Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections
Cage 836
Stimson, William, 1946-
William Stimson WSU History Correspondence
1987-1989
1 linear feet of shelf space
2 boxes
The collection compiles correspondence received by Bill Stimson in the course of writing his 1989 book "Going to Washington State: A Century of Student Life." The correspondents are primarily Washington State University alumni, discussing their college experiences, and range from the 1890s to the 1980s.
Collection materials are inEnglish.
William L. Stimson collected this correspondence for his published book "Going to Washington State: A Century of Student Life." After graduating from Eastern Washington University, Stimson worked as a reporter for the Spokane Chronicle, United Press International and Reuters, and was editor of "Spokane Magazine" and "Universe Magazine." He received his MA and PhD degrees in history from Washington State University, and became a Professor of Journalism at Eastern Washington University.
The collection consists primarily of photocopies of correspondence received by William Stimson while preparing his book. The correspondence all took place in 1987-1989, but discusses the correspondents’ memories of their time as students at Washington State University from the 1890s to 1980s. In some places, photocopies of letters or articles from the relevant period may have been included in the correspondence. Mr. Stimson’s personal notes are often written onto letters.
The collection is primarily arranged chronologically by the graduation dates of the correspondents and then alphabetically by the correspondents' last names within each folder, on the assumption that the primary use would be by researchers interested in given time period. A few unusual formats (a cassette tape and several reporters notebooks) are at the end of these files. In cases where a correspondent's marital name is obviously different from the name used while a student, their student-era name is used here. However, this is not always clear, and so may not be consistent. In a few cases (mostly those predating 1920), the letters are from children about their parents' experiences, and in those cases the parent is treated as the correspondent for purposes of determining filing dates and names. Letters from non-alumni are filed at the end of the years referenced in the letters.
Correspondence ranges from one page to thirty-plus pages, and the larger or more significant sets of correspondence are filed singly in their own folders.
Following those, about six folders collect letters very specifically in response to requests by Mr. Stimson for information about specific subjects; the correspondence in this set almost never touches on other topics. Keep in mind that letters in the chronological files might also touch on these topics.
This collection is open and available for research use.
Copyright restrictions apply.
[Item Description]
William Stimson WSU History Correspondence, 1987-1989
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections,
Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
These materials were gifted to Washington State University Libraries’ Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC) by William Stimson on December 11, 2015 (MS.2015.21). Additional materials were donated on May 3, 2019.
The collection was processed by University Archivist Mark O’English in December, 2015. He reprocessed the collection in May, 2020 to incorporate the newly gifted materials, and to replace existing photocopies with originals.
WSU MASC’s Photo Collection (PC 141), the William Stimson Collection of Donated Photographs of Pullman & WSU, 1890s-1980s, was received and processed at MASC prior to any knowledge that these papers would be coming. Several of the papers reference enclosed photographs; those photographs might be found in PC 141.
During the writing of his book, Stimson referenced multiple other collections and publications held in the MASC. Notable among these is the WSU Centennial Oral Histories (Archives 202).
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings.
Stimson, William, 1946- -- Correspondence
Washington State University -- Students.
Washington State University -- History.
Colleges and Universities.
Washington (State)
1 1
1897: Smith, Joe
1 2
1898: Bucklin, Robert
1 3
1907: Gay, Robert E.
1 4
1908: Lewis, Lewis F.
1 5
1921: Hamilton, Fred; Roberts, James; Twigg, Glenn
1 6
1922: Bugge, William; Clodius, Ted; Redington, Betty and Stewart, Don
1 7
1923: Cline, V.R.; Compau, Cecil; Maughmer, G.F.
1 8
1925: Avery, Frank; Bucklin, Robert W
1 9
1926: Strauss, Matthew
1 10
1927: Bageant, Kenneth; Detering, Fred; Sisler, George; Wilson, Lee
1 11
1928: Dils, Gene; Keener, Isobel; Stilson, Esther; Sweet, Violet; Winger, Carlyn
1 12
1929: Bowen, Howard; Brown, Dorothy; Buckley, Mary
1 13
1929: Appel, Lylia
1 14
1929: McLarney, Felix and Siebenbaum, Dorothy
1 15
1930: Bollman, Elsie; Mitchell, Leonard; Pittmen, Chester; Stover, Donald
1 16
1931: Bonn, Marjorie; Hein, Mel; Kennedy, Ken; Rideout, James
1 17
1932: Barstow, Grace; Jenkins, Herb; Loeper, William; McCabe, C.R.
