Sherrill Redmon research files on William E. and Helen Woodward
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Sherrill Redmon research files on William E. and Helen Woodward
- Date
- 1882-2003, undated (inclusive)
- Extent
- 5.68 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Authors, American.
- Authors -- Correspondence.
- Authors and publishers.
- Dissertations.
- Editors.
- Interviews.
- Historians.
- Journalists.
- Little magazines -- United States.
- Magazines.
- Novelists.
- Arrangement
- The collection is arranged in two series by format: Dissertation, drafts, and research, and Photographs.
- Preferred Citation
- 2021ms061: [identification of item], Sherrill Redmon research files on William E. and Helen Woodward, 1882-2003, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- William Woodward was born October 2, 1874, in Ridge Spring, South Carolina. He was educated at The Citadel, which later conferred to him its first honorary LLD. In 1893 he began his newspaper career with "The Atlanta Constitution". In 1897, he moved to New York to work as a reporter for "The World". From there, he went into magazine and book editing, and advertising, which led to a position as the Vice President of the J. Walter Thompson Company.
- In 1912, William organized and published the first syndicated book review section distributed to papers throughout the country. He employed Sinclair Lewis, then unknown and working on his first novel, as its editor. The section was discontinued at the peak of its success in 1914 when publishers backed out on the assumption that World War I would kill book sales. In 1916, William became the vice president of the Industrial Finance Corporation, and in 1919 he gave himself completely to writing. His first book, a satirical novel about the advertising industry was titled Bunk. Bunk was published in 1923 and received with great enthusiasm. He is attributed with coining the term "debunk" in this novel. Many books followed, with William's major fame coming with the publication of George Washington, the Image and the Man in 1926. With this book he introduced a new way of writing the historical biography.
- William was also president of the Authors' Guild; chairman of the Writers League Against Lynching; and the only writer on the Business Advisory Council, appointed in 1933 under the Roosevelt administration. William Woodward died in New York on September 27, 1950.
- Helen Woodward was born in 1882 in New York City and educated in Boston, Massachusetts. She spent twenty years in the advertising business specializing in copy, and ten years as an account executive. Helen wrote extensively for magazines, a syndicated newspaper column, and the following books: Through Many Windows, Harper's, 1925 (autobiographical); Three Flights Up, Dodd Mead (written considerably later than previous book, also autobiographical, covering another period); It's an Art, Harcourt (advertising and the consumer); The Lady Persuaders, Ivan Obolensky, Inc., 1960; General Billy Mitchell, Duell, Sloan and Pearce (for teenagers); Queen's in the Parlor, Bobbs-Merrill (a novel); Money to Burn, McKay (a mystery). She also collaborated on the following works: Way of the Lancer and Lancer Down with Richard Boleslavski, published by Bobbs-Merrill; Way of the Lancer was a literary guild selection and is the account of secret flight of Boleslavki, a member of Moscow Art Theater, with two colleagues across Russia to Poland during the Bolshevik Revolution; 200 Years of Charleston Cooking, Cape Smith; Bowling Green Murders, Random House.
- Helen collected the letters, manuscripts, and diaries of her husband, William, after he died in the hopes of publishing a biographical work.
- Sherrill Redmon (married name McConnell) attended the University of Louisville and then attended the University of Kentucky to earn her Doctor of Philosophy in History. Her dissertation, Debunker: the life and writings of W.E. Woodward, was published in 1974. Redmon is the retired director of the Sophia Smith Collection of the Women's History Archives at Smith College. While at Smith College, she help build a more racially and culturally diverse special collections. Redmon and Gloria Steinem, an American feminist journalist and social political activist, worked on an oral history project called Voices of Feminism. Redmon lives in Massachusetts.
