Descriptive Summary and Abstract
Cushing Memorial Library
College Station, TX 77843-5000
Anderson, John Q.
Inventory of the John Q. Anderson Papers
1953-1966
(9 boxes) 4.5 linear feet.
John Q. Anderson (1916-1975) a Texas native born 30 May 1916 in Wheeler Co., received his A.B. in English from Oklahoma State University in 1939, his M.A. from Louisiana State University in 1948, and his Ph.D. from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1952, before becoming an instructor in the English Department at Texas A & M University in 1953. Remaining at Texas A & M until 1966, Dr. Anderson became a renowned teacher and folklorist. He was also a folk singer and composer, as well as an author of over seventy articles and books including Louisiana Swamp Doctor: The Life and Writings of Henry Clay Lewis, A Texas Surgeon in the C. S. A., and Brokenburn: The Journal of Kate Stone, which he edited. By the time he left Texas A & M in 1966, Dr. Anderson had risen from an instructor to Head of the English Department. Dr. Anderson's final position was Professor of American Literature at the University of Houston, a postion he left for health reasons in 1974. Folklore in all its manifestations, particulaly in Texas and to some extent North Carolina, was Dr. Anderson's lifelong passion. He was a member of several folklore societies over the years, sponsoring the John A. Lomax Folklore Society and serving for a time as president of the Texas Folklore Society. Dr. Anderson received many honors for his teaching and scholarship, the most significant being the Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching, Outstanding Professor Award, and Professor Emeritus of English, all from Texas A & M Univesity. The bulk of the collection consists of term papers on folklore from students in Dr. Anderson's English 329 class at Texas A & M, some of which he later gathered into a book titled Texas Lore: A Collection of Student Papers on Texas Folklore. Many fieldnotes on folklore, clippings, research materials, and memorabilia make up the remainder of the collection, with some correspondence with folklore enthusiasts and miscellaneous publications on folklore. Vaudeville was another interest of Dr. Anderson, and materials about and from the Billy Arlington Company are included.
TAMU MSS 00040
English.
Biographical Note
Dr. John Q. Anderson (1916-1975) was an educator, folklorist and songwriter who earned many honors. Born on 30 May 1916 in Wheeler County, Texas, Dr. Anderson attended Oklahoma State University where he received his A.B. degree in 1939. Though his college career was interrupted by a tour of duty during World War II. Anderson completed his M.A. at Louisiana State University in 1948, and subsequently earned his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1952. In 1946, Anderson married Marie Loraine Epps
During this time, Anderson held several teaching positions, at the University of Texas, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and McNeese State College in Louisiana. In 1953, Dr. Anderson became an instructor at Texas A&M where he remained until 1966. By the time of his departure from Texas A & M, Dr. Anderson had risen from serving as an instructor to holding the office of Head of the English Department. Dr. Anderson's final position was Professor of American Literature at the University of Houston, which he had to leave in 1974 due to illness.
Not only was Dr. Anderson a renowned and respected teacher, but he was also an author and a songwriter. Among his over 70 articles and books are
Brokenburn: The Journal of Kate Stone, edited by Anderson, A Texas Surgeon in the C. S. A., and Louisiana Swamp Doctor: The Life and Writings of Henry Clay Lewis. Dr. Anderson recorded as well as wrote many folk songs, among which was a medley of American folksongs for the ballet
Fiddle Tunes.
Among Dr. Anderson's many interests, folklore was predominant. Dr. Anderson was a member of several folklore societies all over the state of Texas. He sponsored of The John A. Lomax Folklore Society, and served as president of The Texas Folklore Society. His other professional activity included work with English societies and editorial boards.
Due to Dr. Anderson's many talents and accomplishments as a teacher and scholar, he was awarded several honors, including the Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching, Outstanding Professor, and Professor Emeritus of English, all at Texas A&M University.
Scope and Content Note
The John Q. Anderson papers consist of term papers, course handouts, folklore fieldnotes, news clippings, a report, a document, maps, photographs, materials about folksingers, pamphlets on wildlife, materials about vaudeville and North Carolina, information given to Dr. Anderson on Texas, correspondence of Dr. John Q. Anderson, and information on The Texas Folklore Society and The John A. Lomax Folklore Society.
