Raymond Muse Papers, 1947-1975

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Muse, Raymond, 1915-2003
Title
Raymond Muse Papers
Dates
1947-1975 (inclusive)
Quantity
3 Linear feet of shelf space, (5 boxes)
Collection Number
Cage 765 (collection)
Summary
In fall 1948, Muse became an instructor in the department of history and political science at Washington State University. By 1956, he had become chair of the newly formed department of history, a position he held until his retirement in 1979. The collection primarily contains professional correspondence sent and received during Ray Muse's first 25 years in Pullman. It includes documentation of his departmental and on-campus involvements and those off of the Washington State University campus.
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

Born in 1915 in Webster County, Missouri, Muse graduated from Marshfield High School in 1932. He taught in a one-room country school near there while attending Southwest Missouri State College, where he graduated in 1938. He taught from 1938-1940 at the experimental Pipkin School in Springfield. He entered the Stanford University graduate program in 1940. While attending Stanford, Muse taught English and was a residence counselor at Menlo School and Menlo Junior College. His masters thesis was "The Constitution of Provincial Massachusetts."

Muse served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945. Following the war, he returned to Stanford University where he completed his Ph.D in 1948. His dissertation evaluated the work of William Douglass, a physician and historian in colonial America.

In fall 1948, Muse became an instructor in the department of history and political science at Washington State University. The following year he was promoted to assistant professor. By 1956, he had become chair of the newly formed department of history, a position he held until his retirement in 1979, by which time the department had developed an excellent national reputation. When he retired, Muse was the longest-serving department chair in WSU history. He played a significant role in WSU's efforts in the 1960s to create the American studies program, expand ethnic studies and expand faculty governance.

His two favorite courses for teaching were the Introduction to American History (where he could excite potential history majors) and American Constitutional Law (where he could excite students about the important legal and social issues of the day).

He served as advisor to Crimson Circle, Phi Alpha Theta, Phi Kappa Phi and other student groups.

Muse participated in a variety of professional and governmental organizations. He was a fervent supporter of civil liberties and free speech, demonstrated best perhaps by his testimony in the landmark John Goldmark libel trial in 1964 and his ongoing participation in Washington politics.

The eighth floor of WSU's Orton Hall dormitory is named in Muse's honor, as is the history department office.

Muse had a tent or cabin beginning in the early 1950s with Paul and Lois Castleberry at the Beaver Creek Camp, on the thoroughfare between Lower and Upper Priest lakes in Idaho where other WSU faculty families had leased or purchased land from the US Forest Service.

Muse married former teaching colleague Alberta "Bertie" Baldridge of Springfield, Missouri, in 1942. She taught music and was a church organist. They loved gardening and traveling. She died in 1968.

In 1969, he married Marianne Johnson, widow of Verner L. Johnson of the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine and a longtime family friend. In 1971, Muse introduced his stepson Kyle to Carol Harding, the granddaughter of former WSU history colleague Herman Deutsch. The pair married 10 years later.

Raymond Muse died in 2003.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection primarily contains professional correspondence sent and received during Ray Muse's first 25 years in Pullman. It includes documentation of his departmental and on-campus involvements and those off of the Washington State University campus. Some personal correspondence is also included.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions apply.

Preferred Citation

[Item Description] Raymond Muse papers, 1947-1975

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

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in two series:

Series 1: Papers, 1947-1972

The arrangement of the papers generally follows the alphabetical correspondence system that Muse used. He placed correspondence in a folder for each letter of the alphabet, unless its significance or volume necessitated a separate folder. The correspondence placement reflects either the correspondent's name or the subject matter (name of a person, organization, or project).

Series 2: Travel photographs and diary, 1953-1975.

The photographs retain their original order. They are generally grouped by trip and destination.

Acquisition Information

Raymond Muse donated the manuscript material in this collection to the Washington State University Libraries in 1983 (MS 1983-02). The photographs were transferred from the WSU History Department in 2008 (MS 2008-26).

