Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections
Cage 733
Slonim, Ruth, 1918-2005
Ruth Slonim Papers
circa 1900-2000
bulk 1930-1990
27.5 Linear feet of shelf space
52 Boxes
The collection includes poet Ruth Slonim's personal papers as well as materials related to her career and writing.
Collection materials are inprimarily English (some in shorthand); a few items are in
Spanish.
Ruth Slonim was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 30, 1918, and grew up in Duluth,
Minnesota. She earned a Bachelor of Education degree from Duluth State Teachers'
College in 1938 and a Master's degree from the University of Minnesota in 1944. By
1952, she had completed all necessary course work to receive a Ph.D., but because of
family complications was unable to finish her dissertation. She taught in the
English department at Central Washington College from 1944 to 1946, before taking a
position as a visiting professor at the University of Puerto Rico where she
developed the humanities division of the General Education Program.
Slonim came to Washington State University, then the State College of Washington, in
1947 and taught modern poetry and English literature. She took a leave of absence in
1970 when she was invited by the School of Irish Studies University College and
Trinity College to teach a course on William Butler Yeats. She taught at WSU for
thirty-six years, retiring in 1983. Slonim was dedicated to teaching and strove to
inspire her students and to instill in them a commitment to academic integrity,
critical thinking, and compassion to those around them. Because of her tireless
service to her students and to the university she received many awards and much
recognition, including being named the Woman of Achievement in 1952. In 1965,
students voted for her to receive the Outstanding Faculty Woman award; in 1966, the
Washington division of the American Association of University Women named her a
Distinguished Woman of Achievement. In 1967, she became the first woman faculty
member to deliver the WSU Distinguished Faculty Address. Her faculty colleagues
selected her to deliver the annual Invited Address in 1969. She served on many
important university committees, including the Faculty Executive Committee, the
University Planning Committee and the International Education Committee. Slonim was
also keenly interested in international affairs and was a member of the U.S.
Delegation to the International Conference of UNESCO in Paris in 1951.
Slonim published five volumes of poetry: "Sketchings" (1938); "London: An American
Appreciation" (1954); "San Francisco: 'The City' in Verse" (1965); "Outer Traces,
Inner Places" (1981) which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry; "Poems
and Proems" (1992). Other poems and academic papers were published in various
periodicals. In 1989, Washington State governor Booth Gardner gave her a Governor's
Arts Award. In 1962, Slonim initiated the Poetry Reading Series at WSU, which
continued through 1981. She was able to bring many notable poets to campus for this
series, including William Stafford, Galway Kinnell, Richard Hugo, W.H. Auden,
Carolyn Kizer and Gwendolyn Brooks.
Slonim died in Moscow, Idaho on February 16, 2005.
The collection includes Slonim's personal papers as well as materials related to her
career and writing. The personal papers include primarily correspondence, personal
memorabilia and notes from her time as a student. Letters from individuals worthy of
interest are noted in the folder descriptions below. The professional papers include
primarily correspondence, her time in Puerto Rico and as a delegate to UNESCO,
materials related to her position at WSU, and manuscripts of her writing, including
both typed and hand-written poetry.
Series 1: Personal papers, 1930-2000:
Subseries 1.1: Family correspondence, 1944-1998 - Arranged chronologically.
Subseries 1.2: General correspondence, incoming and outgoing, 1931-2000 - Arranged
chronologically.
Subseries 1.3: Correspondence with soldiers during World War II, circa 1940-1945 -
Arranged alphabetically by correspondent name.
Subseries 1.4: Correspondence with frequent correspondents, 1938-1982 - Mostly
incoming. Arranged by correspondent name, then chronologically.
Subseries 1.5: Subject files, 1930-1991.
Series 2: Professional papers, 1938-1998:
Subseries 2.1: Correspondence, 1938-1983.
Subseries 2.2: Puerto Rico, 1946-1947.
Subseries 2.3: UNESCO, 1951-1955.
Subseries 2.4: Teaching (Washington State University), undated.
Subseries 2.5: Committees (Washington State University), 1949-1978. Arranged
alphabetically by committee name.
