University of Oregon Libraries
Special Collections & University Archives
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1299 USA
URL: http://libweb.uoregon.edu/speccoll/index.html

Guide to the Herbert C. Thompson Papers, 1864-1960


Ax 067





Finding aid prepared by Cheryl Roffe

Finding aid encoded by Bruce Tabb, 2007
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.


Overview of the Collection
 
Repository Name:
 

University of Oregon Libraries
Special Collections & University Archives

1299 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1299 USA
URL: http://libweb.uoregon.edu/speccoll/index.html
 
Collection Number:
 

Ax 067
 
Creator:
 

Thompson, Herbert Cooper, 1875-1960
 
Title:
 

Herbert C. Thompson Papers
 
Dates:
 

1864-1960 (inclusive)
 
Quantity:
 

5 linear feet
10 containers
 
Languages:
 

Collection materials are in English. 

 
Summary:
 

American journalist and historian Herbert Cooper Thompson worked as a reported for the Associated Press in England and France during World War I and in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution from 1916 to 1918. From 1924 to 1940, he worked as a writer and observer for the American Red Cross, visiting Cuba, Puerto Rico and Europe. Collection comprises diaries, correspondence and literary manuscripts by Thompson

 

Biographical Note

Herbert Cooper Thompson, journalist and writer, was born in Eugene, Oregon in 1875, the son of Judge J. M. Thompson. (Judge Thompson, one of Lane County's first lawyers, was president of the Union University Association, the group of Eugene residents which promoted Eugene as the location for the state university in the 1860's. The judge was later a member of the first board of regents for the University of Oregon.)

Herbert C. Thompson attended the University of Oregon in the early 1890's, and completed his education at Stanford University, graduating in 1896. In 1898, he joined the Company C, Oregon Volunteers, and served in the-Philippines during the Spanish-American war.

He began his journalistic career as a newspaper reporter in San Francisco, from 1900 to 1910. He then served as an Associated Press reporter from 1912 to 1920, assigned to England and France during World War I and to the Mexican Revolution, 1916 to 1918. From 1924 to 1940, he was employed as a writer and observer for the American Red Cross, visiting Cuba, Puerto Rico and Europe. He became editor of the Red Cross magazine Courier in 1948, a post he held for four years.

A respected writer and historian, Thompson contributed articles to a number of publications including the New York Times Magazine, the Literary Digest and the Oregon Historical Quarterly. Be was a member of the National Press Club and the Overseas Writers group, both based in Washington D. C., his home from 1924 to 1948.

Thompson retired, with his wife, Elizabeth (there was an unhappy earlier marriage), to Santa Cruz, California. He died October 12, 1960.

Content Description

The first portion of the collection is comprised of 58 diaries, most belonging to Herbert C. Thompson, containing detailed descriptions of places and events. The diaries provided source material for his newspaper accounts and magazine articles, and cover such topics as the Philippines campaign (diaries #6-8), the San Francisco earthquake and fire, written after the event (diary #11) and Thompson's observations of Europe during World War I, plus accounts of his numerous trips. Detailed descriptions of the first 33 volumes of the diaries may be found in the attached guide.

Thompson's early letters, 1883-1900, include a series from and to his mother, when he was at Stanford University and in the Philippines. Later correspondence is with other newspapermen and friends. There is a series of letters from an uncle, William Thompson, a newspaperman in Alturas, California, written from 1912-1934. Another series of letters,1920-1926, is from writer Thomas Dykes Bailey of Santa Cruz, California.

The papers include manuscripts of many of Thompson's articles and books, including a history of the Philippines campaign, "War Without Medals" (excerpts from this work were published in the Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol. 59, pp. 293-325), and the unpublished novel, "The Senator Runs Again." There is also an unorganized manuscript, "Notes on Europe, 1912-1916," which discusses newspapers and newspaper work. Loose papers in the collection include Philippine Island newspapers, 1898, and Mexican Revolution broadsides, photographs and mementos.

With the H. C. Thompson papers is a series of letters, 1864-1882, to his father, Judge John M. Thompson, and notes and speeches by J. M. Thompson. Major correspondents include Joseph Lane, Matthew Deady, Robert S. Bean and Cincinnatus H. Miller [Joaquin Miller].

Arrangement

Collection is organized into the following series:

  • Diaries
  • Correspondence
  • Manuscripts
  • Published materials
  • Miscellany

Administrative Information

Separated Materials 

Photographs in this collection are stored separately under call number PH043.

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Access 

Collection is open to the public.

Collection must be used in Special Collections & 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], Herbert C. Thompson Papers, Ax 067, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.

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.

