Open to public research.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the G. Malcolm Laws Jr. papers must be obtained from the
The materials that comprise this collection were purchased by USU Special Collections and Archives in 1995 from a dealer of rare books and manuscripts.
Guide prepared by: Special Collections and Archives staff.
G. Malcolm Laws,Jr. papers, 1943-1978. (COLL MSS 232). Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives Department.
George Malcolm Laws Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 4, 1919. He married Beatrice Elfreth on June 10, 1950. They are the parents of four children: Susan E., Deborah A., George M. III, and Elizabeth A.
From Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania, Laws received his AB in 1942, and from the University of Pennsylvania, he received his AM in 1946, and his PhD in 1949. Laws' interest in ballads, which developed while in college, led to his dissertation on the balladry of Native American Indians. The English Department at the University of Pennsylvania appointed him assistant instructor in 1942 and instructor in 1944. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1955, associate professor in 1959, and professor in 1966. He taught courses in English and nineteenth-century American literature, as well as courses in British and American balladry.
Correlating to his profession and personal interests, Laws involved himself in associations and societies. He had membership in the American Folklore Society, the Modern Language Association of America, the Merion Cricket Club, and the Union Benevolent Association (vice president).
Laws is highly regarded as one of America's leading scholars on ballads and folk songs. His committed career to the traditional ballad is deeply ingrained in American and British culture. English scholars and those interested in folklore acknowledge Laws especially for his three books:
The G. Malcolm Laws' collection consists of correspondence, catalogues, English class notes, maps and tourist guides, memoirs, royalties, Voice of America correspondence, John I. White correspondence, White House Library organization, articles and writings, Princeton fifty year class reunion book, diverse writings and articles from Laws, general information forms on Laws' personal and public life, writings and book reviews on Laws' three published books -
This collection primarily revolves around Laws' devoted writing and teaching career in the field of American and British folklore. The core of his folklore interest that focused on mid-eighteenth century British balladry and American balladry from the dawn of the nineteenth century is evident in his collection.
Broken down, his collection consists of nineteen boxes. The first two boxes contain outgoing and incoming correspondence - the former is arranged chronologically and the latter alphabetically. The incoming correspondence can simply be matched with the outgoing by referring to the date. Because of the extensive correspondence from John I. White, his material is located in the topics section in box 4.
A general rule of thumb with the boxes 3 through 7 is that they are arranged alphabetically by the topic name, author's last name, or title's name. If several dated documents are found in a given group, they are arranged chronologically. If several non-dated documents are found in a given group, they are arranged alphabetically.
Boxes 3 and 4 contain a diversified group of alphabetized topics: catalogues, English classes taught, maps/postcards/museum pamphlets, memoirs, programs, royalties, Voice of America (VOA) material, correspondence from John I. White, and White House library. Boxes 5 and 6 consist of articles and writings from Laws' folklore collection that are arranged alphabetically according to the author's name and alphabetically according to the title when no author is given. Box 7 contains the Princeton Fifty Year Class Reunion book and a letter from Tip.
Boxes 8 through 17 consist of Laws' vast collection of writings. Box 8 contains some of his miscellaneous writings, ranging from essays to unpublished articles, and is arranged chronologically. Box 9 consists of general information forms of Laws' personal life, writings/book reviews on his three published books with some related advertisements of the books, reviews from Laws' concerning other works, and finally, articles by Laws. Folders on his three published books are arranged chronologically (the order the books were published), and the several articles pertaining to each book are alphabetized by the name of society/journal/quarterly. Folders on Laws' reviews are arranged alphabetically by the title of the book. Folders on Laws' articles are arranged alphabetically.
Boxes 10 through 17 contain the manuscripts and typescripts of Laws' three published books. They are arranged chronologically (the order they were published). The manuscripts and typescripts of each book are also arranged chronologically.
Box 18 contains an encapsulated broadside. Box 19 consists of Laws' bibliography on American ballad collections and humor.
It is noteworthy to mention that a considerable part of Laws' collection, consisting of a library of folklore books, has been separated from this collection and catalogued as
G. Malcolm Laws Ballad Collection (Folk Coll 19).
John I. White papers (Coll Mss 201).
The collection is arranged alphabetically and chronologically .
Chronological
Alphabetical by Last Name of Writer or First Title Name of University/Association/Organization
Alphabetized by Topics and Then Arranged Chronologically Within Each Topic Unless Otherwise Noted
(Including a Student's Essay)
(Separate from Box 2 Because of the Significant Amount of Interaction Between Laws and White)
(Boxes 5 and 6 are Arranged Alphabetically by the Author's Last Name. More Than One Article/Writing of an Author is Arranged Chronologically. If No Author is Given, it is Arranged Alphabetically by the Title.)
(Folders on Laws' Three Published Books are Arranged Chronologically or in the Order They were Published and the Several Articles Pertaining to Each Book are Alphabetized by the Name of the Society/Journal/Quarterly. Folders on Laws' Reviews are Arranged Alphabetically by the Title of the Book. Folders on Laws' Articles are Arranged Alphabetically.)
They are Arranged Chronologically - the Order They were Published. The Manuscripts and Typescripts of Each Book are Also Arranged Chronologically.)