WAUShephardEsther0994.xml Guide to the Esther Shephard Papers 1852-1972 Shephard (Esther) Papers Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries ©2007 (Last modified: 1/31/2020)
Seattle, WA 98195
Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard). University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections 0994 Shephard, Esther Esther Shephard papers 1852-1972 14.88 linear feet Collection materials are in English. Papers of an author, professor of literature and literary critic

Esther Maria Lofstrand, born 1891 at Minneapolis, attended public schools in Minnesota. In 1916, after her marriage to Richard T. Shepherd (d. 1915), she came to Washington and attended the State Normal School at Bellingham; afterwards teaching high school for a short time in Belgrade, Montana. Mrs. Shepherd returned to Washington and earned a B.A. in 1920, M.A. in 1921, and Ph.D. in 1938 from the University of Washington. In 1921 she married C. Ellis Shephard (d. 1938) and was known professionally as Esther Shephard for the rest of her career. Mrs. Shephard's master's thesis was, "Frontier Literature," published in 1921. In this and subsequent tall-tale writings, "Paul Bunyan," (self-published by Esther and C. Ellis Shephard in a limited edition in 1924 and republished, with illustrations by Rockwell Kent, in 1941) is Mrs. Shephard's masterwork. The tales, collected in West Coast logging camps by the Shephards, were retold in warm and witty prose by Mrs. Shephard. In the 1930's she began to concentrate on play-writing and Walt Whitman criticism, in addition to sporadically continue to write poetry. Her Ph.D. dissertation, "Walt Whitman Prose," was published in 1938. Her most important academic appointment was in the English Department at San Jose State College, where she taught ca. 1939-1959. During this period her poetic retelling of an ancient Chinese legend, "The Cowherd and the Sky Maiden," was published in 1950. It was produced as an opera in 1952, with music by John Verral and staged by John Ashby Conway, at the University of Washington. Several Whitman articles also date from Mrs. Shephard's San Jose years. Mrs. Shephard died in February, 1975.

Organized into 2 accessions.

Accession No. 0994-001, Shephard Esther papers, 1921-1955 Accession No. 0994-002, Shephard Esther papers, 1852-1972

Correspondence, literary manuscripts, notes and research materials, photos, clippings, reviews, financial records, and other papers, relating to Shephard's career as professor at San Jose State College (1939-1959), her compilation of the Paul Bunyan legends, the publication of her book Paul Bunyan (1924), and her work as literary critic of the writings of Walt Whitman. Correspondents include: Harcourt, Brace and Co., Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., McNeil Press, Seattle, Wash., Erna Gunther, Arthur Meier Schlesinger, and Mrs. Carl Sandburg.

Open to all users

Request at UW

Consult the restrictions governing reproduction and use for each of the accessions listed below.

 Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington) Browne, Maurice, 1881-1955 Bunyan, Paul (Legendary character) Chittick, V. L. O. (Victor Lovitt Oakes), 1882-1972 Conway, John Ashby, 1905- Goodale, David Gunther, Erna, 1896-1982--Correspondence Hillaire, Joseph R Hughes, Glenn, 1894-1964 James, John R Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971 Russell, Diarmuid, -1973 Schlesinger, Arthur M., Jr. (Arthur Meier), 1917-2007--Correspondence Shephard, C. Ellis Shephard, Esther--Archives Sickels, Eleanor Maria, 1894- Steichen, Lilian, 1883-1977--Correspondence Verrall, John, 1908-2001 Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892 Alfred A. Knopf, Inc Harcourt Brace & Company Library of Congress McNeil Press (Seattle, Wash McNeil Press (Seattle, Wash.) Puget Sound Savings and Loan Association San Jose State College--Faculty--Archives Seattle Writers' Club Reviews (Criticism) Authors, American--California Women college teachers--California American literature--History and criticism Authors and publishers--United States Folklore--United States Literature--Research--Washington (State) Literature--Study and teaching Publishers and publishing--United States State universities and colleges--California Tall tales--United States Universities and colleges--California Literature

 

Accession No. 0994-001: Shephard Esther papers, 1921-1955 1.88 linear feet

Scope and Content: Paul Bunyan correspondence, notes, research material, etc.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Mrs. Shephard in the 1940's.

