Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Joan Younger Dickinson papers, 1939-1999
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Dickinson, Joan Younger, 1916-
- Title
- Joan Younger Dickinson papers
- Dates
- 1939-1999 (inclusive)19391999
- Quantity
- 8 cubic ft. (15 document boxes, 1 F17 box, 1 record box)
- Collection Number
- 11248
- Summary
- The collection contains correspondence, photographs, notes, research and subject files, and drafts related to the writings of Joan Younger Dickinson. Many of her writings concerned women including women in war, women in the workplace, fashion, health, motherhood, feminism, jewelry, and immigrant women. Other topics include her articles about prominent politicians and noted personalities.
- Repository
-
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Access Restrictions
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- The creation of the EAD-version of this finding aid was made possible through a grant from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Joan Younger was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1917. She spent her childhood and teenager years growing up in Columbus and then graduated from Ohio State University in 1937. She began her career in journalism in Paris as a reporter for Trans-Radio Press. After the outbreak of Word War II, Younger became a reporter in New York City for United Press, now United Press International. Joan Younger Merrick’s interviews focused primarily on famous women abroad and in the United States, headliners in politics, film and mass media, and fashion. Joan Younger married William Merrick in 1940. They had one daughter before the marriage ended.
In 1947, Joan Younger married William B. Dickinson, a foreign editor for United Press. She moved with him to Philadelphia in 1949 when he became an editor at the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. He eventually became the Bulletin’s executive editor.
In Philadelphia, she joined the staff of the Ladies’ Home Journal and remained at the magazine until the 1960s, writing articles on ordinary women as well as women of fame. Politicians, movie stars, murders, industrial tycoons, and war heroes were among her others subjects for interviews and articles. She answered questions about women’s health problems for the column, “Tell Me Doctor.” Joan Younger Dickinson wrote many articles about women balancing motherhood with a career. Her books include The Stork and You, Mental Illness Begins at Home, The Book of Pearls, and The Book of Diamonds.
Joan Younger Dickinson earned a M.A. (1966) and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania (1975). Her book, The Immigrant Woman Worker, was based on her doctoral dissertation.
Upon retirement by 1980, Joan Younger Dickinson moved to Florida where she wrote her memoirs, Girl Reporter, Wartime New York. The Dickinson family consisted of a son and daughter from Mr. Dickinson’s first marriage, a daughter from Joan Younger’s first marriage, and two daughters from the Dickinson marriage. William B. Dickinson died in 1978. Joan Younger Dickinson died June 4, 2002, at her home in Fort Myers, Florida.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Joan Younger Dickinson papers include her newspaper and magazine articles, books, MA thesis, and Ph.D. dissertation. Personal papers and publications cover the years 1939-1980. The collection includes correspondence, photographs, notes, research, and drafts related to the articles and books. The collection does not contain personal papers prior to Joan Younger’s career in 1939 as an overseas journalist. She covered topics of particular interest to women during World War II such as Madame Chiang Kai-Shek and Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor.
Post-war magazine and newspaper articles, primarily for Ladies Home Journal and United Press International, reflect a diversity of topics: women in the work place, fashion, the art of manners, plus reporting on famous people in politics and the media such as Ike and Mamie Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and family, and Grace Kelly. Psychology and mental health are topics in many articles. Joan Younger Dickinson also wrote a book on motherhood, The Stork and You, and two prominent books in the 1970s on the history of jewelry, The Book of Diamonds and The Book of Pearls. The collection also contains her academic writing for her masters thesis on Protestant-American history and her doctoral dissertation, Immigrant Women in the U.S. Labor Force.
Joan Younger Dickinson’s personal and biographical information, photographs, and memorabilia are included, which are not specifically connected to her writing. The collection also contains complete texts of books that Joan Younger Dickinson either edited or wrote, plus an assortment of complete magazine issues that include her articles.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Copyright InformationThe researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Preferred Citation
Preferred CitationItem Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Joan Younger Dickinson papers, 1939-1999, Collection Number 11248, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Related Materials
Related MaterialsThere are no other known archival collections created by Joan Younger Dickinson at the date of processing.
Acquisition Information
Acquisition InformationThe Joan Younger Dickinson papers were donated to the American Heritage Center by Joan Younger Dickinson in 1983 and 2001. The papers were kept in the donor’s private possession in good condition.
