Guide to the Charles Edwin Blackburn Papers 1930-1976

Creator:	Blackburn, Charles Edwin
Title:	Charles Edwin Blackburn Papers
Dates:	1930-1976 ( inclusive )
Quantity:	17 containers. (14 linear feet of shelf space.) (13,900 items.)
Collection Number:	Cage 479
Summary:	Correspondence, financial, and other papers related to family matters; the study and teaching of English; Coast Guard service, 1942-1945; and employment at Washington State University, 1951-1959 and 1964-1976, and the Boeing Company, Seattle, Washington, 1959-1964.
Repository:	Washington State University Libraries: Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections New Holland Library Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA (509) 335-6691 http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/holland/masc/masc.htm
Languages:	Collection materials are in English
Sponsor:	Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical Note

Charles Edwin Blackburn was born to William Brownlow Blackburn and Julia Agnes McDonald Blackburn on August 2, 1915, on a farm near Elberton, Washington. He was the youngest of eleven children. Blackburn attended Tekoa High School and graduated in 1934 in the midst of the Great Depression.

The Depression played a large role in Blackburn's early adult years. His father died in April 1934 and the family moved from Tekoa to Moscow, Idaho, the following June. From 1934 to 1936 he held several different jobs. He worked in an office as a typist, he sold silk hosiery door-to-door, he worked a Comptometer in an office in Olympia, and for a time in 1935, was in the Civilian Conservation Corps. All the while he dreamed of getting to college -the one all-consuming goal in his life. Yet, he lacked the funds and an understanding of college admission procedures. In April 1936 he started work in the office of the West Coast Lumberman's Association in Seattle. In the fall of the year, while still working part-time, he enrolled at the University of Washington. He attended college and continued to work for the WCLA until December 1940, when he decided to devote his full attentions to school. While attending the U of W he met his future wife Alice Kiser. Both received their B.A. degrees in 1941, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa. From 1941-1942, Charles attended graduate school, while Alice finished her fifth year studies to complete a Library Science degree.

America's entry into the Second World War delayed Blackburn's education for several years. He entered the service in the spring of 1942 and was assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard Station at Westport, Washington, as a radioman and yeoman. In 1944 he was transfered to the U.S.S. Casper (PF-12) as a radioman. In addition to his regular duties while on board the Casper he served as the ship's librarian and published the ship's newspaper, The Casper Clarion.

Charles Blackburn was discharged from the Coast Guard in late 1945; like so many young couples of the day, the Blackburns were faced with the task of rebuilding their lives. Blackburn returned to the University of Washington to continue his graduate education. In the fall of 1947, after only a year at the U. of W., he moved on to Yale University to complete his doctorate in American Studies. While at Yale, he taught English at Stone College (1948-1949) and the Junior College of Commerce (1949-1950), both in New Haven, Connecticut. During this time he was awarded a Yale University Fellowship (1949-1950) and a Sterling Predoctoral Fellowship (1950-1951).

Upon completing the Ph.D.in 1951, Blackburn joined the English faculty of Washington State University. He served as Chair of the Department of English from 1956-1957.

By 1959, however, the financial pressures of a growing family (children: Julia, 1947; Taft, 1949; Mary Beth, 1953) led Blackburn to look for a better paying position. In June of that year, he began a relatively short-lived career with the Boeing Company Industrial Products Division in Seattle, Washington. He started as a technical writer and over the next five years held several supervisory and administrative posts. Most of Blackburn's work was in marketing (writing and revising brochures and semi-technical documents) and administration (preparing and reporting the section's budget and coordinating his group with the European office). In addition, he was involved with the Boeing Employees' Good Neighbor Fund, a community service organization, from 1962-1964. Although Blackburn enjoyed his work and was promoted quickly, he found that he was not well suited to the business world. Therefore, from 1960 on he attempted to return to a position in academe.

In 1964, Washington State University again offered Blackburn a position in the English Department. WSU's attractive offer-- both in terms of salary and tenure considerations--in combination with Alice's appointment as Pullman City Librarian, brought the family back to Pullman.

