NTE2mssm_088.xml Preliminary Guide to the Robert Shields Papers circa 1880-2007 Shields (Robert) Papers Finding aid prepared by Cheryl Gunselman Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections © 2020 Finding aid encoded by Suzanne James-Bacon. 2020 Finding aid written in English. English. Finding aid based on DACS 2nd Edition ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). May 1, 2026 Reorganized and cataloged box numbers and box inventories. Finding aid has been matched and edited accordingly. Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections MSSM.088 Shields, Robert William, 1918-2007 Preliminary Guide to the Robert Shields Papers circa 1880-2007 112 Linear feet 97 Boxes This collection consists of the diary and personal papers of Robert Shields. (MASC STAFF USE) MS.1999.38: 4-9-1-1; MS.2000.07: 4-7-4-3; MS.2000.15: 4-7-3-4; MS.2000.37: 4-7-4-4; MS.2001.13: 4-7-3-5; MS.2004.03: 4-7-4-5; MS.2005.14: 4-7-9-3; MS.2007.14: 4-9 Collection materials are in English

Robert W. Shields was a schoolteacher, businessman, and minister of the First Congregational Church in Dayton, Washington. He kept a diary of his life from 1970 to 1997, recording a daily record of his actions, interactions, and thoughts. The diary ends in 1997 when Shields suffered a stroke.

Robert Shields died in 2007.

This collection consists of the diary and personal papers of Robert Shields. The diary, primarily typewritten, makes up the bulk of the collection and is estimated to contain approximately 37.5 million words. Other materials include photographs, memorabilia, literary manuscripts, and correspondence.

This is an unprocessed collection. Arrangement reflects a pre-existing order from the records’ creators or previous custodians.

This collection is open for research. Until the collection is processed, advanced notice is required for access. Please make an appointment by writing to mascref@wsu.edu and indicating that you would like to view the Robert Shields papers. If possible, indicate the date ranges or types of record of greatest interest.

Some files with personally identifying information (PII) or financial information may be restricted pending review.

Copyright restrictions apply.

[Item description]

Preliminary Guide to the Robert Shields Papers, circa 1880-2007 (MSSM.088)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Robert Shields and his family donated this collection to the Washington State University Libraries in eight installments (MS.1999.38, MS.2000.07, MS.2000.15, MS.2000.37, MS.2001.13, MS.2004.03, MS.2005.14, MS.2007.17).

 MS-2007-14 85 Boxes

Accession 1999.38, inventoried below, contains the bulk of the Shields papers at 85 total boxes. Materials include diaries, photographs, correspondence, and manuscripts. Researchers should bear in the mind the following points about this inventory: The names of files listed below are taken directly from the labels that Shields attached to boxes. Because space on labels was limited, frequent abbreviations are used. These have been spelled out when we are reasonably confident about their fuller forms. Labels are generally accurate but, owing to space, tend to be rather generalized and gloss over available detail. For instance, a box labeled "General correspondence" might contain several folders of correspondence that are labeled with additional detail. These more detailed descriptions are not, at this time, part of the inventory. Some labels are not immediately intelligible. See for instance "Shields Owl." We at MASC are happy to try to answer questions about these but bear in mind that most boxes are as yet unopened and we might not possess any information beyond what appears on the label. Shields uses the term "collateral material" for items collected to supplement the diary. This term often appears on box labels but at times collateral material has been interfiled between diary pages and is not mentioned on the box label. "Diary memos" refer to handwritten notes that were later used to prepare a typewritten version.

1 1 Diary 1 January 1986-31 August 1986 1 2 Writer's digests 1985-1986 2 1 Diary 1 September 1986-31 May 1987 2 2 Writer's digests with Broome ads 1981-1984 2 3 Writer's digests with MANUSCRIPTS ads 1984 3 1 Diary 1 June 1987-10 February 1988 3 2 Writer's digests October 1986-May 1988 4 1 Diary 11 February 1988-31 August 1988 5 1 Literary Assignments 1969-1973

A detailed inventory of Shields writing for-profit writings, their word counts, and the amount he earned from them is available in this box.

