Harold Woodmansee Bentley (1899-1980) was born in 1899 in Colonia Juarez, Mexico. He attended Utah State Agricultural College before receiving his A.B. degree from Brigham Young University in 1923 and his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1932. He taught English and Spanish at Columbia for 17 years. During that time Dr. Bentley was on leave of absence twice. First, he conducted a survey for the Carnegie Foundation of one hundred institutions in the United States and Canada on college athletics. Second, he directed the Benjamin Franklin Library (the American library in Mexico City) and was associated with the State Department's cultural relations program in Mexico City during World War II. As a result of his work there, Dr. Bentley was decorated by the President of Mexico with the Order of the Aztec Eagle for promoting friendship between the two countries.
Bentley came to the University of Utah in 1949 as professor of English and director of the Summer School. He was appointed Dean of Extension Division in 1950, a position he held in Emeritus status until his retirement. During that time, he helped to promote interest in folklore and folk music in the University community, including assistance in establishing the Utah Folklore Society in 1958.
In 1961 Dr. Bentley took leave from the University to accept the position of academic vice president and acting president of the newly created Haile Salassie I University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He returned to his position at the University of Utah in 1962 and remained there until his retirement. He died in October 1980.
The Harold Woodmansee Bentley folklore papers (1947-1965) consist mainly of materials concerned with folk music and organizations and individuals promoting folk music and other forms of folklore.
The first box of the collection contains correspondence between Bentley and others and is concerned with different aspects of folklore and folk music. Correspondents include Wayland Hand, the editor of Western Folklore magazine; Guy Carawan, a folk music performer, and his agent; and Rosalie and Jim Sorrels, performing artists and instructors for the University of Utah Extension Division. Other correspondents are parties involved in some way with the above listed individuals or their concerns. Organizations formed to promote folklore and folk music in Utah are also located in this box. Included are various organizational papers, program agendas, and correspondence of the Folklore Society of Utah for the years 1958-1963; information concerning the Western Folklore Conference, held in Denver, Colorado, for the years 1948-1951; and miscellaneous papers concerning other folklore groups in Utah.
The second box of the collection contains song lyric sheets collected by Bentley from various sources, including courses offered by the Extension Division at the University of Utah. Also, this section contains class material from a guitar class, a collection of children's jump rope rhymes, and a listing of children's riddles. Lastly, contained here are two articles on folklore, several bibliographies and catalogues of folk music and folklore, and other miscellaneous material concerned with folklore. The third box of this collection contain information pertaining to Ethiopia which documents Bentley's position as academic Vice President and acting President of the newly created Haile Salassie I University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
Two letters have been removed from box 1, folder 2 and placed in Reserve. Access must be given by the Manuscripts Curator and by appointment. An archivist must remain with the items if being used. Photocopies are available in the collection for research use.
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's
Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Transferred from the University of Utah Archives in 1983.
Processed by Mark Jensen in 1993.
Addendum processed by Sarah Goodrich in 2006.
Two original letters have been removed and placed in Reserve. Photocopied versions are available in the collection for access purposes. Access to the originals must be given by the Manuscripts Curator and by appointment. An archivist must remain with the items if being used.
Folder one contains an index of songs that are found in box two.