From 1964-1976 Blackburn taught a variety of subjects: freshman/sophomore composition, technical writing, American Drama, 20th century Drama, and assorted literature classes. A talented actor himself, Blackburn had several roles with the New Pullman Summer Palace Theatre.

Blackburn died September 7, 1976 at age 61 in a Springfield, Oregon hospital where he had been a patient for two weeks after suffering a heart attack while on vacation.

Content Description

The collection consists of correspondence, financial, and other papers related to family matters; the study and teaching of English; Coast Guard service, 1942-1945; employment at Washington State University, 1951-1959 and 1964-1976; and employment at the Boeing Company, Seattle, Washington, 1959-1964.

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Access :

This collection is open for research use.

Restrictions on Use :

Prior to January 1, 1998, researchers desiring access to correspondence written between 1941 and 1945 needed permission of Mrs. Alice Blackburn.

Preferred Citation :

[Item Description]. Cage 479, Charles Edwin Blackburn Papers. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Administrative Information

Arrangement :

The Charles E. Blackburn Papers have been arranged in two series by the processor: Correspondence Series, 1940-1976, and Subject File Series, 1930-1976.

The first series, Correspondence Series, 1940-1976, comprises approximately one half of the collection and contains letters from many family members and friends. The original group headings have been retained and then arranged in what appeared to be the order of importance, i.e.: Blackburn Family, Kiser Family, General Family, Family and Friends, and Friends. Principal correspondents in this series are Alice Kiser Blackburn, Eva (Blackburn) Newsum, Fanny (Blackburn) Rasmussen and Faye Blackburn. The folders within each group have been arranged chronologically and the original order of the material within each folder has been preserved. All correspondence for the period 1941-1945, however, has been restricted until January 1, 1998.

The Subject File Series, 1930-1976, was assembled as a unit by the processor and brings together loosely ordered materials. The series contains papers from Blackburn's educational, professional, and personal life. These materials have been arranged alphabetically by subject heading.

Blackburn's term as Vice-President and later President of the Boeing Employees' Good Neighbor Fund is represented by agency reports, annual reports, correspondence, elections and membership, materials, minutes and many predating his period of service. The remainder of this group of Boeing materials pertains to Blackburn's job assignment and is made up of a work diary, interdepartmental correspondence, personal materials, sales staff meeting minutes, and Boeing News.

The Business, Medical and Financial records include correspondence and receipts referring to the rental of the Blackburn home in Seattle, auto repairs, medical records, income tax forms, and record books.

The section of educational materials encompasses Blackburn's entire academic career including papers from high school, the University of Washington, Yale University and Washington State University. The four groups have been arranged in chronological order and folders within each group are alphabetically ordered. Class notes, papers and exams make up the bulk of this section. A copy of Blackburn's dissertation (entitled: James Freeman Clarke: An Interpretation of the Western Years, 1838-1840) and a bound volume of his research notes are included. The last box in the series contains approximately 4500 dissertation research note cards In addition, some papers from Mrs. Blackburn's undergraduate years at the University of Washington are part of this group. The WSU material is mostly concerned with departmental activities such as correspondence, salary and rank information, promotion and tenure statements, faculty evaluations, and a small number of items from his 1970-1971 sabbatical in New York City.

Also included in this Subject File Series are the papers of John P. Sebree, an uncle on Alice's side of the family. He lived with the Blackburn family from 1969 until his death in 1975. His materials include correspondence, medical records, a college yearbook, memorials and a copy of his will and trust declaration.

Acquisition Information :

The papers of Charles Edwin Blackburn (MS 77-61) were donated to the Washington State University Libraries by Mrs. Alice Blackburn. Twenty-five additional items (MS83-35) were donated in 1983.