The majority of the material is from Dr. John Q. Anderson's students at Texas A&M. Dr. Anderson assigned his students to write term papers on folklore from many locales, including Texas. Because Dr. Anderson felt that some of these student papers were so exceptional, he collected, edited and had them published in a book he titled,
Texas Lore: A Collection of Student Papers on Texas Folklore. As additional information on some of the term papers, some of students gave Dr. Anderson information on North Carolina and Billy Arlington and Co. Dr. Anderson also requested that his students collect information on folklore by interviewing people and recording this information in fieldnotes. In this way information was gathered and is represented in the collection on topics including folk medicine, games, children's lore, folk beliefs, folk sayings, proverbs, rhymes, riddles, tree and plant lore, and Aggie lore.
Along with interviews and fieldnotes contributed by the students, many news clippings were collected, pertaining to people, places, folk medicine, folk singers, folk games, folklore book reviews, anthropology, superstitions, magic, and etymology. The majority of these clippings relate to Texas. Also present is one document on folk medicine, an article on folksinger Joan Baez, a few articles on a some Texas counties, and special editions of some Texas newspapers.
Other materials in the papers consist of correspondence between Dr. John Q. Anderson and the Texas Folklore Society, or the John A. Lomax Society. Most of the remaining correspondence deals with people interested in folklore. Some materials are present as well about meetings and conferences to be held by the Texas Folklore Society, including a program which Dr. Anderson sponsored at Texas A&M for the John A. Lomax Society.
Organization of the Papers
This collection is organized into four series:
Series 1. Course materials for English 329 with the subseries 1.1. Term Papers for English 329, and 1.2. Course handouts; Series 3. Research Materials, which includes fieldnotes on folklore, some clippings and research for the book
Texas Lore: A Collection of Student Papers on Texas Folklore; Series 4. Clippings ; Series 5. Miscellaneous Publications and Memorabilia, which includes articles, pamphlets, tickets, postcards, some North Carolina materials, and folklore society information.
Access
No restrictions.
Usage Restrictions
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as
stipulated by United States copyright law.
Online Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog of Cushing Memorial Library. Researchers wishing to find related materials
should search the catalog under these index terms.
Names
Arlington, William.
Organizations
Texas Folklore Society.
John A. Lomax Folklore Society.
Texas A & M University.
Texas A & M University--Dept. of English.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
McNeese State College.
Subjects
Folklore in literature.
Folklorists--Texas.
Folklorists--North Carolina.
Folksingers--Texas.
Folk songs--Texas.
Folk songs--United States.
Folklore and education--Texas.
Folklore and education--North Carolina.
Vaudeville--United States--History.
Traditional medicine--Texas.
Traditional medicine--North Carolina.
Games--United States.
Names, Geographical--Texas.
Names, Geographical--North Carolina.
Superstition--Texas.
Superstition--North Carolina.
Folklore--Texas.
Folklore--United States.
Folklore--North Carolina.
Places
Texas--Social life and customs.
North Carolina--Social life and customs.
Texas--History.
North Carolina--History.
Texas--Description and travel.
North Carolina--Description and travel.
Titles
Texas lore: a collection of student papers on Texas folklore.
Life and writings of Henry Clay Lewis.
Texas surgeon in the C. S. A.
Brokenburn: the journal of Kate Stone.
Items Separated
Oversize material includes 23 photographs and 4 playbills from Billy Arlington and Co. kept in map cases.
Provenance
Received as a gift to the repository.
Processing Information
Processed by Deborah Duncan
in 1982, under the direction of Chales R. Schultz. Collection updated 12 December 2000.
Detailed Description of the Papers
Series 1. Course materials for English 329,
1963-1965 and undated.
Subseries 1.1 Term Papers.