 
Thompson, Herbert Cooper, 1875-1960
Thompson, Herbert Cooper, 1875-1960--Correspondence
Thompson, Herbert Cooper, 1875-1960--Diaries
University of Oregon--History
Journalists--United States--Correspondence
Mexico--History--Revolution, 1910-1920
San Francisco Earthquake, Calif., 1906
Spanish-American War, 1898--Journalists
World War, 1914-1918--Journalists
Diaries

Detailed Description of the Collection

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


 

Diaries
 
Container(s)
Description
 
box
1		 folder
1
Volumes 1-3
  
 
2
Volumes 4-7
  
 
3
Volumes 8-9
  
 
4
Volumes 10, 11, 11A, 12
  
 
5
Volumes 13-16
  
 
6
Volumes 17-18
  
 
2 1
Volumes 19-20
  
 
2
Volumes 21-25
  
 
3
Volumes 26-30
  
 
4
Volumes 31-34
  
 
5
Volumes 35-40
  
 
3 1
Volumes 41-43
  
 
2
Volumes 44-47
  
 
3
Volumes 48-49
  
 
4
Volumes 50-51
  
 
5
Volumes 52-54
  
 
6
Volumes 55-57
  
 
7
Volume 58
  
 

Correspondence
 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
 
box
4		 folder
1
Undated
   Undated
 
2
Elizabeth Thompson to Herbert C. Thompson
   Undated
 
3
Letters from Joseph Lane, Matthew Deady, and R. S. Bean
   1864-1882
 
4
Letters to Mrs. J. M. Thompson
   1883-1889
 
5
Herbert C. Thompson letters from Stanford
   1890-1893
 
6
Herbert C. Thompson letters from Stanford
   1894-1895
 
7
Herbert C. Thompson letters from Stanford
   1896-1897
 
8
Philippines campaign
   1898
 
5 1
Philippines campaign
   1899
 
2
1900
   1900
 
3
1910
   1910
 
4
1911-1919
   1911-1919
 
5
1920-1929
   1920-1929
 
6
1930-1939
   1930-1939
 
7
1940-1947
   1940-1947
 
8
1950-1960
   1950-1960
 
9
William Thompson letters
   1912-1934
 

William Thompson letters
   1912-1934
 
10
Thomas D. Beasley letters
   1920-1926
 

Manuscripts
 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
 
box
6		 folder
1
Statement on M. H. de Young
   1894
 

The Terrorism of Tourism
   1921
 

Cuba Under the Skin
   1926
 

Imperial Poland
  
 

The Soldier Musicians of Uncle Sam
  
 

Omai, the Savage
  
 

Glick of Kansas
  
 

Touring by Bus in Mexico
  
 

A Citizen of the State of Nature (William E. Darling)
  
 

Priorities on Fame
  
 

Adventures on the Mexican Border in 1918
  
 

On Writing
  
 
2
Boyhood compositions
  
 
3
The Senator Runs Again (A Novel About 'Senator Brisket')
  
 

Southern Comfort
  
 
4
They Shall Not Pass (A Story About the Cleveland Harrison Election)
  
 

Fishing as a Fiesta
  
 

Two Stanford compositions: "A View from My Window" and "Our Japanese"
  
 

A Professor Looks Forward (Review of The Supercity by Robert R. Kern)
  
 

Professorese, a Study in Cultural Illiteracy
  
 

The Banditti of the Appennines
  
 

Notes on a Trip to Yosemite in 1907
  
 

Moray Applegate
  
 

Two college compositions
  
 

Letter to New Statesman on the Chessman case
  
 

Pastor Russell
  
 

Santa Claus in a Banana Grove
  
 

The Man Who Saw Nagasaki
  
 

Hoover at the Crossroads
  
 

Reminiscences of Moray Lindsay Applegate -- Trip to Jolo
  
 

Reminiscences of an American Hacendado in Mexico
  
 

Abroad in Town
  
 
5
National Glory
  
 

Temperance
  
 

4th of July address
  
 

Journal on politics and public life, written by H. C. Thompson's father, John Meredith Thompson, during the 1870s
  
 
6
Notes on Europe, 1912-1916. 3 paperbound volumes
  
 
7
Article on the Canadian "Queen's Own Rifles" "Breaking the Coeur D'Alene Strike: An Episode in the Career of John Hays Hammond," plus notes and associated articles
 
 
8
Notebook entitled "Tomnyisms"
  
 
7 1
"Tourist in Arms: A Footnote to the History of the American Occupation of the Philippines." 3 paperbound volumes
  
 
2
"Tourist in Arms: A Footnote to the History of the American Occupation of the Philippines." 3 paperbound volumes
  
 
3
"Tourist in Arms: A Footnote to the History of the American Occupation of the Philippines." 3 paperbound volumes
  
 
4
"War Without Medals," second sheets
  
 
5
"War Without Medals," second sheets
  
 
6
"War Without Medals," second sheets
  
 
8 1
War Without Medals: History of the Philippines Campaign
  
 

Published materials
 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
 
box
8		 folder
2
Newspaper clippings of editorials, 1923 (some identified as by H. C. Thompson)
   1923
 
3
Clippings of newspaper articles, ca. 1925 (some identified as by H. C. Thompson)
   1925
 
4
Clippings of newspaper articles, most from 1909-1911, regarding San Francisco
   1909-1911
 
5
Clippings of the "Menippus Papers," published in the Stockton Evening Mail, 1909-1912
   1909-1912
 
6
Tearsheets from magazines and newspapers, spanning H. C. Thompson's career
  
 

Periodicals with articles by H. C. Thompson
  
 

Miscellany
 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
 
box
9		 folder
1
Programs, tickets, cards
  
 
2
Official documents
  
 
3
Philippine miscellany
  
 
4
Passports
  
 
5
Mexican miscellany
  
 
6
Family notes and clippings
  
 
7
Poland (1920) miscellany
   1920
 
8
Memories of Eugene
  
 
9
Newspapers from Manila
   1898-1899
 
10 1
Reno divorce; personal letters
  
 
2
Genealogical materials
  
 
3
Childhood drawing books
  
 
4
Collected clippings
  
 
5
Miscellaneous research and notes