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Series 1: Correspondence, 1940-1976

Container(s)		Description
		Blackburn family;
Box	Folder
1	1-11	Blackburn family, 1947-1975 643 items.
1	12	Charles and Alice Blackburn, 1947-1948 40 items.
1	13	Julia Blackburn, 1960-1966 75 items.
1	14	Julia, Taft, and Mary Beth Blackburn, 1968-1976 65 items.
1	15	Mary Beth Blackburn, 1971-1976 200 items.
Box	Folder
2	16-21	Charles and Alice Blackburn, 1941-1943 455 items.
3	22-27	Charles and Alice Blackburn, 1943-1944 375 items.
4	28-32	Charles and Alice Blackburn, 1944-1945 305 items.
5	33-37	Charles and Alice Blackburn, 1944-1945 210 items.
6	38-42	Charles and Alice Blackburn, 1945 255 items.
7	43-49	Kiser Family, 1947-1976 420 items.
7	50-59	Family, 1940-1957 479 items.
8	60-68	Family, 1950-1965 470 items.
8	69-72	Family and Friends, 1936-1946 300 items.
9	73-85	Family and Friends, 1944-1961 940 items.
10	86	Family and Friends, 1958-1961 50 items.
10	87-98	Friends, 1946-1975 577 items.

^ Return to Top

Series 2: Subject File, 1930-1976

Container(s)		Description
		Boeing:
Box	Folder
11	99-101	Boeing News, 1961-1966 68 items.
11	102	Brochure and Newsletter Preparations, 1959 30 items.
11	103	Diary, 1959 1 item.
		Good Neighbor Fund:
Box	Folder
11	104	Agency Reports, 1953-1964 20 items.
11	105	Annual Reports, 1961-1966 9 items.
11	106	Correspondence, 1963-1964 140
11	107	Elections and Membership, 1962-1964 17 items.
11	108	Events, 1963-1964 20 items.
11	109-113	General, 1963-1965 180
11	114	Minutes, 1962-1963 30 items.
11	115	Photos, 1963-1964 16 items.
11	116-120	Interdepartmental Correspondence, 1959-1964 176 items.
11	121	Hage Fund, 1963-1964 40 items.
11	122	Personal Materials, 1959-1964 30 items.
11	123	Sales Orientation Seminar, 1959-1960 7 items.
11	124	Sales Staff Meeting Minutes, 1959-1962 38 items.
		Business, Medical, and Financial Records:
Box	Folder
12	125-126	Business Letters and Seattle House, 1962-1968 125 items.
		Cars:
Box	Folder
12	127	Chrysler, 1967-1970 25 items.
12	128	Rambler, 1961-1975 100
12	129	Correspondence -- Financial, 1970-1976 60 items.
12	130	Diabetic Records, 1963 1 item.
12	131-132	Financial and Medical Records, 1951-1972 125 items.
12	133	Financial Records, 1966-1975 50 items.
12	134-136	Income Tax Reports, 1942-1969 67 items.
12	137	Record Books, 1942-1951; , 1967-1973 10 items.
Box	Folder
12	138	Calenders, 1961-1974 11 items.
12	139-141	Casper Clarion, 1944-1945 35 items.
12	142-143	Community Congregational Church, 1961-1975 150 items.
13	144	Democratic Party, 1962-1969 20 items.
		Education:
Box	Folder
13	145	Diplomas, 1930-1941 4 items.
13	146	High School, 1932-1935 35 items.
Box	Folder
13	147	Tekoa Blade, 1934 1 item.
		University of Washington:
Box	Folder
13	148	The Austin Tree, 1936 1 item.
		Literature 58:
Box	Folder
13	149	Fictional Technique in Cross Section, 1937 1
13	150	This Road to Follow, 1937 1
13	151	Personal Values in Literature, 1937 1 item.
		Philosophy I:
Box	Folder
13	152	Berkely in Review, 1937 1
13	153	Descartes in Review, 1937 1
13	154	Russell in Review, 1937 1
13	155	Various Tests, 1937; , 1940 4 items.
13	156	English Literature; The Bible as Literature, 1938-1939 1 item.
13	157	The Hurly Burly, 1938 1 item.
13	158	Newspaper Articles, Tempo Articles, 1938; , 1941 3 items.
13	159	Philosophy 101 Problem Papers, 1938 2 items.
13	160	Philosophy 102 Notes, 1939 1 item.
