Albert Borgmann was born in Freiburg, Germany in 1937 to Karl and Grete Borgmann. He had three siblings: Eva Schneider-Borgmann (b. 1936), Rainer Borgmann (b. 1939), and Margrit Breitenstein (b. 1943). He wrote that he was raised "in the shadow of the gothic cathedral, of the Black Forest, and of the university where Husserl and Heidegger had been teaching." Borgmann went to grade school in Freiburg and began his college career at the University of Freiburg, attending Heidegger's lectures in 1957, but later transferred to the University of Texas. He went on to earn an MA in German Literature from the University of Illinois, Urbana in 1961 and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Munich in Germany. Borgmann then returned to the United States and married Nancy Jo Quasthoff. He briefly taught German Literature at the University of Illinois, and philosophy at DePaul University and then the University of Hawaii. In 1970 he settled with his family in Missoula, Montana. He taught philosophy at the University of Montana, published widely, and became Regents Professor in 1996, the third person to receive the honor in the university's history.
Borgmann was interested in the philosophy of society and culture, with particular emphasis on technology. His 1984 book,
Aside from teaching and publishing, Borgmann was an influential force in state and local politics as well as in administration at the University of Montana. Borgmann died on May 7, 2023 at his home in the Rattlesnake in Missoula.
This collection contains materials relating to Albert Borgmann’s academic work. The bulk of the collection is made up of the handwritten manuscripts of nearly all his published work, including preparatory notes and draft versions of his major books. The collection also contains a number of unpublished materials including essays, notes on various topics, reviews, syllabi and lecture notes, and memos and reports concerning the administration and curriculum at the University of Montana. Other unpublished materials are included from Borgmann’s time as a student in Germany and the United States. Finally, the collection includes professional and personal correspondence, as well as his daily calendars.
This collection has been arranged in nine series.
Series I: Published Essays, 1966-2015, 4.6 linear feet
Series II: Books, 1976-2006, 7.2 linear feet
Subseries 1: Books, 1976-1998, 6.4 linear feet
Subseries 2: Books - 2021 addition, 2000-2006, 0.8 linear feet
Series III: Other Writings, 1968-2019, 2.2 linear feet
Subseries 1: Other Writings - 2016 addition, 1979-2015, 1.8 linear feet
Subseries 2: Other Writings - 2018 addition, circa 1968-2016, 0.2 linear feet
Subseries 3: Other Writings - 2021 addition, 1991-2019, 0.2 linear feet
Series IV: Correspondence, 1951-2013, 4.4 linear feet
Subseries 1: Professional and Personal Correspondence, 1964-1995, 1.0 linear foot
Subseries 2: Family Correspondence, 1951-2000, 0.4 linear feet - RESTRICTED
Subseries 3: Correspondence - 2021 addition, 1967-2013, 2.4 linear feet
Subseries 4: Student and Faculty Recommendations, 1968-2003, 0.4 linear feet - RESTRICTED
Subseries 5: Correspondence - 2024 addition, 1975-2008, 0.2 linear feet
Series V: Calendars, 1957-2016, 1.6 linear feet
Series VI: Syllabi and Lecture Notes, 1966-2020, 2.0 linear feet
Subseries 1: Syllabi and Lecture Notes, 1966-2020, 1.0 linear feet
Subseries 2: Syllabi and Lecture Notes - 2021 addition, 2007-2020, 0.6 linear feet
Subseries 3: Syllabi and Lectures Notes - 2024 addition, 1969-2005, 0.4 linear feet
Series VII: Student Materials, 1952-1965, 1.3 linear feet
Subseries 1: Student Materials, 1952-1963, 0.5 linear feet
Subseries 2: Student Materials - 2021 addition, circa 1950s-1965, 0.8 linear feet
Series VIII: Text Notes, 1985-2019, 3.8 linear feet
Subseries 1: Text Notes, 2009 and undated, 1.1 linear feet
Subseries 2: Text Notes - 2021 addition, 1985-2019, 1.2 linear feet
Subseries 3: Text Notes - 2024 addition, undated, 1.5 linear feet
Series IX: Personal Materials, 1959-2009, 0.3 linear feet
Subseries 1: Personal Materials, 1959-1986, 0.1 linear feet
Subseries 2: Personal Materials - 2021 addition, 1965-2009, 0.2 linear feet - RESTRICTED
Series X: Written Work, 1967-2010, 1.4 linear feet
Subseries 1: Lecture Notes, 1975-2010, 0.4 linear feet
Subseries 2: Manuscripts, 1967-2005, 0.6 linear feet
Subseries 3: Typescripts, 1978-2001, 0.4 linear feet
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana-Missoula. Family Correspondence in Series IV is restricted. Contact Archivist for details.
Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Non-exclusive intellectual property rights have been shared with the University of Montana.
Albert Borgmann Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.
Materials in this collection were held by Albert Borgmann until their donation by him to Archives and Special Collections in 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2021. Materials in the 2024 addition were transferred to the Archives from his campus office following his death.
This collection was donated to Archives and Special Collections by Dr. Albert Borgmann.
During processing of this collection, writings related to published materials were organized by publication. Most other materials were arranged by content type (such as essay or correspondence) and then chronologically. Some materials, such as Albert Borgmann's notes on texts by other authors, are consistently undated and were therefore organized alphabetically by primary author. Similarly, lecture notes were organized chronologically when a date was provided and alphabetically when undated.
Materials donated in 2018 were placed in existing series when practical, and additional series were created to appropriately characterize new materials. As much as possible, the organizational scheme that Borgmann used to donate materials was retained. Often, this means that separate materials are foldered together to show their relatedness, such as in the case of short essays or notes.
Materials transferred to the Archives in 2024 were placed in existing series when practical and a new series, Series X: Written Work, was created.
