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[Identification of item], Curtis Carroll Davis scrapbook, University Archives, Duke University.
The Curtis Carroll Davis scrapbook was received by the University Archives as a gift in 1986.
Processed by Jessica Wood, August 2006
Encoded by Kimberly Sims, December 2006
Accession A86-32 is described in this finding aid.
Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory:
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
Originally from Baltimore, MD, Curtis Carroll Davis received his A.B. from Yale University in 1938 and his M.A. from Columbia University in 1939. He enrolled in Duke's graduate English program in 1939 and wrote a dissertation on the Virginia novelist, William Alexander Caruthers. He received his Ph.D. in 1947. Davis led an active social life while at Duke, attending numerous concerts and dances, and also served as president of the English Graduate Club. Additionally, he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1942-1946.
Following his graduation from Duke, Carroll worked as desk chief for the CIA, was a member of the directorate of the Star Spangled Banner Flag Home Association, and was also a prolific writer. His most famous works include the biographies,
Contains correspondence, clippings of current local and world news (including World War II), Duke athletics programs, clippings related to inspirational celebrities, holiday cards, telegrams, invitations to dances at Duke, programs from events in Durham, Philadelphia, Baltimore and New Haven, CT.
Davis originally included these items in a 28-page scrapbook, which was unbound for preservation. Pages are extremely brittle, and many items taped into the book had come loose, due to the decayed state of the tape. As a result, the scrapbook pages were placed in folders and loose items in envelopes, for preservation. Additionally, since the pages had been slightly bent to fit into its original box, the book was moved into a larger box. Most of the photographs were taped to the pages. While the tape is disbanding from the pages, it remains on the photographs.
These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will bring up other related research materials.
This scrapbook contains correspondence, photographs of picnics with Duke acquaintances, news clippings, wedding invitations and other memorabilia from 1939-1942. Many of the cards and letters are from Davis's parents.