Albert Edward Whitehead was born on February 28, 1907 in Manitou, Colorado. He received his undergraduate degree in speech from the University of Colorado and a master’s degree in rhetoric from the University of Wisconsin in 1930. That same year, Albert Whitehead became an instructor at the University of Idaho teaching public speaking.
After his marriage to Pauline Lamar in 1936, Whitehead returned to the University of Wisconsin to obtain his Ph.D. in rhetoric, graduating in 1940. In 1941, he returned to Moscow as an assistant professor in the English Department. Whitehead was named chair of the department in 1947 and in the late 1960s, was instrumental in creating the School of Communication.
Albert Edward Whitehead retired from the University of Idaho in 1972 and received the UI Alumni Service Award in December 1990. He died in Moscow in 1991 at the age of 84. He was an active member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, and a memorial service was held there on December 23, 1991.
The papers of Albert E. Whitehead span the years 1941 to 1990, with the bulk of the material covering the 1940s.
Included in the papers is Dr. Whitehead’s typed draft for his book Oratorical Career of William Edgar Borah that was published in 1944. Also included in this manuscript collection are five folders of personal memorabilia that can be seen in the inventory below.
The papers of Albert E. Whitehead were delivered to Special Collections in a box with no folders or labels. The collection was easily organized and cataloged according to subject matter and theme. The manuscript is over 600 pages long and for ease of handling, has been divided into separate folders with page numbers noted in the inventory.
The manuscript group is open to the public. Researchers must use the collection in accordance with the policies of the University of Idaho Special Collections and Archives.
Consult Head of Special Collections and Archives on permission for use.
Albert E. Whitehead papers, MG 423. Special Collections and Archives, University of Idaho Library, Moscow, Idaho.
Albert Whitehead donated his papers to the University of Idaho Library in 1992.
The papers were processed by Marilyn Sandmeyer in April 2007.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.