1-1
Abbott, Craig Stephens - The Magical Origin of Poetry -
1964
1-2
Alderson, John Locke, Jr. - Games From My Childhood -
1964
1-3
Alvarado, Richard C. - Mexican Folk Cures and Beliefs in South Texas
1-4
Atkins, Ann Cleland - English -Scottish Ballad Survivals in the United States -
1964
1-5
Barrows, Glynn - And the People Sang
1-6
Beasely, Marigane - And in the Beginning. What? (Some Indian Creation Myths) -
1966
1-7
Benson, Jackie L. - The Sea Serpent-Fact or Fiction -
1963
1-8
Benson, Joyce - British Traditional Ballads in Texas -
1966
1-9
Blackard, Fred K. - Lore of the Texas Rural Schools -
1963
1-10
Brewster, Charles H. - The Lore of Baseball -
1963
1-11
Camp, Bill - Dances, Accompaniment, and Costumes of the Plains Indians -
1966
1-12
Carr, Sandra - The Gift of the Power to Remove Screw-Worms in Animals -
1966
1-13
Cloninger, Raymond E. - Tales From Jefferson, Texas
1-14
Collier, Edward W. - A Brief Study of 'Barbara Allan' -
1963
1-15
Deen, Lloyd S., Jr. - Tales of the Grandstaff Family -
1964
1-16
Dougan, David W. - Folklore of Anderson County -
1964
1-17
Enloe, Same J. - Millican-It's History and Folklore
1-18
Fann, Ronald Louis - The Fact and Folklore about Possums -
1964
1-19
Fohn, Nick H. - Folkways Among the Alsatian Feasts and Festivals of Medina County, Texas -
1964
1-20
Farrar, James R. - The Cowboy As Hero -
1964
1-21
Galaway, Robbie L. - Folklore of the Texas-Mexican Border -
1964
1-22
Goldsmith, James W. - English and Scottish Ballads in Southern Highlands -
1964
1-23
Gomez, Bob V. - Pablo Gomez, A Soldier In Pancho Villa's Army
1-24
Graffenreid, Adrian L., Jr. - The Hutchinson Family in the Civil War -
1963
1-25
Gray,Robert L. - Texas Ranching Today
1-26
Hatten, Sharon L. - Bats in Folklore -
1966
1-27
Hobler, Ross L. - Folklore of the Finger Lakes: Indian Lore of Central New York -
1964
1-28
Hooks, Howard B. - A Panhandle Pioneer -
1964
1-29
Johnson, Thomas V. - Present Day Implications of the Japanese No Plays
1-30
Landers, John Brooks - Country
Folk, Victims of Cures and Diseases -
1963
1-31
Lawlor, William F. - Customs and Beliefs in Vaudeville -
1963
1-32
Love, Alan C. - San Jacinto, A Hero, and History, -
1964
1-33
Lutterman, Gerald H. - Animals In Weatherlore -
1964
1-34
Malaise, Bill - Folklore of Refugio -
1964
1-35
Matthews, William A., Jr. - The Early Cattle Drive in South Texas -
1963
2-1
Mauldin, Charles R. - Mauldin Family Folklore -
1963
2-2
McClure, John A. - The Use of History In The Traditional British Ballads -
1963
2-3
McCulloch, Ben E. - Ben McCullogh, Texas
2-4
McGown, Michael D. - Folklore from Far and Near -
1964
2-5
McNelly, Mary - Examples of Parody and Derision in Children's Lore -
1966
2-6
Merritt, Weldon L. - Place Names Along The Caprock in The Texas Panhandle -
1964
2-7
Morris, Darleen Yvonne - Worship of the Dead -
1964
2-8
Moseley, James R. - The Creation of the Greek Gods as Influenced by Crete and Preceeding Cultures -
1966
2-9
Mowlam, Thomas James - The Cult of Mystic Numbers -
1964
2-10
O' Neal, James L. - The Sun Dance of the Plains Indians
2-11
Parker, Danny - The Lives and Legends of Cynthia Ann and Quanah Parker - 1964
2-12
Parker, Everett R. - Texas Folksongs of the Civil War - 1964
2-13
Pearce, Frank -
The Indian Medicine Man
2-14
Penrod, John - Los Corridos De Mexico
2-15
Powell, Robert T. - Folk Cookbooks -
1964
2-16
Reitz, James J.
The Use of Biblical Material in Negro Spirituals -
1965
2-17
Roach, James B. - The Bull and Bull Cults In The History of Man - 1965
2-18
Rogers, Sherman G.
Folklore of the Southern Colonies - 1964
2-19
Ross, Thomas H. - The Wildman in Folktale, Art, and Literature - 1964
2-20
Salinas, Carlos R. Treasures of the Franklin Mountains - 1963
2-21
Schittler, Nancy - Prehistoric Rock Writings - 1965
2-22
Shaw, Conway - The Folklore of Galveston
2-23
Shaw, Michael L. - The Humorous Tale -1964
2-24
Smith, Earl G. - Reapers of the Water - 1963
2-25
Smith, Paul M. - Boyhood Recollections of Southern Arkansas -
1963
2-26
Stanton, William K. - Folklore of Victoria County Texas
2-27
Thomas, Robert W. - Plantation Life In the Brazos Valley - 1963
2-28
Watson, Michael W. - Champy Anderson of Hopewell, Texas and His Tales
2-29
Wert, Harold E. - Cynthia Ann Parker - 1965
2-30
Whitely - Groveton, Texas
Subseries 1.2. Course handouts for English 329.
