Personal papers and diaries are restricted until the year 2008. In addition, there are other documents upon which other time limits have been placed. Please consult archives for further information.
Permission is required to publish from the materials.
Russell Roth Papers (Mss 64), Literary Manuscripts Collection, University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis.
Gift of Russell and Virginia Roth, 1990.
The collection was processed and the finding aid written by Kjerstin Bell, 2004.
The collection is organized into the following series:
Russell Frederick Roth was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1921. He moved to Minneapolis with his parents in 19_ _. Roth attended the University of Minnesota and as a student he wrote for both the Minnesota Daily and Ski-U-Mah, a student-produced humor magazine. After earning his bachelor’s degree in journalism and his marriage to Virginia Budde, he entered an Army training program to become an engineer. After his completion of the program, he was sent to Southeast Asia. His time spent there, mostly in the Philippines, led to his membership in the military’s Order of the Carabao and sparked a lifelong interest that eventually led to a book and many articles.
After returning from Japan in 1946, he earned his master’s degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota and taught there for four years. Between 1952 and 1954, Roth worked for the Minneapolis Tribune both as writer and editor. He then worked for 3M, where he wrote advertisements and press releases for newly-developed items such as Scotchguard and videotape. Roth worked for Campbell-Mithun, a Minneapolis advertising agency, during the 1960’s. Two of their major clients, the Hong Kong Tourist Association and Singapore’s Tourist Promotion Board sponsored a trip Roth took there in 1965.
Roth became very active in “Veterans for Peace” in opposition to the Vietnam War. From 1967 to 1978, Roth wrote for the magazine, Modern Medicine. He won several awards, including the Jesse H. Neal Editorial Achievement Award in 1974, for an article he co-wrote on the shameful treatment and medical neglect the Vietnam Vets were receiving from the Veteran’s Administration. Throughout his life, Roth was also a freelance writer. He co-wrote a [never-performed] musical, “Easy Water” with Keith D. Kennedy. He studied and wrote a great deal about Ambrose Bierce and William Faulkner and was widely regarded as an expert on them. After in-depth research, his book on the Spanish-American War in Philippines, Muddy Glory, was published in 1981. From Roth’s research came an undertaking to have one of the few still-living soldiers from that war, Herman Miller, granted the Medal of Honor he had been refused many years before. [Through Roth’s work, the medal was eventually granted posthumously.]
Roth was befriended and corresponded with other known writers through his life such as Frederick Manfred, Dan Brennan and Sinclair Lewis. Roth was also friends with Doc Evans and other jazz musicians and was a lifelong jazz fan, drummer and critic.
The collection contains many of Roth’s writings, both published (e.g. Muddy Glory, Modern Medicine articles, Ski-U-Mah) and unpublished. There is also a large correspondence, containing both business and personal letters, with many letters from Frederick Manfred and Dan Brennan as well as a large amount of letters from Roth to his wife during WWII. There are also folders of lyrics and sheet music from the musical Roth co-wrote in the 50’s and there is material from Roth’s participation in “Veteran’s for Peace” (against the Vietnam War.) The library contains primarily published works of Roth and Frederick Manfred, research materials about Faulkner, the Philippines, jazz, etc. and books related to Roth’s time spent in the Pacific during WWII.
This 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.
The following section contains a detailed list of the materials in the collection.
2 folders
4 folders
5 folders
Selected by Roth from his 1944-45 correspondence, possibly for his manuscript "A Soldier to His Wife".
5 folders
"War Over" headline
"New Best Seller" This is a feature on famous Minnesota Writers. Mentioned within are Dan Brennan, Feike Feikema (Frederick Manfred), and Max Shulman
signed print
This material was originally labelled by Roth as "Vietnam Papers"
Yearbook of the University of Minnesota
Graduate seminar taken by Roth at the University of Minnesota:Twin Cities. Folder contains notes and papers written by Roth.
"stories"
"Experiences of an Old Timer"
Drawings signed on front "Ward" but the back of one has "by Virginia Budde" written on it (V. Budde later married Russell Roth and became V. Roth)
membership directory
By: Sgt. Paul R. Hoffmaster, Milton L. Wolsky, Warren MacKenzie, Donald Donnelly
4 folders
One item only. List of Roth's suggestions on how to improve show.
Legal contract between Russell Roth and Keith D. Kennedy to split any profits from their musical, "Easy Water".
Contains scripting ideas, Miscellaneous lyrics, muscial research, character and set ideas.
Many miscellaneous, unnamed sheets of music mixed throughout - not sorted.
White Fawn; A Chancin' Man; My Molly Sleeps Beyond the Hills;Look at Her; I Like Livin'; Easy Water(banjo, vocal, cornet, tuba, trombone, drums, piano parts); Where the Willows Bend(trombone, clarinet, piano, banjo, cornet, tuba parts); The Blues the World Ain't Heard(drum part); Lord Grizzly; Slickerty Sam; Lion of the West; Pilot's Song; Easy River; Where the Willows Bend (A set, "7")(vocal, piano, clarinet, cornet, trombone, piano, banjo, tuba, drums parts).