Subseries 2.6: Professional associations and conferences, 1944-1976. Arranged
alphabetically.
Subseries 2.7: English Department and Washington State University, 1946-1989.
Subseries 2.8: Subject Files, 1948-1998. Arranged alphabetically.
Subseries 2.9: Manuscripts, writing, and publishing, 1939-1989.
Series 3: Photographs, circa 1900-2000. Organized by subject.
Series 4: Oversize and miscellaneous, circa 1920-1997.
The collection is arranged in four series. Series 1 and 2 are further arranged into
subseries. The correspondence is mostly arranged chronologically. The subseries of
Correspondence with soldiers during WWII, and Correspondence with frequent
correspondents, are arranged alphabetically by name. The professional papers are
mostly arranged alphabetically. The photographs are arranged by subject.
This collection is open and available for research use.
Copyright restrictions apply.
[Item Description]
Ruth Slonim Papers, circa 1900-2000 (Cage 733)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections,
Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
This collection of Ruth Slonim's papers was donated to the Washington State
University Libraries by her estate after her death (MS 2007-10).
This collection was processed by Ph.D. candidate Katy Fry in 2008 and 2009. The
Washington Women's History Consortium provided funding assistance for
processing.
Books received with this collection have been separated and cataloged individually.
Small collections of the papers of others were seperated out into their own collections:
Sigmond and Lena Slonim Papers, 1902-1981 (Cage 735)
Paul Philemon Kies Papers, 1912-1971 (Cage 736)
Frank and Irene Potter Papers, 1915-1990 (Cage 737)
Ruth Slonim Poems to Harold E. Culver, circa 1967-2005 (Cage 5133)
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.
Slonim, Ruth, 1918-2005 -- Archives
Washington State University -- Faculty -- Archives
Poets, American -- 20th century -- Archives
Women poets, American -- 20th century -- Archives
Literature
Colleges and Universities
Washington (State)
Series 1: Personal papers,
1930-2000
Subseries 1.1: Family correspondence,
1944-1998
1
1
1944-1949
1
2
1950-1954
1
3
1955
1
4
1956-1957
1
5
1958-1959
1
6
1960-1961
1
7-8
1962
2
1-2
1963
2
3
1964
2
4
1965
2
5
1966
2
6
1967-1968
2
7
1969
3
1
1970
3
2
1971
3
3
1972
3
4
1973-1974
3
5
1975
3
6
1976-1978
3
7
1985-1989
3
8
1993-1998
3
9
Undated
3
10
Outgoing letters to family members:
drafts and copies
Subseries 1.2: General correspondence,
1931-2000
Incoming correspondence
4
1
1931-1939; includes a letter from
Franklin D. Roosevelt's secretary and a letter from writer Vera
Brittain
4
2
1940-1949; includes some photos, a
letter from Congressman Hal Holmes, Senator Joseph H. Ball, and
Washington State College faculty Frank F. Potter, Milton C.
Peterson
4
3
1950-1952; includes letter from
radio newsman Jack Thornton, correspondence regarding an
accident Slonim sustained in England
4
4
1953; includes letters from
Washington State College faculty Fred A. Dudley, Clement and
Helen French
4
5
1954; includes letter from
Washington State College faculty Clement and Helen
French
4
6
1955-1956; includes letter from
Congressman Hal Holmes
5
1
1957; includes cards from
Washington State College faculty Wilson Compton and Clement
French, letter from attorney Albert B. Clarfield
5
2
1958-1959; includes a letter from
the State Library in Olympia asking for a copy of her book
"London: An American Appreciation"
5
3
1960-1961; includes letters from
folklorist Barre Toelken
5
4
1962; includes letter from
Washington State College faculty Claudius O. Johnson, cards
regarding surgery and hospitalization
5
5
1962-1963; includes letter from
poet James B. Hall, letters in regards to an
illness,
5
6
1964-1965; includes letter from
poet Dick Bakken
5
7
1966; includes letter from poet
Edward Field, letters regarding putting some of Slonim's poems
to music
6
1
1967; includes photos, letter from
the Chairman of the Washington State Poetry
Foundation
6
2
1968-1969; includes letters from
Sen. Warren G. Magnuson, Sen. Henry M. Jackson, Representative
Catherine May, Sen. Eugene J. McCarthy, Elizabeth Kray, Morris
B. Abram
6
3
1970-1971; letter from University
of Washington Libraries, Irish editor David Marcus, Fred A.