2-31
Course handout - The Story of a Ranch
2-32
Course handout - Heard in Texas
2-33
Course handout - Cowboy Lingo
2-34
Course handout - Some Folklore of Van Zandt County
2-35
Course handout - Boyhood in Van Zandt County
3-1
Course handout - The Noell Madstone
3-2
Course handout - Negro Stories from the Colorado Valley
3-3
Course handout - Vigilante Justice in My Home Town
Series 2. Research Materials. Fieldnotes on folklore,
1960-1966 and undated.
Fieldnotes on folklore.
Research for
Texas Lore: A Collection of Student Papers on
Texas Folklore. Fieldnotes with information on various topics in folklore. Some newspaper clippings.
3-4
Folksong The Berkshire Tragedy
3-5
Dictionary of American Popular Beliefs and Superstitions: A Checklist
3-6
Fieldnotes - Beliefs -
1962
3-7
Fieldnotes - Children's Lore (Jeers) - 1962
3-8
Fieldnotes - Sayings and Proverbs - 1965
3-9
Fieldnotes - Aggie Folklore - 1962
3-10
Fieldnotes - Rhymes and Riddles - 1962
3-11
Fieldnotes - Games - 1962
3-12
Fieldnotes - Games
1962
3-13
Fieldnotes - Games - 1963
3-14
Fieldnotes - Games - 1963
3-15
Fieldnotes - Games
1963
3-16
Fieldnotes - Games
1963
3-17
Fieldnotes - Games
1963
3-18
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1960
3-19
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1962
3-20
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1963
3-21
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1963
3-22
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1963
3-23
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1963
3-24
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1963
3-25
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine - 1963
3-26
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine - 1963
3-27
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1963
4-1
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1964
4-2
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1964
4-3
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1964
4-4
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1964
4-5
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1964
4-6
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1964
4-7
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1964
4-8
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1964
4-9
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1964
4-10
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1964
4-11
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1964
4-12
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1964
4-13
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1964
4-14
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1965
4-15
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1966
4-16
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1966
4-17
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1966
4-18
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1966
4-19
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1966
4-20
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1966
4-21
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1966
4-22
Newspaper Clippings - Miscellaneous
4-23
Newspaper Clippings - People of Texas
4-24
Newspaper Clippings - Places in Texas
4-25
Newspaper Clippings - Written by Frank X. Tolbert
5-1
Texas Lore - Introduction and Buried Treasure Papers
5-2
Texas Lore - Cures, Remedies, Beliefs, and Legends
5-3
Texas Lore - Animal Tales,
The Ballad and Old-Timers
5-4
Texas Lore - Folkways,
Heroes and Badmen, and Wather Lore
5-5
Griffith, Joe S. -
Survival of Rites of Passage Concerning the Transitions from Boyhood to Manhood
5-6
Tree and Plant Folklore
5-7
Tree and Plant Folklore
5-8
Tree and Plant Folklore
5-9
Tree and Plant Folklore
5-10
Tree and Plant Folklore
5-11
Tree and Plant Folklore
5-12
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1965
5-13
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1965
5-14
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1965
5-15
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1965
5-16
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1965
5-17
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1965
5-18
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1965
5-19
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1965
5-20
Fieldnotes - Folk Medicine -
1965
5-21
Fieldnotes - Rural Folklore -
1963
5-22
Fieldnotes - Rural Folklore -
1963
5-23
Fieldnotes - Children's Lore -
1966
5-24
Fieldnotes - Games -
1964
5-25
Fieldnotes - Games -
1964
6-1
Fieldnotes - Games -
1964
6-2
Fieldnotes - Games -
1964
6-3
Fieldnotes - Games -
1964
6-4
Fieldnotes - Games -
1964
6-5
Fieldnotes - Games -
1964
6-6
Fieldnotes - Games -
1965
6-7
Fieldnotes - Games -
1965
6-8
Fieldnotes - Games -
1965
6-9
Fieldnotes - Miscellaneous
6-10
Fieldnotes - Miscellaneous
6-11
Fieldnotes - Miscellaneous
Series 3. Clippings,
1942-1964 and undated.
