Professor John Q. Anderson was born in Wheeler County, Texas May 30, 1916. He received his A.B. from Oklahoma State University in 1939, the M.A. from Louisiana State University in 1948, and the Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina in 1952. His World War II tour of duty included time spent in England, France, and Germany.
Professor Anderson held teaching positions at the University of Texas, University of North Carolina, and McNeese State College before his 1953 appointment as Instructor at Texas A & M University, where he was Assistant Professor, 1954-1956; Associate Professor, 1956-1959; Professor, 1959-1962; and Department Head, 1962-1966. In 1966 he became Professor of American literature at the University of Houston and went on disability leave May 13, 1974.
Active in professional and learned societies, he was president of the Texas Folklore Society and the American Studies Association of Texas, which named him its first Distinguished Fellow in Houston on November 16, 1974.
Professor Anderson was author of more than 70 articles and books. Some of his books included Brokenburn: The Journal of Kate Stone, 1861-1868 (1955) A Texas Surgeon in the C.S.A. (1957), Louisiana Swamp Doctor: The Life and Writings of Henry Clay Lewis (1962), Tales of Frontier Texas (1966), John C. Duval, First Texas Man of Letters (1967), With the Bark On: Popular Humor of the Old South (1967), Campaigning with Parsons' Texas Cavalry Brigade, C.S.A. (1967), Texas Folk Medicine (1970), and The Liberating Gods: Emerson on Poets and Poetry (1971).
Dr. John Q. Anderson, Professor Emeritus of English, died February 19, 1975, following a long illness.
The Professor John Q. Anderson Papers contain extensive materials including letters from former students, a diary, transcripts and other materials relating to American folk beliefs, medicine, and folksongs along with newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, notes and many other items.
Forms part of the University Archives.
This Collection is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
Open for research.
Special Collections owns the physical items in our collections, but copyright normally belongs to the creator of the materials or their heirs. The researcher has full responsibility for determining copyright status, locating copyright holders, and abiding by current copyright laws when publishing or displaying copies of Special Collections material in print or electronic form. For more information, consult the appropriate librarian.
The Professor John Q. Anderson Papers, Courtesy of Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries
This series contains 24 folders and is divided into 2 sub-series: Personal and Family Background, and Family Scrapbooks. The Family Scrapbooks contain a variety of material kept by Professor Anderson and include family photographs, newspaper clippings and programs and are arranged chronologically. For additional personal items, please see boxes; 15, 16, 17, and 18.
This series contains 88 folders and is divided into Personal and Professional Correspondence, arranged chronologically. Personal Correspondence contains 61 folders and is sub-divided into three sub-series; Correspondence from Loraine Epps, (his future wife), Correspondence During Illness and After Death, and Personal Correspondence. Unfortunately, letters written by Professor Anderson to Miss Epps were lost. Professional Correspondence contains 27 folders and is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
This series contains 31 folders and is arranged alphabetically by folder title. Items of special interest to the researcher would include files marked Biographical Information.
These 55 folders contain newspaper articles of interest to Professor Anderson and are arranged alphabetically by folder title and cover a wide variety of topics including, but not limited to, Buried Treasure, Fold Medicine, Outlaws, and Superstitions, among many others. The folders marked Miscellaneous contain newspaper articles on a wide range of subjects.
This series contains files related to books written or edited by Professor Anderson. The materials are arranged alphabetically by title of work. Some files contain more comprehensive records of the final work than others do. These files include, but are not limited to, drafts, galley proofs, correspondence, page proofs, research notes, and various versions of the final work. The titles included in this series concern 11 works by Professor Anderson and include: Campaigning with Parson's Texas Calvary, John C. Duval, First Texas Man of Letters, Early American Humor, The Liberating Gods, Louisiana Folklore, Medicine and Disease, Tales of Early Texas, Texas Folk Medicine, Texas Surgeon in the CSA, and With the Bark On.
For further materials related to The Liberating Gods, please see oversized Boxes 18, and 19.
This series contains 51 folders related to classes taught by Professor Anderson. The materials include course notes, newspaper articles, cartoons, and songs, related to various topics of interest to Professor Anderson. This series came as a distinct group and the original order and folder titles were maintained.
This series consists of reprints of articles published by Professor Anderson. It contains 23 folders, arranged alphabetically by title.
This series contains 22 folders of notes, ideas, research materials, and partially written pieces found in the Collection.
This series contains 5 folders. Each folder is titled by the name of the work which was under review. Included are published newspaper articles, correspondence, and other related materials.
Southwestern American Literature Association. The purpose of the organization was to "promote the study of literature and culture of Southwestern United States." The Association contracted for the 1972 publication; A Bibliographical Guide to the Study of Southwestern Literature. Professor Anderson served as the first Chairman of the organization.