Robert Pirsig books and memorabilia, 1953-1967
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Pirsig, Robert M.; DeWeese, Robert, 1920-1990
- Title
- Robert Pirsig books and memorabilia
- Dates
- 1953-1967 (inclusive)19531967
- Quantity
- 3.25 linear feet, (in 3 record cartons, 1 half manuscript box, and 1 oversize folder)
- Collection Number
- 2663
- Summary
- The Robert Pirsig Book and Memorabilia collection contains books and personal items owned by writer and former Montana State College (MSC) English professor, Robert Pirsig. Items in this collection are loosely related to his years teaching at MSC, including items created by friends and acquaintances he met at the university, and select items from his teaching career. Robert Pirsig was an American writer and philosopher. He worked as instructor of English for Montana State College (MSC) from September 1959 to June 1961 and is most famous for his 1974 philosophical novel Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values.
- Repository
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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
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Robert Pirsig's gradebook is restricted. Staff may offer mediated access with names obscured.
- Languages
- Materials are in English.
Historical Note
Robert Pirsig (1928-2017) was an American writer and philosopher. He worked as instructor of English for Montana State College (MSC) from September 1959 to June 1961. Montana State College became Montana State University in 1965, a few years after Pirsig left the school. Pirsig taught at MSC for a short period of time, but his experience at the college and faculty he met while working at MSC are featured in his novels. He published two philosophical novels, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values (1974) and Lila: An Inquiry into Morals (1991), both of which explore the nature of quality. Pirsig's most celebrated book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a fictional account of his motorcycle trip from Minnesota to California with his son and coming to terms with his nervous breakdown. It features references to Pirsig's teaching career at MSC and includes Montana State University art professor Robert DeWeese and his wife Gennie DeWeese as characters. Likewise, Pirsig's book Lila features reflections on fellow MSC English instructor Verne Dusenberry.
Content Description
This collection contains books and personal items owned by writer and former Montana State College (MSC) English professor, Robert Pirsig. The collection does not contain Pirsig's complete papers, but rather features items that are loosely related to his years teaching at MSC, including drawings created by friend Robert DeWeese who he met at the college, and select items from his teaching career. Books from Pirsig's personal library feature topic on sailing, philosophy, mathematics, and writing, which were areas of interest to Pirsig and themes that are reflected in his writing. They also include two signed early editions of novels written by Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: in Inquiry into Values and Lila: An Inquiry into Morals.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Use
Copyright is held by Wendy Pirsig.
Preferred Citation
[Creator Name], [Date of Creation], [Brief Description of Object], Folder [#], Box [#], [Collection Name], [Collection #], Montana State University (MSU) Library, Bozeman, MT
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Donated by Wendy Pirsig in 2020.
Related Materials
The main body of Robert Pirsig's papers (MS Am 3359) are held at Harvard University's Houghton Library.
Separated Materials
The Gennie DeWeese painting "Black Bird Hangout," originally included with this collection, was transferred to the College of Art & Architecture's art collection in July 2024.
Detailed Description of the Collection
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1: Books
This series contains 55 books from Pirsig's personal library, the majority of which relate to boats and sailing. Others relate to topics on philosophy, mathematics, and writing. They also contain signed early editions of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Lila: An Inquiry into Morals.
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Description: Bass, Thomas A. The Eudaemonic PieContainer: Box 1
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Description: Blewitt, Mary. Celestial Navigation for YachtsmenContainer: Box 1
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Description: Bréhier, Émile. The Philosophy of PlotinusContainer: Box 1
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Description: Bowditch, Nathaniel. American Practical Navigator: Volume 1Container: Box 1
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Description: Bowditch, Nathaniel. American Practical Navigator: Volume 2Container: Box 2
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Description: Brown, Ernest B. Radar Navigation Manual: Second Edition 1975Container: Box 1
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Description: Capra, Fritjof. The Tao of Physics: Third EditionContainer: Box 1
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Description: Cederblom, Jerry and David W. Paulsen. Critical Reasoning: Second EditionContainer: Box 2
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Description: Das, Jibanananda. Banalata SenContainer: Box 1
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Description: Defense Mapping Agency, Hydrographic Center. Sailing Directions (Enroute) for the English Channel: First Edition 1974Container: Box 1
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Description: Defense Mapping Agency, Hydrographic Center. Sailing Directions (Planning Guide) for the North Atlantic Ocean: First Edition 1976 (Yellow Binder)Container: Box 2
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Description: Delmar-Morgan E. North Sea Harbours and Pilotage: Calais to Den HelderContainer: Box 2
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Description: Downing, Michael. Shoes Outside the Door: Desire, Devotion, and Excess at San Francisco Zen CenterContainer: Box 3
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Description: Dunlap, G. D. & H.H Shufeldt. The Book of the SextantContainer: Box 1
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Description: Durant, Will. The Story of Civilization Part V: The RenaissanceContainer: Box 3
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Description: Durant, Will. The Story of PhilosophyContainer: Box 3
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Description: Espenshade, Edward B (Ed). Goode's World Atlas: Twelfth Edition RevisedContainer: Box 3
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Description: Etheridge, Harry. Yachtsman's Guide to the BahamasContainer: Box 2
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Description: Fine, Arthur. The Shaky Game Einstein Realism and the Quantum TheoryContainer: Box 3
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Description: Gage, Norman J. My English BookContainer: Box 3
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Description: Goldberg, Natalie. The Great Failure: A Bartender, A Monk, and My Unlikely Path to TruthContainer: Box 1
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Description: Harris, Jeannette and Donald H. Cunningham. The Simon & Schuster Guide to Writing: Second EditionContainer: Box 3
