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Datus C. Proper Papers, 1864-2003

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Proper, Datus C.
Title
Datus C. Proper Papers
Dates
1864-2003 (inclusive)
Quantity
6.4 linear feet
Collection Number
2502, Collection 2502, MtBC, us (collection)
Summary
The Datus C. Proper Papers consist of journals, correspondence, family history documents, literary manuscript drafts, galley proofs, research notes, publisher correspondence, photographs and other memorabilia which document Proper's life as a student, United States Foreign Service officer, and outdoor writer. The subjects of Proper's writings encompass the full spectrum of fly fishing for trout, from stream side entomology to the ethics of catch and release angling. Hunting, particularly pheasant hunting and the training of dogs for the sport, is another subject heavily represented.
Repository
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
Collection materials are in English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
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Biographical Note

Datus Carryer Proper was born in Des Moines, Iowa on April 18, 1934, the son of William Glisan Proper and Marjorie Carryer Proper. His extended family ancestors included Ida Sedgwick Proper, an early suffragist and New York artist, and Datus DeWitt Proper, an Iowa Civil War veteran and Baptist preacher. Datus C. Proper grew up in Iowa, Nebraska, Northern Minnesota, and Yellowstone National Park, where his father worked as a personnel officer for the Park from 1946 to 1955. Proper attended secondary school at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and earned a BA degree in English from Cornell University in 1956. He began a career with the United States Foreign Service and served in Washington D.C., Angola, Brazil, Ireland and Portugal as a political analyst. He also earned a MA degree from George Washington University in 1978 and completed the course of study at the National War College during the same year. His longtime interest in fly fishing and pheasant hunting were sharpened during his government career, and he experienced success in publishing sporting articles along with his first book, What The Trout Said, prior to his retirement from the State Department in 1987. Proper then moved with his family to the Gallatin Valley near Bozeman, Montana where he began a full time career as a writer, mostly on outdoor subjects. He wrote three more books during his time in Montana and hundreds of articles for outdoor and regional magazines, especially Field and Stream where he became a regular contributor. He married Anna Therese Collins in 1975 and had two sons prior to his death on July 27, 2003.

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Content Description

The Datus C. Proper papers consist of journals, correspondence, family history documents, literary manuscript drafts, galley proofs, research notes, publisher correspondence, photographs and other memorabilia which document Proper's life as a student, United States Foreign Service officer, and outdoor writer. His family history documents feature materials pertaining to Proper's extended family ancestors, including notes and clippings about Ida Sedgwick Proper, and the Civil War diary of Datus DeWitt Proper, corporal, 19th Iowa Volunteer Infantry. Datus Proper's journals document his early interest in fly fishing and hunting, containing both diary-like entries and miscellaneous notes that he later used in his published writings. The manuscript drafts encompass many, but not all, of Proper's articles for magazines like Field and Stream, and his four full length books. A research vertical file of clippings and miscellaneous notes maintained by Proper for reference purposes has also been preserved within this collection, along with a small collection of photographs, some of which were used to illustrate Proper's published articles. The subjects of Proper's writings encompass the full spectrum of fly fishing for trout, from stream side entomology to the ethics of catch and release angling. Hunting, particularly pheasant hunting and the training of dogs for the sport, is another subject heavily represented. Proper also wrote on Portugal, a country in which he had served during his career with the State Department, and in addition to his writings he saved some letters and documents written in Portuguese. Correspondents found in this collection include Vince Marinaro, Nick Lyons, Paul Schullery, and other prominent fly fishing and hunting writers. Oversize materials include topographical maps marked with locations of Proper's hunting and fishing trips, certificates and awards, and tracings of fish that Proper caught and measured.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

All copyright to the materials created by Datus C. Proper is the property of Anna Collins-Proper.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Series 1 Journals, 1951-2002

Series 2 Correspondence, 1985-2002

Series 3 Family papers, 1864-2000

Series 4 Magazine articles, 1965-2002

Series 5 Book publication files, 1992-2002

Series 6 Unfinished book manuscript

Series 7 Subject vertical files

Series 8 Memorial service materials, 2002-2003

Series 9 Photographs

Acquisition Information

The Datus C. Proper papers were donated to Montana State University by Anna Collins-Proper of Belgrade, Montana in January 2009. Additional materials were added to the collection April 2019.

Processing Note

This collection was processed 2010 October 26

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Kim Allen Scott, 2010. Updated by Heather Mulliner in 2022.
2022

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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