Inventory of the John L. Lievsay Papers, 1937 - 1989

Abstract

John L. Lievsay was an educator, author, and noted authority on Italian Renaissance literature. He was a Professor Emeritus of English at Duke University from 1962-1975. The collection includes correspondence with students, publishers, administrators, and faculty. Major subjects include all aspects of Renaissance scholarship, Lievsay's career as a professor of English, and his involvement with the Southeastern Institute of Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

Descriptive Summary

Title: John L. Lievsay Papers, 1937 - 1989.
Creator: Lievsay, John Leon.
Extent: 4.5 Linear Feet, , 4500 Items
Repository: University Archives, Duke University
Location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult University Archives, Duke University.
Language: English.

Series Quick Links

Correspondence, 1937-1989

Collection Overview

The collection includes correspondence with students, publishers, administrators, and faculty. Major subjects include all aspects of Renaissance scholarship, Lievsay's career as a professor of English, and his involvement with the Southeastern Institute of Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

An index to the correspondence file is included in the collection file. The index gives the name of each correspondent, an identifying description, and dates of correspondence. Please consult University Archives staff.

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 »

Access Restrictions

Patrons must sign the Acknowledgement of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.

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.

Contents of the Collection

Browse List of Series

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Correspondence, 1937-1989

The collection includes correspondence with students, publishers, administrators, and faculty. Major subjects include all aspects of Renaissance scholarship, Lievsay's career as a professor of english, and his involvement with the Southeastern Institute of Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

An index to the correspondence file, giving the name of each correspondent, identifying description, and dates of correspondence, is included in the collection file. Please consult University Archives staff.

The correspondence is arranged chronologically. Some folders also have alphabetical letters but these letters do not relate to the correspondents' last names.

Aug. 30, 1937-March 9, 1965

Box 1

March 12, 1965-Dec., 1972

Box 2

Jan. 8, 1973-Dec. 31, 1989

Box 3

Addendum, 1947-1971

Box 3

Historical Note

Born in Whitesboro, Texas, John Leon Lievsay (1906-1992) was educated at the University of Washington (B.A., 1926; M.A., 1932; Ph.D., 1937). After teaching at Stanford University and the University of Tennessee, Lievsay came to Duke University in 1962 as a Professor of English. He was a James B. Duke Professor of English from 1970 until his retirement in 1975.

Lievsay's specialty was sixteenth and seventeenth century literature, with an emphasis on Anglo-Italian relations. He was a research fellow at the Huntington, Newberry, and Folger Libraries, as well as a Fulbright Fellow in Italy (1953-1954) and a Guggenheim Fellow (1968-1969). Lievsay was a special consultant in Italian at the Folger Library (1959-1960); chairman of the Southeastern Institute of Medieval and Renaissance Studies; and a member of the Renaissance Society of America, the Dante Society, and the American Association of Teachers of Italian.

Lievsay married Muriel M. Britten in 1926 and they had one son, John Edward.

Subject Headings

Related Material

Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies Records. (University Archives, Duke University.)
Southeastern Institute of Medieval and Renaissance Studies Records. (University Archives, Duke University.)