 1/1-22 0994-001 Correspondence: Incoming 1921-1954 undated

General Notes: Organized alphabetically

 2/1-11 0994-001 Correspondence: Outgoing 1921-1954 2/12-16, 3/1-2 0994-001 Manuscripts undated 3/3-10 0994-001 Notes 1922-1945 3/11-3/17 0994-001 Reserach Material 1922-1945 4/1-3 0994-001 Illustrative Materials 1924 -1941 4/4-6 0994-001 Ephemera 1922-1935 4/7 0994-001 Publicity 1924 4/8-9 0994-001 Reviews 1925-1926 4/10 0994-001 Award (Junior Scholastic Gold Seal) 1942 4/11-13 0994-001 Clippings 1922-1942, undated 5/1 0994-001 Miscellany 1924-1950 5 0994-001 Books 1924, 1950

General Notes: The Cowherd and the Sky Maiden and Paul Bunyan

 Accession No. 0994-002: Shephard Esther papers, 1852-1972 (bulk 1920-1960) 13 linear feet

Scope and Content: Correspondence, literary manuscripts, music, notes, miscellany, subject files.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Kathryn Shephard Cushman 24 Aug 1977 and 2 Sept 1977.

 Series 1 Biographical Features 1/1 0994-002 Bigraphical features 1915-1975 Series 2 General Correspondence 1/2-3 0994-002 American Literature 1942-1957 1/4 0994-002 The Atlantic Monthly 1924-1958 1/5 0994-002 A Miscellaneous 1919-1959

General Notes: Allen, Gay W.

 1/6 0994-002 Backus, Joyce F. 1944-1963 1/7 0994-002 Barry, Raymond W. 1939-1946 1/8 0994-002 Benton, Pauline 1948-1953 1/9 0994-002 Botkin, Benjamin A. 1932-1934 1/10 0994-002 Browne, Ellen Van Volkenburg 1928-1932 1/11 0994-002 Browne, Maurice 1927-1930 1/12-13 0994-002 B Miscellaneous 1922-1961 1/14 0994-002 California State College, San Francisco 1938-1939 1/15 0994-002 The Chinese World 1950-1958

General Notes: Newspaper, San Francisco

 1/16 0994-002 Chittick, Victor L.O. 1923-1958 1/17-21 0994-002 Conway, John Ashby 1949-1958 1/22 0994-002 Cornish, Nellie C. 1930-1934 1/23 0994-002 Cushman, Kathryn Shephard 1931-1952 1/24-25 0994-002 C Miscellaneous 1918-1960 1/26 0994-002 The Dumbook 1925 1/27 0994-002 D Miscellaneous 1929-1957 1/28 0994-002 Edens, Olive 1922-1930 1/29 0994-002 Ernst, Alice H. 1925-1936 1/30 0994-002 Feinberg, Charles E. 1960-1962 1/31 0994-002 Finkel, William L. 1954-1955 2/1 0994-002 French, Samuel 1924-1949 2/2 0994-002 Furness, Clifton J. 1937-1945 2/3 0994-002 E-F Miscellaneous 1927-1960 2/4 0994-002 Gilliam, Olive K. 1921-1962 2/5-7 0994-002 Goodale, David 1938-1963 2/8 0994-002 Goodale, H.L. (Mrs.) circa 1950-1952 2/9 0994-002 Grier, Edward F. 1961 2/10 0994-002 Griffith, Dudley D. 1930-1952 2/11 0994-002 Guild Photographers 1937-1948 2/12 0994-002 Gunderson, Regina 1938-1952 2/13 0994-002 G Miscellaneous 1919-1960 2/14-18 0994-002 Harcourt, Brace and Co. 1925-1960

