Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Lenore Glen Offord papers , 1943-1959
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Offord, Lenore Glen, 1905-1991; Jackson, Joseph Henry, 1894-1955
- Title
- Lenore Glen Offord papers
- Dates
- 1943-1959 (inclusive)19431959
- Quantity
- 1.5 linear feet, (1 container) : 1 record storage box
- Collection Number
- Ax 845
- Summary
- Lenore Glen Offord was a mystery and true crime writer, and a mystery book critic for the San Francisco Chronicle for thirty years. The collection includes correspondence with the Chronicle, and also research and unpublished manuscripts on the Cordelia Botkin murder case of 1898.
- Repository
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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
Lenore Glen Offord (1905-1991) was an American reviewer and author who wrote mysteries set in and around San Francisco.
She was born in Spokane, Washington and educated at Mills College, Oakland, California. She married Harold R. Offord in 1929. Her series detectives are Bill and Coco Hastings and Todd McKinnon, a mystery writer. Offord was employed as the mystery book critic for the San Francisco Chronicle for over thirty years. She was also an avid Sherlock Holmes enthusiast.
Offord researched the murder trial of Cordelia Botkin, who was convicted of murdering Mary Dunning and her sister Ida Harriet Deane with poisoned chocolate candy sent through the mail.
In the mid 1940s, Offord wrote a short story entitled "Gifts of Cordelia" which was published in a book about San Francisco murders by Joseph Henry Jackson. The story dealt with the Botkin murder case. Years later Offord decided to give the Botkin case a full length treatment for a Gold Medal series -- original true crime paperbacks. The collection contains the material of that project; the book was never published.
[Source: http://gadetection.pbworks.com]
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection includes professional correspondence and also research and unpublished manuscripts on the Cordelia Botkin murder case of 1898.
Botkin research includes handwritten and typed speeches to the jury, interviews and testimonies, notes, newspapers, and notebooks.
There is also correspondence from the San Francisco Chronicle.
The collection also contains manuscript material including notes and rough drafts, and a published copy of the book titled, The Girl in the Belfry, a true story about another murder case, written by Offord and Joseph Jackson.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Description |
|---|
| Guide to the Lenore Glen Offord Papers |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Authors, American--20th century
- Detective and mystery stories, American--Authorship
- Murder--United States--Cases
- Murderers--California--San Francisco
- Poisoners--California--San Francisco
- Poisoning--United States--Cases
- Trials (Murder)--California--San Francisco
- Trials (Poisoning)--California--San Francisco
- True crime stories--Authorship
- Women authors, American--20th century
- Women murderers--California--San Francisco
- Women poisoners--California--San Francisco
Personal Names
- Botkin, Cordelia, 1854-1910
- Offord, Lenore Glen, 1905-1991
Corporate Names
- San Francisco chronicle
Form or Genre Terms
- Correspondence
- Interviews
- Manuscripts for publication
- Notebooks