Dudley and Mary Avery, poet Doug Flaherty, poet Betty
Fukuyama
6
4
1972-1975; includes letters from
Glenn Terrell, scholar Ronan Fanning, Maurice Harmon, poet Faith
Beamer Cooke, folklorist Barre Toelken
6
5
1976-1982; includes letter from
Barre Toelken
7
1
1983-1987; includes letters from
Rep. Thomas S. Foley, University of Minnesota about The Slonim
Memorial Scholarship, Albert Thompson
7
2
1988-1989; letters from Catherine
M. Friel, cards about William Stafford reading, writer LaVerne
Harrell Clark, Jean Gardner
7
3
1990-2000; letters and clippings
about dedication of WSU Centennial Grove, honorary membership to
Phi Beta Kappa, letter from writer Elsa Kirstin Peters, card
from Johnetta Cole, Barre Toelken, photos
7
4
Undated; includes card and
negative from Maurice Harmon, letter from Claudius O.
Johnson
Outgoing correspondence
7
5
Drafts and copies, 1939-1969;
includes letters to writer Vera Brittain, Sen. Vance Hartke,
poet William Stafford, Mrs. Wilson Compton, Sen. Warren
Magnuson, and Glenn Terrell
7
6
Drafts and copies, 1970-1992;
includes letters to Maurice Harmon, Faith Beamer Cooke, and poet
Howard Nemerov
8
1
Drafts and copies, undated;
includes letters to William Stafford, Wilson Compton, Sen.
Henry
Subseries 1.3: Correspondence with
soldiers during World War II, circa 1940-1945
8
2
A-B
9
3
C-D
10
4
E-G
11
5
H-J
9
1
K-L
9
2
M-R
9
3
S
9
4
T-Z
9
5
Miscellaneous
Subseries 1.4: Correspondence with
frequent correspondents, 1938-1982
Ed Palcich
9
6
1938-1939
9
7
1940-1946
James (Jimmie) Lambert
10
1
1951-1965
10
2
1967
10
3
1968-1969
10
4
1970
10
5
1971
10
6
1972
10
7
1973
10
8
1974
10
9
1975
10
10
1976
10
11
1977
11
1
1978
11
2
1979-1982
11
3
Undated
11
4
Miscellaneous
Robert Carr
11
5
1955-1960
11
6
1961-1962
11
7
Undated
11
8
Miscellaneous
12
1
C.H. Brewer, 1951-1957
Irene Potter
12
2
1955-1963
12
3
1964-1970
Subseries 1.5: Subject files,
1930-1991
Class notes: Secondary school and
college
12
4
1930
12
8
1936
13
1
1936 (continued)
13
2
1937
13
3
1937-1938
13
4
Miscellaneous,
1931-1938
13
5-7
1939
14
1
Duluth State Teachers College,
1939-1944: classes, programs, brochures, employment
Graduate school
14
2
Graduate school,
1941-1953
14
3
Correspondence, transcripts,
diploma
Class notes, graduate
school
14
4-7
1941
14
8
1941-1942
15
1-8
1942
16
1
1944
16
2
1945
16
3
1949
16
4-6
1949-1950
16
7
1950
17
1-2
1950 (continued)
17
3-4
1952
17
5-6
1954
17
7-9
Miscellaneous
18
1-9
Miscellanous (continued)
19
1-3a
Miscellanous (continued)
19
4
Childhood projects: book of games,
Girl Scouts' song book, handmade book
19
5
Childhood projects: student writing
collections
19
6
Personal memorabilia
19
7
Miscellaneous notes, postcards,
letters, travel pamphlets
19
8
Miscellaneous programs
19
9
Miscellaneous pamphlets
19
10
Lectures at University of
Minnesota
19
11
Ephemera
20
1
Washington State University (WSU)
programs and events, 1948-1962
20
2
WSU programs and events,
1962-1991
20
3
WSU programs and events,
undated
20
4
Lectures at WSU
20
5
Student movement at WSU
20
6
