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Preliminary Inventory of the Joseph John Spengler Papers, [ca. 1896]-1987

Collection Overview

Chiefly correspondence, printed material, critiques of publications, bibliographies, class notes, and other papers relating to his career, publications, and affiliation with different economics associations (26,378 items, 52.7 linear feet; dated 1928-1987). Some are photocopies of Spengler's correspondence with William Richard Allen. The collection also includes manuscripts of some of his works, information concerning Duke University's administrative policies and staff, reprints of published articles relating to his career, and a charcoal portrait. (1-9-87, 88-010, 93-180, 00-213) No container lists exist for these accessions.

Addition #93-294 (34,009 items, 59.1 linear feet; dated [ca. 1896]-[ca. 1976], bulk 1914-1960) contains primarily business and Spengler and Kress family correspondence, especially between Dot and Joe ([ca. 1919]-[ca. 1976]). Also includes manuscripts for Dot's genealogical novel, Family Saga in America ([ca. 1930s]) and Joe's work, Life in America; as well as Dot's journals and diaries (1924-1939, 1969). There are Christmas cards, postcards, and newspaper clippings; photographs of family and friends, including 2 tintypes, 32 cartes-de-visite, 1 color and 91 black-and-white prints, and 76 healthy nitrate negatives; and lace knitted by Dot's grandmother.

Also includes 6 photograph albums kept by Dot, two of which contain pictures taken by her with a brownie camera in and of Piqua, OH (1914-1919). The other albums contain photographs and memorabilia depicting Dot's life as a college student at Miami University, OH (1919-1921); and two showing views of the Spengler's homes, friends, and life in Tuscon, AZ, Tampa, FL (1930-1938), and Durham, NC and Duke University (1932-1940). The latter also records the 1938 Duke University faculty baseball team.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Joseph John Spengler Papers, [ca. 1896]-1987
Creator
Spengler, Joseph John, 1902-
Extent
111.8 Linear Feet, 60,387 Items
Repository
David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University
Location
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Language
English.

Series Quick Links

Administrative Information

Collections are on the move for the renovation of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Contact Rubenstein Library staff before visiting. Read More »

warning Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

However some of the materials are not immediately accessible, because they require further processing before use.

In addition, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

warning Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Contents of the Collection

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The documents in this accession were minimally processed in the order in which they were received.

Some of the materials in this accession are not immediately accessible because they require further processing before use.

Technical services staff may need to reformat newsprint and/or brittle paper in boxes 1-8, 11-15, 20, 24-32, 35-38, 40-41, 48-50, 75, and 82 before use. Technical services staff may need to process materials in envelopes in boxes 1-2, 4-6, 11-14, 16-22, 24-25, 27-29, 32-34, 38-53, 56-69, 71-84, and 86-88 before use. Technical services staff may need to remove rusty fasteners in boxes 2-8, 10, 14, 32-35, 39-41, 44, 48-50, 55-56, 58, 60, 70-71, 84-85, and 91 before use.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library to use this collection.

Business Correspondence, 1938-1941
Box 1
Business Correspondence, 1941-1942, undated
Box 2
Economic Fallacies
Box 2
Text Correspondence
Box 2
Business Correspondence, 1943-1945
Box 3
Articles
Box 3
[unlabeled]
Box 3
Personal and Business
Box 4
Miscellaneous
Box 4
[loose papers]
Box 4
Business Correspondence, 1948-1949
Box 5
South Africa Trip, 1968 July
Box 5
Personal Interest
Box 6
Important Pre-1940
Box 6
Daily Reminder Book
Box 6
[loose papers]
Box 6
Manuscript of book by Dot Spengler, Family Saga in America,1939
Box 7

Attention: Contains inactive mold and mildew.

Correspondence in Journal, 1939-1940
Box 8
Family Saga in America
Box 8

Attention: Contains inactive mold and mildew.