Processing Note
Processing InformationThe collection was processed by Melanie Francis in November 2002. Folder titles and arrangement have been added for clarity in the collection inventory.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series I.Ladies Home Journal, 1945-1962Return to Top
Arranged alphabetically by article name. Drafts, manuscripts, research, printed articles, and related articles from personal files. Correspondence related to articles and photographs (used to illustrate articles for publication) are also included.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
1 | 1 | Articles, Correspondence for Application |
1945-1947 |
1 | 2 | Bunch, Ralph and Family |
1961 |
1 | 3 | Duke, Angier Biddle |
1960-1961 |
1 | 4 | Editorial Objectives |
1949-1950 |
1 | 5 | “How America Lives”--Petrello Family |
1955 |
1 | 6 | Kelly, Grace |
1960 |
Folders | |||
1 | 7-10 | Kennedy Family |
1952-1962, undated |
2 | 1-2 | Mental health research |
1945-1948 |
Folder | |||
2 | 3 | Mental health articles |
1949 |
2 | 4 | Mental illness articles |
1949 |
2 | 5 | Manners (Forum) |
1957 |
2 | 6 | Miscellaneous Correspondence |
1960 |
2 | 7 | Photographs |
1950-1955 |
2 | 8 | Related Articles |
1947-1954 |
2 | 9 | “Should Mothers of Young Children Work?” (Forum) |
1958 |
2 | 10 | “When Should Mothers Work Outside the Home?,” |
1958 |
Series II. Assorted Magazine Articles, 1945-1980Return to Top
Arranged alphabetically by article name. Individual notebooks, drafts, manuscripts, research, printed articles, and related articles from personal files. Correspondence related to articles, primarily with regard to publication.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
3 | 1 | “American Ethics,” |
1967 |
Folders | |||
3 | 2-13 | Assorted |
1945-1974, undated |
Folder | |||
3 | 14 | Batten, Harry |
1961 |
4 | 1 | Bergdorf |
1961-1962 |
4 | 2 | Bergdorf (Research) |
1961 |
4 | 3 | “Best Climate,” |
1969 |
Folders | |||
4 | 4-7 | “Best Climate”—Longevity |
1966, 1967, 1968-1969 |
Folder | |||
4 | 8 | “Best Climate”—Longevity notes and drafts |
1969-1970 |
5 | 1 | Brown, George |
1961 |
Folders | |||
5 | 2-3 | Bunting, Mary |
1960-1965 |
5 | 4-5 | Bunting, Mary (Research #1 and #2) |
1961-1965 |
Folder | |||
5 | 6 | Camden, South Carolina |
1961 |
5 | 7 | “Coffee Break” (Assorted Articles) |
1961 |
5 | 8 | Crawford, Dorothy |
1961 |
5 | 9 | Criticism |
1954 |
Folders | |||
6 | 1-2 | Eisenhower’s Religious Beliefs |
1953 |
6 | 3-4 | Forum: Manners |
1957, 1959 |
Folder | |||
6 | 5 | Fuoss, Robert |
1961 |
6 | 6 | “Girl in the Back Room,” |
1952 |
6 | 7 | Grand Canyon |
1974 |
6 | 8 | Greenfield, Albert M. |
1961 |
6 | 9 | Holiday Magazine |
1967 |
6 | 10 | Hong Kong |
1967 |
6 | 11 | Hong Kong (Research) |
1967 |
Folders | |||
7 | 1-3 | “How America Lives”—Nissen Family #1, #2, and #3 |
1959-1962 |
Folder | |||
7 | 4 | “How to Have a Happy Marriage,” |
undated |
7 | 5 | Innocenti, Cesar |
1961 |
7 | 6 | “Japanese Love for Sale,” |
1967 |
7 | 7 | Kahn, Louis |
undated |
7 | 8 | Lee, Dorothy McCullough “Lady Mayor of Portland,” |
1951 |
7 | 9 | Michener, James |
1961 |
7 | 10 | Nixon, Agnes |
1967 |
7 | 11 | Oakes, Harry |
undated |
7 | 12 | “On Being Depressed,” |
1959 |
7 | 13 | “Peoria Pilgrim,” |
1951 |
7 | 14 | Piasecki, Frank N. |
1961 |
7 | 15 | “Pilgrim’s Progress,” |
undated |
7 | 16 | “Politics of Protocol,” |
1962 |
8 | 1 | “Political Pilgrim’s Progress,” |