Berkeley programs and events, circa
1960s
20
6a
Miscellaneous publications including
The Crisis (1934), fall out shelter pamphlet; The Outpost (1945),
Students for a Democratic Society affiliate newsletter, "The Slander
of a Nation"
20
7
Calendars (includes notes and
clippings); 1955, 1963
20
8
Weekly planner (includes notes and
clippings), 1992
20
9
Address book
21
1
Address book (includes inserts and
clippings)
21
2
Finances (notebooks,
ledgers)
21
3
Notebook from service as a UNESCO
delegate, 1951
21
4
Notebook from the Pacific
International Writers Conference at University of Washington,
1957
21
5-6
Notebooks from Poetry Conference,
Berkeley, California, a
21
7
Notebook from visit to England, circa
1960s
21
8
Diary, 1974 (includes
addresses)
22
1-6
Miscellaneous notebooks
22
7-8
Clippings
22
9
Clippings about Invited
Address
22
10
Clippings about family
members
22
43052
Notes
23
1
Notes (continued)
23
2
Annotated items
23
3
Ephemera and correspondence regarding
a trip to Europe, 1951
23
11-13
Travel (miscellaneous)
23
6
Travel (WSU Museum of Art Chicago
trip), 1990
24
1
David Ericson by William G. Boyce
(printed item), 1963
24
2
Chapbook The Exile's Book of Hours: A
Sequence by James J. McAuley (inscribed), 1982
24
3
Mill's Quarterly (printed item, with
insertions), 1963 February
24
4
The Oceanic Educational
Foundation
24
5
Finances
24
6
Medical directive, wills,
estate
24
7
Miscellaneous
Series 2: Professional Papers,
1938-1998
Subseries 2.1: Correspondence,
1938-1983
25
1
Job inquiries, 1938-1943
25
2
Job inquiries, 1946-1966
25
3
Central Washington University,
1944-1945; includes clippings, articles, and a letter from Sen.
Warren Magnuson
25
4
Washington State College, salary,
professional leave
Subseries 2.2: Puerto Rico,
1946-1947
25
5-6
Incoming correspondence
26
1-3
Incoming correspondence
(continued)
26
4
Outgoing correspondence
26
5
About University of Puerto
Rico
26
6
Class lists
26
7-10
Lecture material
27
1
Lecture material, notes,
assignments
27
2
Student work
27
3
Slonim's writing
27
4
Notes, scholarly paper
27
5
Clippings
27
6
Photographs
27
7
University of Puerto Rico
newspapers
Printed ephemera (magazines, other
materials) (Location note: in oversize, box 51)
27
8
Ephemera
27
9-10
Miscellaneous
Subseries 2.3: UNESCO,
1951-1955
27
11
Correspondence
27
12-13
General Conference, 6th session, June
1951
28
1
General Conference, 6th session, June
1951 (continued)
28
2
1952
28
3
1953
28
4
Conference on Fundamental Education,
1956 June 18-29
28
5
Washington State Council
28
6
"Paris Potential" (article written by
Slonim), 1952
28
7
Lectures and articles written by
Slonim
28
8
Notes
28
9
Notes, bibliographies
29
1
Clippings
29
2
Miscellaneous
29
3
UN and UNESCO publications
"Courier" - UNESCO
publication
29
4
1951-1952
29
5
1952-1953
29
6
1954-1955
29
7-8
Miscellaneous publications
Subseries 2.4 Teaching (Washington State
University), undated
30
1-5
Teaching material
30
6
Teaching material (from folder labeled
"English 108-Introduction to Lit." Includes a letter from William
Stafford.)
