ORU_Ax542.xml Guide to the Mary Chase Papers 1945-1968 Chase (Mary) Papers Finding aid prepared by processing staff Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives ©2006
1299 University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403-1299 spcarref@uoregon.edu http://libweb.uoregon.edu/speccoll
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2020-12-22. Finding aid is in English Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition. University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
1299 University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403-1299 spcarref@uoregon.edu http://libweb.uoregon.edu/speccoll
Mary Chase papers Chase, Mary, 1907-1981 Ax 542 3 linear feet 4 containers 1945-1968 Mary Coyle Chase (1907-1981) was born in Denver, Colorado. While working at newspaper and public relations jobs, Chase began to write plays. Her most famous play is Harvey, the story of Elwood P. Dowd and his imaginary, six-foot tall rabbit. Chase incorporated elements of fantasy drawn from Irish folktales into her work, such as banshees and Celtic pookas (spirits in animal form). The collection includes literary manuscripts and correspondence. English .

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 Chase, Mary, 1907-1981 Chase, Mary, 1907-1981 Women dramatists, American--20th century Playwriting Women authors, American--20th century Literature Performing arts Children and Youth Women Correspondence

Mary Coyle Chase was born on February 25, 1907 in Denver Colorado. She attended the University of Colorado, and worked for The Rocky Mountain News as a reporter and served as publicity director for the National Youth Administration. Chase was also a playwright and author, her most famous works being the play Harvey and the book Loretta Mason Potts (Mickey). Harvey won a Pulitzer Prize and was made into a movie starring James Stewart, and her book The Wicked Pigeon Ladies in the Garden was nominated for the Dorothy Canfield Fisher award in 1969. She married Robert Lamont Chase (a newspaper reporter), on June 7, 1928. In addition to her career as a reporter, playwright and author she was a member of the Dramatists' Guild and had three sons. She died of a heart attack, October 20, 1981, in Denver, Colorado.

The Mary Chase Papers consist of manuscripts and one folder of correspondence. The manuscripts include various drafts of and related material for plays such as Bernardine, Harvey, and Mickey (the manuscripts of Mickey have the early titles of: Loretta Fanning Potts, Loretta Mason Potts and Loretta). Also included are galley proofs of the book The Wicked Pigeon Ladies in the Garden (no manuscripts of the book are included).

 Guide to the Mary Chase Papers

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