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William W. Chance papers, 1925-1992

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Chance, William W., 1907-1986
Title
William W. Chance papers
Dates
1925-1992 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.11 cubic feet (3 boxes)
Collection Number
1405
Summary
Biographical features, correspondence, literary manuscripts, poetry, and other papers of a teacher and educational advisor
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on access.

Request at UW

Languages
English
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Biographical Note

Poet, Spokane, Washington. 1907-1986.

William Wheatley Chance was born in Missouri, but the family soon moved to Kansas and then to Montana. He completed his undergraduate education in Montana earning a Bachelor of Education degree, with a double major in history and English and minors in education and science. He earned an M.A. in English literature from the University of Washington. Chance taught junior high and high school, and he also served as Educational Advisor for a Civilian Conservation Corps camp near Mt. Rainier, Washington. While on his way to interview for this position, he stayed in a Tacoma flophouse due to lack of money. His night there became the inspiration for the poem "Room in Tacoma." At the beginning of World War II, Chance was rejected by the military and took a job in the Seattle-Tacoma shipyards as a shipfitter's helper and timekeeper. His experiences working swing shift in the shipyards form the basis for "Of Men and Destroyers," a book-length, free-verse poem. In 1946, "Of Men and Destroyers" was accepted by the University of Washington in lieu of a thesis, the first time in 25 years that a piece of creative writing had been accepted as a substitute for research. Following graduate school, Chance taught at Montana College of Mines (now Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology), in Butte, 1946-1969. He resigned from teaching and moved to Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a consultant and editor until 1971. He retired and devoted himself to writing poetry until just before his death in 1986.

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Content Description

Materials include Chance's biographical features, correspondence, literary manuscripts, poetry, teaching materials, publications, home copies, organizational papers, clippings, scrapbook, and plaque.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Organized into 2 accessions.

  • Accession No. 1405-021, William W. Chance papers, 1925-1986
  • Accession No. 1405-022, William W. Chance papers, 1937-1992

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 

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Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)

Personal Names

  • Chance, William W., 1907-1986--Archives

Corporate Names

  • Montana School of Mines

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Adami, Arthur Ernest (creator)
    • Chance, Elny Larsen (creator)
    • Merriam, H. G. (Harold Guy), 1883- (creator)
    • Saperstein, Lee (creator)
    • Zillman, Lawrence J (creator)


2007 (Last modified: 10/20/2023)

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