1952 |
8 | 2 | “Prescriptions of Alcohol,” |
1959 |
8 | 3 | Radcliffe Institute |
1961-1962 |
8 | 4 | Ravdin, Dr. Isadore |
1961 |
8 | 5 | Reading (Lady) |
1950 |
8 | 6 | Realities Travel |
1979-1980 |
8 | 7 | Surtsey Reviews |
1964-1974 |
8 | 8 | Travel (assorted) |
1979-1980 |
8 | 9 | Weddings |
1950 |
8 | 10 | “What’s a Mother to Do?,” |
1956 |
8 | 11 | “Why Don’t They Like Us?,” |
1953 |
Series III. United Press International, 1939-1979Return to Top
Arranged alphabetically by article name. Drafts, research, printed articles, and related articles. Correspondence related to the publication and original photographs used for articles. Also includes newspaper articles not written for UPI.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folders | ||
9 | 1-7 | Assorted Articles |
1940-1944, 1945-1979 |
Folder | |||
9 | 8 | Book Reviews |
1971-1973 |
Folders | |||
9 | 9-11 | Madame Chiang Kai-Shek |
1943 |
9 | 12-13 | Memoranda |
1940 |
9 | 14-15 | Other newspaper articles (not UPI) |
1939-1979 |
Folder | |||
9 | 16 | Photographs |
1942 |
9 | 17 | United Press Radio |
1941 |
9 | 18 | United Press Radio Columns |
1940-1941 |
9 | 19 | United Press Radio Scripts |
1940-1941 |
9 | 20 | Windsor, Duke and Duchess in Bahamas |
1940 |
Series IV. Book Editing, Writing, and Ghost Writing, 1948-1999Return to Top
Arranged alphabetically by book name. Drafts, manuscripts, galley proofs, and correspondence for non-fiction and fiction written, book editing, and ghost writing. Photographs used for publication with editors’ notations.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
10 | 1 | Belle of Ashby Street (novel editing) |
1980 |
10 | 2 | Book editing and ghost writing |
1955 |
10 | 3 | Book of Diamonds, Chapter 1 manuscript |
1965 |
10 | 4 | Book of Diamonds, Chapter 3-6 manuscripts (no Chapter 2) |
1965 |
10 | 5 | Book of Diamonds, Chapter 7, Glossary of Diamond Terms |
1965 |
10 | 6 | Book of Diamonds, correspondence and publicity |
1966 |
Folders | |||
10 | 7-10 | Book of Diamonds Photographs |
1965 |
Folder | |||
11 | 1 | Book of Pearls, photographs/negatives |
1970 |
Folders | |||
11 | 2-9 | Book of Pearls—Chapters 1-7 photographs |
1970 |
Folder | |||
11 | 10 | Book of Pearls—Potential use photographs |
1970 |
11 | 11 | Book of Pearls—reviews and correspondence |
1976 |
11 | 12 | Book of Pearls—Transparencies |
1970 |
12 | 1 | Girl Reporter, Wartime New York 1940-1946, autobiography |
1999 |
12 | 2 | Greatest of These (novel writing) |
1968 |
12 | 3 | Heart of Mandy Swift (novel writing) |
1961 |
12 | 4 | Hostile Mind (book editing) |
1955 |
12 | 5 | No Mean City by Joseph S. Clark (acting book agent) |
1963-1965 |
13 | 1 | Rebirth (novel writing) |
1948 |
13 | 2 | Rebirth, “September” chapter manuscript |
undated |
13 | 3 | Rebirth, “October”—“May” chapters |
undated |
13 | 4 | Stassen, Harold (ghost writing) |
1955 |
13 | 5 | The Stork and You—galley-proofs, reviews, correspondence |
1951 |
13 | 6 | Women’s Occupations in U.S. 1608-1970 |
1970 |
Series V. Academic Writing--Masters and Doctorate, 1966-1980Return to Top
Arranged chronologically. Drafts, manuscripts, and correspondence. Published doctoral dissertation, Immigrant Women in the US Labor Force.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
14 | 1 | Academic journal writing—“Italians in America” (outline) |
undated |
14 | 2 | Academic journal writing—“Italians in America,” |