13	161	Literature 153, 161, 162, Zoology 16-17, History 140 Notes and Tests, 1939-1940; , 1946 8 items.
		Literature, 1940
Box	Folder
13	162	164 Two Travelers in America 1
13	163	171 Notes on Some Long Winded Characters in Shakespeare 1
13	164	Philosophy 103 Notes, 1940 1 item.
13	165	The Fantasy Worlds of Three British Authors, 1941 1 item.
13	166	American Literature Notes, 1946 1 item.
13	167	English 221 John Calvin and Paradise Lost, 1946 1 item.
13	168	History 175 Notes, American Colonial History, 1946 1 item.
13	169	The Emerson Brothers and some dissertation correspondence, 1946-1949 30 items.
13	170	English 202 Notes and Tests, 1947 1 item.
		History, 1947
Box	Folder
13	171	144 Notes 1
		165:
Box	Folder
13	172	Among the Dry Bones 1
13	173	Tests and Book Reviews 3
13	174	The West in American History, Notes 1
		Undated Material:
Box	Folder
13	175	Anthropology 60 American Indian Notes 1
13	176	History 144 Reading Notes 1
		Literature:
Box	Folder
13	177	57 Notes 1
13	178	106 British Literature Notes 1
13	179	164 American Literature Notes 1
13	180	171 Shakespeare 1
13	181	Lord Byron and his Contemporary Critics 1
13	182	Philosophy Notes, Untitled Paper 2
13	183	The Steptoe Campaign of 1858 1
		Alice Kiser Blackburn Papers
		Literature, 1941
Box	Folder
13	184	162 The Culmination of Individualism in American Democracy 1
13	185	174 Hard Times: An Attack on Utilitarianism 1
		177:
Box	Folder
13	186	Michael: The Conflict Between Woodsworth's Purpose and Art 1
13	187	Robert Burns: Prophet of an Unborn World 1
Box	Folder
13	188	Librarianship 196 The Land Lies South, 1942 1
		Undated Material:
Box	Folder
13	189	History 182 Reading Reports 1
		Literature:
Box	Folder
13	190	104 The Social Significance of Nana 1
13	191	162 Emerson's ""Individualism"" in his Times 1
13	192	164 The Mysterious Stranger 1
13	193	175 The Poet's Diary 1
13	194	Three Modern Poets and the Modern Ego 1
13	195	University of Washington Commencement Program, 1941 1 item.
		Yale University:
Box	Folder
13	196	American Studies Notes, 1947 1 item.
		History 180, 1947-1948
Box	Folder
13	197	Literature of American History 2
13	198	Political and Constitutional History 20
13	199	Literature 160 Twentieth Century, 1947 1 item.
		American Studies, 1948-1949
Box	Folder
13	200	102 Repeal: Diminishing of the Theocracy 1
13	201	151 Term Paper Outlines 1
13	202	Art 61a Notes, 1948-1949 1 item.
13	203	English 160 Various Papers and Testes, 1948 5 items.
		Government 152, 1948-1949
Box	Folder
13	204	Notes 1
13	205	Papers 8
		History:
Box	Folder
13	206	31a, b Notes, 1948-1949 1
13	207	31b Notes, 1948 1
13	208	180 James Ford Rhodes: Man in the Web of Time, 1948 1
13	209	Sociology 114a, 1948 1 item.
		American Studies, 1949
Box	Folder
14	210	151 Notes 1
14	211	Notes 1
14	212	Civil War Notes, 1949 1 item.
		History 31, 1949
Box	Folder
14	213	American Thought and Civilization 1
14	214	Notes and Tests 1
		Sociology, 1949
Box	Folder
14	215	115b Legal Realism: The Pragmatic Spirit in Law 1
14	216	Notes 1
		Undated Materials:
Box	Folder
14	217	All the King's Men 1
14	218	The American Creed in the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut 1
14	219	Literary America 1790-1826 1
14	220	Parrington as an Economic Determinist 1
14	221	Various Papers 10
		Dissertation:
Box	Folder
14	222	Copy, 1952 1
14	223-224	Research Materials, undated 101