30
7
Course descriptions and
syllabi
30
8
Examinations
31
1
Examinations (continued)
31
2-4
Student evaluations
Subseries 2.5: Committees (Washington
State University), 1949-1978
32
1
Faculty Executive Committee,
1954
32
2
Faculty Executive Committee,
1955-1956
32
3
General Education Committee,
1955-1956
32
4
General Education Study Council,
1967-1968
32
5
General Education Study Council,
1968
32
6
Humanities Building Committee,
1966
32
7
Humanities Divisional Committee,
1952
32
8
Humanities Study Council,
1968
32
9
International Students Advisory
Committee, 1951-1955
33
1
International Students Advisory
Committee, 1956-1959
33
2
International Students Advisory
Committee, 1960-1961
33
3
misc. committee work
33
4
Nunemaker Scholarship Committee,
1957-1959
33
5
Selection and Reviewing Committee,
1949-1950
33
6
Selection and Reviewing Committee
(Humanities Division), 1949
33
7
Student Personnel Work Committee,
1949-1950
33
8
Study Council
33
9
Study Council
33
10
University Planning Committee,
1972
34
1
University Planning Committee,
1973-1974
34
2
University Planning Committee,
1973-1974
34
3
University Planning Committee,
1974
34
4
University Planning Committee,
1974-1975
Subseries 2.6: Professional associations
and conferences, 1944-1976
American Association of University
Women
34
5
1944-1953
35
1
1959-1968
35
2
Conference, Spokane, WA, 1965
April
35
3
Berkeley Poetry Conference,
1965
35
4
Conference on British Studies,
1976
35
5
International Association for the
Study of Anglo-Irish Literature
35
6
Irish Studies
35
7
Manuscript Conference, Eugene, OR,
1962
35
8
misc. association
memberships
35
9
misc. conferences
35
10
National Council of Teachers of
English, 1945-1953
36
1
National Council of Teachers of
English, 1953-1956
36
2
National Council of Teachers of
English, 1956-1961
36
3
Northwest Regional Conference on
Higher Education, Spokane, WA, 1949
36
4
Phi Kappa Phi, 1955-1970
36
5
Phi Kappa Phi Convention, Madison, WI,
1962
36
6
Phi Kappa Phi journals,
1969
36
7
Radio
36
8
War--Education
36
9
Writers' War Board
Subseries 2.7: English Department and
Washington State University, 1946-1989
37
1
English Department, 1951-1960 (about
composition classes)
37
2
English Department, 1965-1989
(memoranda, meeting minutes, newsletters)
37
3
English Department, student
writing
37
4
English Department, Graduate Studies,
1965-1972
37
5
English Department, Graduate Studies,
1972
37
6
Washington State University, 1965-1978
(memoranda, letters to faculty)
37
7
Washington State University News
Bulletin, 1948-1968
37
8
Washington State University, "A Letter
to Glenn Terrell" 1968-1971
37
9
Washington State University, News
Bulletin of the Division of Humanities, 1952-1962
37
10
Washington State University, Faculty
Publications, 1954-1961
38
1
Washington State University, advising,
1949-1952
38
2
Washington State University, surveys
and evaluations, 1946-1973
38
3
Washington State University,
miscellaneous (Faculty Forum, Invited Address)
Subseries 2.8: Subject files,
1948-1998
38
4
Announcements of Slonim's
work
38
5
Applications for awards,
fellowships
38
6
Awards and achievements
38
7
Bibliographic entries,
1958-1974
38
8
Curriculum vitae
38
9
Faculty Activity Reports,
1972-1979
38
10
Interview, undated
38
11
Invitations
38
12
Miscellaneous
39
1
Ruth Slonim Poetry Corner at WSU
Library, 1997
39
2
Ruth Slonim Poetry Corner (location
note: related materials are in oversize, box 52)
39
3
Speaking engagements,
1959-1962