- Scope and Content
- The Sherrill Redmon research files on William E. and Helen Woodward (dated 1882-2003, undated; 4 cubic feet; 4 boxes) comprise drafts, research files, notes, and notecards relating to William E. Woodward and Helen Woodward, authors and publisher. The bulk of the collection contains notes taken by Redmon of special collections materials and during interviews with Woodward's contemporaries. Also, included are copies of drafts created by Redmon for her dissertation for her Doctor of Philosophy in History, Debunker: The Life and Writings of W.E. Woodward. The notes cover subjects like book reviews, colonial history, magazines, politics, and themes in Woodward's books. Also, of note are photographs given by Helen Woodward's sisters to Redmon. The images show William and Helen Woodward throughout their lives in the United States and abroad.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to these materials belong to the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Dissertation, drafts, and research, 1923-2003, undated
Scope and Contents
The Dissertation, drafts and research series (1923-2003) primarily comprises Sherrill Redmon's drafts and research notes for her Doctor of Philosophy in History dissertation, Debunker : the life and writings of W.E. Woodward. Most of Redmon's research was conducted while a doctoral student at the University of Kentucky, 1968-1974. The research notes were taken during interviews with contemporaries of William E. and Helen Woodward, as well as, taken visiting archives and special collection libraries throughout the United States. The multiple copies of chapter and disertation drafts contain notes by Redmon and University of Kentucky professors. The series also includes some primary source letters, presumably given to Redmon by Woodward's colleagues. A significant portion or the series is nearly a cubic foot of research notecards created by Redmon for classes and her dissertation. Also, included are two books by W.E. Woodward: Bunk and Evelyn Prentice, as well as a copy of Redmon's full dissertation as published in 1974.
1890's magazines (especially little mags), newspapers, publishing data, social criticism, undated
1900-1910 background, Time-Life, undated
1910-1920 background, May Time-Life (Aaron on left in teens), Parrington III notes (including bits on 1920s), undated
1920's Books, and Battles of the 20's (complete notes), Legend Debunked and Restored by W.F. Craven, undated
1930's background, undated
Achenbach, Hazel letter, 1924, and notes, undated
Adams, James Truslow, undated
American Historiagraphy notes, Dr. Gilliam, undated
American Mercury magazine notes, undated
Anderson, Sherwood notes, undated
Articles and notes, undated
Authorizations for use of manuscripts and acknowledgement, 1970
Beard, Charles A., correspondence from the University of Kentucky Woodward collection, 1971
Beveridge papers, Hibben's material notes, undated
Bibliographic leads, 1969
Bibliography draft and notes, undated
Bibliography, typist's first copy with corrections, additions, undated
Boni, Albert interview questions, undated
Book dealers for extra copies of the novels, 1969-1974
Bookman, literary journal notes, undated
Bradford, Gamaliel journal (diary), 1883-1932, notes, undated
Chapter 1: early life and business career, 1874-1912, undated
Chapter 1: typist's draft, corrections, and additions, undated
Chapter 1: typist's final copy, undated
Chapter 2: draft with Professor Hamilton comments, undated
Chapter 2: literary supplement to end Morris Plan, 1913-1922, undated
Chapter 3: fiction draft, undated
Chapter 4: George Washington orignial draft and copy, undated
Chapter 5: General Grant draft copy, undated
Chapter 5: General Grant draft with Professor Hamilton comments, undated
Chapter 5: last books (era 1929-1951) including Evelyn Prentice, undated
Chapter 6: 1931-1934, undated
Chapter 6: final draft, undated
Chapter 7: 1934-1945, undated
Chapter 7: final draft, undated
Chapter 8: 1945-1950, undated
Chapter 8: concluding chapter and outline of dissertation, 1970
Chapter 8: conclusion, undated
Chapter 8: draft, undated
Chronology: 1874-1893, birth to graduation from Citadel, undated
