CLRC-1156 William Howard Armstrong Collection Christina Cowan and Sharlene Murphy University of Minnesota Libraries 10/1994, 10/2004
University of Minnesota Libraries Minneapolis, MN 55455
EAD 2002 Validated Finding Aid generated with the aid of a custom FileMaker Pro database developed by the staff of the Children's Literature Research Collections, University of Minnesota Libraries. Many thanks to all the staff and volunteers. 10/1994, 10/2004 Description is in English Summary Information University of Minnesota Libraries Children's Literature Research Collections [clrc] Armstrong, William Howard William Howard Armstrong Collection 1955-1978 CLRC-1156 William Howard Armstrong's papers trace the genesis, process, and revision of twelve of his books for children and young adults. The collection included holographs [manuscripts], typescripts, galleys, and proofs, as well as correspondence to and from Armstrong. The material is organized alphabetically by book and title. 3.8 linear ft See Detailed Descriptions for Each Title Item for Box Locations English Important Information for Users of the Collections Access and Use:

Collection is open for researchers with no restrictions. Registration with the collection is required.

Copyright:

This collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials.

Biographical Sketch

William Howard Armstrong was born September 14, 1914 in Lexington, Virginia, attended Augusta Military Academy and graduated from Hampden-Sydney College. He married Martha Stonestreet Williams and had three children. Armstrong taught history at the Kent School in Kent, Connecticut for many years. He published his first book, Study is Hard in 1956 and his first work of juvenile fiction, Sounder in 1970. He continued to publish adult and juvenile fiction and non-fiction throughout the 1970s, including Sour Land, The MacLeod Place, The Mills of God and other works.

Many of Armstrong's works reflect both his own interest in social change in the twentieth century as well as two trends in contemporary children's literature: the realistic depiction of racial discrimination and inequality, and the difficult transition from adolescence to adulthood.

 Scope and Content

The collection contains materials for twelve titles published between 1957 and 1979. It includes holographs, typescripts, research material including photographs, galley and page proofs, a publisher's dummy and some correspondence. The bulk of the correspondence is from school children and adult readers, mostly concerning Sounder. There is also a small amount of publisher's correspondence regarding the publication of Through Troubled Waters.

 Indexing Terms

The collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Armstrong, William Howard Accession Information:

The collection is a gift from William Howard Armstrong, received in several donations, with the bulk of the material dating from and arriving during the 1970s.

Gift of: Armstrong, William Howard

Arrangement

Animal Tales, 1970

Barefoot in the Grass, 1970

Education of Abraham Lincoln, The, 1974

Hadassah: Esther the Orphan Queen, 1972

Joanna's Miracle, 1977

MacLeod Place, The, 1972

Mills of God, The, 1973

My Animals, 1974

Sounder, 1969

Sour Land, 1971

Tale of Tawny and Dingo, 1979

Through Troubled Water, 1957

Correspondence,

Collection Contents Animal Tales 1970 MF 32 typescript 28 p. MF 32 typescript, corrected 30 p. MF 32 typescript, corrected carbon 30 p. MF 32 page proof, corrected 18 p. Barefoot in the Grass 1970 MF 32 holograph 194 p. MF 32 typescript and typescript, photocopy, corrected 131 p. MF 32 typescript and typescript, photocopy, corrected 129 p. MF 32 typescript, corrected partial carbon (with editor's markings) 135 p. MF 32 galley proof 39 p. MF 32 layout notes 6 p. Education of Abraham Lincoln, The 1974 MF 33a holograph 168 p. MF 33a holograph and typescript corrected 66 p. MF 33a holograph 185 p. MF 33a typescript, corrected 122 p. MF 33a typescript, carbon 15 p. MF 33a typescript, corrected photocopy 155 p. MF 33a front matter 3 p. MF 33a typescript, corrected partial carbon 189 p. MF 33a galley proof, corrected 55 p. MF 33a front matter 5 p. MF 33a galley proof, corrected 54 p. MF 33a research material: 12 photographs, 1 photograph with negative for jacket, 1 sheet proof for jacket, 1 pasteup 15 p. Hadassah: Esther the Orphan Queen 1972 MF 34 holograph 92 p. MF 34 holograph 9 p. MF 34 typescript 9 p. MF 34 typescript, corrected 77 p. MF 34 layout notes 5 p. MF 34 galley proof, corrected 24 p. MF 34 galley proof, corrected 19 p. MF 34 layout notes 1 p. MF 34 publisher's dummy 43 p. Joanna's Miracle 1977 MF 34 holograph 176 p. MF 34 correspondence 2 p. MF 34 typescript, corrected carbon 130 p. MF 34 front matter 4 p. MF 34 correspondence 3 p. MacLeod Place, The 1972 MF 35 holograph (included 1p. typescript corrected carbon) 245 p. MF 35 holograph and typescript, corrected partial carbon 121 p. MF 35 typescript, corrected 223 p. MF 35 typescript, partial 100 p. MF 35 typescript, corrected 185 p. MF 35 galley proof, corrected 75 p. MF 35 book jacket 1 p. MF 35 typescript, corrected 58 p. MF 35 correspondence 1 p. MF 35 research material: 1 ink study 1 p. Mills of God, The 1973 MF 36 holograph 168 p. MF 36 typescript, corrected, partial photocopy 131 p. MF 36 holograph and typescript, corrected 151 p. MF 36 carbon 15 p. MF 36 galley proof, corrected 44 p. MF 36 page proof, with some corrections 130 p. My Animals 1974 MF 36 holograph 30 p. MF 36 typescript, carbon 19 p. MF 36 typescript, corrected 18 p. MF 36 front matter 4 p. MF 36 galley proof, corrected 11 p. Sounder 1969 MF 37 holograph 88 p. MF 37 holograph and typescript, partial carbon and photocopy 126 p. MF 37 typescript, carbon 49 p. MF 37 typescript, carbon 71 p. MF 37 typescript, photocopy, partial carbon 77 p. Sour Land 1971 MF 37 holograph and typescript 172 p. MF 37 typescript, corrected 141 p. MF 37 galley proof, corrected 43 p. MF 37 galley proof, corrected 64 p. MF 37 page proof, corrected 32 p. MF 37 holograph and typescript (miscellaneous pages) 25 p. Tale of Tawny and Dingo 1979 MF 38 typescript, corrected 22 p. MF 38 typescript, corrected photocopy 23 p. MF 38 galley proof, corrected 10 p. MF 38 galley proof, corrected 7 p. Through Troubled Water 1957 MF 38 holograph 123 p. MF 38 typescript, corrected, partial carbon 86 p. MF 38 correspondence (relating to book's publication) Correspondence MF 33 correspondence from school children MF 33 correspondence from adults