Granville F. Knight papers , 1920-1981

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Knight, Granville F. (Granville Frank), 1904-1982
Title
Granville F. Knight papers
Dates
1920-1981 (inclusive)
Quantity
5.1 linear feet, (11 containers)
Collection Number
Coll 082
Summary
Granville Frank Knight (1904-1982) was a physician and anti-communist activist. As a physician he specialized in nutrition and allergies; as president of the Pure Water Association of America he advocated against fluoridation of public water. Knight was an active member of the John Birch Society, serving as president of the California branch. The collection includes correspondence, speeches and writings that reflect Knight's career.
Repository
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

See the Collective Name Index to the Research Collection of Conservative and Libertarian Studies for a cross-referenced index to names of correspondents in this collection, if any, and 37 related University of Oregon collections, including dates of correspondence. See index instructions on use.

See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Granville Frank Knight, the son of Frank Henry and Belle (Brown) Knight, was born October 12, 1904 in New York City. On June 4, 1929, he married Dorothy Van De Water whom he later divorced. He married his second wife, Eileen Hillyer Bonner on November 1, 1947.

Knight received an A.B. degree from Dartmouth College in 1926 and an M.D. degree from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University in 1930. From 1930 to 1932, Knight interned at Bellevue Hospital and the Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. After his internship, he practiced medicine in White Plains, New York specializing in allergies and in ear, nose, and throat disorders. In 1948, Knight moved to Santa Barbara, California and set up a practice specializing in nutrition and allergies. From 1963 to 1979, he practiced medicine in Santa Monica, California. Knight moved again in 1979 to Poway, California where he lived and worked until his death in April 1982.

Knight served as a member of the Los Angeles County Medical Commission, 1968-1979; as president of the Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation; and as president of the Pure Water Association of America. He was also a founding member of the California branch of the John Birch Society. Granville Knight resigned from the Council of the John Birch Society in 1961 but remained actively concerned about communist influences in America.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Granville Frank Knight papers consist largely of correspondence, speeches and writings. Most of this material concerns fluoridation of public water, mental health, the John Birch Society, and anti-communism as well as Knight's theories about nutrition and allergies.

The correspondence, consisting of about 2,000 letters, memorandums, and postcards is arranged chronologically. It spans from 1920 to 1981 but, for the most part, dates between 1960 and 1975. Numerous members of the John Birch Society and the conservative movement are represented in the correspondence, including: Robert Welch, Margaret P. Wuichet, R.E. Combs, Pedro A. del Valle, and C.O. Garshwiler. Of special note are about 250 letters from West Wuichets, a member of the John Birch Society. Many of Wuichet's letters, addressed to third parties, discuss members and the activities of the John Birch Society. Letters also are included from congressmen and public figures such as Charles M. Teague, John R. Rarick, Sam I. Hayakawa, and Barry Goldwater.

The speeches and writings of Granville Knight include testimonials, speeches, articles, editorials, and reports, which were written mainly between 1950 and 1965. Knight's speeches and writings, arranged alphabetically by title, concern fluoridation of public water, anti-communism, nutrition, and other political issues and medical theories. The speeches and writings by other authors and unknown authors are similar in nature to Knight's. Those by other authors are arranged alphabetically by the authors' names, and those by unknown authors are arranged alphabetically by title. Researchers also should note that Bats in the Belfry: The Case Against Mental Health by Ellen McClay (Vol. 1) includes a "Foreword" by Granville Frank Knight.

Photographs include two pictures of Granville Frank Knight taken in 1926 while he played in Europe with a jazz band called "The Jolly Friars." Other photographs include a picture of an anti-Kissinger banner and two illustrations for an article.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Allergy
  • Anti-communist movements--United States
  • California Politics and government--1951-
  • Conservatism--United States
  • Conservatives--United States--Correspondence
  • Mental health--United States
  • Municipal water supply
  • Nutrition
  • Physicians--California
  • Political activists--California
  • Water Fluoridation

Personal Names

  • Combs, R. E.
  • Del Valle, Pedro A. (Pedro Augusto), 1893-1978
  • Goldwater, Barry M. (Barry Morris), 1909-1998
  • Hayakawa, S. I. (Samuel IchiyĆ©), 1906-1992
  • Rarick, John R., 1924-2009
  • Teague, Charles M. (Charles McKevett), 1909-1974
  • Welch, Robert, 1899-1985
  • Wuichert, Margaret P.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Negatives
  • Photographic prints
  • Silver gelatin prints