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Louis C. Zucker papers, 1904-1982

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Zucker, Louis C., 1895-
Title
Louis C. Zucker papers
Dates
1904-1982 (inclusive)
Quantity
9 linear feet
Collection Number
MS 0485
Summary
The Louis C. Zucker papers (1904-1982) consist of personal materials; teaching materials relating to his teaching in English and Judaic studies; research on Rabbi Adolph H. Fink and Sara Teasdale; a section of the papers of Judge Herbert Schiller; religious materials including articles and addresses on Judaism and religion generally, songbooks, Jewish organizations, and holidays. Zucker was a professor of English at the University of Utah. He was also active in Jewish affairs and organizations in Salt Lake City.
Repository
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860

Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu
Access Restrictions

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.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Louis Clement Zucker was born April 10, 1895, to Polish-Jewish immigrant parents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Pennsylvania where he completed a bachelor of art (1919) and a master of art degree (1920) in English. In 1920, Zucker married Ethel Kaplan and the couple moved to Wisconsin where Zucker was employed as an instructor of English at the University of Wisconsin while he worked on a doctorate degree.

In 1928, Zucker moved to Salt Lake City to accept a position as assistant professor of English at the University of Utah. In addition to his duties as an English professor, he was active in promoting Judaic studies at the university, and taught courses in Hebrew, Yiddish, and Jewish law, literature, and history.

Zucker was well known for his research on the agricultural colony at Clarion, Utah. In 1967, he began collaborating with Juanita Brooks on her research into the history of Jews in Utah, and eventually edited Brooks's book, The History of the Jews in Utah. In 1962, Zucker collaborated with Leroy J. Robertson in translating the Israeli national anthem, "Hatikva," into English for the music Robertson had been commissioned to compose by Columbia Recording Studios.

In addition to his academic activities at the University of Utah, Louis Zucker was involved with the local Jewish community. He served as a board member of the Temple B'nai Israel, and as president of the Congregation Montefiore Religious School. Additionally, he was instrumental in the construction of the James L. White Jewish Community Center and a new synagogue in Salt Lake City.

Dr. Zucker was a board member of the Salt Lake Civic Music Association and the Utah chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. He was a charter member of most cultural and artistic organizations in Utah including the Utah Symphony Orchestra, Ballet West, and the Utah Heritage Foundation. Zucker served as secretary of the Utah Conference for Human Welfare, as chair of the humanities section of the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters, and was a book reviewer for both the Deseret News and the Salt Lake Tribune.

In 1977, Zucker donated funds for the construction of a fountain in Perception Garden at Memory Grove in Salt Lake City, as a memorial to his wife who had died in 1974. The Ethel Zucker Memorial Fountain was completed and dedicated in October 1981, six months before Louis C. Zucker himself passed away.

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Content Description

Louis C. Zucker spent most of his professional career at the University of Utah. He became an influential member of the Utah Jewish community and was active in promoting Judaic studies at the university. Dr. Zucker's papers were donated to the Marriott Library in 1982, by his son, Alex Wilson, and have been organized into the four sections: personal, religious, University of Utah, and miscellaneous materials.

The personal section of the collection contains information on Zucker and his family. Additional materials include personal correspondence, poetry, information on awards Zucker received, and materials relating to his doctoral thesis.

Dr. Zucker collected, as well as authored, numerous articles and addresses on religious topics. These items comprise the largest portion of the religious section and can be located in boxes five and six. Other materials in the religious section include prayer and song books, information on Jewish organizations Zucker affiliated with, and material on Jewish holidays.

As a professor at the University of Utah, Zucker taught numerous courses in English and Judaic studies. The third section of the collection contains lecture notes, exams, and other materials used in his classes. Also, materials pertaining to Zucker's association with the Middle East Center and the University of Utah Libraries can be located in this section.

The final section of the collection consists of a wide assortment of materials Zucker collected. Of particular interest are the materials related to Rabbi Adolph H. Fink, who was active in the anti-Nazi movement in the United States prior to and during the Second World War, and letters and poetry written by early twentieth- century American poet, Sara Teasdale. Additionally, Zucker acquired a portion of Judge Herbert Schiller's personal papers. These can be located in boxes seventeen and eighteen.

Along with the written materials, an authentic Sumerian cuneiform tablet accompanied the Zucker collection. The tablet is now housed in the Rare Books Division of Special Collections.

Historical charts of French, German, and Spanish literature, as well as a drawing of a perception fountain, are located in the map case.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on 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 Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Preferred Citation

Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Organized in four sections: I. Personal; II. Religious; III. University of Utah; IV. Miscellaneous.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Alex Wilson in 1982.

Processing Note

Processed by Suzanne M. Stauffer, Allesen Peck, and Lynette Peck in 1988.

Separated Materials

Photographs transferred to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections (P0313).

Audio tape of interviews transferred to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections (A0298).

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Finding aid prepared by Suzanne M. Stauffer, Allesen Peck, Lynette Peck
1988 (last modified: 2019)

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