 6 1 Literary Assignments 1969-1973

A detailed inventory of Shields writing for-profit writings, their word counts, and the amount he earned from them is available in this box.

 7 1 Daily Mail Receipt Ledger Books 1962-1985 7 2 National College Student Foundation 1963-1969 7 3 Daily Correspondence 1965-1966 7 4 Correspondence 1 August 1980-31 December 1980 7 5 Dayton Senior High School Yearbooks 1970-1973 8 1 Diary 19 September 1989-27 January 1990 8 2 Bishop Rose Certificate 7 April 1990 8 3 IBM Small Claims Originals probably 25 June 1990 8 4 Heinrich-Maxwell Certificate 26 September 1990, 20 October 1990-10 February 1991, 12 March 1991-23 March 1991 8 5 [Diary] 20 October 1990-10 February 1991; 2 March 1991-23 March 1991

The label for this box gives date ranges with no corresponding description. We have made the assumption that these dates refer to the diary, hence the use of square brackets in the title of this file.

 9 1 Collateral materials and some diary sheets 1 January 1988-9 October 1989 10 1 Diary memos 28 August 1990-19 October 1990 11 1 Diary memos 10 February 1991-12 March 1991 12 1 Diary memos 21 March 1991-21 April 1991 13 1 Diary 1 February 1985-31 December 1985 13 2 History of Hopewell Baptist Church 1838-1943 14 1 Diary 28 January 1990-28 August 1990, 26 September 1990-4 October 1990 14 2 Heidi's Master's Thesis undated 14 3 Small Claims Court Book 25 June 1990 15 1 Diary 1 September 1988-31 December 1988 15 2 Miscellaneous Undated Materials undated 15 3 Collateral Material 1986-1987, 4 July 1989-18 September 1989 16 1 Diary 1 January 1989-3 July 1989 16 2 Collateral Material 1982-1986 17 1 Diary 1 July 1983-31 January 1985 18 1 Diary 14 November 1976-31 July 1977, 17 March 1981-31 August 1981, 1 October 1982-30 June 1983 18 2 Correspondence to and from Broome undated 19 1 Diary 1 January 1980-March 1981, 1 September 1981-30 September 1982 19 2 Herst Local Post Book 1980 19 3 App for Public Assistance 8 June 1979 20 1 Diary 1 January 1976-3 November 1976, 1 August 1977-31 December 1979 20 2 Miscellaneous Correspondence 1978 21 1 Diary 28 June 1972-31 December 1975 21 2 Miscellaneous Correspondence 1975-1978 22 1 Diary 1 July 1971-May 1972, 1 January 1974-1 October 1974, 20 September 1976-14 November 1976 22 2 Doc Brown undated 22 3 Stella Maris Clinic undated 22 4 Miscellaneous Correspondence undated 22 5 See Diary 4 May 1991 23 1 Diary 1986 23 2 Correspondence 1 January 1981-31 July 1981, 1 August 1981-31 December 1981 23 3 Penrose Correspondence 1976 23 4 280 p misc correspondence 1979-1982 24 1 Broome and Michel Correspondence used in 1977 Tax Trial Probably 1977 24 2 Copy of Church Ledger 1963-1973 25 1 Papers Concering the IRS Tax Case 1973-1978 25 2 Official Tax Trial Transcripts 8 June 1977 26 1 Diary 16 January 1973-19 January 1973, 15 November 1973-21 November 1973, 27 November 1973-30 November 1973, 13 December 1973-19 December 1973, 26 May 1977-9 June 1977 26 2 Tax Trial Correspondence undated 26 3 Broome Assignments 1976-1983 27 1 Diary 10 December 1990-31 December 1990 27 2 Two boxes Michel Correspondence undated 27 3 Sermons and Church Bulletins undated 27 4 Correspondence 