NTDMG685 Guide to Barbara Meldrum Papers Meldrum (Barbara ) Papers Finding Aid prepared by Tara Gage University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives 2025
libspec@uidaho.edu
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-01-28. Description is written in: English, Latin script. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition. University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives Barbara Meldrum Papers Meldrum, Barbara Howard, Professor Emerita of English at the University of Idaho MG 685 2 cubic feet 1937-1995 good Collection contains a vast array of materials taught and collected by Barbara Meldrum ranging from class materials, featured authors, artists, and genres, organization connected to Meldrum, and papers that were of interest to Meldrum in her studies and teachings. English . 1

This collection is a gathering of materials from former University of Idaho faculty member Barbara Ruth Howard Meldrum. It features materials related to directly connected to the classes she taught, the organizations she was associated with, correspondence with other Universities, and a collection of essays that were used to formulate one of her novels that she edited together.

Barbara Ruth Howard Meldrum is a professor emerita in English at the University of Idaho. She was heavily associated with different writing organizations such as the Western Literature Association (WLA) and the Modern Language Association (MLA), as well as an active contributor of the Let's Talk About it Program. Meldrum had a particular interest in the American and Canadian West as a direct descendant of Oregon Trail Pioneers.

Folders are organized in related groups: classes and class materials; author resource materials; grants; newsletters; conferences; forums; and essays that were the basis of one of her novels.

Materials received from Barbara Meldrum in 2012 (MA 2012-13).

Let us Talk About It

Collection is open for research

FOR PHOTOS: Photographer, "Title," date. Collection name, object ID. University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives, Moscow, ID.

FOR DOCUMENTS: Author, Description or "Title" of item, date. Collection name, collection number, box, folder. University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives, Moscow, ID.