1 18
1933: Bowen, Howard; Newcomb, Reuben
1 19
1934: Bement, Kenyon; Bohler, John
1 20
1935: Caraher, Joe; Lynch, Frances; McLarney, Art
1 21
1936: Camp, Elizabeth; Davis, Miriam; Jorgenson, Rolf; Klessig, Elizabeth; Lewis, Walter; Miles, Francis; Olson, Allan; Rice, Charles; Sandberg, Robert; Thornton, Genevieve
1 22
1937: Bassett, Henry; Brewster, Jo; Faler, Delia; Gilbert, Wilbur; Holz, Robert; Kienitz, Jean; Le Cocq, Rhoda; Rasmussen, Ruth; Scheyer, Dwight; Schlademan, Karl; Schreck, Sarah Marie; Stewart, Shirley
1 23
1938: Carroll, Dorothy; Conway, M.W.; Hill, Joe; Johnson, Randall; Miller, Louisa; Miller, Wayne; Ott, Esther; Rice, Charles; Schuchman, Clarence; Swanson, Byron
1 24
1938: Gibson, Weldon "Hoot"
1 25
1938: Sage, Jerry
1 26
1939: Schalow, Walt
1 27
1940: Davidson, Glen; Tomita, Junichi
1 28
1942: Floyd, Ellis and Thomas, Pat; Handy, Frances; Neilson, Bob
1 29
1943: Gay, Richard; Wood, Ralph
1 30
1944: Keithly, Margaret; Pease, Margaret; Rodney, Marie; Thomas, Jennie
1 31
1945: Piovesan, Irma
1 32
1946: Roberts, Janet
1 33
1948: Loeffelbein, Bob; Pozzi, Ron
1 34
1949: Bushaw, Don; Johnson, Wynne; Price, Miles; Whitely, Virgil; Whitson, J. Harry
1 35
1950: Fitch, Alice and Bill; Sorenson, Phil and Lyon, B.J.; Webb, Betty; Wood, Herb
1 36
1951: Degerstrom, Joan; Mullen, Jack; Sonnemann, W.K.
1 37
1952: Goudy, George; Hagie, Daryl and Jean
1 38
1953: Nordquist, Dave; Veatch, Sarita
1 39
1954: Eberhart, Rosemary; Trefry, Walter
1 40
1956: Kadow, Kenneth; McCormmach, Russell
2 1
1957: Gale, Nancy; Smith, Chellis
2 2
1958: Johnson, Maecel
2 3
1959: Stuart, Bill; Tiede, Tom
2 4
1960: Horn, Monita; Jeswine, Miriam
2 5
1963: Peter, Laurence
2 6
1966: de Michele, Barbara
2 7
1969: Jones, Harlan; Scherr, Bev
2 8
1970: Cross, Nola; Eliassen, Gary; Short, James
2 9
1971: Atkins, Ralph; Ferguson, Louise; Hendrickson, Scott; Turner, John H.
2 10
1972: Martin, Molly
2 11
1973: Walker, Bill
2 12
1980: Wheat, Lori
2 13
1985: Coe, Stanley; Jensen, Jeff
2 14
Cassette tape: interviews about football under Buck Bailey
2 15
Reporters notebooks: Jennie Harold; Wes McCabe; Glenn Oman; James Quann
2 16
Edward R. Murrow and Ida Lou Anderson. By Adams, Harold; Boyce, Barbara; Cavanaugh, Ed; Foraker, Phillip; Fox, Richard; Johnson, Virginia; Long, Cliff; Murrow, Janet; Nelson, Marjorie; Newcomb, Reuben; Plaskett(?), Bill; Rideout, James; Sackett, Manley; Stover, Donald; Walker, Corinne; Watt, Virginia; Williams, Orus
2 17
Correspondence from Ida Lou Anderson to Art Gilmore, 1936
2 18
Strike of 1936. By Giles, Lawrence E.; Lewis, Walter; Yothers, Robert
2 19
Compton firing, 1951. By Sandberg, Robert
2 20
Frank and Irene Potter. By Beard, Max; Bissinger, Mildred; Carter, Alice; Carter, Bert; Cauvel, Jane; Chisholm, Thelma; Click, Grace; Downie, Jack; Feagin, Susan; Franzen, Ellen; Goodrich, Dorris; Grosshans, Harry; Lampson, J.H.; Maurier, Frances; McClure, Aretta; McCormmach, Russell; Ogden, Daniel; Pilkey, Walt; Roberts, Beryl; Roberts, Janet; Sadoff, Frances; Stiern, Richard; Thompson, Albert; Thompson, Lois; Towne, Frank; Wells, Donald; Young, Joan
2 21
Question form blanks, sent by Stimson to alumni