Preliminary
Inventory of the Richard A. Preston Papers,
ca. 1745 - 1987 (bulk
1956-1987)
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Descriptive Summary
Title
Richard
A. Preston Papers,
ca. 1745 - 1987 (bulk
1956-1987)
Creator
Preston, Richard
Arthur.
Extent
36.0 Linear Feet,
36000
Items
Repository
University Archives, Duke
University
Abstract
Richard Arthur Preston (b. 1910), a
leading British Commonwealth scholar, was appointed the
William K. Boyd Professor of History at Duke University in
1965. Major subjects of the collection include Canadian
history, especially military history; the Department of
History; and the Canadian Studies program at Duke.
Materials include correspondence, reports, course syllabi,
printed matter, manuscripts, clippings, photographs, and
other papers.
Language
English.
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Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Patrons must sign the Acknowledgement of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
For a period of twenty-five years from the
origin of the material, permission in writing from the
office of origin and the University Archivist is required
for use. After twenty-five years, records that have been
processed may be consulted with the permission of the
University Archivist.
In accordance with the Family Education Rights
and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended, Duke University permits
students to inspect their education records and limits the
disclosure of personally identifiable information from
education records.
Records, such as search committee files or
others pertaining to employment where individuals are
identified, are closed for 70 years.
Portions of these materials are restricted by
donor request.
In off-site storage; 24 hours advance notice is
required for use.
Use Restrictions
Copyright for Official University records is
held by Duke University; all other copyright is retained by
the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants,
as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Richard A. Preston
Papers, University Archives, Duke University.
Provenance
The Richard A. Preston Papers was received by
the University Archives as a transfer in 1980 (A80-225),
1981 (A81-60), 1983 (A83-96), 1985 (A85-65), and 1988
(A88-0048).
Processing Information
Processed by Linda Daniel
Completed March, 2004
This collection is partially processed: materials may not have been ordered and described beyond their original condition.
Brittle newspaper clippings will need to be
processed before use. Please consult University Archives
staff.
De-accessioned: Photocopies of two maps from Box
14; 30 transparencies detailing troop movements at
Gettysburg and 16 transparencies of troop movements at
Chancellorsville from Box 15.
Encoded by Linda Daniel, March 2004
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
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Biographical Note
Born in 1910, in Middlesbrough, England, Preston
was educated at the University of Leeds (B.A., 1931; M.A.,
1932; diploma in education, 1933) and Yale University
(Ph.D, 1936). Preston was appointed lecturer at the
University of Toronto (1936); Assistant Lecturer at the
University College, Cardiff (1938-1940); a member of the
Royal Air Force (1940-1945), Assistant Professor at the
University of Toronto (1945), Professor of History in the
Royal Military College of Canada (1948-1965), and the
William K. Boyd Professor of History at Duke University
(1965-1980). Preston was the director of the Canadian
Studies Program at Duke University (1973-1979).
Preston was a prolific writer of scholarly
articles and books. His works include:
Gorges of Plymouth Fort:
A Life of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, Captain of Plymouth Fort,
Governor of New England, and Lord of the Province of
Maine, University of Toronto Press, 1953;
Kingston before the War
of 1812, Champlain Society, 1958;
Canada in World Affairs,
1959-61, Oxford University Press, 1965;
Canada and the
"Imperial Defense"
: A Study of
the Origins of the British Commonwealth's Defense
Organization, 1867-1919, Duke University Press,
1967.
Canada's RMC: A History
of the Royal Military College, University of
Toronto Press, 1969, new edition, 1984;
The Defence of the
Undefended Border: Planning for War in North America,
1867-1939, McGill-Queen's University Press,
1977;
The Squat Pyramid:
Canadian Studies in the United States, Center for
International Studies, Duke University, 1980;
Perspectives in the
History of Military Education and Professionalism,
U.S. Air Force Academy, 1980
To Serve Canada: A
History of the Royal Military College Since the Second
World War, University of Ottawa Press (Ottawa,
Canada), 1991.
Preston received a number of awards during his
career. He received the Commonwealth Fund fellowship
(1933-36); Nuffield summer travel award (1954); Duke
University summer research scholarship (1957); City of
Kingston Achievement Award (1957) for his television series
and publications on the history of Kingston; Canada Council
senior fellowship (1963-64); Social Science Research
Council grant (1963); Canada Confederation Medal (1967);
Guggenheim fellowship (1971-72); Donner Memorial Medal
(1975) for promotion of Canadian studies in the United
States; LL.D., Royal Military College of Canada (1977); and
the Northern Telecom Gold Medal (1983) for the promotion of
Canadian studies. Preston was named honorary professor of
history, Royal Military College of Canada (1973).