 Western Literature Association (U.S.) (1965 -) University of Idaho. Department of English University of Idaho Universities and colleges--Faculty Meetings Newsletters Publications Idaho Literature Series I: Courses American Studies at UI 13 items Memorandum and Proposal related to American Studies 1989 1 1 Teaching Unit on Western Lit & Clark's Ox-Bow Incident by Pam Brown 38 items Paper materials used to teach Ox-Bow Incident 1984 1 2 English 175 - Intro to Literature 80 items Paper materials used to teach Intro to Literature class 1983-1985 1 3 English 210 - Intro to Analysis of Literature 24 items Paper materials used to teach Intro to Analysis of Literature 1984 1 4 English 277 - Meldrum Materials 43 items Newspaper clipping about "The Flying Dutchman", Papers related to International Film Bureau, surveys of American Literature, notes about teaching the course, worksheets related to the class, and Correspondence related to the class with the Education Department Center 1980-1986 1 5 English 343 - Working File 36 items Paper materials used to teach Survey of American Literature 1989 1 6 English 344 34 items Paper materials used to teach Survey of American Literature featuring notes, worksheets and assignments 1988 1 7 English 344 - American Lit. Survey Materials 24 items Paper materials used to teach Survey of American Literature featuring teaching notes 1983-1991 1 8 English 344 - Handouts, Exams, etc. 16 items Paper materials used as handouts, exams, and assignments used to teach Survey of American Literature 1992 1 9 English 344 - Lecture Notes 11 items Paper materials used as lecture notes to teach Survey of American Literature 1992 1 10 English 344 - Handouts and Notes 36 items Paper materials used as handouts and notes for teaching Survey of American Literature 1994 1 11 English 344 - Handouts , etc. 29 items Paper materials used as handouts, assignments, and study guides for teaching Survey of American Literature 1991 1 12 English 344 - Lecture , Teaching, Research Materials 39 items Paper materials used as lecture and teaching notes, research materials, and study questions for teaching Survey of American Literature 1992 1 13 English 344 - Student Papers, etc. 3 items Paper correspondence with the English faculty and TA's, essay assignments, and Mildred scene debate prompt 1994-1995 1 14 English 344 - Working File 20 items Paper materials used to teach Survey of American Literature 1989 1 15 English 344 - Quiz Materials 23 items Paper materials that act as quizzes for Survey of American Literature and an envelope addressed to Professor Meldrum undated 1 16 English 471 - Poe, Hawthorne, Melville 65 items Paper materials used to teach the authors Poe, Hawthorne, and Melville 1980-1995 1 17 English 473 31 items Paper materials used to teach Literature of the American West 1995 1 18 English 473 - Summer Session 10 items Paper materials used to teach a summer session of Literature of the American West featuring a thank you note for Professor Meldrum 1996 1 19 English 473 Exams 11 items Paper materials used as exams for the Literature of the American West course 1985-1986 1 20 English 473 - Lecture Materials, misc. 37 items Paper materials used as lecture notes, photocopies of teaching materials, and newspaper clipping for article titled "Dear Deer" 1986 1 21 English 473 - Lit. of American West, working file 44 items Paper materials used to teach Literature of the American West 1988-1989 1 22 English 473 - Study Questions 27 items Paper materials used as study questions for Literature of American West course undated 1 23 English 473 - Syllabi & Assignments 16 items Paper materials used as assignments and the syllabi for Literature of American West courses 1982-1988 1 24 English 570 84 items Paper materials used as lecture notes, assignments, and teaching and course materials for Literature of American West course 1979-1984 1 25 Series II: Western Literature Essays on Western Literature 9 items Paper materials featuring an essay from American Indian Quarterly, a mailed pamphlet from the University of New Mexico about the Histories of the American Frontier, an essay about the American West, and a letter that mentions the materials featured in the folder. 