Processing Note

This collection was processed by Kyle Jansson in 2011.

Related Materials

An oral history of Raymond Muse is available in the WSU Centennial Oral History collection, Archives 202.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series 1: Papers, 1947-1972Return to Top

Container(s) Description
Box Folder
1 1
Biographical information, 1979-2004.
1 2
Correspondence – A
1 3
Correspondence – Advanced Placement, 1959-1967
1 4
Correspondence – American Heritage Association 1965-1966
1 5
Correspondence – American Studies Assoc., PNW chapter, 1968
1 6
Correspondence – Archives (WSU, Washington State), 1962-1969
1 7
Correspondence – Asian Studies Program, 1969-1971
1 8
Correspondence – B
1 9
Correspondence – Beasley, Wallis, 1966-1968
1 10
Correspondence – Beasley, Wallis, 1968-1971
1 11
Correspondence – Board of Regents, 1969
1 12
Correspondence – Boston University, 1951-1956
1 13
Correspondence – Budget, Telephone, 1957-1967
1 14
Correspondence – C
1 15
Correspondence – Chatters, Roy M., 1965
1 16
Correspondence – Clevenger, J.C., 1957-1961
1 17
Correspondence – Comptroller, 1955-1967
1 18
Correspondence – Comptroller, V. Lauren Shelton, 1957-1966
1 19
Correspondence – Crimson Circle, 1962-1965
1 20
Correspondence – Curriculum Advisory Program, 1961-1969
1 21
Correspondence – D
1 22
Correspondence – E
1 23
Correspondence – Education Department, 1954-1971
1 24
Correspondence – Educational Policies Committee, 1963-1971
2 1
Correspondence – English Department, 1962-1969
2 2
Correspondence – Ethnic studies, 1970-1971
2 3
Correspondence – Examination questions, 1947-1961
2 4
Correspondence – F
2 5
Correspondence – Faculty Executive Committee, 1969-1970
2 6
Correspondence – Faculty Manual Revision, 1953-1955
2 7
Correspondence – Foreign Languages, 1967-1971
2 8
Correspondence – French, C. Clement, 1954-1959
2 9
Correspondence – G
2 10
Correspondence – General, 1949-1950
2 11
Correspondence – General, 1951-1957
2 12
Correspondence – General education requirements, 1968-1971
2 13
Correspondence – General Extension Programs, 1956-1972
2 14
Correspondence – Goldmark, John and Sally, 1952-1962
2 15
Correspondence – H
2 16
Correspondence – History Dept. Newsletter, 1955-1963
2 17
Correspondence – History Dept. Publications, 1970
2 18
Correspondence – History Dept. Self Study, 1969
2 19
Correspondence – History of Science Committee, 1964-1968
2 20
Correspondence – International Affairs Report, 1964
2 21
Correspondence – J
3 1
Correspondence – Job opportunities, 1967-1969
3 2
Correspondence – Johnson Tower, 1966-1967
3 3
Correspondence – K
3 4
Correspondence – L
3 5
Correspondence – Library, 1953-1965
3 6
Correspondence – Library Automation Committee, 1964
3 7
Correspondence – M
3 8
Correspondence – Maughmer, G.F., 1961-1962
3 9
Correspondence – N
3 10
Correspondence – O
3 11
Correspondence – P
3 12
Correspondence – Peace Corps, 1962-1963
3 13
Correspondence – Phi Kappa Phi, 1969-1970
3 14
Correspondence – Placement Bureau, 1970-1971
3 15
Correspondence – Planning Council, 1958-1969
3 16
Correspondence – Planning Council, 1969-1970
3 17
Correspondence – Political Science Department, 1957-1968
3 18
Correspondence – Publications, 1951-1962
3 19
Correspondence – Publications Office, 1961-1969
4 1
Correspondence – R
4 2
Correspondence – Resident Instructional Staff, 1968-1971
4 3
Correspondence – S
4 4
Correspondence – Salary Data, 1955-1971
4 5
Correspondence – Speeches and Presentations, 1951-1968
4 6
Correspondence – Stanford University, 1957-1970
4 7
Correspondence – Stephenson, S. Town, 1951-1961
4 8
Correspondence – T
4 9
Correspondence – Travel, 1957-1964
4 10
Correspondence – University of Washington, 1958-1971
4 11
Correspondence – University Faculty Council, 1969-1971
4 12
Correspondence – V
4 13
Correspondence – W
4 14
Correspondence – Washington-North. Idaho Council of Churches, 1961
4 15
Correspondence – Washington history education, 1958-1967
4 16
Correspondence – Washington politics, 1952-1965
4 17
Correspondence – Wood, Herbert J., 1956-1969
4 18
Personal – Faculty Service, 1948-1965

