Guide to the William “Bill” Camfield papers, 1925-1997, bulk dates 1982-1990


Collection Summary
	Creator:	Camfield, William
	Title:	William “Bill” Camfield papers
	Dates:	1925-1997, bulk dates 1982-1990
	Abstract:	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.
	Identification:	MS 495
	Quantity:	2.5 cubic feet
	Repository:	Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University, Houston, TX

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.

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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.

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Restrictions

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.

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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

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Related Material

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

See also (Department of) Fine Arts Record Group.

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Series I : Meetings, 1982-1993

box

folder

Documents/Meetings; 1982-1993

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Series II: Craig Francis Cullinan Visiting Chair in Fine Arts, Architecture and Urban Planning program, 1984-1995
		Subseries A: Cullinan Visiting Professors; 1984-1991:
box	folder
1	2		Frampton [Kenneth], 1984-85
	3		Jackson [John B.], 1985-86
	4		Kostoff [Spiro], 1986-1987
	5		Irwin [Robert], 1987-1988
	6		Rowe [Colin], 1989-1990
	7		Steinberg [Leo], 1990-1991
	8		Steinberg – Correspondence, 1990-1992
	9		Koolhaas [Rem], 1991-1992
		Subseries B: General Correspondence, 1986-1995
box	folder
1	10		Irwin [Robert]; Correspondence, 1986
	11		Irwin [Robert]; Correspondence, 1987
	12		Irwin [Robert]; Correspondence, 1988
	13		Irwin [Robert]; Photographs of scrim exhibit
	14		Paul Hester – Proof sheets: photos of Irwin installation
box	folder
2	1		Irwin – Adcock texts; correspondence, 1990-96
	2		Irwin – Adcock texts; correspondence, 1991
	3		Irwin – Adcock texts; correspondence, 1993
	4		Irwin – Adcock texts; correspondence, 1995

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Series III: Brown Family Sculpture Gift, 1978-1984
box	folder
2	5	Mrs. Brown/Heizer Sculpture; correspondence, 1982-84
	6	Miscellaneous Correspondence [Heizer files]; 1982-84
	7	Proposal [for choice of Michael Heizer as sculptor for Brown Family’s gift to Rice]; March 13, 1984
	8	Heizer [Michael]; correspondence, 1983-84
	9	Heizer [Michael]; correspondence, 1985-88
box	folder
3	1	Pelli [Cesar]; correspondence, 1983
	2	Christo [Javacheff[; correspondence, 1983-84
	3	di Suvero [Mark]; correspondence, 1983-84
	4	Kelly [Ellsworth]; correspondence, 1983-84
	5	Noguchi [Isamu]; correspondence, 1983-84
	6	Snelson [Kenneth]; correspondence, 1983
	7	Parsons [David]; correspondence, 1978-84
	8	Notes, Lists, Etc. [pertaining to Brown sculpture]; 1982-83

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Series IV: General Correspondence, 1925-1997
box	folder
3	9	Gillis [Pres. Malcolm] – Portraitists; correspondence, 1993
	10	Institute for the Arts, Rice [University]; correspondence, 1969-77
	11	Willy’s Statue/John Angel; correspondence, 1925-1963
	12	Parsons [David]; correspondence, 1942-1982
	13	McVey [William] – Sculpture Project; correspondence, 1983-84
	14	Milles [Carl] Sculpture at Rice; undated notes
	15	Dorothy Hood/Fondren Library Rice; correspondence, 1991-97
	16	Brick Row Book Shop, Private French Collection; correspondence, 1971

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Series V: Slides, Photographs, and Lectures, 1988
box	folder
4	1	Slides of Robert Irwin scrim exhibit; March 1988
	2	Robert Irwin – Scrim Exhibit, 1988; photograph negatives (Paul Hester, photographer)
	3	Cullinan Lectures – Robert Irwin, tapes of lectures, March 1988

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Series VI: Rice Institute for the Arts, 1968-1976
box	folder
5	1	Flyers – Announcements, 1969-76
	2	Clippings – 1969-74
	3	Moser Scrapbook – 1968-70

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