1968-1969 27 5 Manuscripts letters, and forms undated 27 6 Pischel Book undated 27 7 Accident Report undated 28 1 Church Bulletins 1941-1955 28 2 The Reno Gang 1948 28 3 Proudest to Be an American undated 28 4 Ministers Manual 1941-1978 29 1 Miscellaneous Correspondence undated 29 2 Whitman Books 1974-1975 29 3 Hines Correspondence 1979-1982 29 4 Personal correspondence, photographs, documents, records, and other papers in exact chronoligical order January 1 1979-July 31 1980 29 5 Dream Diary 1964-1970 30 1 Handwritten Diary 6 June 1977 30 2 The Church of the Servant Finances 1977 30 3 Copy of Tax Trial Transcript 1977 30 4 Two Articles on Materia Medica undated 30 5 Heidi's FAF Papers undated 30 6 Miscellaneous undated 31 1 Unknown - Probably Diary 1 January 1974-31 July 1976 31 2 Letters and Papers 1973-1977 31 3 Other Records and Documents undated 32 1 Yearbook undated 32 2 Martin S D 1956 32 3 Pischel Preparation Books undated 32 4 Kennewick Senior High 1961-1965 33 1 What 5,000 People Said undated 33 2 Correspondence 1966-1967, 1978 33 3 School documentary file undated 33 4 Lt agts/C Choice/Madeira undated 33 5 Assignments undated 34 1 Diary 2 September 1973-16 September 1973, 1 April 1974-20 April 1974, 1 June 1974-2 June 1974, 22 October 1974- 29 October 1974 34 2 Dreams 1972-1974 34 3 Pischel undated 34 4 School undated 34 5 Correspondence undated 34 6 Newsletter undated 35 1 UP WITH THE STAR 1966-1967 35 2 Pischel Files 1965-1969 35 3 Church School and Other Papers undated 35 4 Keewaydin Records 1965 35 5 Diary January 1968-February 1969 36 1 Ledger January 1955-31 December 1962, 1 January 1963-1 January 1973 36 2 Tax Letters undated 36 3 Tax Trial Correspondence undated 36 4 Borgmann Correspondences for Tax Case undated 36 5 List of all possessions 20 August 1960 37 1 IMPORTANT Ledger 1941-1955 37 2 School Textbooks undated 37 3 Herst Books undated 37 4 Miscellany undated 38 1 Jeff Rollans mss undated 38 2 3 Boxes of Miscellaneous undated 38 3 Correspondence 1981-1984 38 4 Fanguy/Hotson/Lutheran/Kennewick Senior High undated 38 5 Diary 10 October 1983-17 October 1983, 1 March 1984-3 March 1984, 26 April 1984-29 April 1984, 5 May 1984-6 May 1984, 5 December 1984-7 December 1984 39 1 Early pictures undated 39 2 High School report cards undated 39 3 Poem undated 39 4 Bozeman and KHS class letters undated 39 5 University of Colorado letters 1960-1961, 1963 39 6 Mt. Rushmore undated 39 7 Wedding mementos undated 39 8 Thanksgiving day in Deerfield with article and photos undated 40 1 Correspondence 1944 40 2 Mules Xing undated 40 3 Lexington, Kentucky correspondence undated 40 4 Borgmann undated 40 5 Letters and Papers 1945-1952 40 6 Pageant undated 40 7 Shields Owls undated 40 8 Academic Records undated 40 9 Hotson undated 41 1 Alden's Account February 1969-December 1977 41 2 Atlantic Richfield December 1970-1971 41 3 BankAmericard and American Express cards, notices, and Carte Blanche Cards undated 41 4 BankAmericard Billing Copies 1968-1977 41 5 BankAmericard Tissue Copies 1968-1977 41 6 BankAmericard Monthly Statements 1968-1975 41 7 Cal-Western Life Cash Surrender Releases 1975 41 8 Citizens Bank and