Preston married Marjorie Ethel Fishwick in 1939,
and had three children.
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Collection Overview
Collection includes correspondence, reports,
course syllabi, printed matter, drafts, research notes,
manuscripts, lectures, photographs, clippings, maps, and
other papers.
The arrangement of the collection is by accession
dates. These additions follow the order given in the
collection file and are not presented in chronological
order.
The
1981 Additions (A81-60)
include extensive correspondence, numerous drafts and
published articles and reviews, photocopies of primary
sources, some research notes, and administrative papers
dealing with the Duke University History Dept. The chief
subjects include Canadian military affairs, general
military history, military education, and Canadian Studies
as a historical subdiscipline. There is a folder list for
this addition that is part of the collection file.
The
1980 Additions includes
printed material, correspondence, studies, reports,
articles, drafts, proofs, outlines, lectures, syllabi,
clippings, photos, maps, and other papers. Major subjects
include Canadian history, especially military history and
current military and defense concerns. The first major
portion of this Addition is made up of correspondence about
Preston's own research and writings of other scholars.
Other materials include Preston's research notes;
photocopies and typed copies of historical documents; and
guides to historical collections. There are also
administrative files about the History Dept. at Duke, and
the Canadian Studies Program. There is a small amount of
material about the alumni of the Royal Military College in
Canada, where Preston taught for a number of years. The
second major portion of this Addition focuses on various
aspects of modern Canadian defense and external security,
Canada and NATO, relations with the British Commonwealth,
and Canadian domestic affairs.
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Subject Headings
These and related materials may be accessed under
the following subject headings in the Duke University
Libraries online catalog.
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Related Material
Canadian Studies Center Records.
University Archives, Duke University.
Commonwealth Studies Center Records.
University Archives, Duke University.
History Department
Records.
University Archives, Duke University.
Stevenson Canadiana.
Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special
Collections Library, Duke University.
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Preliminary Description of the
Collection
1981 Additions (A81-60),
ca.
1745-1980
Includes extensive correspondence, numerous
drafts and published articles and reviews, photocopies of
primary sources, some research notes, and administrative
papers dealing with the Duke University History Dept. The
chief subjects include Canadian military affairs, general
military history, military education, and Canadian Studies
as a historical subdiscipline.
There is a folder list for the 1981 addition
that is part of the collection file. Please consult
University Archives staff.
Box 1
Duke University: General
Administrative,1948-1980
Contains materials on appointments,
commonwealth studies, university policies, graduate
students, the History Department, letters of
recommendation, the military history program at Duke, oral
examinations, retirement, Shell fellowships, testimonials,
the University Centers for Rational Alternatives, visitors,
and grant proposals.
There are a small number of letters in the
folder entitled
"Testimonials"
that are dated before 1965 and would pre-date Preston's
arrival at Duke University.
Some material in this box is RESTRICTED.
Please consult University Archives staff.
Box 2
Organizations,
1951-1973
Includes correspondence, newsletters,
brochures, and printed material from historical societies
and other organizations to which Preston belonged.
Box 3
Canadian Studies,
1965-1980
Includes materials on conferences, seminars,
lectures, proposals, reports, syllabi, and other printed
material about the Duke Canadian Studies program and other
non-Duke programs.
Lectures, Panels, Symposia,
Seminars, and Conferences,
1960-1979
Includes printed material, speeches,
correspondence, and brochures.
Box 4
Correspondence,
1951-1980
Non-Student Correspondence, A --
Z,
1951-1980
Correspondence is arranged alphabetically
by last name.
Student Correspondence,
1965-1980
Correspondence is arranged alphabetically
by last name.
Some material in these boxes is
RESTRICTED: Student Records. Please consult University
Archives staff.
A -- Dendy
Box 5
Dennis -- Wright
Publications Correspondence
Includes correspondence concerning
Preston's ideas, drafts, and printed material used to write
speeches and articles for publication. Correspondence is
arranged alphabetically by title of publication or by
topic. Some folders include manuscripts.
Box 6
1936-1980
Box 7-8
1948-1979
Box 9
Reviews, Enquiries, Lectures,
Research Notes, and Printed Material,
1948-1980
Includes reviews by Preston or written about
Preston's work (1961-1980), historical enquiries
(1956-1976), lectures (1952-1979), research notes and
printed material (1948-1976).
Box 10
Primary Sources,
ca. 1745-ca.
1930
Includes research notes, reports,
photocopies, indices, lists, bibliographies, articles,
maps, manuscripts, and correspondence (ca. 1964-1976).
Box 11
War of 1812,
1963-1975
Preston researched the War of 1812, with the
thought of writing a book on this topic for the
Macmillan Wars of the
United States series. Includes two boxes of
notecards detailing Preston's bibliographical references,
drafts, photocopies, correspondence, and contract.
