Library

Special Collections and Archives

Manuscript Collections

Alderson - Finding Aid - Catalog Entry
William Lewis Alderson (1913-1964) taught at Reed in the English Literature department from 1943 to 1964. A Gilbert & Sullivan enthusiast, Alderson's papers contain correspondence, class lecture notes, coursework and notes from his college years at Berkeley, musical programs, publications on folklore, and a script for a TV Learning Course in which he participated.

Ausplund - Finding Aid - Catalog Entry
Ada Wilde Ausplund (1891-1991) attended Reed as an older student, graduating in 1928. Her papers consist of Reed College class and senior thesis notes, class schedules, and graded class papers with professors' comments.

Barnard - Finding Aid - Catalog Entry
Mary Ethel Barnard (1909-2002) graduated from Reed in 1932, influenced and befriended by Reed professors Lloyd Reynolds, Rex Arragon, and V.L.O. Chittick. Her poetry and translation of Sappho are still read today, and she corresponded with Ezra Pound and other leading literary figures of her day. Her papers consist of copies of her prose and poetical works, poetry cards, minor correspondence, manuscripts of Sappho and The Mythmakers, and news clippings.

Chambreau - Finding Aid - Catalog Entry
The library holds the manuscript papers and other ephemera of Edouard Chambreau (1821-1902), an army scout from 1876 to 1880 under General O.O. Howard in the Northwest. Arriving in Oregon from Montreal in 1847, Chambreau's diary, correspondence, and memoir bring alive this period in Oregon's early history. A gift of his granddaughter, Wynifred Chambreau Grasle (Mrs. W.R. Grasle), the collection also contains military medals, deeds, clippings, and other records.

Early Printing - Finding Aid
The Early Printing Collection consists of dozens of examples of early printed works dating from 1476 through the 18th century. A few more recent examples of fine printing and several facsimile pages are also included. The examples consist primarily of the printing examples collected by Professor Lloyd Reynolds and used in his teaching at Reed (1929-1969) and gifts from Steven Herold '63.

Eliot - Catalog Entry
Thomas Lamb Eliot (1841-1936) served as a critically important element in the founding and initial stages of Reed College as an academic institution. A Unitarian minister, T.L. and his wife, Henrietta Eliot, were friends of Simeon and Amanda Reed. Eliot encouraged and oversaw the foundation of The Reed Institute, then acted as Trustee and Regent of the college for the rest of his life. His papers include the extensive correspondence of both him and his wife from the 1860s up through the 1930s, annual diaries, sermons, business documents, and papers connected with the college as well as the diaries and papers of his son, William Greenleaf Eliot, Jr., which extends the period covered into the 1950s.

Goldenweiser - Finding Aid - Catalog Entry
Alexander Alexandrovich Goldenweiser (1880-1940) held the post of Visiting Professor of Sociology at Reed from 1933 to 1939. He was an anthropologist, and the collection consists mainly of papers concerning his Iroquois Field Notes: transcriptions of Iroquois, lists of Iroquois Chiefs, lists of Iroquois botanical terms, and genealogical and clan name lists. The papers also include his notes from classes taught by Franz Boas at Columbia University, drafts of scholarly papers and books, reviews, and some correspondence.

Goodsell - Finding Aid - Catalog Entry
Jane Neuberger Goodsell (1921-1988) graduated from Reed in 1942 as an English literature major. She wrote at least eight children's books and a newspaper column, and her papers include both manuscripts and clippings about her writings as well as biographical information.

Hancock - Finding Aid - Catalog Entry
John E. H. Hancock (1929-1989) taught at Reed College for his entire career as a Chemistry Professor; he also helped initiate the Collegium Musicum and played several early instruments. His papers comprise the manuscripts for two works, "Guides to Research in Organic Chemistry" and "On the Christening of Organic Compounds, a study in Organic Chemical Nomenclature", co-written with Ned Hall.

Johansen - Finding Aid - Catalog Entry
Dorothy Olga Johansen (1904-1999) became an icon at Reed as an instructor, then Professor of History, 1933-1969, and then archivist until 1984. One of the few women on staff during the mid-century years and one of the longest serving, she wrote widely on regional history and lectured to generations of students. Author of a manuscript history of Reed College, 1911-1919, and many articles about Simeon Reed, his businesses, and the Pacific Northwest, she graduated from Reed in 1933, became a graduate assistant at the college, and earned her MA and Ph.D. from the University of Washington while teaching at Reed. Her papers include correspondence, reviews, clippings, typescripts, and materials relating to the Portland public schools and regional and college research.