Let the River Rock Your Boat(drums, cornet, clarinet, tuba, trombone, banjo parts); Gopher Rag (a set, "6") (vocal, cornet, clarinet, tuba, trombone, piano, banjo, drums parts);The Blues the World Ain't Heard(drums, bass, banjo parts); Sing for Glory (a set, "2")(vocal, piano, trombone, cornet, clarinet, banjo, tuba parts); Chancin' Man(piano part); Let the River Rock Your Boat; Feelin' Cool and Blue; Ol' Nongela; Where the Willows Bend(piano, vocal parts); Feelin' Cool and Blue; Easy Water(a set, "1")(vocal, piano parts); Gopher Rag(cornet part); Where the Willows Bend(cornet part).
Lyrics by Roth. Not alphabatized; multiple titles per page.
Most lyrics are from the musical "Easy Water", which Roth co-wrote with Keith D. Kennedy.
Slickerty Sam; My Father is the Wind; White Fawn(An Indian Song); The Lion of the West(A Ring Tailed Roarer's Fight Song; Ol' Nongela (A Mississippi Boatmen's Song); Easy Water (A Mississippi Leadsman's Song); I'm Happy, I'm Happy (A Genteel Duet); A Chancin' Man (A Gambler's Song); I Like Livin' (A Quadroon Love Song); The Pilot's Song; The Blues the World Ain't Heard; They're Always Raisin' Red (A Politician's Song); A Home Away From Home (A Madam's Song);Night Song (An Old Man's Colloquy); Let the River Rock Your Boat(A Jazz Stamp); Look at Her (A Smart-Set Ballad); Where the Willows Bend (A Torch Song); Lord Grizzly-the Ballad of Hugh Glass; My Molly Sleeps Beyong the Hills (a Frontier Ballad); Swingin' Easy; Gopher Rag; Sing for Glory (a spiritual); Feelin' Cool and Blue; Nobody Cares (a torch song); I Left the Right Guy; I May in June; I'll Never Doubt your Love Again; April Will Find Me(album with Claire Crandall)Nobody Cares, I Like Livin', Where the Willows Bend, Let the River Rock Your Boat, Look at Him, Feelin' Cool and Blue, I Left the Right Guy, April will Find Me; Ballad of Lord Grizzly; April Will Find Me; Blues will Find Me; Blues the World Ain't Heard; Feelin' Cool and Blue; Look at You; Nobody Cares; Where the Willows Bend; Gopher Rag; I Left the Right Guy; I Like Livin'; Let the Rive Rock Your Boat; Slickety Sam (a Yankee Peddler's Song and Jig); My Molly Sleeps Beyond the Hills(a Surveyor's Song); White Fawn; The Lion of the West; Ol' Nongela four pages of "quotations" - brief excerpts from various "Easy Water" songs; I Like Livin'; Where the Willows Bend; Let the River Rock your Boat;April Will Find Me; White Fawn; The Blues the World Ain't Heard; Gopher Rag; Nobody Cares; Look at Him; I Left the Right Guy; Feelin' Cool and Blue; Gopher Rag; Laughin' Water Land; Lord Grizzly: The Ballad of Hugh Glass;My Molly Sleeps Beyond the Hills.
Date and speed noted if known.
Two copies of this record. Liner Notes written by Russell Roth. Track List: Riverside Blues, Mississippi Mud, Roll on Mississippi, Whop, Come Back Sweet Papa, Original Dixieland One-Step, King Porter Stomp, Mournin' Blues.
No record in sleeve. Liner Notes Writen By Russell Roth.
No record in sleeve.
Speed: 33 1/3
Two copies of this record. Features Russell Roth on drums.
Track List: San Antonio Shout, Buddy Bolden's Blues, When we Danced at Mardi Gras, South, The Blues my Naughty Sweety Gave to Me, Doctor Jazz
Both Songs from "Easy Water", muscial co-written by Roth.
This volume only; one record; the previous three volumes are not in collection.
Two copies of this record. Track List: Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams, I Know that you Know, If I Could be One Hour With You, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter, Gettin' Sentimental Over You, Rosetta.
Two copies of this record. Track List: Blues in I, Sweet Lorraine, Coquette, Can't Help Lovin' That May o' Mine.
2 folders
Manfred obituaries sent to Russell from Waring Jones.
Monographs on Manfred.
Combined in one manuscript.
2 folders
3 folders
3 folders
3 folders
2 folders
Roth as editor.
From "Minneapolis Tribune".
From "The Record Changer".
Roth not author of either; responsible for showing photographer, etc. around. Article on event on OS Box 2 - The Strait Times, Tuesday, January 26, 1965.
Bound with "Return of the Laureate..."
Audio recording of this radio broadcast in Box 27 (AV Room).
See "3M"
Bound with "Hong Kong: A Pure Delight"
See "3M"
War Department Pamphlets and all journals listed under their titles.
2 volumes