Milton Meltzer (May 8, 1915- ) held many positions in his life, varying from working in public relations to lecturing and working as a full-time writer.
Collection comprises primarily literary manuscripts and correspondence related to Milton Meltzer's work as an author and editor of books for children and young people on American history, particularly African American history.
Repository:
University of Oregon Libraries
Special Collections & University Archives
Funding for encoding this finding
aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
Biographical Note
Milton Meltzer (May 8, 1915- ) was born in Worcester, Massachusetts to Benjamin and Mary (Richter) Meltzer. He wed Hilda Balinky on June 22, 1941 and they had two daughters.
Meltzer received his education at Columbia University from 1932-1936. He was a member of the Author’s Guild, Author’s League of America, PEN, and Organization of American Historians.
During his career Meltzer held positions in public relations for the staff of Henry A. Wallace for President, and Pfizer. He was also an editor for Science and Medicine Publishing Co. Inc., and a consulting editor for Thomas Y. Crowell Co., Doubleday and Co. Inc., and Scholastic Book Services. Meltzer was also a writer for Federal Theater Project of the Works Project Administration and Columbia Broadcasting Inc. Meltzer was also an account executive for the Medical and Pharmaceutical Information Bureau. He was also a full time writer of books. Meltzer was an adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a lecturer at universities in the United States and England, as well as professional meetings and seminars. Meltzer also wrote films and filmstrips. He served in the air force branch of the military and became a sergeant.
Content Description
The collection contains several manuscripts and correspondence reflecting Meltzer's writing career. For several of the manuscripts the correspondence for a particular work is included in the collection of folders holding a particular manuscript. There is a separate series for correspondence that does not pertain to a particular work.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access :
Collection is open to the public.
Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room.
Restrictions on Use :
Property rights reside with Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries.
Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to the
Manuscripts Librarian in Special Collections & University Archives. The
reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation :
[Identification of item], Milton Meltzer Papers, Ax 533, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.
Administrative Information
Arrangement :
Collection is organized into the following series: Manuscripts; Correspondence; and Manuscripts.
Acquisition Information :
Gift of Milton Meltzer in 1969.
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in
the collection.
Manuscripts
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Black Magic, A Pictorial History of the Negro in American Entertainment, Langston Hughes, Milton Meltzer, Prentice Hall
1967
Box
Folder
1
1
Final draft, carbon with holograph revisions
1
2
Correspondence
196 letters and notes; also 12 letters
Box
Folder
1
2
Langston Hughes
1
2
Incoming
1
2
Outgoing
1
3
Miscellaneous
In Their own Words, A Treasury of Negro History, Crowell, edited by Milton Meltzer
1964-1965
Box
Folder
1
4
Manuscript, Volume 1, carbon manuscript with holograph corrections 186 p.
1
4
Notes
1
4
Miscellaneous
Box
Folder
1
4
Proposal for a book
1
4
Correspondence (5 letters)
1
4
Clippings
1
4
Other materials
1
5
Notes
1
5
Manuscript, Volume 2, 202 p.
1
6
Volume 3
Box
Folder
1
6
Notes and letters 68 p.
1
6
Manuscript: Harlem Reconsidered, Memories of my Native Land, by Loften Mitchell, carbon 23 p.
1
6
Miscellaneous materials
Langston Hughes, a Biography, Crowell
1968
Box
Folder
1
7
First draft, original typed copy with holograph revisions (red pencil), and Milton Meltzer 167 p.
Draft was revised completely after the death of Langston Hughes in 1967.
1
8
Revised first draft, carbon 186 p.
1
9
Final draft 234 p.
A Light in the Dark, the Life of Samuel Gridley Howe, Crowell
1964
Box
Folder
1
10
First draft, holograph revisions, original typed 206 p.
1
10
Miscellaneous
Box
Folder
1
10
Notes
1
10
Bibliography
1
10
Outlines
1
10
Correspondence (23 letters)
1
10
Clippings
1
10
Tearsheets
Mark Twain Himself, A Pictorial Biography, produced by Milton Meltzer, Crowell
1960
Box
Folder
1
12
Bills and receipts
1
12
Correspondence
1
12
Miscellaneous
Box
Folder
1
13
Notes
1
13
Picture research
1
13
Permissions
1
13
Publicity, includes manuscript for speech 19 p. For article for Publisher’s Weekly 7 p.
1
13
Correspondence
1
14-18
Correspondence
Folders 16 and 17 have some miscellaneous materials
Pictorial History of the Negro in America, Milton Meltzer and Langston Hughes
Box
Folder
2
1
Correspondence (165 letters)
2
2
Manuscript revisions
2
3
Correspondence: Arna Bontemps (78 letters)
1953-1955
2
4
Correspondence: Crown Publishers (38 letters)
1956-1958
2
5
Correspondence: Langston Hughes (8 letters)
1956-1966
2
6
Correspondence: C. Eric Lincoln (8 letters)
1968
2
6
Holograph manuscript
2
6
Manuscript fragments edited by C. Eric Lincoln
2
7
Miscellaneous
Box
Folder
2
7
Notes
2
7
Biographical data
2
7
Research materials
2
8
Bills and receipts
2
8
Correspondence
Thaddeus Stevens and the Fight for Negro Rights, Crowell
1967
Box
Folder
2
9
First draft, original typed copy with holograph revisions 212 p.
2
10
Carbon of final version 197 p.
2
11
Notes
2
11
Correspondence (8 letters)
A Thoreau Profile, Walter Harding and Milton Meltzer, Crowell
1962
Box
Folder
2
12-14
Correspondence
2
12-14
Notes
2
12-14
Miscellaneous items
Thoreau: People, Principles and Politics, Hill and Wang
1963
Box
Folder
2
15
Notes
2
15
Correspondence
Time of Trial, Time of Hope, the Negro in America 1919-1941, Milton Meltzer and August Meier, Doubleday
1966
Box
Folder
2
16
First draft with holograph revisions 91 p.
2
17
Original manuscript with author’s holograph revisions 112 p.
2
17
Carbons, 2 copies, one corrected
2
18
Correspondence
2
18
Notes
Tongue of Flame, Lydia Maria Child, a Biography
1965
Box
Folder
2
19
Revised manuscript, two carbon copies, one with editor’s queries 197 p.
2
19
First draft, original manuscript, typed copy with holograph revisions 196 p.
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.
