Elizabeth Henley (née Watts) was born in 1912 in Bellingham, Washington. She attended the Bellingham Normal School and Whatcom High School before being admitted to the University of Washington, where she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in English. Henley taught courses at the University of Washington between 1934 and 1940, while simultaneously establishing her reputation as a successful poet. After she married Preston Henley in 1940, the Henley family relocated several times. Henley taught at Hunter College in New York City and, later, Portland State College in Portland, Oregon. In 1959, Henley joined the English faculty at Oregon State College, where she remained until her retirement in 1975. She passed away in 1981.
Henley's literary interests were broad and included both poetry and children's literature. She had poetry published in numerous literary magazines, collections, and anthologies and a collection of her works,
Materials in the Elizabeth Henley Papers were donated to the Oregon State University Archives in 2009 by Elizabeth's son, John Henley. Additional accessions were received in 2015, 2016, and 2017. The collection now resides in the OSU Special Collections and Archives Research Center.
The Elizabeth Henley Papers were processed in 2010. The collection was reprocessed in 2018 to include recently accessioned materials.
This collection is open for research.
Elizabeth Henley Papers (MSS Henley), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
The OSU Special Collections and Archives Research Center holdings include two oral history interviews with Elizabeth Henley's son, John Henley. These recordings are available in the OSU Sesquicentennial Oral History Collection (OH 026). Additional materials related to the life and work of Elizabeth Henley can be found in the
The papers of other English Department faculty and poets can be found in the
The Elizabeth Henley Papers are comprised of three series: Series 1. Research Materials, circa 1975-1980; Series 2. Written Works, 1928-2000; and Series 3. Personal Records, circa 1918 - 1981.
The Elizabeth Henley Papers are comprised of research materials and drafts, published and pre-publication poetry, and a small body of personal items documenting her life and interests. The bulk of the collection appears to relate to an unfinished book on author Walter De La Mare and includes 9 research notebooks, seven audiotapes, and a small body of transcripts derived from audio-recorded dictation. Henley's research files are comprised predominately of notes and early drafts, transcripts of poetry from other writers, and bibliographic references. The audiotapes include drafts dictated by Henley. These materials are largely undated but appear to have been generated after her retirement in 1975.
The collection also includes numerous examples of Henley's poetry including a "self-help manual for written examinations," a collection of poetry titled
Also present is a small body of personal materials including 19 photographic prints and one photonegative, a small collection of greeting cards and correspondence, newspaper clippings, and several yearbooks.
Series 1 is comprised of materials documenting Henley's research and writing processes, predominately relating to her unfinished book on author Walter de la Mare. Though largely undated, the materials in this series appear to have been generated after Henley's retirement in 1975.
The majority of series 1 is comprised of 9 notebooks which include partial drafts and notes about draft revisions, transcribed works from other poets, and bibliographic references. The notebooks also contain tipped-in items, including newspaper clippings, typed drafts, and other notes. In addition to the notebooks, the series contains 7 audiotapes with draft dictations and a series of typed transcripts likely produced using the included audiotapes. These transcripts appear to include near-final drafts of portions of Henley's de la Mare work. The series also contains a set of bibliographic note cards which appear to mirror, in part, bibliographic references in the notebooks.
Series 2 is comprised of published and pre-publication written works authored by Henley. The majority of the series is dedicated to Henley's poetry, though it does includes a "how-to" booklet for written exams, likely created for use by Henley's students at Oregon State College.
Extant poetic works include the unpublished collection of poems titled
Series 3 includes a small amount of correspondence and greeting cards, newspaper clippings, photographs, a catalog from the State Normal School in Bellingham, Washington, and yearbooks from Whatcom High School and the University of Washington.
The newspaper clippings include Henley's marriage announcement and her obituary, several articles about local writers, and six articles about the disappearance of Thomas L. Gatch, Jr. (great-grandson of Oregon Agricultural College president Thomas Gatch) during his attempt to cross the Atlantic via air balloon. The photographs include portraits and candid shots of Henley throughout her life, images of friends and family, and views of Henley family homes.