Preliminary Guide to the Howard McCord Papers

Preliminary Guide to the Howard McCord Papers, circa 1950-2012

Overview of the Collection

Creator: McCord, Howard, 1932-
Title: Preliminary Guide to the Howard McCord Papers
Dates: circa 1950-2012 (inclusive)
19502012
Quantity: 17.25 Linear feet of shelf space, (20 Boxes)
Collection Number: MSSM.032 (collection)
Summary: The majority of this collection relates to Howard McCord's activities as a poet, publisher, editor, and professor.
Repository: Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions: This collection is open and available for research use.
Languages: English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Howard McCord was born on November 3, 1932, in El Paso, Texas. After a hitch in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, he returned to El Paso and attended Texas Western College receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business. The following year he received a Master of Arts degree in English from the University of Utah. In 1960, he began teaching at Washington State University offering courses in Poetry and Eastern Civilizations. He also began the graduate program in Creative Writing. In 1965 he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship which allowed him to travel extensively in India and Nepal and study for a year at the University of Mysore. In 1971, he was appointed Professor of English and Director of the MFA program at Bowling Green State University. The North Carolina Poetry Circuit selected him as visiting poet for the fall of 1971, and he gave readings at campuses throughout the state. Besides his studies in India, he also traveled through Iceland and published a book of poetry about his trip. His published works include poems in over 15 collections of poetry, as well as inclusion in numerous journals and monographs. From 1960 to 1977 his Tribal Press published many works of poetry in various formats.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The majority of this collection relates to Howard McCord's activities as a poet, publisher, editor, and professor. This includes extensive correspondence with other authors, individuals, and institutions. The collection also contains a variety of bound volumes of McCord's short stories, poetry, and novels, as well as numerous literary and poetry journals and magazines that published his work.

MS 1981-06 (0.25 linear feet)

This accession contains correspondence on poetry, as well as manuscript poems. Includes 79 letters to Gus Blaisdell from 1965-1969.

MS 1994-31 (5.5 linear feet)

This accession contains mostly correspondence filed by individual and by date. Includes correspondence from former students, like James Bertolino, and other writers, like Leslie Marmon Silko. Also contains poetry and non-fiction manuscripts.

MS 1995-37 (4.0 linear feet)

This accession contains correspondence organized by name, published materials, drafts, and research materials.

MS 1997-20 (2.0 linear feet)

This accession contains correspondence organized by name and drafts of essays and travel writing.

MS 1999-45 (2.0 linear feet)

This accession contains correspondence, drafts of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, and published materials.

MS 2004-23 (1.5 linear feet)

This accession contains poetry, Washington State University faculty files, correspondence, reviews, poetry collections.

MS 2009-27 (1.0 linear feet)

This accession contains correspondence, drafts of poems, short prose, and book length works by McCord. This accession also contains reviews of the French translation of McCord's novel The Man Who Walked on the Moon and some manuscripts by other authors.

MS 2013-31 (1.0 linear feet)

This accession includes correspondence (mainly outgoing letters from McCord to John Haynes), and poems and manuscripts by McCord and others.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Preferred Citation

[Item description]

Preliminary Guide to the Howard McCord Papers, circa 1950-2012 (MSSM.032)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

This is an unprocessed collection. Any arrangement reflects either a pre-existing order from the records' creators or previous custodians, or preliminary sorting performed by staff.

Location of Collection

(MASC staff use) MS 1981.06: 02-06-25-05; MS 1994.31: 02-11-16-02; MS 1995.37: 02-13-27-06; MS 1997.20: 02-08-14-03; MS 1999.45: 02-06-27-06; MS 2004.23: 02-16-19-02; MS 2009.27: 02-05-16-05, MS.2013.31: 02-05-25-05

Acquisition Information

The Washington State University Libraries purchased most of materials in multiple installments between 1981 and 2004; Howard McCord donated additional material in 2009 and 2013.

Related Materials

Howard McCord Papers, 1953-1979 (Cage 578)

Howard McCord Papers, 2003-2005 (Cage 697)

Preliminary Guide to the Dan McLachlan Papers on Howard McCord, circa 1970-2004 (MS 2004.19)

Archives West Finding Aid

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