Trust Cancelled Checks and Bank Statements 1972-1975 41 9 First Western Bank Cancelled Checks and Bank Statements 1969-1973 42 1 First Western Bank Cancelled Checks and Statments 1974-1977 42 2 National Car Rental Credit Cards undated 42 3 J.C. Penney Account and Statements 1975-1977 42 4 Seattle-First Personal Account Cancelled Checks and Statements 1971-1977 42 5 Washington Teachers' Credit Union Statements 1971-1977 42 6 T.W.A. Getaway Airplane Credit Cards undated 43 1 BankAmericard blank checks, forms, notices, information undated 43 2 Bon Marche 1976-1977 43 3 Church of the Servant documents September 1973-1978 43 4 Church of the Servant Resolution of Authority 10 November 1969 43 5 Cokesbury, Nashville, Tennessee undated 43 6 First Western Bank Deposit Receipts July 1969-July 1973 43 7 First Western Bank Loan Records, Notes October 1969-April 1973 43 8 Gulf Credit Card Records 1973-1977 43 9 Penney Account and Statements 1977 43 10 Pischel Paycheck Records December 1968-15 August 1969 43 11 Seattle-First Cashier's Check Receipts 1973-1976 43 12 Seattle-First Deposit Receipts June 1971-June 1973 43 13 Seattle-First House Escrow Records April 1973-June 1978 43 14 Seattle-First Loan Records, Notes December 1969-May 1973 43 15 Seattle-First Manuscripts, Canceled Checks, and Statements 1973-1977 43 16 Teaching Contracts 1969-1978 43 17 Dayton High School District Records 1969-1978 43 18 Washington School Employees Credit Union Timeline Checks undated 43 19 Washington School Employees Credit Union Statments of Account March 1977-February 1978 43 20 Washington State Teachers Retirement System Statements of Acct. 1967-1968 43 21 Washington State Teachers Retirement System Records 1967-1968 43 22 Washington State Teachers Retirement System Information 1967-1968 43 23 World Book Encyclopedia Accounts 1974-1977 43 24 Postal Certified Receipts and Return Receipts 1973-1978 43 25 School Warrant Paycheck Summaries September 1969-July 1973 43 26 Receipts for Benevolences and Business 3 January 1969-June 1973 43 27 Grace Dayton Day Care Paycheck Summaries 1970, 1971 44 1 Seattle-First Personal Account Cancelled Checks and Statements 1978-January 1983 44 2 Seattle-First Manuscripts Account Cancelled Checks and Statements 1978-February 1983 44 3 Seattle-First Cashier's Check Receipts 1974-1980 44 4 Seattle-First Manuscripts Voided Checks 1978-1982 44 5 Seattle-First Loans, Notes, including Installment Payment Receipt Books undated 44 6 Seattle-First House Escrow Payment Records 1978-1983 44 7 Seattle-First Cash Transactions for Manuscripts 1979 44 8 Seattle-First Cash Transaction Machine Cards and Instructions undated 45 1 Federal Income Tax Records 1960 45 2 First Western Bank Cancelled Checks and Statements 1959-1960, 1965-1970, 1978-1983 45 3 Receipts for Donations 1960, 1965-1970 46 1 National College Student Foundation 1969-1972 46 2 Poem Books / Private Correspondence Probably 1969-1972 46 3 Writing Assignments Probably 1969-1972 47 1 Manuscripts bus correspondence undated 47 2 Cash Ledgers 1973-1988 47 3 Mail Receipts 1988-1989 48 1 General Correspondence undated 48 2 Letters to and from B. D. Bichacoff undated