14	225	European Trip Memorabilia, 1971 50 items.
14	226	Family History, undated 1 item.
		General Correspondence:
Box	Folder
14	227	Columbia University (AKB), 1970-1971 50 items.
14	228	Correspondence with Publishers, 1938-1946 30 items.
14	229	Veterans Administration, 1946-1948 40 items.
14	230	Washington State University and Yale, 1951-1957 60 items.
		Yale:
Box	Folder
14	231	Association of Yale Alumni, 1969-1975 50 items.
14	232	Correspondence, 1974-1975 15 items.
14	233	Graduate School, 1946-1948 60 items.
		Job Hunting:
Box	Folder
14	234-236	English Department, Washington State University and Job Applications, 1961-1968 140 items.
14	237-238	General Applications, 1959-1964 75 items.
15	239-241	Yale and Job Hunting, 1949-1951; , 1959 150 items.
15	242	Memorabilia, 1938-1956 50 items.
15	243	Newspaper Clippings, 1949 7 items.
15	244	Photographs, 1934; , 1942; , undated 3 items.
15	245	Programs, 1965-1975 50 items.
		John P. Sebree:
Box	Folder
15	246	College Yearbook and Church Directory, 1907; , 1970 3 items.
15	247-249	Correspondence, 1902-1975 120 items.
15	250-251	Medical Records, 1971-1975 130 items.
15	252	Memorials, 1939-1975 7 items.
15	253	Will and Declaration of Trust, 1970 2 items.
15	254	Short Stories, undated 7 items.
15	255	Speeches, 1961-1967 17 items.
15	256	Summer Theatre, 1966-1969 50 items.
		Tekoa High School Reunion:
Box	Folder
15	257	Correspondence, 1953-1954 75 items.
15	258	News of Old Friends, 1954 1 item.
		University of Washington:
Box	Folder
15	259	Clippings on Communist Investigations, 1949 25 items.
15	260	Survey of Scholarship at UW, 1946 1 item.
		Washington State University:
Box	Folder
15	261	American Studies, 1964-1973 35 items.
15	262	Correspondence New York City Sabatical, 1970-1971 30 items.
16	263-266	English Department, 1966-1976 237 items.
16	267	Faculty Evaluations, 1972-1976 25 items.
16	268	Forms, Salary and Rank Information, 1958-1975 40 items.
16	269	French 525, 1974 10 items.
16	270	Graduate Examination Handbook, 1972 1 item.
16	271	Lectures - Civil Religion and Prophetic Faith, 1976 7 items.
16	272	Promotion and Tenure Statements, 1965-1969 25 items.
16	273	Senate Review, 1974-1975 6 items.
16	274	Student Strike and R.I.S., 1969-1970 45 items.
17	275	Notecards for Dissertation, undated 4500 items.

^ Return to Top

Subjects

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.

Personal Names :
Blackburn, Charles Edwin, 1915-1976. --Archives ( creator)

Corporate Names :
Washington State University. Dept. of English

Subject Terms :
Boeing Company --Employees--Records and correspondence
English literature--Study and teaching--Washington (State)--Pullman
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives

^ Return to Top

Guide to the Charles Edwin Blackburn Papers
1930-1976

Overview of the Collection

Biographical Note

Content Description

Use of the Collection

Administrative Information

Detailed Description of the Collection

Subjects

Finding aid prepared by Barbara Kovarik Gahl
© 1983

Guide to the Charles Edwin Blackburn Papers 1930-1976

Overview of the Collection

Biographical Note

Content Description

Use of the Collection

Administrative Information

Detailed Description of the Collection

Subjects

Finding aid prepared by Barbara Kovarik Gahl© 1983

Guide to the Charles Edwin Blackburn Papers
1930-1976

Finding aid prepared by Barbara Kovarik Gahl
© 1983