Inventory of the John Q. Anderson Papers:

1953-1966

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.

Restrictions

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.

Separated Material

Administrative Information

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