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



Guide to the Opal Whiteley Papers, 1911–1977


Ax 097





Finding aid prepared by Hannah Dillon and Vida Germano

Finding aid encoded by Heather Briston, June 2003
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
URL: http://libweb.uoregon.edu/speccoll/index.html

 
Collection Number:
 

Ax 097

 
Creator:
 

Whiteley, Opal Stanley

 
Title:
 

Opal Whiteley Papers

 
Dates:
 

1911–1977 (inclusive)

 
Quantity:
 

5.25 linear feet
12 containers

 
Languages:
 

Collection materials written in English. 

 
Summary:
 

Opal Stanley Whiteley was an amateur naturalist and an author. She gave nature lectures around Oregon, while attending the University of Oregon. She wrote a book called The Fairyland Around Us, based upon her nature lectures. While the book was not published, in March 1920, The Atlantic Monthly published a serialized version of Whiteley’s childhood diary and the book version was released in September of the same year. Controversy surrounded the publication, as people believed that Whiteley did not actually write the diary in her youth. After traveling the world for several years, Whiteley placed herself in Napsbury Hospital in England in 1948, where she died in 1992. The Opal Whiteley Papers consist of correspondence, class notes, personal and literary notes and writings, material relating to Whiteley’s writings. Her self-published diary, The Fairyland Around Us, is also part of this collection.

 

Biographical Note

Opal Stanley Whiteley was born on December 11, 1897 in Colton, Washington to Mary Elizabeth Scott Whiteley and Charles Edward Whiteley. When Whiteley was about six years old, the family moved to Walden, Oregon, situated near the town of Cottage Grove. It was in Walden that Whiteley wrote a diary, later published in 1920 by the Atlantic Monthly, which was to become both celebrated and controversial.

Whiteley was keenly interested in nature, botany, and collecting a variety of specimens and objects from her outdoor environment. She became an amateur naturalist and utilized her interests in both nature and religion for her work in the Oregon Junior Christian Endeavor. By 1915, Whiteley was appointed state superintendent for all Junior Christian Endeavor work.

Whiteley grew passionate about writing nature books for children and realized that she needed to pursue a college education in order to acquire the resources to actualize this ambition. In 1916, she entered the University of Oregon in Eugene.

Whiteley did not have the financial resources to pay for her second year’s tuition, so she devised a plan that would satisfy her need for income while engaging her intellect and passion concerning the natural environment. She traveled throughout Oregon giving a series of lectures on nature. Unfortunately, this endeavor did not bring in the needed funds to cover her educational expenses and so she had to drop out of the University. However, Whiteley was determined to finance her education and realize her literary goals and so she enacted a second plan. Armed with a portfolio of publicity stills, she traveled to Hollywood to find work as an actress.

When work as an actress did not materialize, Whiteley wrote a book called The Fairyland Around Us, based upon her nature lectures. She managed to raise funds for the book’s publication through private donations, but the revisions she wanted cost more than she had. As a result, the printer scraped the plates. However, Whiteley finally managed to collect enough money to pay for the binding of several hundred copies. She was persuaded to look for a publisher on the East Coast and so she traveled to Boston. There, she approached Ellery Sedgewick, editor of The Atlantic Monthly, with her book. Sedgewick was not interested in the Fairyland manuscript, but inquired as to other writing Whiteley might have done. In March 1920, The Atlantic Monthly published a serialized version of Whiteley’s childhood diary and the book version was released in September of the same year.

The diary was controversial for several reasons. First, Whiteley claimed that she had written the diary when she was six years old. Her use of French and Latin names and phrases seemed beyond the skills of a child at that age, as did her references to aspects of the Catholic religion. Secondly, Whiteley claimed to be adopted and that her natural parents were angels. Amid the controversy, Whiteley left Boston for New York and later, Washington, D.C. In 1923, she sailed to England and then journeyed to France. Her purpose in going to France was to meet the mother of Henri d’Orleans, a man of title whom she claimed as her true father. His mother sponsored a trip to India for Whiteley, a place that had fascinated her son. Whiteley wrote a book about India’s royal family, which was printed in a London publication.

