University of Wyoming
This collection has been minimally processed and organized by type of work (television, play, and novel). Works were grouped together by title, and titles of works only appearing once are not listed individually, instead they can be found under "Various". Materials in the Personal Materials series may include material from Elward's professional life, such as professional correspondence.
James Elward was a playwright and author born in 1928 and based in New York City. He was most noted for writing soap operas in the 1960s and 1970s such as "The Secret Storm," "The Guiding Light," and "Dr. Kildare." He also wrote and produced a soap opera called "The Young Marrieds." Additionally, he wrote several plays for theaters in New York and London. He was active in summer stock with the Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire. He published three novels for Doubleday under the name of Rebecca James: "Storm's End" (1974), "The House Is Dark" (1976), and "Tomorrow Is Mine" (1979). He also published under his own name, including "Ask For Nothing More" (1984), "Monday's Child Is Dead" (1995), and "Public Smiles, Private Tears" (1982) with Helen Van Slyke. In 1991 he helped to organize Mystery Stage, Inc. a group that worked to foster stage performances in the mystery genre in New York City. He died in 1996.
The James Elward collection contains material relating to Elward's work as a writer in television, theater, and novels. Television material includes scripts for soap operas such as "The Guiding Light," "The Young Marrieds," and "The Secret Storm," and scripts for other television productions including episodes for Kraft Television Theater ("Paper Fox Hole," 1956) and the U.S. Steel Hour ("Victim" and "Upbeat," 1953). There are also production reports and correspondence. Material for his theater work includes dozens of scripts by Elward, correspondence, advertisements and posters, and photographs. Material relating to his novels includes drafts and final copies, hard and soft cover books, book cover illustrations, publisher correspondence, and notes and ideas. There is also personal material such as diaries and day planners, Army and reunion correspondence, family photographs and albums, awards, and personal correspondence.
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
There are no other known archival collections created by Elward at the date of processing.
The James Elward Estate sent this collection to the American Heritage Center in 1997.
The collection was processed by Laura Uglean Jackson in July 2008.
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
This series contains scripts Elward wrote for television soap operas and other productions. Also included are daily production reports, correspondence, and ideas and notes for scripts.
This series contains scripts, correspondence, photographs, playbills, and advertisements for plays written by Elward. There is also general material related to the Barnstormers Theater in Tamworth, New Hampshire.
This series contains drafts, final copies, hard and soft cover editions, book cover illustrations, correspondence, and notes and ideas on novels by Elward.