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Norma Smith Papers, 1895-2000

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Smith, Norma, 1913-2001
Title
Norma Smith Papers
Dates
1895-2000 (inclusive)
Quantity
3.2 linear feet
Collection Number
2329
Summary
The Norma Smith Papers contain her research material for her manuscript on Jeannette Rankin. The collection also contains: photocopies of Jeannette Rankin correspondence throughout her career; Norma's research notes and bibliographic material; research correspondence; correspondence with Jeannette Rankin and her personal secretary, Reita Rivers; notes from Norma's interviews with Rankin as well as copies of other interviews, and clippings. In addition to her research on Jeannette Rankin, the collection also includes personal papers, other research material, and family history research. The collection also contains photographs of Jeannette Rankin and her home in Georgia and pictures of Norma's family.
Repository
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Languages
Collection materials are in English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
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Biographical Note

Norma (Longetig) Smith was born on March 1, 1913, in Mohler, Idaho. She graduated from the University of Idaho with a degree in journalism in 1933. Norma lived in Bozeman from 1950 until 1967. During that time she completed her Master's degree in history, graduating in 1961 from Montana State College. She worked as a secretary, social worker, newspaper reporter, editor, and free lance writer having published some poetry in the Saturday Evening Post. She married Louis DeSpain Smith and they had three children. Norma first met Jeannette Rankin during her graduation ceremony from Montana State College in 1961 when she received her Master's degree in history and Jeannette Rankin was awarded an honorary doctorate. Over the next decade Norma visited and interviewed Rankin in both Montana and Georgia.

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Content Description

The Norma Smith papers contain her research material for her manuscript on Jeannette Rankin. Although it bore the working title of "Fighting Pacifist," Smith's work was eventually published as Jeannette Rankin, America's Conscience (Helena: Montana Historical Society Press, 2002). The collection also contains: photocopies of Jeannette Rankin correspondence throughout her career; Norma's research notes and bibliographic material; research correspondence; correspondence with Jeannette Rankin and her personal secretary, Reita Rivers; notes from Norma's interviews with Rankin as well as copies of other interviews, and clippings. In addition to her research on Jeannette Rankin, the collection also includes personal papers, other research material, and family history research. In addition, the collection contains photographs of Jeannette Rankin and her home in Georgia and pictures of Norma's family. Materials added in March 2011 have been placed in the appropriately labeled folders and indicated with [2011].

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Series 1 "Fighting Pacifist: Jeannette Rankin and her Times" Manuscript, 1974-2000

Series 2 Jeannette Rankin Research, 1898-1999

Series 3 Norma Smith

Subseries 1: Personal Papers, 1971-1996

Subseries 2: Academic Research, 1973-1991

Subseries 3: Family Histories/Genealogy, 1910-1990

Series 4 Photographs, circa 1895-1984

Acquisition Information

Norma Smith of Bozeman, Montana, donated her papers to Special Collections in 1995 and 2000. Additional manuscripts and clippings collected or created by Smith were donated by her daughter, Celia O'Connor, of Bozeman, Montana, on March 4, 2011 and incorporated into this collection.

Processing Note

This collection was processed 2011 March 10

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Women biographers-United States

Personal Names

  • Rankin, Jeannette, 1880-1973-Biography
  • Rankin, Jeannette, 1880-1973-Correspondence
  • Rankin, Jeannette, 1880-1973-Photographs
  • Rivers, Reita-Correspondence
  • Smith, Norma, 1913-2001-Jeannette Rankin : America's conscience

Corporate Names

  • Montana State University--Bozeman--Alumni and alumnae

Kim Allen Scott, 2011. Updated by Heather Mulliner, 2022.
2022

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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