B. D. Bichacoff and Shields were married. Their non-amicable separation concluded in 1956 when Shields sued for divorce.

 48 3 Divorce Decree 1956

Includes correspondence from a period of time leading up to and following the divorce decree.

 48 4 Famous Persons undated 49 1 Seattle-First National Bank 1983-1991 49 2 First Western Bank 1985-June 1991 49 3 Rainier/Williscroft continued 1986-1987 50 1 Manuscripts Bank Statements 1985-1986 50 2 Geneva National Bank Statements 1986-1987 50 3 Seattle-First Personal Bank Statements 1987 50 4 Miscellaneous bills and cash receipts 1981-1988 50 5 Cash Receipts 1981-1988 51 1 Dayton City Cement Deed for Robert W. Shields 1982 51 2 Robert W. Shields Grace and Girls Birth Certificate undated 51 3 Robert W. Shields Grace and Girls Social Security Numbers

This file is closed to the public.

 51 4 Credit Cards 1970-1989 51 5 Miscellaneous Bills undated 52 1 Credit Card Statements A thru O 1984-July 1991 52 2 Bills undated 52 3 Invoices undated 53 1 Credit Card Statements P thru Z 1984-July 1991 53 2 Seattle-First Bank Records December 1981-January 1982 54 1 Federal Tax Returns 1961-1991 54 2 Underwood Bank Statements 1963-1964 54 3 Pischel TEL Booklet / Wedding cards undated 54 4 Kennewick Senior High School Warrants 1964 55 1 NCTS / Drake / Garrett Seminary records undated 55 2 Keewaydin Records / Kennewick Senior High School undated 55 3 Kennewick High School Plan Book undated 56 1 Childcraft Sales Kit 1957-1959 56 2 Childcraft Sales Reports 1957-1959 57 1 Childcraft Materials Undated 57 2 Weekly Production Reports 1957-1960 57 3 Individual Sales / Business Expense undated 58 1 Diary 1974; 1-5 December 1975; 1 August-8 September 1976 58 2 Letters to Dad / Childcraft records undated 58 3 First Western Bank 1950s-1960s 59 1 Diary 1935-1940 59 2 1st edition Cornelia Shield's "Seven for Oregon" undated 60 1 Diary 1944-1945 / JA Shields letters 1944-1945, undated 60 2 Spiritual murders undated 60 3 First Western Bank statements 1963 60 4 American Divinity Academy papers undated 60 5 Potpourri undated 61 1 Diary 1945 61 2 Kenn Hi Class Book 1962-1963 61 3 Correspondence 1935-1952 61 4 Ordination controversy 1944-1952 61 5 American Divinity Academy undated 62 1 John A. Shields "The Ottawan" 1913 62 2 Letters to girls 1950-1955 62 3 South Dakota Conference 1950-1960 62 4 American Divinity Academy / Miscellany undated 63 1 Correspondence undated 63 2 Records undated 63 3 Records of rare newspapers undated 63 4 Confess undated 63 5 KREA undated 63 6 Reno History and Pic Atlas undated 64 1 Letters to Dr. Edwin T. Olson undated 64 2 Correspondence 1945-1959 64 3 American Divinity Academy Ledger undated 64 4 Tax Record 1958-1959 64 5 Banking undated 65 1 19 1/2" x 22 1/2" Envelope with Lincoln undated 65 2 Diary 22 April 1991-17 August 1991 65 3 Letterbook 1 January 1952-31 December 1958 65 4 Pischel/Ferber/Nygaard etc. undated 66 1 American Divinity Academy Seal / H. Halley Stole undated 66 2 American Divinity Academy Literature undated 66 3 Wedding Cards 1956 66 4 Bridal Book Probably 1956 66 5 Mont St Col undated 67 1 Hotson Letters undated 67 2 Craven undated 67 3 All of My Academic Transcripts undated 67 4 First Western Bank 1957-1959 67 5 Wedding Invitation 1960 67 6 Lottery Tickets undated 68 1 Family Photographs 1880-1990 68 2 Wedding Photographs undated 68 3 Farrar Photographs undated 