General Notes: See also: Folder 3/33

 2/19 0994-002 Harcourt, Brace and World 1961-1962 2/20 0994-002 Hartshorn, Mellor 1934 2/21 0994-002 Harvard University Library 1937-1955 2/22 0994-002 Hillyer, Robert S. 1939-1953 2/23 0994-002 Hirakawa, Joseph T. 1957-1958 2/24 0994-002 Hopkins, Arthur 1936-1944 2/25 0994-002 Hosey, Anne 1948 2/26 0994-002 Houghton Mifflin Co. 1925-1950 2/27 0994-002 Hughes, Glenn A. 1921-1956 2/28-29 0994-002 H Miscellaneous 1921-1960 3/1 0994-002 I-J Miscellaneous 1852, 1932-1960 3/2 0994-002 Kelly, Lulu Shephard circa 1936-1939 3/3 0994-002 Kent, Rockwell 1941-1942 3/4 0994-002 K Miscellaneous 1923-1961 3/5 0994-002 Laughead, W.B. 1923-1955 3/6 0994-002 Lawson, James R. 1944-1954 3/7 0994-002 Lewin, E.P.S. (Literary Agent) 1947-1948 3/8-12 0994-002 Lofstrand Family 1910-1939 3/13 0994-002 Longmans, Green and Co. 1927-1931 3/14 0994-002 L Miscellaneous 1921-1960 3/15 0994-002 McKinlay, Florence 1937-1955 3/16 0994-002 McPharlin, Paul 1931-1932 3/17 0994-002 MacQuarrie, Thomas W. 1939-1953 3/18 0994-002 Merriam, H.G. 1929-1932 3/19 0994-002 Merrick, Florence 1951-1952 3/20-21 0994-002 Modern Language Association of America 1950-1956 3/22 0994-002 Modern Language Quarterly 1952-1955 3/23 0994-002 Molecey, George 1960-1962 3/24 0994-002 Music Library Recordings 1951-1952 3/25-26 0994-002 M Miscellaneous 1925-1961 3/27 0994-002 New York University 1955 3/28 0994-002 The New Yorker 1944-1955 3/29 0994-002 N Miscellaneous 1923-1955 3/30 0994-002 O'Connor, William Douglas 1882 3/31 0994-002 O Miscellaneous 1921-1962 3/32 0994-002 Pack, Alice 1937-1962 3/33 0994-002 Pearce, Charles A. 1939-1955

General Notes: See also: Folders 2/14-16

 3/34 0994-002 Pfeffer (Max) Literary Agency 1945-1947 3/35 0994-002 Pinker (James B.) and Son 1928-1929 3/36 0994-002 Pound, Louise 1944-1945 4/1 0994-002 P Miscellaneous 1927-1953 4/2 0994-002 Reed College 1921-1939 4/3 0994-002 Resnick, Nathan 1948 4/4 0994-002 Romig, Edna D. 1944-1948 4/5 0994-002 Row, Peterson and Co. 1931-1933 4/6 0994-002 Russell, Diarmuid 1945 4/7 0994-002 R Miscellaneous 1925-1958 4/8 0994-002 Saterbo, Bernt 1918-1919 4/9-5/5 0994-002 Shephard, C. Ellis 1920-1937 5/6 0994-002 Shephard, Richard J. 1934-1951 5/7-11 0994-002 Sickels, Eleanor M. 1925-1960 5/12 0994-002 Stanford University 1939 5/13-14 0994-002 S Miscellaneous 1920-1959 5/15 0994-002 Thomas, Maud M. 1936-1952 5/16 0994-002 Ting, Chi-han 1959-1962 5/17-18 0994-002 Turner, Marjory Shephard 1924-1951 5/19 0994-002 T Miscellaneous 1925-1961 5/20-23 0994-002 U.S. Library of Congress 1936-1961 5/24 0994-002 University Travel Service 1950-1951 