Professor and author Dorothy Schons was born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1890 and died in 1961 in Austin, Texas. On the faculty of The University of Texas at Austin from 1919 to 1960, Dr. Schons became Assistant Professor of Romance Languages at UT in 1927 and Associate Professor in 1943. She authored six books and approximately 50 articles in the field of Spanish and Spanish-American literature, and served on the boards of several periodicals. She was awarded the Diploma de Honor by the Academia Mexicana in 1939 and was elected corresponding member of the Ateneo of Madrid in 1949.
The Dorothy Schons Papers were organized into four series by the staff of the Mexican Archives Project, which completed the processing of the collection in June 1994. The series are:
Literary productions, correspondence, and a few audiovisual materials relating primarily to Schons’ publishing and teaching activities. Correspondence is largely from Mexican authors Ermilo Abreu Gómez, José de J. Nuñez y Domínguez, Luis González Obregón, and Rafael Heliodoro Valle. Topics are Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Latin American literature, Juan Ruíz de Alarcón y Mendoza, religious drama, history of playing cards and the ballad, "The Deck of Cards," and historiography of the New World. The papers contain research notes on most of these topics and on Francisco Aguiar y Seyxas, as well as notebooks, arranged by source, compiled by Schons on visits to libraries and archives in Spain, Great Britain, Guatemala, and Mexico.
Items relating to Sor Juana include the "Libro de professiones" of the convent of San Gerónimo (1586-1713), as well as manuscripts, lists, excerpts of publications, and images of Sor Juana. Among items about Latin American literature are an anthology of translations, and materials on the short story in Spanish-speaking countries. Documents on Juan Ruíz de Alarcón y Mendoza consist of articles published by Schons and photostats from the Archivo General de Indias. Notes on aspects of Spanish-language religious drama, excerpts from plays, and a published article form the materials on religious drama. Items on the history of playing cards include research notes, song texts, sheet music, two phonodiscs, and a few letters. Drafts and notes comprise the materials on New World historiography. Works by other authors include an anthology of translations by Emily Schons, Dorothy’s sister, and an 18th-century copy of Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora’s "Piedad de don Fernando Cortés."
The series "Personal" contains a list of books given by Schons to the University of Texas libraries and an honorary diploma from the Academia Mexicana.
The "Libro de professiones" including the signature of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz may not be accessed by the public due to preservation concerns. A photographic reproduction of Sor Juana's signature is available instead. Otherwise unrestricted.
Standard copyright restrictions apply.
Cite as: Dorothy Schons Papers, Benson Latin American Collection, University of Texas Libraries, the University of Texas at Austin.
The Dorothy Schons Papers are classified under the following
Materials relating to Schons' research and teaching activities.
The "Libro de professiones" featuring Sor Juana's vows and signature is closed to the general public due to the fragile nature of the document and the writing medium. A color photographic copy of the document is available in folder 1.7.