68 4 Deerfield undated 68 5 New Underwood undated 68 6 Personals undated 68 7 J.A. Shields' Letters to Robert W. Shields 1935 69 1 Portraits of Robert W. Shields 1919-1991 69 2 Churches 1935-1940 69 3 Houses 1935-1940 69 4 Wrecks 1934-1940 69 5 Collaterals 17 August 1991-1 December 1991 69 6 Mail Ledger 1 January 1990-4 February 1992 70 1 Radio-Recorder (intact and in working order) with one sound tapes containing sermons and misc undated 71 1 COLLATERAL MATERIALS (letters, marriage licenses, church bulletins, documents, statements) 2 December 1991-20 April 1992 71 2 Shields High School Yearbooks 1926, 1934-1935 72 1 Diary (in a ledger with the first 137 pages of Tamuramaro) 17 August 1991-24 October 1992 73 1 Collateral Materials for the Diary 1 May 1992-11 November 1992 73 2 Church Bulletins undated 73 3 Funeral Folders undated 73 4 Marriage Licenses undated 73 5 Correspondence undated 74 1 [Box 74 does not exist] 75 1 Collaterals 1 July 1993-20 April 1994 75 2 Income Tax Returns 1988-1993 75 3 Prescriptions - Pharmaceuticals undated 75 4 1st Ver UP WITH THE STAR 1966-1968 75 5 2nd Ver UP WITH THE STAR 1969-1970 75 6 Collaterals 11 November 1992-24 February 1993, 24 February 1993-31 July 1993 76 1 Diary 1 January 1947-14 February 1947 76 2 Letterbook 27 December 1944-31 December 1951 76 3 Wedding Photographs 13 May 1956-17 May 1956 76 4 Alcester Ordination Recognition Book undated 76 5 Cartoons undated 76 6 Autographed World Book undated 76 7 Halley Diploma undated 76 8 Poems 1937-1938 77 1 Lincoln : Photographs : Elmer undated 77 2 Franklin College Diploma 1944 77 3 Sermons undated 77 4 Drake Course Records undated 77 5 Bozeman / Martin High School records undated 77 6 Shields Owl / JAS Letterhead undated 77 7 The Earl of Roxburgh 1936 78 1 Collateral File Box 1 January 1995-31 March 1996 78 2 Funeral Folders undated 78 3 Statements and correspondence undated 79 1 Collateral File Box 25 July 1994-5 October 1994 79 2 Marriage Licenses undated 79 3 Church Bulletins undated 79 4 Bills and correspondence undated 80 1 Collateral File Box 20 April 1994-25 July 1994 80 2 Marriage Licenses undated 80 3 Church Bulletins undated 80 4 Correspondence undated 80 5 Bills undated 80 6 Invoices undated 81a 1 Diary 1993-1994 81b 1 Diary 1994-1995 81c 1 Diary 1995-1997 82 1 Collateral File Box 1 April 1996-1 June 1996 83 1 Letters and other diary collateral materials 1984-1999 84 1 Collateral File Box 2 June 1996-13 December 1996 85 1 Collateral File box 6 October 1994-31 December 1994 85 2 Marriage Licenses undated 85 3 Church Bulletins undated 85 4 Bills undated 85 5 Correspondence undated MS-2000-07 2 linear feet

This accession is not inventoried.

 MS-2000-15 2 linear feet

Diary collateral material, various dates.

 MS-2000-37 1 linear foot

Not inventoried.

 MS-2001-13 1 linear foot

Not inventoried.

 MS-2004-03 2 linear feet

Not inventoried.

 MS-2005-14 1 linear foot

Diary collateral, 2004-2005.

 MS-2007-14 3 linear feet

Box 1: Robert Shields funeral and memorial materials.

Box 2: Scottish Rite magazine and other magazines. 1986 vehicle accident report (appears in envelope labeled "Letter to Cornelia and the twins."

Box 3: College visitation literature and magazines.

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.

Shields, Robert William, 1918-2007 -- Records and correspondence. Diarists -- Archives. Diaries