1966 |
14 | 3 | MA Thesis, Protestant-American History, drafts |
1966 |
14 | 4 | Doctoral thesis—Immigrant Women (2 printed copies) |
1975 |
Folders | |||
14 | 5-8 | Doctoral thesis—Chapters 1 - 5 drafts |
1975 |
14 | 9-10 | Doctoral thesis—Published by Arno Press) Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, Index (no Chapters 4 and 5) |
1980 |
Folder | |||
14 | 11 | Doctoral thesis—Printed book, Immigrant Women in the US Labor Force 1890-1910 |
1980 |
Series VI. Research, 1949-1974Return to Top
Arranged alphabetically. Research articles and notes unrelated to specific articles.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
15 | 1 | Chinese |
1962 |
15 | 2 | Chouscroun, Dr. Nine |
1954 |
15 | 3 | Gary, Indiana |
1949 |
15 | 4 | Grand Caymans |
1974 |
15 | 5 | Rieff |
undated |
Series VII. Personal/Biographical, 1945-1980Return to Top
Arranged alphabetically. Correspondence, photographs, and personal notes unrelated to specific publications.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
15 | 6 | Assorted articles and clippings |
1961 |
15 | 7 | Correspondence |
1950-1975 |
15 | 8 | Correspondence and clippings |
1961 |
15 | 9 | Correspondence |
1968 |
15 | 10 | Documents and certificates |
1960-1975 |
15 | 11 | “For Want of a Self” (TV Script) |
1965 |
15 | 12 | Newspaper clippings |
1945-1980 |
15 | 13 | Photographs |
1945-1960 |
16 | 1 | Photographs (oversized)—Book of Pearls |
1970 |
16 | 2 | Photographs (oversized)—Ladies Home Journal |
1950-1960 |
16 | 3 | Photographs (oversized) --Personal |
1960-1970 |
Series VIII. Printed Materials, 1941-1982Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Subseries 1. Periodicals Arranged alphabetically by name. Full text articles by Joan Younger Dickinson.
|
1967-1981 | |
Box | ||
16 | Dynamic Maturity |
May 1975 |
16 | Holiday |
March 1971 |
16 | Jewelers’ Circular-Keystone |
June 1967, May 1968, June 1969 |
17 | Publishers Weekly |
March 1974 |
17 | Realities |
September 1980 |
17 | Travel and Leisure |
March 1975, October 1980, January 1981 |
Subseries 2. Books Arranged alphabetically by author. Books or articles included texts edited or written by Joan Younger Dickinson.
|
1941-1982 | |
Box | ||
17 | Daly, Maureen, ed., Profile of Youth |
1949 |
17 | Dickinson, Joan Younger, The Book of Pearls |
1968 |
17 | Edgerton, Eleanor, A Year in Benares |
1980 |
17 | Furnas, J.C. et al, How America Lives |
1941 |
17 | Goldman, Emma, Living My Life |
1970 |
17 | Gould, Bruce and Beatrice Blackmar, American Story |
1950 |
17 | Holme, Brian, ed., The Journal of the Century |
1976 |
17 | Kozlenko, William, American Scenes |
1941 |
17 | Morris, Joe Alex, Deadline Every Minute—the story of the United Press |
1957 |
17 | Ratcliff, J.D., ed., Science Year Book of 1946 |
1946 |
17 | Saul, Leon J., The Hostile Mind—The Sources and Consequences of Rage and Hate |
1956 |
17 | Somers, Herman M. and Anne R., Doctors, Patients, and Health Insurance |
1961 |
17 | Spritzer, Lorraine Nelson, The Belle of Ashby Street |
1982 |
17 | Sunstein, Emily, A Different Face—The Life of Mary Wollstonecraft |
1975 |
17 | Younger, Joan, The Stork and You |
1952 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Women’s periodicals, American.
- World War, 1939-1945--Women.
Corporate Names
- United Press International.
Occupations
- Authors.
Titles within the Collection
- Ladies Home Journal.