5/25-26 0994-002 Verrall, John and Polly 1950-1955 5/27 0994-002 U-V Miscellaneous 1918-1951 6/1 0994-002 Wakano, Hiroshi 1958-1959 6/2 0994-002 Walter, Caroline C. 1926-1955 6/3 0994-002 Wang, Shih-chung 1957-1960 6/4 0994-002 Warner Brothers Pictures 1932-1933 6/5 0994-002 Washington - County Extension Service, Snohomish County 1936 6/6 0994-002 Washington State Library 1938 6/7 0994-002 Washington. University 1919-1945 6/8 0994-002 Wood, James 1950-1962 6/9-10 0994-002 W Miscellaneous 1917-1961 6/11 0994-002 Y-Z Miscellaneous 1904-1957 6/12 0994-002 Unidentified 1902-1962 6/13 0994-002 "Dorothy" 1946-1958 6/14 0994-002 "Elizabeth" 1941-1952 Series 3 Literary Manuscripts Subseries 1 Fiction 7/1-6 0994-002 Out of Many Chances [novel] 1945 7/7 0994-002 Paul Bunyan 1924 7/8 0994-002 Paul Bunyan Reviews [McNeil Press edition] 1924-1925 7/9-10 0994-002 Paul Bunyan Reviews [Harcourt edition] 1941-1942 7/11-9/7 0994-002 Paul Bunyan Typescript undated OSVF 190 0994-002 Paul Bunyan Frontspiece photograph and letter undated 9/8 0994-002 Revisions circa 1925 9/9-14 0994-002 Fragments undated 9/15 0994-002 Notes undated 9/16 0994-002 "Paul Bunyan As Big As Life and Bigger: New Stories of Paul Bunyan and Some Old Tales Retold" undated 9/17 0994-002 "The Paul Bunyan Humor" 1941 Subseries 2 Short Stories 9/18 0994-002 "The Engineer's Story" undated 9/19 0994-002 "Five Times; or, the Way of a Maid with a Man" undated 9/20 0994-002 "The Justice of Chosroes" undated 9/21 0994-002 "Pamoshnitsa" undated 10/1 0994-002 "The Road" undated 10/2 0994-002 "You Sheep" undated 10/3-5 0994-002 Miscellaneous undated Subseries 3 Plays 10/6-9 0994-002 The Angel Annabel undated 10/10 0994-002 The Baby's Brother undated 10/11-13 0994-002 Bad Times at the Punches' undated 10/14-11/2 0994-002 Brother Kings undated 11/3 0994-002 Cabbage or Chicken? undated 11/4 0994-002 Cactus Cat circa 1931 11/5-11/11 0994-002 La China Poblana [opera] 1951 11/12 0994-002 Comejack, Too undated 12/1 0994-002 Davy Crockett undated 12/2-4 0994-002 Dimmesdale undated 12/5 0994-002 Fern Fairies circa 1930 12/6 0994-002 Five Years undated 12/7-17 0994-002 The Gift of Signy circa 1928 12/18 0994-002 In Those Dear Old College Daze 1928 12/19 0994-002 Jet undated 13/1-2 0994-002 Merchant Marouf (A Tartar Tale) undated 13/3 0994-002 The Merger undated 13/4-5 0994-002 One Lover Less circa 1932 13/6 0994-002 Page Mr. Allen undated 13/7 0994-002 The Picnic undated 13/8-10 0994-002 Pierrette's Heart 1924 13/11 0994-002 Poor Adam undated 13/12-14 0994-002 Saul undated 13/15 0994-002 The Summer Monsoon (A Pageant of India) undated

