward LDS Articles This folder contains Cloward's articles about the LDS Church, including "More Mormon 'Gobble Dy Gook'," written in response to an article in magazine titled "Memo from a Mormon," about the Mormon Church policy toward Blacks.
5	32	Cloward Religious Speech This folder contains remarks and short addresses, made by Cloward, on religious subjects at various LDS Church functions.
5	33	Sterling McMurrin Speech Notes and Information These are notes and copies of McMurrin's addresses "The Patterns of Our Religious Faiths," and "Higher Education and Human Values" as well as some newspaper clippings.
5	34-35	Humanist World Digest Correspondence These folders contain letters to the editor about articles submitted by Cloward, and includes copies of articles and publications.	1951-1963
5	36	Masonic Order Correspondence This folder contains correspondence about Masonic and Mormon Temple ceremonies, and an Easter speech written by Cloward for a Mormon friend.

SamoaReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
6	1	John Fox, Punahou School, and Education Correspondence	1961-1963
6	2	H. Rex Lee Correspondence These correspondence, between Cloward and the governor of American Samoa, are about public improvements, economics, and education.	1961-1963
6	3	Albert Lolotai Correspondence These correspondence are about the social, economic, and political future of Samoa, and Lolotai's political aspirations in Samoa.	1947-1963
6	4	The Church College of Hawai'i Correspondence These correspondence are about the Samoans attending this LDS sponsored, private school.	1961
6	5	United States Department of Interior Correspondence These correspondence are about the situation in Samoa and United States laws as applied to American Samoa.	1961-1964
6	6	Samoa Economics, Politics, and Education Correspondence	1961-1963
6	7	Cloward, Samoa Articles
6	8-9	Samoa Articles

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