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Wayland D. Hand folklore papers, 1930-1986

Overview of the Collection

Title
Wayland D. Hand folklore papers
Dates
1930-1986 (inclusive)
Quantity
45 boxes, (19 linear feet)
Collection Number
UUS_COLL MSS 297
Summary
This collection consists of Wayland D. Hand's professional papers in the form of his personal files, folklore papers, correspondence, and photographs spanning from 1930 to 1986. The collection is divided into three series: Series I, Papers and Files; Series II, Correspondence (divided into two sub-series); and Series III, Folklore Papers. Due to the highly organized nature of Hand's papers when they were donated, this order has been retained.
Repository
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu
Access Restrictions

Open to public research.

Languages
English.
Sponsor
Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008
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Biographical Note

Wayland Debbs Hand was born March 19, 1907 in Auckland, New Zealand to Hyrum and Margaret White Hand. On June 8, 1932, Hand married Viola White and they later had three children, Jacqueline (1937), Winifred (1949), and Sidney Gilford (1950). In 1956, Hand divorced Viola and on December 19, 1957 Hand married Celeste Gilford.

During the latter 1920s, Hand enrolled in the University of Utah where he began studying German. In 1933, he received is BA in German and in 1934 a MA in German. Later that year, he was accepted to the University of Chicago, where he studied under the renowned scholar Archer Taylor. Hand received a PhD in Germanic Languages in 1936. From 1936-1937, Hand taught German at the University of Minnesota and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). From 1937 to 1974, Hand taught German and pioneered the Folklore Program at UCLA. Hand died on October 22, 1986 in Los Angeles.

Over the course of Hand's career, he was involved in many positions of leadership, served on many committees, and published numerous books and articles. Hand served as the president of the Modern Language Association of Southern California (1955-1956), president of the American Folklore Society (1957-1958), vice-president of the North American International Society for Folk-Narrative Research (1964-1974), and president of the California Folklore Society (1969-1970). He served as an editor for the California Folklore Quarterly (1942-1946), the Journal of American Folklore (1947-1951), and Western Folklore (1953-1966). Hand is the author of Humaniora: Essays in Literature, Folklore, and Bibliography (1960), Popular Beliefs & Superstitions from North Carolina (1964), American Folk Legend (1971), and American Folk Medicine (1976).

Source: W. D. Hand's vitas, Series I, Box 1, Fd 1.

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Content Description

This collection consists of Wayland D. Hand's professional papers in the form of his personal files, folklore papers, correspondence, and photographs spanning from 1938 to 1986. This collection is divided into three series; Series I: Papers and Files, Series II: Correspondence (divided into two Sub-Series), and Series III: Folklore Papers. Due to the highly organized nature of Hand's papers when they were donated, this order has been retained.

Series I: Papers and Files. This series contains photographs of Hand, his vitas, topical files, committee papers, and UCLA papers.

Series II: Correspondence. This series contains Hand's incoming and outgoing correspondence from 1938 to the 1986. Hand's correspondence comprises roughly 50 percent of the collection and yields a wide array of topical information. Although most of his letters of correspondence are in English, perhaps 25 percent of his correspondence is in German, French, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Hungarian, and in other languages due to his regular contact with foreign scholars. Hand's correspondence touches on personal issues but primarily concerns his scholarly pursuits. Sub-Series A: contains Hand's incoming and outgoing correspondence from 1930 to 1974, his teaching years. Sub-Series B: contains Hand's incoming and outgoing correspondence from 1974 to 1986, his retirement (although he remained an active scholar). Hand's incoming and outgoing correspondence is organized alphabetically and by the last name of the sender. Hand's largest correspondent during his career was Archer Taylor.

Series III: Folklore Papers. This series consists of a collection of Hand's folklore and folk song files. His folklore files are listed topically.

Those desiring further information on Hand and his work should see Folk Collection 13: The Wayland D. Hand Memorial Collection, and The Wayland D. Hand Collection of Superstition & Popular Belief held in the Fife Folklore Archive in USU Special Collection and Archives.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Wayland D. Hand folklore papers must be obtained from the Special Collections and Archives manuscript curator and/or the Special Collections and Archives department head.

Preferred Citation

Wayland D. Hand folklore papers, 1938-1986. (COLL MSS 297). Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives Department.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Collection organized in three series: I. Papers and Files; II. Correspondence; III. Folklore Papers.

Acquisition Information

The materials in this collection were donated to Utah State University Special Collections and Archives by Celeste Hand in 1996.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Finding aid created by Special Collections and Archives.
2008

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