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Otis Pease papers, 1948-2005
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Pease, Otis A
- Title
- Otis Pease papers
- Dates
- 1948-2005 (inclusive)19482005
- Quantity
- 3.58 cubic feet (4 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 5595 (Accession No. 5595-001)
- Summary
- Course materials and research files from Otis A. Pease (1925-2010), who was a history professor at the University of Washington from 1966-1995 and author of numerous history books
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
Open to all users.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Otis A. Pease was a history professor and author. He was widely known for his productive academic career as a scholar and professor of U.S. history. Peace was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in 1925 to Frederic and Ruth Pease. He graduated summa cum laude from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1943. He enlisted in the Army after his first semester at Yale University. While serving in the military from 1943 to 1946, he was awarded a Purple Heart for injuries sustained during the Battle of the Bulge. After his military service, he returned to Yale University where he received a B.A. in American Studies in 1949 and a Ph.D. in History in 1954. Pease taught for two years at the University of Texas (1953-55) and ten years at Stanford University (1956-1966). He joined the Department of History at the University of Washington in 1966, where he served as department chair from 1967-1972, and retired as Professor Emeritus in 1995. He supervised numerous theses and doctoral dissertations during his lengthy career as a scholar and professor.
Pease served on the Stanford University Board of Trustees from 1969 to1985, and was a life member in the American Historical Association, an organization in which he served as vice president. Pease’s areas of expertise included the Progressive Era, the history of American advertising, civil rights, urban politics and reform, Pacific Coast history, the American character, and the experience of American soldiers in World War II. He published many articles and several books, including Parkman's History: The Historian as Literary Artist(1953); The Responsibilities of American Advertising: Private Control and Public Influence, 1920-1940(1958); The Progressive Years: The Spirit and Achievement of American Reform(as editor, 1962); and Blueberry Pie: The Meaning of WWII for the Americans Who Fought in It(2007).
Pease participated in activities that promoted social justice. In 1964, he worked as a volunteer and consultant for the Mississippi Summer Project (also known as Freedom Summer) through the Council of Federated Organizations, particularly the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, assisting with African American voter registration and related civil rights projects in Mississippi. He also had an appreciation for music and the arts. He was a skilled pianist and vocalist. Pease was a founding member of the Northwest Chamber Chorus and performed with them for over thirty years. Pease died in Seattle in 2010.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection contains Otis Pease's history course files and research files. It also contains records from Pease's direct involvement in the Civil Rights Movement.
The collection also contains two nineteenth century documents which Pease possessed - an 1892 original letter written by Francis Parkman and an 1897 Civil War Veteran's commemoration reunion program booklet.
As part of his involvement in the 1964 Mississippi Summer Project, Pease collected newspaper clippings, reports, correspondence, photographs, and original materials on the Mississippi Summer Project and the struggle for civil rights in the American South, which are contained in this collection. These materials are products of Pease's active participation in the Mississippi Summer Project.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The creators' literary rights have not been transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Arranged into 4 series:
- Course Materials
- Research Materials
- Correspondence, Book Reviews, and Professional Records
- Civil Rights Movement Materials
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Course Materials, 1950-1993Return to Top
Notes on teaching; Course materials for graduate seminars and undergraduate courses
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Notes on Teaching (general) |
|
1/2 | Course Materials: UW - American Studies Seminar
(SPACE) |
|
1/3 | Course Materials: UW - HSTAA 522 (Graduate
Seminar) |
|
1/4 | Course Materials: UW - HSTAA 456 (Undergraduate course,
"The American Character") |
|
1/5 | Background Material and Notes for U.S. History Courses
(general) |
|
1/10 | Course Materials: Civil War (Stanford/University of
Washington) |
|
1/11 | Course Materials: Graduate Seminars (Stanford, Yale,
University of Washington) |
|
2/1 | Course Materials: Undergraduate Courses (Stanford,
University of Washington) |
|
2/7 | Course Materials: UW - HST AA 473 (Undergraduate Course,
"The American Experience in World War II and Its Aftermath") |
Research Materials, 1953-2005Return to Top
Notes and materials gathered in the course of Pease's historical research
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/6 | Notes on Historiography Conference (University of
Kansas, August 1955) |
|
1/7 | Research Materials on Francis Parkman (including
original letter from Parkman to Mr. Bartlett regarding
Familiar Quotations, dated
1892) |
|
1/8 | Research Notes and Materials: History of Stanford
University and Leland Stanford (for published article) |
|
1/9 | Research Materials, Notes, and Drafts for
Politics of an Urban Nation(unpublished manuscript) |
|
2/2 | Research Material and Notes: American Cultural History
(Literature, Theatre, Dance, Music, Contemporary Issues) |
|
2/3 | Research and Correspondence: History of
Advertising |
|
3/1 | Research Materials: World War II and the American
Experience of the War |
|
3/2 | Research Materials: The American Experience in World War
II |
Academic and Professional Records, 1948-1995Return to Top
Academic records from Pease's doctoral studies at Yale University and varied professional records
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
2/4 | Book Reviews and Related Correspondence |
|
2/5 | Publications: Notes and Correspondence |
|
2/6 | Professional Records (Yale, University of Texas,
Stanford, University of Washington) |
Civil Rights Movement Materials, 1964-1990Return to Top
Original materials on the 1964 Mississippi Summer Project (Freedom Summer) produced by Pease; Original materials collected by Pease on the Mississippi Summer Project and the struggle for civil rights in the American South, including extensive materials on the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Council of Federated Organizations, and Mississippi Democratic Freedom Party
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
4/1 | Mississippi Summer Project - Personal File, Folder 1 of
2 |
|
4/2 | Mississippi Summer Project - Personal File, Folder 2 of
2 |
|
4/3 | Mississippi Summer Project, including reports and
newspaper articles Folder 1 of 3 |
|
4/4 | Mississippi Summer Project, including reports and
newspaper articles Folder 2 of 3 |
|
4/5 | Mississippi Summer Project, including reports and
newspaper articles Folder 3 of 3 |
|
4/6 | Mississippi Summer Project - Evaluations and
Perspectives - Personal Notes, Folder 1 of 2 |
|
4/7 | Mississippi Summer Project - Evaluations and
Perspectives - Personal Notes, Folder 2 of 2 |
|
4/8 | 'Stanford in Mississippi' Materials |
|
4/9 | Civil Rights Movement - South: SNCC, etc., Post 1964
Summer - Personal |
|
4/10 | Student Correspondence: Social Action and Protest
(mostly Mississippi veterans) |
|
4/11 | General Materials, including correspondence and
bibliographies |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Civil rights movements--Mississippi--History--20th century
Personal Names
- Pease, Otis A.--Archives
Corporate Names
- Mississippi Freedom Project
- Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
Other Creators
-
Corporate Names
- University of Washington. University Archives
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- University Archives/Faculty Papers (University of Washington)