In 1925, Whiteley returned to England and in 1935, she was living as a ward of the city of London. It is not clear what transpired in her life during those ten years, and in 1948, she was deemed unable to care for herself and placed in Napsbury Hospital, a public care facility outside London. Opal Stanley Whiteley died at Napsbury in 1992.

Content Description

The Opal Whiteley Papers consist of correspondence, class notes, personal and literary notes and writings, material relating to Whiteley’s Christian Endeavor work, collected pamphlets and booklets, ephemeral and miscellaneous materials, writings and publicity about Whiteley, Edmund Conklin’s research notes and newspaper clippings concerning Whiteley, publications she owned and finally, photographs. Her self-published diary, The Fairyland Around Us, is also part of this collection.

Arrangement

Collection is organized into the following series: Correspondence; Class notes; Notes by Whiteley on various subjects; Writings and literary notes by Whiteley; Oregon Christian Endeavor Union; Pamphlets and booklets; Ephemeral and miscellaneous materials; Publicity; Writings about Whiteley; Edmund S. Conklin’s Research notes and newspaper clippings; Publications owned by Whiteley; Oversize; and Photographs. Series XIII, Photographs, has been further divided into subseries A through N.

Administrative Information

Separated Materials 

Photographs in this collection are stored separately under call number PH204.

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], Opal Whiteley Papers, Ax 097, 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.

 
Conklin, Edmund Smith, 1884- (contributor)
Moore, Carlisle (contributor)
Whiteley, Opal Stanley--Archives (creator)
Oregon Christian Endeavor Union
American diaries
Authors, American--20th century

Detailed Description of the Collection

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


 
box
1


1:  Inventory

 

 

Series I:  Correspondence

 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
   
Incoming
 
 
box
1
folder
2

December 1911-October 1916
  December 1911-October 1916
 
3
October 1916–September 1917
  October 1916–September 1917
 
4
September 1917-November 1917
  September 1917-November 1917
 
5
December 1917–August 1919
  December 1917–August 1919
 
6
April 18, 1926–August 1, 1926
  April 18, 1926–August 1, 1926
 
7
Miscellaneous
 
   
Outgoing
 
 
8
July 7, 1914–August 21, 1919
  July 7, 1914–August 21, 1919
 
9
“Mysterious Letters” (from “B.C.M.”/Whiteley?) to Charles Edward Whiteley and Pearl Whiteley
  1920
 
See Series XIII: Photographs, Subseries L: Ph 204, Copy Negatives #111 – 119.
 
10
To Elbert Bede, Publisher, The Cottage Grove Sentinel
  March 30, 1920
 
11
To Countess of Iddlesegh, June 13, 1961 and to Mrs. Henry P. McKean, March 3, 1962
  1961-1962
 
12
To Dr. Carlisle Moore
  July 1962–August 1964
 
13
To Mrs. Chapman
  January 17, 1967–April 4, 1967
 
14
To Dr. Carlisle Moore
  December 31, 1971–May 25, 1977
 
15
To the Very Reverend Father Bede Jarrett, O.P.
  undated
 
Separation Sheet: Black and white photograph of three crosses in a cemetery. The white cross nearest the viewer has the inscription-“P.F.B. Jarrett–March 17, 1934...R.I.P.” This photograph is in Series IX. Photographs, Subseries K. Miscellaneous, Box 9, Folder 75
 
16
Undated and/or incomplete letters
  undated
   
Incoming/Outgoing
 
 
17
From Karl W. Onthank, Administration Build, University of Oregon, July 13, 1921-October 11, 1921 Whiteley’s response to Onthank, July 27-October 1, 1921
  July 1921-October 1921
   
Correspondence in Reference to Whiteley
 
 
18
To Elbert Bede, Publisher, The Cottage Grove Sentinel
  April 23, 1920–July 10, 1920
 
19
To Elbert Bede from Maude Hardwood Bales
  May 1920
 
20
To Elbert Bede
  July 23, 1920–September 7, 1921
 
21
To and from Professor Edmund S. Conklin, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon
  March 1916–May 1922
 
22
To Dr. Edmund S. Conklin, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, from Fred Lockley, The Oregon Journal
  April 23, 1920–September 28, 1921
 