General Notes: with Marie C. Hone and Hazel E. Roberts

 13/16 0994-002 That's Funny undated 13/17 0994-002 Tin Wedding undated 13/18 0994-002 Towzer's in the Milkpan undated 13/19-22 0994-002 A Venetian Hour undated 14/1 0994-002 What Every Man Knows undated 14/2 0994-002 The Wife 1925 14/3-13 0994-002 The Wife of Jonak 1930 14/14 0994-002 Willie in Trouble undated 14/15 0994-002 Yes, Tomorrow undated 14/16 0994-002 Fragments, Drafts, Untitled undated Subseries 4 Poetry 15/1 0994-002 "At Home" undated 15/2 0994-002 "Chinese Landscape Painting" undated 15/3-11 0994-002 The Cowherd and the Sky Maiden 1950 15/12 0994-002 The Cowherd and the Sky Maiden [operatic adaptation] 1952 15/13 0994-002 "Nineteenth-Century Painting" 1945-1946 15/14-15 0994-002 Poems 1938 15/16 0994-002 "Wedding of Spring" 1943 15/17-18 0994-002 "Wind Tales" undated 15/19 0994-002 "Wisdom" 1925 15/20 0994-002 "Woods in August" undated 16/1-18 0994-002 Miscellaneous, Untitled, Drafts undated Subseries 5 Literary Criticism 16/19 0994-002 "A Correction for Mabbott and Silver's Article, "Walt Whitman's "'Tis But Ten Years Since'""; "An Error of Omission in Mabbott and Silver's "Walt Whitman's ''Tis But Ten Years Since'"" circa 1943 16/20-27 0994-002 For a Revaluation of Whitman's Poetry 17/1-5 0994-002 Frontier Literature 1921 17/6 0994-002 "An Inquiry into Whitman's Method of Turning Prose Into Poetry" 1953 17/7 0994-002 "The Inside Front and Back Covers of Whitman's Earliest Known Notebook: Some Observations on Photocopy and Verbal Descriptions" 1972 17/8-10 0994-002 "Life on the Mississippi" undated 17/11 0994-002 "A Note on the Photoduplicates of Whitman's Cardboard Butterfly" circa 1955 17/12 0994-002 "On Walt Whitman's Poetry" undated 17/13 0994-002 "Possible Sources of Some of Whitman's Ideas and Symbols in 'Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus' and Other Works" 1953 18/1-9 0994-002 A Study of the Coined Words in "Leaves of Grass" undated 18/10 0994-002 "The Coined Words in Whitman's Leaves of Grass" undated 18/11 0994-002 "The Tall Tale in American Literature" 1921 18/12-13 0994-002 The Thread of Ariadne: Walt Whitman As Poet (The Record of a Search) 1936 18/14 0994-002 "Two Early Whitman Notebooks" undated 18/15 0994-002 "Walt Whitman's 'Consuelo' - Three Volumes of the Story Proper, Two of its Sequel, The Countess of Rudolstadt - Is Still in Existence" undated 19/1 0994-002 Walt Whitman's Pose: Excerpt 1962 19/2-4 0994-002 Walt Whitman's Pose: Reviews 1938-1939 19/5 0994-002 Walt Whitman's Pose: Galley Proof undated 19/6-21/11 0994-002 Walt Whitman's Pose: Typescript undated 21/12 0994-002 "Walt Whitman's Whereabouts in the Winter of 1842-1843" 1957 Subseries 6 Reviews, Essays, Speeches, and Miscellaneous by Esther Shephard 21/13 0994-002 Review: Allen, Gay W. - The Solitary Singer 1955 21/14 0994-002 Review: Miscellaneous circa 1926-1943 Essays 21/15 0994-002 "Homilies and Beasts" undated 21/16 0994-002 Speeches circa 1926 22/1-2 0994-002 Miscellaneous and Unidentified 1921, 1955, undated Series 4 Speeches and Writings by Other Authors 22/3 0994-002 Goodale, David 1938-1962 22/4 0994-002 Hatch, Charlton circa 1932 22/5 0994-002 Sickels, Eleanor M. 1923-1943 22/6-7 0994-002 Miscellaneous 1923-1955 Series 5 Financial Records 22/10 0994-002 Royalty Statements 1927-1949 Series 6 Subject Series 25/5-6 0994-002 Bunyan, Paul 1925-1954 25/7 0994-002 European Trip 1951 25/8 0994-002 Far East Trip 1957 25/9 0994-002 Hillaire, Joseph R. circa 1966 25/10 0994-002 James, John R. circa 1928 25/11-12 0994-002 Mexican Trip 1952 26/1 0994-002 Programs: Concerts circa 1911-1939 26/2 0994-002 Programs: Dance 1939-1940 26/3-4 0994-002 Programs: Drama/Operetta/Cinema 1897-1952 26/5 0994-002 Programs: Washington. University 1919-1958 26/6 0994-002 Puget Sound Savings and Loan Association 1934-1938 26/7 0994-002 Seattle Writers' Club 1935-1936 26/8 0994-002 Shephard, C. Ellis 1938 26/9 0994-002 Student (Esther Shephard) Memorabilia - Cambridge (Minnesota). Public Schools 1905-1909 26/10-11 0994-002 Student (Esther Shephard) Memorabilia - Washington. University 1918-1934 26/12 0994-002 Teaching Files: Belgrade (Montana). Public Schools 1917-1918 26/13-14 0994-002 Teaching Files: Reed College 1921-1922 26/15-16 0994-002 Teaching Files: Washington. University. Dramatic Art Department 1929-1930 26/17 0994-002 Teaching Files: Washington. Lower Columbia Junior College 1934-1935 27/1 0994-002 Teaching Files: California. State College. San Jose 1947-1959 Series 7 McNeil Press 27/2-5 0994-002 General Correspondence 1924-1928

General Notes: Correspondents include: Blegen, Theodore C. and Tully, Jim

 27/6 0994-002 Financial Records 1925-1935 Series 8 Other records 22/8 0994-002 Music 1939-1955, undated 22/9 0994-002 Legal Documents 1909-1938 22/11-12 0994-002 Conferences and Conventions 1910-1955 22/11-12 0994-002 Conferences and Conventions 1910-1955 22/13 0994-002 Clippings 1927-1955 23, 24 0994-002 Notes [primarily for Shephard's Whitman writings] undated 25/1-2 0994-002 Photographs 1920-1957, undated 25/3-4 0994-002 Miscellany 1906-1938