urn:taro:rice.wrc.00102 Guide to the William “Bill” Camfield papers, 1925-1997, bulk dates 1982-1990 Inventory prepared by Sharon Link Woodson Research Center
Rice University, Houston, Texas
January, 2004 Finding aid encoded by Mandy York , Fondren Library 02032004 Finding aid written inEnglish. Collection Summary Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University, Houston, TX Camfield, William William “Bill” Camfield papers 1925-1997, bulk dates 1982-1990 2.5 cubic feet The papers of art historian William Camfield include correspondence concerning Rice University Cullinan Visiting Professors, gift of Mrs. George R. Brown for sculpture for Rice University Campus, photographs and slides, newspaper clippings and brochures of Rice exhibits and sculpture. Also included is material concerning the Rice Institute for the Arts. There are also tapes of lectures by Robert Irwin, Cullinan Lecturer. MS 495 Biographical Note

William “Bill” Camfield came to Rice University in 1969 as an Associate Professor of Art History. Prior to coming to Rice, he taught at the University of St. Thomas (1964-69) and came to Rice when Dominique and John deMenil left the sponsorship at St. Thomas and proposed moving those activities to Rice University.

He served as acting chairman of the Rice University Art Department in 1970-72 and again in 1999-2001. He became a full professor in 1977 and became the Joseph and Joanna Nazro Mullen Professor of Art History in 1980. He taught courses on European and American art and art history, Cubism, Dada and Surrealism. He has received grants and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the NEH, American Philosophical Society and ACLS.

Dr. Camfield originated the internship course that sends a number of Rice students to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston each semester. As a surprise at his retirement, the William A. Camfield Fellowship was announced. It will provide support to allow one Rice undergraduate per year to spend two semesters in a working internship at the museum.

He has published books on Frank Freed, Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp and Francis Picabia and numerous articles. He received his B.A. in Art History in 1957 from Princeton University, and his MA (1961) and Ph.D. (1964) from Yale University.

Dr. Camfield retired from his teaching position at Rice in 2002.

 Scope and Contents

The William Camfield papers include correspondence concerning Visiting Professors from the Craig Francis Cullinan Visiting Chair in Fine Arts, Architecture and Urban Planning program, a gift of Mrs. George R. Brown for sculpture for Rice University Campus, photographs and slides, newspaper clippings and brochures of Rice exhibits and sculpture. Correspondents include Mrs.Geogre R. Brown, Robert Irwin, Michael Heizer, Ellsworth Kelly, David Parsons, William McVey, John Angel, Isamu Noguchi, and others. Also included are material concerning the Rice Institute for the Arts and tapes of lectures by Robert Irwin, Cullinan Lecturer.

 Restrictions on Access

This material is open for research.

 Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish from the William “Bill” Camfield papers, 1925-1997, MS 495, must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.

 Index Terms Subjects (Persons) Camfield, William Irwin, Robert - correspondence Parsons, David - correspondence McVey, William - correspondence Angel, John - correspondence Brown, Mrs. George R. - correspondence Heizer, Michael - correspondence Kelly, Ellsworth - correspondence Noguchi, Isamu - correspondence Subjects (Organizations) Rice University. Art Department Rice University - sculpture Formats Correspondence Photographs Slides Newsclippings Lectures Related Materials

See also Information Files for Camfield, William and for Art and Art History Department.

See also (Department of) Fine Arts Record Group.

 Preferred Citation

William “Bill” Camfield Papers, MS 495, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.

 Provenance

This collection was received from Dr. William Camfield after his retirement, 2002-2003.

 Detailed Description of the Collection Series I : Meetings, 1982-1993 11 Documents/Meetings; 1982-1993 Series II: Craig Francis Cullinan Visiting Chair in Fine Arts, Architecture and Urban Planning program, 1984-1995 Subseries A: Cullinan Visiting Professors; 1984-1991: 12 Frampton [Kenneth], 1984-85 13 Jackson [John B.], 1985-86 14 Kostoff [Spiro], 1986-1987 15 Irwin [Robert], 1987-1988 16 Rowe [Colin], 1989-1990 17 Steinberg [Leo], 1990-1991 18 Steinberg – Correspondence, 1990-1992 19 Koolhaas [Rem], 1991-1992 Subseries B: General Correspondence, 1986-1995 110 Irwin [Robert]; Correspondence, 1986 111 Irwin [Robert]; Correspondence, 1987 112 Irwin [Robert]; Correspondence, 1988 113 Irwin [Robert]; Photographs of scrim exhibit 114 Paul Hester – Proof sheets: photos of Irwin installation 21 Irwin – Adcock texts; correspondence, 1990-96 22 Irwin – Adcock texts; correspondence, 1991 23 Irwin – Adcock texts; correspondence, 1993 24 Irwin – Adcock texts; correspondence, 1995 Series III: Brown Family Sculpture Gift, 1978-1984 25 Mrs. Brown/Heizer Sculpture; correspondence, 1982-84 26 Miscellaneous Correspondence [Heizer files]; 1982-84 27 Proposal [for choice of Michael Heizer as sculptor for Brown Family’s gift to Rice]; March 13, 1984 28 Heizer [Michael]; correspondence, 1983-84 29 Heizer [Michael]; correspondence, 1985-88 31 Pelli [Cesar]; correspondence, 1983 32 Christo [Javacheff[; correspondence, 1983-84 33 di Suvero [Mark]; correspondence, 1983-84 34 Kelly [Ellsworth]; correspondence, 1983-84 35 Noguchi [Isamu]; correspondence, 1983-84 36 Snelson [Kenneth]; correspondence, 1983 37 Parsons [David]; correspondence, 1978-84 38 Notes, Lists, Etc. [pertaining to Brown sculpture]; 1982-83 Series IV: General Correspondence, 1925-1997 39 Gillis [Pres. Malcolm] – Portraitists; correspondence, 1993 310 Institute for the Arts, Rice [University]; correspondence, 1969-77 311 Willy’s Statue/John Angel; correspondence, 1925-1963 312 Parsons [David]; correspondence, 1942-1982 313 McVey [William] – Sculpture Project; correspondence, 1983-84 314 Milles [Carl] Sculpture at Rice; undated notes 315 Dorothy Hood/Fondren Library Rice; correspondence, 1991-97 316 Brick Row Book Shop, Private French Collection; correspondence, 1971 Series V: Slides, Photographs, and Lectures, 1988 41 Slides of Robert Irwin scrim exhibit; March 1988 42 Robert Irwin – Scrim Exhibit, 1988; photograph negatives (Paul Hester, photographer) 43 Cullinan Lectures – Robert Irwin, tapes of lectures, March 1988 Series VI: Rice Institute for the Arts, 1968-1976 51 Flyers – Announcements, 1969-76 52 Clippings – 1969-74 53 Moser Scrapbook – 1968-70