6-12
News Clippings - Places,
1953, 1955, 1956
6-13
News Clippings - Places -
1960
6-14
News Clippings - Places -
1961
6-15
News Clippings - Places -
1962
6-16
News Clippings - Places -
1963
6-17
News Clippings - Places -
1964
6-18
News Clippings - People -
1942, 1955, 1956, 1957
6-19
News Clippings - People -
1960, 1961
6-20
News Clippings - People -
1962
6-21
News Clippings - People -
1963
6-22
News Clippings - People -
1964
6-23
News Clippings - Folksongs -
1956, 1959, 1960, 1962
6-24
News Clippings - Folksongs -
1963
6-25
News Clippings - Folksongs -
1964
7-1
Document for sale of soap and list of cures for warts.
1964
7-2
News Clippings - Folk Medicine -
1960, 1961, 1962
7-3
News Clippings - Folk Medicine -
1963
7-4
News Clippings - Folk Medicine -
1964
7-5
News Clippings - Folk Medicine -
1965
7-6
News Clippings - Folk Games -
1962, 1963
7-7
News Clippings - Folklore Book Reviews -
1954, 1955, 1956, 1961, 1962
7-8
News Clippings - Folklore Book Reviews -
1963, 1964
7-9
News Clippings - Anthropology -
1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965
7-10
News Clippings - Superstitions -
1960, 1961, 1962
7-11
News Clippings - Superstitions -
1960, 1961, 1962
7-12
News Clippings - Magic -
1956, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964
7-13
News Clippings - Announcements of Folklore Meetings -
1956, 1957, 1961, 1962
7-14
News Clippings - Announcements of Folklore Meetings -
1963, 1964
7-15
News Clippings - Entymology -
1961, 1962, 1963, 1964
7-16
News Clippings - Miscellaneous -
1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961
7-17
News Clippings - Miscellaneous -
1962
7-18
News Clippings - Miscellaneous -
1963
7-19
News Clippings - Miscellaneous -
1964
7-20
News Clippings - Book and Movie Reviews -
1961, 1962
7-21
News Clippings - Book and Movie Reviews -
1963, 1964
Series 4. Miscellaneous Publications and
Correspondence,
1956-1962 and undated.
The Brazos Port Facts, Information on Rudolph Bertram,
Information on Ector County, Pamphlets on Wildlife, News Clippings,
Special Editions of the
Bellville Times, and
Texas Mohair Weekly,
(Billy Arlington Material.) North Carolina
Material, Correspondence of Dr. John Q. Anderson and Texas
Folklore Society and John A. Lomax Society
7-22
Folk Singer - Joan Boaz - Time,
1962
7-23
Lomax, Alan - The Adventure of Learning -
1960
7-24
Map of Guadelupe County and Other Information on Seguine and Col. Juan Seguine.
7-25
News Clippings - Places in Texas -
1960, 1961
8-1
The Brazosport Facts -
1960
8-2
Information on Rudolph Bertram
8-3
Information on Ector County
8-4
Pamphlets on Wildlife
8-5
Special Edition of the Bellville Times -
1956
8-6
Special Edition of the Texas Mohair Weekly -
1958
8-7
Special Edition of the Texas Mohair Weekly -
1958
8-8
Special Edition of the Texas Mohair Weekly -
1960
8-9
Billy Arlington Material - News Clippings
8-10
Billy Arlington Material - Copies of Skits
8-11
Billy Arlington Material - Tickets for comedies in which Billy Arlington appeared
8-12
Billy Arlington Material - Postcards to and from Billy Arlington
8-13
Billy Arlington Material - Programs for comedies in which Billy Arlington appeared
8-14
Billy Arlington Material -
Artist's copy Billy Arlington
contract
9-1
North Carolina Material - News Clippings
9-2
North Carolina Material - Pamphlets on Places in North Carolina
9-3
Seminar on Folklore given by Dr. John Q. Anderson
9-4
Information on The Texas Folklore Society and its meetings
9-5
Information on the John A. Lomax Folklore Society
9-6
Notes by Dr. John Q. Anderson
9-7
Correspondence of Dr. John Q. Anderson