Box 12
Writings,
1937-1971
Includes drafts of papers, articles, and
reviews written by Preston. Some are unpublished.
Box 13
Military Education,
1949-1977
Includes brochures, training manuals,
correspondence, research notes, reports and meeting
agendas.
Box 14
Military History,
1945-1973
Includes notes, maps, course outlines,
lectures, and printed material about Gettysburg,
Chancellorsville, the U.S. Civil War, the Battle of El
Alamein, and other battles and aspects of military history.
Box 15
Research Material
Includes printed material, maps, photograph
of the Royal Military College, correspondence, and other
materials.
1980 Additions (A80-225),
1886-1979 (bulk
1956-1979)
Includes printed material, correspondence,
studies, reports, articles, drafts, proofs, outlines,
lectures, syllabi, clippings, photos, maps, and other
papers. Major subjects include Canadian history, especially
military history and current military and defense concerns.
The first major portion of this Addition is made up of
correspondence about Preston's own research and writings of
other scholars. Other materials include Preston's research
notes; photocopies and typed copies of historical
documents; and guides to historical collections. There are
also administrative files about the History Dept. at Duke,
and the Canadian Studies Program. There is a small amount
of material about the alumni of the Royal Military College
in Canada, where Preston taught for a number of years. The
second major portion of this Addition focuses on various
aspects of modern Canadian defense and external security,
Canada and NATO, relations with the British Commonwealth,
and Canadian domestic affairs.
Of special interest is a file containing
clippings and correspondence about an anti-American article
which appeared in a Canadian newspaper.
Box 16
Defense of the Commonwealth
Includes scholarly papers, reports,
correspondence, news articles, notes, and government
publications.
Box 17
Speech and Lecture Files
Includes notes, manuscripts, photographs,
correspondence, clippings, and reports on a wide variety of
topics that concern Canadian military history, politics,
nationalism, Sir Ferdinando Gorges, and others. Of special
interest is a file containing clippings and correspondence
about an anti-American article which appeared in a Canadian
newspaper.
Box 18
Duke University
History Department
Includes notes and course syllabi for
courses taught by Preston.
Visiting Speakers
Includes information about individual
speakers invited by Preston to speak on campus.
Workshops and Seminars
Summer Correspondence,
1976-1978
Box 19
Conferences, Meeting, and Symposium
Files
Printed Material and Correspondence
Includes correspondence, newsletters, notes,
scholarly papers, articles from the
Army Quarterly
and the
Canadian Defense
Quarterly, and copies of maps.
This group of material was placed in six
folders.
1985 Additions (A85-65)
Box 20
Sabbatical Projects and Travels,
ca. 1975-ca.
1985
Includes mostly papers on Preston's
sabbatical projects and travels for a study of the
teachings of Canadian history in U.S. schools. Also
includes grant applications, reviews, and evaluations.
The folder on
Kessinger is RESTRICTED:
Personnel records.
Canada and Canadian Studies,
ca.
1975-1985
Includes mostly Canada-related
correspondence, Canadian Studies at Duke, and Canadian
Studies in the U.S. Contains one folder on the speaker,
Frances Halpenny, who spoke at the 1985 Friends of the
Library dinner.
Canadian Military,
ca. 1956-ca.
1980s
Includes mostly correspondence and drafts of
articles concerning Canadian military history and modern
defense matters.
1988 Additions (A88-0048)
Canada and Canadian Studies
Includes correspondence, reprints, notes,
forms, and other printed material concerning the Canadian
Studies program at Duke and at other schools.
Duke University
Includes correspondence about faculty
appointments and copies of the
"Duke University
Letters,"
1981-1982, a publication issued
from the Office of the President.
1983 Additions (A83-96)
Box 22
Administrative Papers,
1936-1980
Includes correspondence and printed material
about appointments at Duke, grant and job applications, job
offers, sabbaticals, salary, and retirement.
Some of this material is RESTRICTED.
Please consult University Archives staff.
Canadian Studies,
1976-1983
Includes correspondence and printed matter
about workshops and conferences; Duke Canadian and Quebec
Studies; materials for Canadian Studies in the U.S.; the
N.C. Social Studies Council; and President Carter's
Commission on Foreign Language and International
Studies.
Box 23
"The Squat
Pyramid,"
1970-1982
Contains survey materials on Canadian
studies in the U.S. published as
"The Squat
Pyramid,"
in 1980, by the Center for International
Studies at Duke. Includes correspondence, itineraries,
schedules, questionnaires, notes, and evaluations
concerning visits to college campuses to survey Canadian
Studies programs in the U.S., and copies of Canadian
Embassy files on a Canadian Studies survey conducted in the
U.S. in 1976.