Family Saga in America, rewrites and copies
Box 9
Family Saga in America, rewrites and copies
Box 10
Family Saga in America, copies
Box 11
Correspondence From Margaret Blomquist to Spenglers, [1970s-1980s]
Box 11
Blomquist Correspondence, continued
Box 12
Life in America, by Joseph Spengler
Box 12
Correspondence from Dot Spengler to Joseph Spengler, 1928
Box 12
General and Personal Correspondence, 1929
Box 12
Notebook with newspaper clippings
Box 13
General and Personal Correspondence, 1927-1934
Box 13
[loose materials]
Box 13
General and Personal Correspondence
Box 14
Correspondence from Dot Spengler to Joseph Spengler, 1928
Box 14
Short Trip, 1957-1959
Box 14
Short Trips, continued
Box 15
Correspondence between Dot and Joseph Spengler, 1924-1925
Box 16
Correspondence between Dot and Joseph Spengler, continued
Box 17
Correspondence from G. Long to Dot Spengler, 1937
Box 17

Attention: Deteriorated and unremovable rubber bands.

Between Dot and Joseph Spengler, 1925 and 1942
Box 18
To Dot Spengler, 1939
Box 18
To Dot and Joseph Spengler
Box 18
Miscellaneous
Box 18
Tax, bank, and insurance statements
Box 18

Attention: Contains graphic materials.

From Joseph Spengler to Dot Spengler, 1942
Box 19
Miscellaneous
Box 19
Pictures of Joe's Home
Box 19
Between Dot Kress and Joseph Spengler, 1924-1925
Box 20
To Spenglers, 1938-1939
Box 20
Miscellaneous
Box 20
Bank Book
Box 20
From Joseph Spengler to Dot Kress, 1924
Box 21
From Dot Kress to Joseph Spengler, 1926
Box 21
Miscellaneous
Box 21
From Dot Kress to Joseph Spengler, 1926
Box 22
From Joseph Spengler to Dot Kress, 1925
Box 22
Miscellaneous
Box 22

Attention: Contains graphic material.

From Joseph Spengler to Dot Kress, 1924-1927
Box 23
From H. Kress to Dot Spengler, 1930-1933
Box 23
From Dot Kress to Joseph Spengler, 1925
Box 23
Personal, [1960s]
Box 23
Personal Correspondence, 1959-1960 and [1960s-1970s]
Box 24
Personal Correspondence, 1960-1961
Box 25
Newspaper Clippings
Box 25
Magazine Article on Israel, 1960
Box 25
Dot's Keepsakes, 1950-1951
Box 25

Attention: Contains graphic material.

Dot's Log and Letters
Box 26
Memos on and of Joe
Box 26
Dot's Keepsakes
Box 26
Funeral Register for Georgia Long, 1946
Box 26
Newspaper Clippings
Box 27
Miscellaneous Correspondence
Box 27
[loose material]
Box 27
Correspondence to and from Joe, 1969
Box 27
Joe's Official Biography and Bibliography
Box 27
Joe's Correspondence, 1963
Box 27
To President Knight
Box 27

Attention: Contains graphic material.

[loose material]
Box 28
Correspondence
Box 28
Newspaper Clippings
Box 28
Speeches
Box 28
Newspaper Clippings
Box 29
Business Material and Correspondence, [1950s-1980s]
Box 29
Labeled folders containing Business related papers, [1960s-1970]
Box 30
[loose material]
Box 30
Diaries of Dot Spengler, 1970-1973
Box 31
Birthday book while at Miami University, 1924
Box 32
Journals, 1930-1931, 1937-1938, and 1938-1939
Box 32
List of books read with descriptions
Box 32
Address Book
Box 32
Correspondence from Dick Harvill to Spenglers, 1968-1972
Box 32
From Joseph Spengler to Dot Spengler, 1928
Box 33
From Dick Harvill, 1975-1976
Box 33
From Dot Kress to Joseph Spengler, 1925
Box 33
Bills, receipts, and contracts
Box 33
Miscellaneous letters to Spenglers
Box 34
Professional
Box 34
From Dot Kress to Joseph Spengler, 1925
Box 34

Attention: Contains graphic materials

Farewell Book from Mary Craig to Joseph Spengler
Box 35
Newspaper clippings and photocopies
Box 35
[loose papers]
Box 35
Pictures of Joseph Spengler
Box 35

[Folder moved to Legal-size Box 86.]

Foldered personal and business materials including newspaper clippings and correspondence [1970s-1980s]
Box 36

[Folder moved to Legal-size Box 86.]

Foldered materials continued
Box 37

Attention: Contains graphic materials.

Family Correspondence, 1944-1950

Includes clippings as well as correspondence, mainly between Dot and Joseph Spengler.