Chronology: 1893-1898, Georgia jobs, marriage, etc. to departure from New York City, undated
Chronology: 1898-1907, arrival New York City to job with JWT, undated
Chronology: 1912-1914, Woodward and Van Slyke literary syndicate, undated
Chronology: 1914-1916, freelance agent and Hearst assistant, undated
Chronology: 1916-1920, Industrial Finance Corporation, undated
Chronology: 1920-1922, interim between business ventures and Bunk beginning, undated
Chronology: 1922-1925 writing Bunk, Lottery, Bread and Circus, undated
Chronology: 1925- 1928, Begins writing George Washington - publication of Grant, undated
Chronology: 1928-1932, Freelance writer - crowded years - Money for Tomorrow publication, undated
Chronology: 1932-1939, Evelyn Prentice, NAMH, Lafayette, trip around the world to writing it up, undated
Chronology: 1940-1950, (the 1940's to death), undated
Chronology: notes, undated
Composite of corrections, dissertation, 1974
Copyright notice from the Library of Congress, 1975
Correspondence (working), 1969
Dead correspondence, 1969
Development of Literary Realism, Ziff, Chase, undated
Dibble, Roy F., author notes, undated
Dissertation draft, 1967 July 27
Dissertation index and dissertation abstracts, 1970
Dissertation manuscript with Professor Holman Hamilton comments, 1973
Dissertation miscellaneous, 1966-1969
Dissertation prizes, 1974-1975
Dissertation publishing correspondence, 1976
Documentation - in order of appearance for December article draft, undated
Documentation forms, undated
Dreisser letters, University of Pennsylvania collection, University of Virginia collection, copies, undated
Dreisser, Theodore, author notes, undated
Early debunkers: H. Asbury, Thomas Beer, Roy Dibble, Walter Campbell (S. Vestal), Herbert Gorman, Van Loon, Stewart Holbrook, undated
Friends and associates of Woodward, William E. (addresses), 1969-1973
Gilliam, Richard, letter to University of Kentucky professor, 1974
Gorman, Herbert S. author notes, undated
Gruening, Senator Ernest H., 1887-1974 interview: 1970; xerox copies of Woodward correspondence from Gruening files, letter to widow, 1974 June 27, regarding return of papers and condolence, 1970-1974
Harris, Julia and Julian, journalist, notes, undated
Hart, A.B., 1926-1927, episode and background (See Beard correspondence as well.), undated
Harvard manuscripts (Villard, Woolcott), 1970-1971
Hatpin episode in Winchell, 1928, notes, undated
Hibbert, Paxton, diplomat notes, undated
Historical Criticism, History 606, notes, circa 1969
Hughes, Rupert, author and movie director notes, undated
Intro handwritten draft, undated
Leads, notes, 1969
Lewis, Sinclair, undated
Library of Congress regulations and archives, 1965-1969
Lifestyle in 1923-1928 literary circles, undated
Liveright materials other than sales record, 1926-1967, undated
Locating the Civil War novel notes, undated
Magazine work, undated
Main reading room work, undated
Manuscript catalog, undated
Marsh, Corrine correspondence, 1969-1976
Marsh, Corrina, Dorothy Peterson, Bessie Redish interview notes, (personality, quotes, early life) (Dora Abraham), 1970-1971
Masters, E.L. article, Morrissey on historigraphy in 1920's for Woodward revision, 1979
McAdoo trip to Europe, 1934, from McAdoo papers, Library of Congress,, undated
McMaster, John Bach, historian, notes, undated
Menecken correspondence with Woodward, undated
Menecken, Henry Louis, journalist, undated
Morrissey, Charles T., historiagraphy in 1920's, 1979
Newspaper notes, 1920's, undated
Non-dissertation miscellany, history notes, and invoices, 1968-1969
Paragraphs 1-3 in post-H revision form, undated
Pending action, undated
Peripheral characters, undated
Pound, Ezra to Woodward, William E. letters, undated
Publisher's Weekly, undated
Publishing companies lists and correspondence, 1969
Rediscovered documentation, undated
Redish, Bessie letters and manuscript collection, 1971
Reproduction copies of dissertation and binding, 1974
Revised dissertation, 1980-1988
Ringe, Donald A., University of Kentucky professor correspondence, 1969-1973
Sales of histories and biographies written by professionals: Holt article, Caughley article, Kraus notes, undated
Secondary works on biography in the 20th century: Nicolson, O'Neill, Balch, Tolles, and the guy in Eisenstadt, undated