1983-1984 1 26 Essays on Western Literature - Texas A+M Ms. 9 items Paper materials featuring essays analyzing Western Literature undated 1 27 Western History 5 items Paper materials featuring a brief history of Moscow Idaho and a correspondence to the Students of the Pacific Northwest 1987 1 28 Western Film 56 items Paper materials used as lecture notes and course resources for a Western Film course undated 1 29 Popular Westerns 19 items Essays from the WLA, Essay about Western films, Notes about essays in folder, and Newspaper clipping titled " Western Author L'Amour dies of lung cancer at 80" 1974-1988 1 30 Western Humorists, etc. (Including Twain) 9 items Paper materials featuring notes about Western writers featuring notes on Mark Twain undated 1 31 Western American Art 17 items Paper materials featuring notes of Western American art, exerts about specific Western art pieces, and newspaper clipping titled "Thomas Moran: Painting the Western Wilderness" undated 1 32 Western Poetry 1 items Paper material used as analysis of a Western poem 1978 1 33 Western Americana - clippings, books, misc. to keep 2 items Booklet titled "Views of the Vanishing Frontier" and newspaper clipping titled "America's Lost World" 1985 1 34 Western Lit Teaching Packet and Letter - Rutgers 3 items Paper materials used as a teaching packet to teach Western Literature and a letter from Rutgers University meant for Professor Meldrum 1982-1984 1 35 Native American Literature News Clippings 2 items Newspaper clippings titled "Momaday Tale is myth, legend & dime-store novel" and "Momaday: Novel probes role of myth and legend in American imagination" 1989 1 36 M. Laurence Paper, Canadian Studies - West. Soc. Sci. 21 items Photographs featuring artwork, and paper materials regarding Canadian Studies 1983 1 37 Western American Literature Summer 1969 3 105 Series III: Authors Cooper, Simms, Bird, & Kennedy 40 items Paper materials featuring notes, documents, and a map related to the lecture related to the authors undated 1 38 Eastlake & Fergusson 3 items Paper materials featuring study questions on Fergusson and notes on Eastlake undated 1 39 Lit - Kroetsch, Canadian & Sinclair Ross (As for Me & My House) 52 items Newspaper clipping titled "How a man of wilderness became a man of words", essay comparing American and Canadian westerns, Ross Symposium pamphlet, correspondence and essay related to Canadian Westerns, and study question 1979-1990 1 40 Edgar Allan Poe 53 items Paper materials related to teaching about Poe and newspaper clipping titled "Terror Wasn't His Only Talent" 1995 1 41 Flannery O'Connor - Notes & Excerpt 5 items Paper materials related to and meant for teaching about O'Connor 1979 1 42 Frank Norris - Notes & Lecture Materials 15 items Paper materials related to teaching Norris undated 1 43 Frank Waters 22 items Paper materials related to teaching Waters undated 1 44 Frederick Jackson Turner & 'Where Is The West' 29 items Paper materials related to teaching Turner and notes regarding 'Where Is The West' undated 1 45 Gary Snyder 14 items Newspaper clippings titled "UI poetry workshop", "Beat Generation poet reads at UI", scans of exerts written about Snyder, and notes about his work 1983 1 46 Hamlin Garland 5 items Paper materials related to notes on Garland and a brochure of Garland's homestead 1967 1 47 Hawthorne 33 items Newspaper clippings titled "Dimmesdale Poisoned? Anna Pushed?," Doctors Do a Literary Autopsy on Hester Prynne's Lover," and "The Scarlet Letter Was 'I'," Paper materials featuring lecture notes, study questions, and course materials 1984-1987 1 48 James Dickey 11 items Paper materials related to teaching Dickey undated 1 49 John Steinbeck 8 items Newspaper clipping titled "Biographer challenges Eastern critics' view of Steinbeck," informative pamphlet called "A Viewer's Guide by Cultural information Service: John Steinbeck's East of Eden, and notes related to the contents of the folder 1984 1 50 Leslie Silko 2 items Paper materials featuring study materials related to Silko undated 1 51 Maria Sandoz - Materials and Conference 92 items Newspaper section titled "Welcome to Valentine, Nebraska," Papers, pamphlets, maps, booklets and notes related to Sandoz and conferences of her materials 1937-1988 1 52 Margaret Atwood 25 items Newspaper clippings titled "The Child Within: Atwood takes readers aback with memories of growing-up pains," and "Atwood's poetry sinks and soars," a 'Books & Arts' newspaper on Atwood, and Paper materials used to study Atwood 1989-1990 1 53 Margaret Lawrence 42 items Paper materials consisting of the Margaret Lawrence Newsletter, documents from the Canadian Consulate General, print-outs and notes related to Lawrence, and brochure for