Five floppy disks are being evaluated for content. Contact archivist for details.
The papers of Albert Borgmann's wife, Nancy Quasthoff Borgmann, are held by the University of Montana's Archives and Special Collections as the Nancy Borgmann Papers, Mss 903.
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.
This series contains the manuscripts of Albert Borgmann’s published essays. Where available, outlines, notes, and alternate draft versions are included along with the manuscripts.
This series is arranged chronologically.
This essay was published in 1986 in both the United States and Germany
Draft for "Society in the Postmodern Era," published in The Washington Quarterly, vol. 23, no. 1, January 2000
Mars Hill Audio Journal, vol. 63, July-August 2003. Included on compact disc.
This series contains all materials relating to Borgmann’s major books, including preparatory notes, outlines, drafts, and final manuscripts.
This series has been divided in to two subseries, with subseries 2 consisting of additions to the collection received in 2021. Each subseries is arranged chronologically by publication.
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This series has been divided in to three subseries. Subseries 1 holds materials donated in 2016. The bulk of this series contains essays of unknown publication. There are also sundry short writings, including reviews, notes on various topics, and writings for University of Montana presentations. Borgmann may have used some of these notes for giving class lectures (lecture notes with obvious indication are housed in the Lecture Notes series). Materials donated in 2018 were added to this series under subseries 2, and materials donated in 2021 are in the third subseries.
Subseries are arranged by date and then alphabetically when undated. Borgmann’s titles have mostly been preserved and used to designate folder titles. Otherwise folders have been given a summary title. Distinct notes or writings that Borgmann donated together have been foldered together or organized together to indicate relationship.
This essay is likely related to Borgmann's 1994 publication, "Information and Reality at the Turn of the Century".
Pagination Fragmented
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This series contains personal, professional, and familial letters that Albert Borgmann received and sent. Subseries 1 makes up the bulk of the series and includes professional and personal correspondence. Subseries 2 includes letters written in German by Borgmann to his parents and family members. Letters to Borgmann's parents from Albert Borgmann's spouse, Nancy Jo (Quasthoff) Borgmann, are also included. Related family correspondence is contained in the Nancy Borgmann Papers, Mss. 903.
The majority of the letters are separated into folders either by topic (e.g., professional correspondence concerning a particular book publication) or by individual correspondent. All other letters are collected chronologically, with related letters foldered or organized together.
Access to materials in Subseries 2 and Subseries 4 are restricted. Contact archivist for details.
In Subseries 1 and 2, letters received as part of the 2018 donation are listed after letters received in 2016. Subseries 3 and 4 were added in 2021.
The Family Correspondence subseries, Subseries 2, is restricted. Contact the Archives for information.
Some Correspondence are in German
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Access to materials in Subseries 4 is restricted. Contact the Archives for information.
There are various individuals involved, including Heidegger
This series contains Albert Borgmann’s daily calendars.
This series is arranged chronologically.
This series includes materials related to Borgmann's teaching. Such materials include early course proposals, a collection of Borgmann's course syllabi (which is not inclusive of all Borgmann's taught courses), and notes that Borgmann used to teach courses. He would bring these notes to class and would sometimes use the same notes for several class periods or for different courses. The current arrangement of lecture notes was preserved from Borgmann's donation of these materials.
Syllabi are organized by date and then by subject. Some loose syllabi may correspond with dated lecture notes housed in the series, and some syllabi may be found in the lecture notes (preserved from Borgmann's arrangement). Lecture notes make up the bulk of the series and are organized first by date, then by subject. Undated lecture notes follow, arranged alphabetically. When lecture notes were not clearly assigned a title by Borgmann, a summary title has been given to the folder. Materials for Dr. Borgmann's Winter Quarter 1979 course about Henry Bugbee's book
This folder contains mimeographed student notes from Dr. Borgmann's Winter Quarter 1979 course. Henry Bugbee was a participant in that course.
This folder contains a transcription, edited by Dr. Borgmann, of student notes from his 1979 course "Problems in Philosophy: Henry Bugbee's Inward Morning".
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These notes fit the format of class notes
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Various class materials that do not belong in other folders
This series contains writings from Borgmann's time as a student. It includes workbooks and essays from his time as a pupil and as a university student in Germany, as well as from his graduate work in the United States.
Subseries 1 is organized by date, followed by undated materials. Workbook titles have been translated from the German when applicable, whereas original essay titles in German were retained.
Doktors der Philosophie. Ludwig Maxillians Universitat. München.
This series contains notes that Borgmann made on texts by other philosophers and authors. These notes are primarily summaries and observations about the original texts, with Borgmann’s perspective scattered throughout. Often Borgmann reflected explicitly on the work at the end of his notes.
These text notes are largely undated and are arranged alphabetically by primary author upon whose work Borgmann comments. One undated notebook of notes is included at the end of the series that Borgmann had already internally alphabetically organized.
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This is an annotated copy of a section of the book
Certificates and awards, photographs, curriculum vitae, and other personal items are contained in this series. Such items span Borgmann’s time as a student and as a professional.
These materials are organized primarily by date with similar items grouped together.
People in photo (from left to right): Gerald Kreyche, Manfred S. Frings, A. F. Lingis, Paul Ricoeur, John M. Anderso, Joseph J. Kockelmans, Albert Borgmann
These poems may have been part of correspondence with Bob K or Tael; some poems are copies of other poets' work and some are likely written by Borgmann.
Access to materials in Subseries 2 is restricted. Contact the Archives for information.
This series has been divided into three subseries. Subseries 1 includes notes he used for both class lectures and public presentations. Subseries 2 includes handwritten work on various philosophical topics. Subseries 3 includes typed work on various philosophical topics.
Within each subseries, materials are organized alphabetically by the title given by Borgmann