Secondary works: Skatheim, Peterson, Broderick-Gray-Metzger, Hoffman, Strout article, undated
Sinclair, Upton correspondence, 1924-1957, Lilly Library, Indiana University, Berg, New York Public Library, Code, undated
Smart Set literary magazine, 1918-1923, undated
Stationary, undated
Strachet, Lytton, author notes, undated
The Debunker, 1924-1931, Haldeman-Julius, undated
The Debunking Biographies of Paxton Hibben, Woodward, William E., and Edgar Lee Masters, by Sherrill Redmon, History 712, 1967 July 27
The Lottery by Woodward, William E. book cover, 1924
Things to know about Trade-Marks published by J. Walker Thompson Company, 1911, undated
Thompson, J. Walter years, 1970-1971
Travel arrangements and expenses, 1970-1971
University of Kentucky Libraries Woodward, William E. collection catalogue and codes, collection notes, query, 1989
University of Kentucky Libraries Woodward, William E. papers - list of things to look up, undated
University of Kentucky Libraries Woodward, William E. papers notes, undated
University of Kentucky Libraries Woodward, William E. papers purchase, 1969
Van Slyke and Woodward, William E. book, 1913-1914, undated
Villard, Henry, journalist, correspondence, 1927-1928, Harvard, Houghton Library, undated
Whatley, Helen R. correspondence, 1969-1974
Wollcott, Alexandra letter, Harvard Houghton Library, 1936, undated
Woodward family genealogy, 1996
Woodward, Helen (died September 5, 1969), undated
Woodward, William E. as fictionist, undated
Woodward, William E. as journalist, undated
Woodward, William E. as reviewer of books, undated
Woodward, William E. biography as a genre, undated
Woodward, William E. book sales, 1969-1970
Woodward, William E. character - personality traits and miscellaneous notes on diaries and correspondence, undated
Woodward, William E. covers Snyder-Gray trial, 1927, undated
Woodward, William E. descriptive letters, 1929, 2003
Woodward, William E. economic views and political life (notes from Shannon's The Socialist Party in America and Aaron's Writers on the Left, undated
Woodward, William E. general reviews (no specific book), undated
Woodward, William E. historical method sources, etc. and his standards (gutted for George Washington and grant stuff. See individual files.), undated
Woodward, William E. obituaries and career assessments, contents: Craven, Stampp, Hesseltine, undated
Woodward, William E. on current fiction and his own reading, undated
Woodward, William E. on style including anti-academic bias, undated
Woodward, William E. spiritual life, undated
Woodward, William E. style, vocabulary, 1970
Woodward, William E. vital statistics (first marriage, court records, etc.), 1969-1970
Woodward, William E., Bunk, Harper and Brothers Publishers, New York, with Sherrill Redmond notes in book, 1923
Woodward, William E., Evelyn Prentice, Cassel and Company Limited, London, with Sherrill Redmond notes in book, 1933
Notecards, circa 1968-1972
Bread & Circuses structure, undated
Bread & Circuses, 1925, undated
Bunk chapter gatherings and structure, undated
Bunk, 1923, undated
Bunk, reviews of, 1923-1924, 1970, undated
Business Advisory Council [United States Department of Commerce] report, 1969
Chapter 1, Chapter 2: notes and drafts, undated
Chapter 6: notes and drafts for, 1929-1950, undated
Chapter 7: draft, 1934-1945, undated
Chapter 7: Failures of Grant characterization, undated
Corrections and additions to bibliography and text, undated
Crowded Years, 1931, undated
Crowded Years, reviews of, 1931, 1970
Debunk label, great effort to shake, more fair to subject, undated
December draft, inserts, outlines, 1970
Early drafts: to be discarded upon completion of chapter, undated
Evelyn Prentice, 1933, undated
Evelyn Prentice film, 1934, 1969
Fiction analogs - Wells, A. France, Remy de Gourmont, etc., undated
Fiction chapter, drafts and notes for, undated
George Washington chapter odds & ends, undated
George Washington chapter, xerox copy, 1970 July 7
George Washington chapter: pre-draft notes, undated
George Washington chapter: rough draft, 1970 June
George Washington reviews and comments, 1969
George Washington: the Image and the Man, 1926 [folder without papers], undated
Gift of Life, 1947, undated
Lafayette, 1938, 1969