Great Books from the Canadian West 1981-1994 1 54 May Sarton 14 items Paper materials consisting of print-outs, notes, and poetry related to Sarton 1979-1980 1 55 Owen Wister 23 items Paper materials consisting of notes and print-outs related to Wister undated 1 56 Stephen Crane 4 items Paper materials consisting of notes and essays related to Crane undated 1 57 Thomas Pynchon 5 items Paper materials consisting of notes on Pynchon undated 1 58 Walter Van Tilburg Clark 9 items Paper materials consisting of notes, study questions, and printed photo of Clark 1969-1971 1 59 Walt Whitman 45 items Paper materials consisting of notes, study questions, and reflections on Whitman, as well as a newspaper clipping titled "An American Genius" 1967-1980 1 60 Wright Morris 10 items Paper materials consisting of a correspondence to Meldrum from Joe W and Bellevue College, a few receipts, notes, and a newspaper clipping titled "Journeying with Wright Morris" 1980-1985 1 61 Series IV: Applications, Correspondence, and News Clippings Grant Applications 96 items Paper materials consisting of grant applications and related notes 1986-1987 1 62 Meldrum Correspondence 20 items 1984 1 63 J.C. Smith Fund 2 items Paper materials featuring the John Calhoun Smiith Memorial Fund projects, and a related memorandum with the Department of History 1981-1994 1 64 Travel Grant 16 items Paper materials consisting of Small Travel Grant Applications, curriculum vitaes, Travel Grant proposals 1988-1989 1 65 OW-NW Permissions & etc. 13 items Paper materials consisting of correspondence between Meldrum and Peggy Pace with the University of Idaho Press, Bowling Green State University, University of South Dakota, Montana State University, University of Nebraska Lincoln, and Western American Literature Quarterly Journal of the Western Literature Association 1989-1993 1 66 Lewiston Tribune News Clipping 1 items Newspaper clipping titled "Idaho suicide rate 30% above national average" 1995 1 67 Tough Paradise 13 items Paper materials consisting of correspondence with Idaho State University 1995 1 68 Group Photographs and Negatives 5 items undated 1 69 Series V: Conferences Conference Papers 101 items Paper materials consisting of notes and essays from various literary conferences 1985 1 70 Carol Ryrie Brink Conference 66 items Paper materials featuring essays and essays from the Brink Conference, correspondence with the Latah County Historical Society , and newspaper clippings titled "Writers gather to rekindle Carol Ryrie Brink's tradition" and "'Dirt Band' come through for their fans once more" 1990 1 71 John C Neihardt Spring Conference Pamphlet 1 items Paper material consisting of a pamphlet for the John G Neihardt Spring Conference 1995 1 72 PNASA Conference and Abstracts 5 items Paper materials related to the PNASA Conference including an abstract and notes 1987 1 73 MLA Seminar - Immigrant Experience in American Lit. 89 items Paper materials consisting of Mulberry Bend copies, various essays, correspondence with Western Washington State College, University of South Florida, University of California, California State Polytechnic University Pomona, University of California Berkley, East Texas State University, Modern Language Association of America, and Simon Fraser University, as well as correspondence with individuals within the various departments, essays, and a newspaper clipping titled "Ellis Island: Celebrating Our Immigrant Roots" 1975-1977 1 74 Series VI: Newsletters and Papers MLA Newsletters 8 items Paper materials consisting of MLA Newsletters 1986-1988 1 78 Athena Forum 16 items Paper materials related to the Athena forum consisting of newsletters, member lists, meeting notices 1994-1996 1 79 PAPC Paper - Women in Literature 66 items Paper materials consisting of papers on women in literature, a printout titled "Unknown Novels," and correspondence with Meldrum 1974-1975 1 80 Heath Anthology Info Newsletter 28 items Paper materials consisting of newsletters from The Heath Anthology of American Literature 1991-1994 2 81 Series VII: Organizations National Faculty Exchange 35 items Paper materials related to the National Faculty Exchange and the National Student Exchange with booklets, an award slip, correspondence, annual reports and photographs of a building and its interior 1984-1987 2 82 Modern Language Association Delegate Assembly 33 items Paper materials related to the Modern Language Association of America featuring delegate assembly