Box 38
Family Correspondence, continued
Box 39
Foldered business and economic material
Box 39
Foldered business and economic material, continued
Box 40
Personal Correspondence between Dot and Joseph Spengler, 1959-1960
Box 40
Personal Correspondence, continued, 1940s-1970s
Box 41
Personal Correspondence, continued
Box 42
Personal Correspondence, continued
Box 43
Dot's Diary, 1969
Box 43
Journal
Box 43
Correspondence between Dot Spengler and Ollie Kress, [Dot's mother], [1960s]
Box 44
Correspondence between Spengler and Kress, continued
Box 45
Correspondence between Spengler and Kress, continued
Box 46
Personal Correspondence, 1972-1976
Box 47

Attention: Contains graphic materials.

Personal Correspondence, continued
Box 48
Joe's Recollections of Life
Box 48
Professional and economic papers
Box 48
Manuscripts and magazines belonging to Dot Spengler, early [1900s]
Box 48
Photographs of the Spenglers taken at various times
Box 48
Manuscripts and magazines, continued
Box 49
Correspondence between Dot Spengler and Ollie Kress, 1968-1972
Box 49
Correspondence between Spengler and Kress, continued
Box 50
Dot's Christmas Cards, [1950s-1970s]
Box 50
Dot's Christmas Cards, continued
Box 51
Correspondence concerning Carol Kress Spence, [1950s-1970s]
Box 51
Spence correspondence, continued
Box 52
Spence correspondence, continued
Box 53
Spence correspondence, continued
Box 54
Life in America by Joseph Spengler
Box 55
Labeled folders
Box 55
Diary entries by Dot Spengler, 1924-1927
Box 55
Dot's Manuscript
Box 56
Correspondence, 1919-1920
Box 56
Correspondence, continued
Box 57
Western Trip Correspondence, 1919
Box 57
Miscellaneous Correspondence
Box 57
Correspondence from Joseph Spengler to Dot Kress, Summer 1927
Box 58
Receipts, 1923
Box 58
Journal and date book
Box 58
Miscellaneous material
Box 58
Correspondence from Dot Kress to Joseph Spengler, 1923
Box 59
Miscellaneous material
Box 59
Correspondence, 1932
Box 59

Attention: Contains graphic materials.

Newspaper clippings
Box 60
Professional correspondence and articles
Box 60
Family Saga in America Part IV, 1907-1927
Box 60
Correspondence from Joseph Spengler to Dot Kress, 1923
Box 60
Pictures of unidentified boy and mother with son and daughter, 1909
Box 60
Kid Letters, 1903-1917
Box 61
Miscellaneous
Box 61
Fall 1921
Box 62
Miscellaneous
Box 62
Miscellaneous
Box 63
Fall 1922
Box 63
1936
Box 63
1938
Box 64
1934
Box 64
1941-1942
Box 64
Fall 1939
Box 65
Miscellaneous
Box 65
1940
Box 65
Fall 1935-1936
Box 65
1934
Box 66
Summer 1935
Box 66
Miscellaneous
Box 66
1942
Box 66
1941
Box 67
Fall 1940
Box 67
1938
Box 67
Fall/Winter 1935-1936
Box 67
1942
Box 67
1940-1942
Box 67
1935
Box 68
1938
Box 68
Miscellaneous
Box 68
Miscellaneous
Box 69
1935-1936
Box 69
New Version Part I
Box 69
New Version, continued, Parts II, III, and IV
Box 70
Old Version Parts I and II
Box 70
Old Version, continued, Parts I, II, III, and IV
Box 71
Miscellaneous Papers
Box 71
Correspondence from friends, 1935-1936
Box 71
From folks, 1940
Box 72
From family, 1937
Box 72
From Mom, 1941
Box 72
Last Version Parts I, II, III, and IV
Box 72
Dot's Notebook, 1930
Box 72
Journal and notebook
Box 73
Correspondence, 1920-1921
Box 73
1920-1921
Box 74
1933
Box 74
1928
Box 74
1929
Box 74
Miscellaneous
Box 74
Journal and date book
Box 74
1929
Box 75
1935-1937
Box 75
1925
Box 75
1924
Box 75
1927
Box 75
1924-1927
Box 76
1924
Box 76
1922
Box 76
1921-1922
Box 76
Small journals
Box 77
1925
Box 77
1926
Box 77
1932-1933
Box 77
Fall 1924
Box 77
1925
Box 78
1927-1928
Box 78
1923
Box 78
1924
Box 79
1927
Box 79
1924
Box 80
Fall 1928
Box 80
1926
Box 80
Miscellaneous papers, [ca. 1933]
Box 80
1933
Box 81
1926
Box 81
1928-1929
Box 81
1932-1933
Box 81
1925
Box 81
[loose papers]
Box 81
From friends, 1935
Box 82
From family, 1937
Box 82
From Dot to Folks, 1935
Box 82
[loose]
Box 83
From family, 1938
Box 83
Joe's Correspondence, 1936-1940
Box 83
From Joseph Spengler to Kresses, 1933-1934
Box 83
From Dot to Family, 1934-1935
Box 84
1937
Box 84
From friends, 1939
Box 84