Lilienthal, Jesse, How to Beat the Market, 1930, and Kerley material, undated
Lottery structure and observations, undated
Lottery, references to in William E. Woodward correspondence, 1924, undated
Lottery, reviews of, 1924-1925, undated
McAdoo, William Gibbs papers (key and miscellaneous), undated
McAdoo, William Gibbs-Winston Churchill-Woodward, 1929, undated
McAdoo, William Gibbs-Woodward letters regarding Business Advisory Council (Library of Congress McAdoo Papers), March 22-July 17, 1933, undated
McAdoo, William Gibbs-Woodward letters, chronological, January 15, 1929 to November 25, 1931, undated
Meet General Grant as reverse Debunkery, undated
Meet General Grant further research, 1970, undated
Meet General Grant genesis of and working on it, undated
Meet General Grant genesis of chapter, xerox copy, undated
Meet General Grant literature, 1969-1970
Meet General Grant personality summary, undated
Meet General Grant positive form aspects and few jewels
Meet General Grant publishing arrangements, 1927-1929, undated
Meet General Grant responses to (contains Clarence Darrow letter loaned to Redmon by Woodward Estate in 1969), 1929, 1971
Meet General Grant style, undated
Meet General Grant, 1928, undated
Money for Tomorrow, 1932, undated
Murphy, George Douglas dissertation: New Biographers of the 1920s, undated
New American History, 1936, undated
New American History, 1949, undated
Round the world trip and manuscript, 1939, undated
Sears-Roebuck, history of (unpublished), 1936, undated
Tom Paine: America's Godfather, 1945, undated
Way Our People Lived, 1944, undated
Woodward, William E. biography, abstract, undated
Woodward, William E. book, notes saved for, 1974-1975
Woodward, William E. southern bias, 1951, 1969
Woodward, John letters to Sherrill Redmon and notes, 1996
Years of Madness, 1951, undated
Elbert, Robert C., Unemployment and Relief, dedicated to W.E. Woodward, 1934, 1974
McConnell, Sherrill Redmon, Debunker: The Life and Writings of W.E. Woodward, dissertation submitted for a Doctor of Philosophy, History, University of Kentucky by, 1974
Photographs, 1882-1971, undated
Scope and Contents
The Photograph series (1882-1971, undated) contains photographs gifted to Redmon from Helen's sisters via Corinna Marsh on January 28, 1971. The photographs include images of William E. Woodward throughout his life. Of note are photographs of the Edna M. Thornagle's Hope Ranch home, where Helen and William stayed during the summer of 1930. Also included is a photograph of Helen Woodward at their apartment in Paris, France.
Description of photographs, three described by Helen Whatley, 1971 October 2
Roger, John, 1930
Rogers, John and Helen Woodward, 1930
Sandrea, Lillian, and artist, circa 1960's
Woodward, Helen, 1930
Woodward, Helen and William E., circa 1920's
Woodward, Helen and William E., Lillian, and Helen (Bill's neice), undated
Woodward, Helen with unidentified woman, 1930
Woodward, William E. and car, undated
Woodward, William E. at age 26, photo taken in New York, 1900
Woodward, William E. at age eight, 1882
Woodward, William E. portrait, undated
House in Graniteville in which Woodward, William E. lived when he was a young boy, undated
Woodward, Cadet William E. taken in 1890 when he was 16 years old, 1890
Woodward, Helen and William E. , H.A. (Fonce), and Lillian, 1946 May 19
Woodward, Helen and William E. near chicken house, undated
Woodward, Helen on balcony of apartment in Paris, 1925
Woodward, William E. in Santa Barbara, 1930
Woodward, William E. portrait, undated
Woodward, William E. sitting in grass, undated
Woodward, William E. smoking a pipe, undated
House at Santa Barbara that Helen and W.E. Woodward lived in the summer of 1930, 1930
Woodward, William E., 1931
Woodward, William E. at Tom Paine's house, Joe Lewis, undated
Woodward, William E., age 26, New York/Woodward, William E. and group of people in front of house, 1900/undated
Woodward, William E., age 50/Helen and Woodward, William E., 1924/1927
Woodward, William E., University Society, undated
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Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
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UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.