23
To Edmund S. Conklin, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, from Ellery Sedgwick, Editor, The Atlantic Monthly
  March 15, 1920
 
24
To Edmund S. Conklin, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, from Elbert Bede, Publisher, The Cottage Grove Sentinel
  March 15, 1920–July 20, 1920
 
25
To Edmund S. Conklin, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, from Elbert Bede, Publisher, The Cottage Grove Sentinel
  July 16, 1920–October 16, 1921
 
26
From Edmund S. Conklin, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon
  April 30, 1920–April 10, 1922
 
27
To Fred Lockley, The Oregon Journal, from Elbert Bede, Publisher, The Cottage Grove Sentinel
  April 26, 1920
 
28
To Fred Lockley, The Oregon Journal, from Ellery Sedgwick, Editor, The Atlantic Monthly
  May 3, 1920
 
29
To Prince Lucien Campbell, President, University of Oregon, from Elbert Bede, Publisher, The Cottage Grove Sentinel
  November 30, 1920–September 3, 1921
 
30
To Professor Carlisle Moore, University of Oregon
  April 24, 1961-September 1963
 
31
Professor Carlisle Moore’s notes and papers concerning Whiteley
 
 
32
To Ellery Sedgwick, Editor, The Atlantic Monthly, from Elbert Bede, Publisher, The Cottage Grove Sentinel
  March 1920–December 1920
 
33
To Ellery Sedgwick, Editor, The Atlantic Monthly, from Edmund S. Conklin, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon
  March 24, 1920 and May 26, 1920
 
34
To Ellery Sedgwick from M.H. Douglass
  December 1, 1920
 
35
To Enid from Marietta
  August 7, 1959
 
36
To Mrs. Douglas Woodruff from Napsbury Hospital, London County Council and Elizabeth P.L. McKean
  May 16, 1949–December 1, 1962

 

Series II:  Class notes

 
Container(s)
Description
 
box
1
folder
37

Whiteley’s class schedule
 
 
38
Assignments
 
 
39
Pocket Note Book of American Literature, Medieval History and a list of birds
 
 
40
Biology notebook
 
 
41
Birds, Autobiographies, Quartz
 
 
42
“Indian Relics”
  Summer 1909–May 1914
 
43
Chemistry
  September 1916–October 1916
 
44
Chemistry
  October 1916–December 1916
 
45
Chemistry
  January 8, 1917–January 17, 1917
 
46
Chemistry
  January 8, 1917–January 24, 1917
 
47
Chemistry
  undated
 
48
Chemistry
  undated
 
2 1
Chemistry notebook
 
 
2
Chemistry notebook and other notations
 
 
3
English composition, Lessons I – II
 
 
4
English composition, Lessons III - IX
 
 
5
English composition, Lessons XIX – XXV
 
 
6
English composition, Lessons XXX – XLII
 
 
7
English Punctuation, Composition, Criticism
  October 2 – 16
 
8
English Composition and Book Review
 
 
9
English Composition, Vocational Problems
  February 13, 1917
 
10
English Literature – The Short Story
 
 
11
Gastropods
 
 
12
Geology
 
 
13
Hygiene and Biology
 
 
14
"Come into the Fields" [a picture of a bird within a glass frame]
 
 
Handle with care.
 
15
“Ichneumon Fly” [note on this insect family within a glass frame]
 
 
Handle with care.
 
16
Latin, Great Britain, Numismatics, Practical Ethics
 
 
17
Latin, Great Britain, Numismatics, Practical Ethics
 
 
18
Notebook on the Narrative, Geology and personal notations
 
 
19
Orthogenesis and Government/History
 
 
20
Paleontology
 
 
21
Speech
 

 

Series III:  Notes by Whiteley on various subjects

 
Container(s)
Description
 
box
2
folder
22

Schedule cards, University of Oregon
 
 
23
Advertisements, Invitation, Clippings
 
 
24
Birds, Fish
 
 
25
“Bonnie Wee Lassie,” Friendship, A Mothers Love, “Composition General”
 