MacBean - Finding Aid - Catalog Entry
Charles Edward MacBean (1899-1984) graduated from Reed in 1932 and, at the height of the Depression, could find no teaching job so became a logger. He remained in logging and construction all his life. MacBean translated Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and other Greek texts into English dactyllic hexameter, and several manuscript translations exist in these papers, along with various poems, plays, and biographical materials.

Manley - Finding Aid - Catalog Entry
Albert S. Manley (1924-1989) taught fencing part-time at Reed for more than twenty years. His book, Complete Fencing, was published in 1979, and the galley proofs, typescripts, index, and layout of that book comprise this collection.

Nemoy - Finding Aid
The Maury Nemoy Papers contain correspondence, mostly about his calligraphic work and teaching, from the 1950s through the 1970s, and job tickets representing the great bulk of Nemoy's calligraphic work for both commercial and private clients, including the titling for many Hollywood movies. They were given by his son, Sheldon Nemoy, in 2006.

Noble - Finding Aid - Catalog Entry
George Bernard Noble (1892-1972) was Professor of Political Science at Reed from 1922 through 1947. A Rhodes scholar from the University of Washington, he served in the Army during World War I, then received a Ph.D. from Columbia University before teaching at several universities and then coming to Reed. While at Reed, he served in the Oregon Senate for a year and on other government boards. In 1946, Noble entered federal service, overseeing the production of the Foreign Relations of the United States series for 16 years and becoming Under Secretary of State for Eisenhower. He wrote several books including a biography of Secretary of State Christian Herter. The Noble papers comprise many of his teaching notes along with extensive personal and official correspondence, manuscripts, and government documents.

Reed - Catalog Entry
Simeon (1830-1895) and Amanda (1832-1904) Reed were the founders of Reed College. Simeon Reed was a business magnate in Portland, having arrived from Massachusetts and worked his way up from shop jobs to owning the Oregon Steam and Navigation Company, several mines, and many other enterprises. Having no children, Amanda inherited upon his death and bequeathed their money to establish The Reed Institute in 1904, which was accomplished with the help of T.L. Eliot, their nephew Martin Winch, and others. Amanda's will was contested by other family members for four years before the trustees could move forward, opening the doors of the college in 1911. The collection contains financial records, images, and some biographical materials.

Reynolds - Finding Aid - Catalog Entry
Lloyd J. Reynolds (1902-1978) attended the University of Oregon and Oregon State before arriving at Reed as an Instructor in English and Creative Writing in 1929. He became interested in italic calligraphy in the 1930s and taught it informally until 1948, when Reed offered his course for credit. Through his wide-ranging studies, he developed interests in Zen and Eastern philosophies, art history, the history of handwriting and scripts, self-responsibility, and a broad world view, which he imparted to legions of fascinated students. He retired as a full Professor of Art in 1969 but continued teachng calligraphy to teachers and others until his death.

Snyder/Hennessey - Finding Aid - Catalog Entry
Gary Snyder (1930-) graduated from Reed College in 1951 along with Phil Whalen ('51) and Lew Welch ('50) who all became well-known "Beat Poets". Snyder studied Oriental languages at Berkeley, worked for 8 years as a forest lookout, trail crewman, logger, and seaman, and lived in Japan for almost a decade between 1956 and 1968, marrying there while studying Zen Buddhist texts and Far Eastern culture. Author of many books of poetry and prose, he has taught at the University of California, Davis, since 1985. The collection, given by his mother, Lois Snyder Hennessey, contains correspondence to his mother along with a few photographs, clippings, and other biographical materials.

Whalen - Finding Aid - Catalog Entry
Philip Glenn Whalen (1923-2002) attended Reed on the GI Bill after serving in the Army Air Forces in World War II. Graduating in 1951, he moved to San Francisco and participated in the "Beat Poet" group, publishing many volumes of poetry and living in Japan from 1958 through 1971. Whalen returned to San Francisco to become a Zen Buddhist monk and, later, abbot. His manuscript collection contains correspondence to him up through 1965 and manuscripts of several of his books. Letters received from Gary Snyder, Lew Welch, and other poets including Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso, Laurence Ferlinghetti, and Allen Ginsberg, are featured in the collection.

Women's Committee - Finding Aid
Founded in 1956 under the leadership of Carrie Hervin and Cheryl Scholz MacNaughton, the Reed College Women's Committee provided a forum for "women who had good minds, used them and had regard for intellectual concerns" who also wished to support the goals and students of Reed College. Their annual lecture series highlighted contemporary political and social affairs and drew widely from the wider Portland community. Proceeds supported many student scholarships. The Committee existed for 50 years until 2006.