Attention: Needs to be reorganized and refoldered.

Academic and economic papers

[Removed from boxes 36-37.]

Box 85
Novel Miscellaney, 1939
Box 86
Correspondence, 1934-1940

[Letters were originally rubberbanded together into piles. These piles have been transferred to folders.]

Box 86
Correspondence, friends, family, and business, 1936-1941

[Letters were originally rubberbanded together into piles. These piles have been transferred to folders.]

Box 87
Correspondence, friends, family, and business, 1936-1940

[Letters were originally rubberbanded together into piles. These piles have been transferred to folders.]

Box 88
[Receipts, including for house repair/building]
Box 88
Third Best Copy [of Dot's novel], Part III
Box 88
Third Best Copy [of Dot's novel], Part II
Box 89
[From inside box labeled:] Longhand manuscript
Box 89
Dot's Rewrites, Summer 1939
Box 89

Attention: Contains graphic materials.

Dot's Rewrites, Summer 1939, continued
Box 90
Original copy-Novel Part I
Box 90
1937 [Novel] Parts I-IV minus revisions and minus [perfect] pages
Box 90
Loose newspapers, postcards, and photographs removed from 1930-1931 photograph album in box 94

Seven loose, healthy nitrate sheet negatives removed to box 98.

Box 90
Loose photographs removed from 1919-1921 Stunt Book in box 93

69 loose, healthy nitrate sheet negatives removed to box 98.

Box 90

Attention: Contains graphic materials.

Dot's Reunions
Box 91
Photographs of [primarily Kress] family and friends, including black-and-white prints, tintypes, and cartes-de-visite
Box 91

Attention: Contains graphic materials.

Two photograph albums containing prints taken by Dot Kress in Piqua, OH, with her brownie camera, [ca. 1914-1918]
Box 92

Attention: Contains graphic materials.

Stunt Book scrapbook containing photographs and memorabilia created by Dot Kress in college at Miami University, OH, 1919-1921

Loose photographs removed to box 90 and 69 loose, healthy, nitrate sheet negatives to box 98.

Box 93

Attention: Contains graphic materials.

Photograph album reflecting Joe and Dot Spengler's life in Tuscon, AZ, and Tampa, FL, 1930-1931

Loose photographs, newspaper, and postcards removed to box 90. Seven loose, healthy nitrate sheet negatives removed to box 98.

Box 94

Attention: Contains graphic materials.

Photograph album showing the construction and development of Joe and Dot's home and garden in Durham, NC, 1939-1941
Box 95

Attention: Contains graphic materials.

Photograph album depicting Joe and Dot's life in Tuscon, AZ (University of Arizona), Tampa, FL, and Durham, NC (Duke University), 1932-1938

Includes photographs of the Duke University faculty baseball team, 1938 and views of the University and Durham, 1938.

Box 96
Photographs and information from Joe's retirement dinner, 1972
Box 96
Cover of box in which scrapbook and photograph albums were originally stored; contains notes by Dot
Box 96
Lace knitted by Grandmother Kress
Box 97

Attention: Contains graphic materials.

76 healthy nitrate sheet negatives.

Removed from folders of loose material (housed in box 90) found in photograph albums in boxes 93 and 94.

Box 98

Historical Note

Professor of economics at Duke University, 1934-1979. Spengler married Dorothy "Dot" Kress in 1927. He died in 1991.

Subject Headings

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Joseph John Spengler Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Provenance

The Joseph John Spengler Papers was received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library as a gift in 1987-2000.

Processing Information

Processed by Ann G. Langford; other Rubenstein Library staff

Completed April 25, 2002

Encoded by Ann G. Langford; Ruth E. Bryan

This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.

This collection is unprocessed: materials may not have been ordered and described beyond their original condition.