39
4
Speaking engagements,
1965-1982
Poetry Reading Series
39
5
1962-1963
39
6
1964
39
7
1965
39
8
1966
39
9
1967
40
1
1968
40
2
1969
40
3
1970-1971
40
4
1972
40
5
1973
40
6
1974
40
7
1975
41
1
1976-1981
41
2
Miscellaneous
Subseries 2.9 Manuscripts, writing, and
publishing, 1939-1989
41
3-7
"London: An American Appreciation"
(location note: related material in oversize, box 51)
42
1
"An Irish Gamut"
42
2
"An Irish Garland"
42
3
"An Irish Garland"
42
4
"Prospectus" and "An Irish
Gamut-Garland"
42
5
Publishing attempts for "An Irish
Gamut" (correpondence)
42
6
Drafts, "An Irish Garland," "Dublin in
Verse"; correspondence with publishers; loose poems,
notes
42
7
"Refractions" (unpublished, bound book
of poems)
43
1
"Refractions"
43
2
"Bitter Sweet"
43
3
"Cosmic Grammar"
43
4
"Cosmic Grammar"; includes
correspondence
43
5
"Tropical Topic"; includes notes,
clippings
43
6
Printed copy of
"Sketchings"
43
7
"San Francisco: The City in
Ditty"
43
8
"San Francisco: The City in
Verse"
43
9
"Outer Traces, Inner
Places"
44
1
"Outer Traces, Inner
Places"
44
2
"Outer Traces, Inner
Places"
44
3
"Gropings for Destiny," "Take a Deep
Breath," "Portent"
44
4
Miscellaneous (includes "Alpha to
Omega," poem for Paul Kies, poem for Humphrey W. Leynse, poem for
Dedication of WSU Centennial Grove)
44
5-7
Miscellaneous
45
1-9
Miscellaneous (continued)
46
1-3
Miscellaneous (continued)
46
3a
"Saul" (audio recording on paper
disc), 1942 February 22
Prose
46
4
"Utilization of Radio as an
Interpreting Medium in a College Public Relations
Program"
46
5
"Utilization of Radio in the
Teaching of High School English"
46
6
"Techniques and Procedures for
Administering a Public Relations Program in Colleges and
Universities"
46
8
"CWIs Overseas Radio Operations,"
"News Reporting and News Writing," "Bomb Sight," "Commencement
Daze," "The College and You," "The Fourth 'R'", "Radio as a
Public Relation Medium," "Farther, Farther Sail," "Walt
Whitman's 'Open Road'"
47
1
Miscellaneous
47
1a
Newspaper article by
Slonim
Publishing attempts (correspondence
with publishers)
47
2
1939-1953
47
3
1954-1962
47
4
1962-1975
47
5
Correspondence with Bruce Humphries,
Inc. about "London: An American Appreciation"
47
6
Publications
Writings by others
48
1
William Stafford, James B. Hall,
John Tagliabue, Louis Golding, Robert Knox)
48
2
Erich S. Klossner
48
3-7
Miscellaneous
48
8
Chapbooks and articles signed by
authors
48
9
Creative writers of Sacramento AAUW,
"Sampler II" (1966); Students of Colusa County, "Poems of the
Buttes" (1965)
Series 3: Photographs, circa
1900-2000
49
1-5
Family photographs, circa
1900-2000
49
6-7
Ruth Slonim, 1918-2000
50
1-3
Ruth Slonim, 1918-2000
(continued)
50
4
Ruth Slonim home, circa
1960s-1980s
50
5
Puerto Rico, 1946-1947
50
6
Poets, actors, Distinguished Faculty
Address (WSU), circa 1964-1974
50
7
[Jimmie Lambert?], circa
1920s-1970s
Series 4: Miscellaneous and oversized, circa
1920-1997
51
1
Puerto Rico materials (Spanish language
magazines and other printed materials), 1946
51
2
Sheet music for "London" by Caroline
Bosanquet, 1966
51
3-6
Scrapbook (primarily photographs), circa
1920s-1960s
52
1
Handmade book of Slonim's poems (includes
inserted items), 1938-1942
52
2
Program for Scholarship Dinner (WSU),
1957
Ruth Slonim Poetry Corner Dedication,
1997
52
3
Video recording (VHS)
52
4
Photograph album
52
5
Guest book
52
6
"Sounds of Pacific Northwest Poetry"
(audio recording, 33 1/3 disc), undated. Includes a reading by
Slonim.