Series 2: Travel photographs and diary, 1953-1975Return to Top

Container(s) Description
Box Folder
5
Diary kept by Berta Muse, 1959 June 15-August 16, on the trip the Muses took to Japan. Includes descriptions, observations, names of people visited, and lists of items purchased. This relates to slides in Slide Magazines 1-4, and 1A-3A.
5
Slide Magazine 1: Vancouver BC, China Mail ship, Yokohama, Tokyo
5
Slide Magazine 2: Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara
5
Slide Magazine 3: Nikko, Toshuba, Kamakura, Enoshima, Niyajima
5
Slide Magazine 4: Fuji, Hiroshima, Yokohama, Vancouver BC
5
Slide Magazine 1A: China Mail ship, Yokohama, Tokyo
5
Slide Magazine 2A: Tokyo, Asakusa
5
Slide Magazine 3A: Nikko, Fuji
5
Black Slide Box: Primarily personal slides taken by the Muses in their travels, along with a few commercial slides. Contents include, but not limited to, Japan 1959, Hurricane Ridge, Palouse hills, Oregon coast 1960, Celilo Falls 1953, Multnomah Falls 1953, McNary Dam 1953, Salt Lake City, Columbia River 1953 and 1955, Blaine Peach Arch 1959, Wyoming 1956, Jody King, Paul Bunyan and the Blue Ox 1953 and 1956, Craters of the Moon National Monument 1962, Mackinac 1956, Wilma Rossieter, David McCreery, Ralph Thayer, Ray Muse 1954 1957 1958, Berta Muse, WSU commencement 1957, Luira and Norris, Milan 1961, his sister Bobbie Muse's baby 1956, mother Verbie Good Muse 1955, "Dad and Berta," Munich 1961, Frankfurt 1961, Vienna 1961, Venice 1961, Verona 1961, Rotenburg 1961, Trier 1961, with Nelson and Katherine Ault on Astoria ferry 1960, Herman and Lenna Deutsch 1955, Mike Johnson, Wallaces on Steptoe Butte, Quebec, Kyoto 1959, Bern 1961.
5
Tan Slide Box: Primarily personal slides taken by the Muses in their travels, along with a few commercial slides. Contents include, but not limited to, Victoria BC 1958 1960, Vancouver BC 1960, Anacortes ferry 1958, Dorothy Swanson 1960, his sister Gloria and her daughter Kathy 1962, Aldie Payne 1960, Upper Priest Lake, Beaver Creek Idaho 1953-1962, Wallis and Totsie Beasley 1955, Stanford, Kyoto 1959, 1819 B St. (Pullman), Lake Chelan 1953, Stevens Pass 1953, 1815 Duncan Lane (Pullman), Glacier Park 1958, steamer 1959, Sado 1959, Kawakura 1959, Kobe 1959, South Dakota, Grand Coulee Dam 1960.
5
Film strip (16mm): "Behind Mudwalls, 1925-1975," written and narrated by Charlotte Wiser, New York University Asian Studies Curriculum Center, 1975

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Personal Names

  • Muse, Raymond, 1915-2003 -- Archives.

Corporate Names

  • Washington State University -- Faculty -- Archives.

Finding aid prepared by Kyle Jansson
2016

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