meeting committee notes, newsletters, and correspondence 1978 2 83 Series VIII: Western Literature Association Western Literature Association assorted 28 items Paper materials related to the WLA featuring booklets, newsletters, correspondence, and notes 1990-1995 2 84 WLA Paper - Stauffer Interview 1 items Paper material featuring an essay by Deb Wylder 1980 2 85 WLA - Walker Prize 7 items Paper materials consisting of correspondence, notes, and print-outs authored by Jack Brenner, Kristen H. Powell, Roger B. Stein 1986 2 86 WLA Papers 5 items Paper materials featuring essays by Jacquelynn Sorensen, Sanford E. Marovitz, Louis Paskoff, Glen A. Newkirk, and Glen A. Love from the WLA that were of interest to Meldrum 1987 2 87 WLA Conference Papers - Momaday, Turner, Morris 4 items Essays from the WLA conference by H.S. McAllister, and Jack Brenner about Momaday, Turner, and Morris that were of interest to Meldrum 1974 2 88 WLA Conference Papers - Poetry, Kesey, Twain 3 items Essays from the WLA conference by Peter Stevens and Forrest G. Robinson about western poetry, Kesey, and Twain that were of interest to Meldrum 1978 2 89 WLA Papers - Steinbeck, Kesey 3 items Essays from the WLA conference by David B. Amick and William C. Baurecht about Steinbeck and Kesey that were of interest to Meldrum 1979 2 90 WLA Papers - American Westerns with Sandoz, Whitman, Cooper, Turner 6 items Essays from the WLA conference by Elmer F. Suderman, Paul Witkowsky, Wayne Viitanen, Carol J. Petersen, James R. Nicholl, and Jerry A. Herndon about American Western, Sandoz, Whitman, Cooper, and Turner that were of interest to Meldrum 1980 2 91 WLA - Hamlin Garland Papers 8 items Essays from the WLA conference by James Robert Payne, George F. Day, Cheyenne Autumn, Robert Glen Deamer, Lawrence Anfderheide, Glen A. Love, Roger E. Carp, and Richard Boudreau about Hamlin Garland that were of interest to Meldrum 1977 2 92 WLA Conference Essays - Non-Fiction Essays/Books 8 items Essays from the WLA conference by James Work, Richard Daverman Dr. Jerry A. Herndon, Jan Baker, and Helen Cox Thompson about non-fiction works including works by Walter Van Tilburg Clark 1978 2 93 WLA Papers - Non-Fiction Books/Essays 3 items Essays from the WLA conference by Roy K. Bird, S. S. Moorty, and Robert E. Moraberger about non-fiction books by authors like Norris and Abbey that were of interest to Meldrum 1979 2 94 WLA - Short Fiction Study 1 items Essay from the WLA conference by Ann Roland about various short fiction authors that was of interest to Meldrum 1988 3 95 WLA Conference Papers - Westerns 4 items Essays from the WLA conference by Joseph M. Flora, James H Maguire, and Andrew Hey about Westerns featuring Clark, Austin, and LeLouch that were of interest to Meldrum 1978 3 96 WLA Papers - American Westerns 11 items Essays from the WLA conference by Don Graham, Samuel I. Bellman, William Bloodworth, Ben Merchant Vorphal, Katharine W. Cohen, Richard Townsley, Lawrence Clayton, Jan Baker, and Glen A. Love about American Westerns that were of interest to Meldrum 1979 3 97 WLA Papers - Western Studies 2 items Essays from the WLA conference by Diane Dufva Quantic and William Bloodworth about a study of Westerns as a genre and Lonesome Dove that were of interest to Meldrum 1987 3 98 WLA Papers - Native American Literature 5 items Essays from the WLA conference by Don Graham, Jack W. Schneider, Rosalie Brookhart about Native American Literature by authors like Eastlake, Waters, Bandelier, and Momaday that were of interest to Meldrum 1978 3 99 WLA Papers - Native American Literature 1 items Essay from the WLA conference by Michael T. Marsden about Helen Hunt Jackson that was of interest to Meldrum 1979 3 100 WLA Conference Papers - Steinbeck 2 items Essays from the WLA conference by a few authors, one of which being J. Golden Taylor about Steinbeck that were of interest to Meldrum 1978 3 101 WLA Papers - Steinbeck Papers 1 items Essay from the WLA conference by Sanford E. Marovitz about Steinbeck that was of interest to Meldrum 1980 3 102 WLA Papers - Mari Sandoz Studies 4 items Essays from the WLA conference by Katharine W. Cohen, Ruby V. Pedersen, Rosemary Whitaker, and Barbara Rippey about Sandoz that were of interest to Meldrum 1980 3 103 WLA Papers - Mari Sandoz's Western Papers 4 items Essays from the WLA conference by Carol J. Petersen, Kathleen Serenco, Diane Dufva Quantic, and Barbara Rippey about Sandoz's work that were of interest to Meldrum 1981 3 104