 
26
Butterflies
 
 
27
Child Life, People Interested in Child Life, Notes for Diary, “Big Brother of the Hills:” Character Study of Ruth, Looking Ahead
 
 
28
Children I have known, Story for Children, Boy’s Publications, Games, Flowers
 
 
29
Mountains, Natural Bridges, Volcanoes, Minerals, Roots
 
 
30
Supplies, Joys of Christian Life, People Interested in Nature, People Interested in Fancy Work
 
 
31
Trees
 

 

Series IV:  Writings and literary notes by Whiteley

 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
 
box
2
folder
32

“A Blue Day” and notes on nature
 
 
33
The Story of Raggie the Dog
 
 
34
Notes for “Raggie the Dog” and other notations
 
 
35
“The Fairyland”
 
 
36
“A Blue Day”
 
 
37
“A Blue Day” – typed manuscript
 
 
38
“A Blue Day” – typed manuscript
 
 
39
Book lists
 
 
40
Lists, fragments and books Whiteley read from ages 14 to 16
 
 
41
Writing fragments
 
 
42
Diary fragment, (not part of the controversial diary, but illustrative of Whiteley’s diary style)
  ca. 1909
 
43
Steve Williamson’s description of the diary fragment in folder 42
 
 
3 1
The Atlantic Monthly, March 1920, includes “The Story of Opal Whiteley” from The Journal of an Understanding Heart by Opal Whiteley
  March 1920
 
2
The Atlantic Monthly, April 1920, includes “Of School, the Tramper, and Many Things” from The Journal of an Understanding Heart by Opal Whiteley
  April 1920

 

Series V:  Oregon Christian Endeavor Union

 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
 
box
3
folder
3

The Christian Endeavor Bulletin
  January 9, 1916
 
4
The President’s Cabinet Letter
  August 9, 1916–December 20, 1916
 
5
Oregon Endeavor Bulletins
  January 7, 1917–April 1, 1917
 
6
The President’s Cabinet Letter
  March 5, 1917–August 14, 1917
 
7
Whiteley’s notes on the Junior Christian Endeavor Society
 
 
8
Notes on the Junior Christian Endeavor Society
 
 
9
Notes on the Junior Christian Endeavor Society
 
 
10
Notes on the Junior Christian Endeavor Society
 
 
11
Notes on the Junior Christian Endeavor Society
 
 
12
Notes on the Junior Christian Endeavor Society
 
 
13
Notes on the Junior Christian Endeavor Society
 
 
14
Notes on the Junior Christian Endeavor Society
 
 
15
The Mail List, Volume 1, Number 5
  1917
 
16
Mailing List
  April 8, 1916 and June 1, 1916
 
17
Mailing List, (Junior Societies)
  June and October 10, 1916
 
18
Oregon Endeavor Bulletins
  April 15, 1917–June 3, 1917
 
19
Miscellaneous Materials
 

 

Series VI:  Pamphlets and booklets

 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
 
box
3
folder
20

Whiteley’s Autograph Book
 
 
21
Copy of Whiteley’s Autograph Book
 
 
22
“Cottage Grove Oregon Bids You Welcome”
 
 
23
The Sea Pines Home School for Girls
 
 
24
“The Student Engineer,” Vol. VII, No. 1
  November 1913
 
25
“The Propagation of Plants,” U.S.D.A. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 157
  November 17, 1909
 
26
Price List No. 18, “Lepidoptera”
  1913
 
27
Price List No. 19, “Birds’ Eggs”
  1913
 
28
Price List No. 22, “Birdskins”
  1917

 

Series VII:  Ephemeral and miscellaneous materials

 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
 
box
4
folder
1

Christian Material
 
 
2
Annual Convention of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, Lane County
  September 1, 1914-September 2, 1914
 
3
Commencement Announcements
 
 
4
High School Report Cards (Cottage Grove, 1911 – 1912 and Dorena, 1913 – 1914) and results from eighth grade examination, May 11 – 12
  1911-1914
 
5
Cards
 
 
6
Postcards
 
 
7
Photographic Print of the Taj Mahal, Agra, India from The Perry pictures, Boston Edition
  1915
 
8
University of Oregon memorabilia
 
 
9
Receipts