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Description: Hastrom Company Inc. Hagstrom's Atlas and Official Postal Zone Guide of the City of New York: Five BoroughsContainer: Box 3
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Description: Heisenberg, Werner. The Physical Principles of The Quantum TheoryContainer: Box 1
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Description: Herrigel, Eugen. Zen in the Art of ArcheryContainer: Box 1
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Description: Hoebel, E. Adamson. Anthropology: The Study of Man Fourth EditionContainer: Box 3
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Description: Hydrographer of the Navy. Ocean Passages for the World: Third Edition 1973Container: Box 1
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Description: John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Directory of Fellows 1925-1974Container: Box 3
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Description: Lévi-Strauss, Claude. Structural AnthropologyContainer: Box 1
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Description: Litzinger, Boyd. The Heath ReaderContainer: Box 3
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Description: Lomax, John A. Cowboy songs and Other Frontier BalladsContainer: Box 1
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Description: Moore, Donald R. Coffee With PlatoContainer: Box 1
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Description: Moorings Ltd. Virgin Anchorages: A Photographic Guide to the Most Popular Anchorages in the Virgin IslandsContainer: Box 2
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Description: Nielsen, Kaj L. College MathematicsContainer: Box 1
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Description: Percy, Walker. The Message in the BottleContainer: Box 1
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Description: Pirsig, Robert. Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals (signed early edition)Container: Box 2
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Description: Pirsig, Robert. Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (signed early edition)Container: Box 2
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Description: Quine, Willard Van Orman. Word & ObjectContainer: Box 3
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Description: Rigg, J. Linton. Bahama Islands: A Boatman's Guide to the Land and the WaterContainer: Box 1
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Description: Runes, Dagobert D. Pictorial History of PhilosophyContainer: Box 3
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Description: Royal Yachting Association (RYA). International Regulations for Preventing Collision at Sea 1972Container: Box 1
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Description: Simsonsen, Svend T. Simonsen's Navigation: Coastwise and Blue Water NavigationContainer: Box 1
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Description: Sites, George L. Boater's Guide to Biscayne Bay: Miami to Jewfish CreekContainer: Box 1
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Description: Smart, W. M. Textbook on Spherical Astronomy: Sixth EditionContainer: Box 1
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Description: Smith, H. Wendell. The Belmont Reader: Essays for WritersContainer: Box 2
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Description: Street, Donald M. A Cruising Guide to The Lesser AntillesContainer: Box 2
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Description: Tate, Allen (Ed). Six American Poets from Emily Dickinson to the Present: An IntroductionContainer: Box 1
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Description: United States Department of the Navy. Worldwide Marine Weather Broadcasts 1981Container: Box 1
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Description: United States Naval Observatory. The Nautical Almanac: For the Year 1978Container: Box 1
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Description: Vygodsky, M. Mathematical Handbook: Elementary MathematicsContainer: Box 3
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Description: Vygodsky, M. Mathematical Handbook: Higher MathematicsContainer: Box 3
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Description: Warriner, Kinneavy. Elements of Writing: Third Course Revised EditionContainer: Box 3
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Description: Whalen, Philip. Scenes of Life at the CapitalContainer: Box 1
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Description: Wilber, Ken. A Brief History of EverythingContainer: Box 2
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Description: Wolf, Fred Alan. Taking the Quantum Leap: The New Physis for NonscientistsContainer: Box 1
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2: Memorabilia
This series contains several of Pirsig's personal items including his leather briefcase, slide rule, mechanical calculator, 1960 gradebook, a United State Geological Survey (USGS) topographical map of Gallatin National Forest, a letter written to English Professor Edith Buchanan on the concept of quality, and two drawings by Robert DeWeese of Pirsig and Pirsig's first wife Nancy (James). The gradebook is from the English courses Pirsig taught at Montana State College (MSC) durng the Winter and Spring of 1960, which he references in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. His briefcase likewise dates from his years teaching at MSC, and can be seen in photograph of Prisig standing in front of Montana Hall.
Also included among Pirsig's memorabilia are pamphlets on the town of Falmouth, England, a copy of the Hindu spiritual text the Bhagavad Gita, and a small book of poetry by Indian writer Rabindranath Tagore titled Tagore's Last Poems.
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Description: Bhagavad Gita
Includes the inscription: "Presented to Bob Pirsig with best wishes and regards - [name unclear]. Nep. Jan 24, 1953."
Dates: 1953Container: Box 5, Folder 1 -
Description: Booklets on Falmouth, EnglandContainer: Box 5, Folder 2
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Description: BriefcaseContainer: Box 4
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Description: Gradebook - Montana State College
Robert Pirsig's gradebook is restricted. Staff may offer mediated access with names obscured.
Dates: 1960Container: Box 5, Folder 3 -
Description: Mechanical CalculatorContainer: Box 5, Folder 4
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Description: Robert DeWeese Drawings of Robert and Nancy PirsigContainer: Folder 1
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Description: Robert Pirsig Letter to Dr. Edith BuchananContainer: Box 5, Folder 5
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Description: Slide RuleContainer: Box 5, Folder 6
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Description: Tagore's Last Poems by Rabindranath Tagore, translated from the Bengali by Shyamasree Devi and P. Lal
Includes the personal inscription: "To Nancy and Robert Pirsig with warm regards - Kisha. Calcutta, 31 July 1974."
Dates: 1972, 1974Container: Box 5, Folder 7 -
Description: USGS Topographical Map: Gallatin National ForestContainer: Folder 1
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