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[Identification of item], Ernest W. Nelson Records and Papers, University Archives, Duke University.
The Ernest W. Nelson Records and Papers was received by the University Archives as a transfer in 1979 (A79-10).
Processed by Linda Daniel
Completed March, 2004
Encoded by Linda Daniel, March 2004
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
Born Feb. 5, 1896, in Brockton, Mass., Nelson was educated at Clark University (A.B., 1916; A.M., 1921) and Cornell University (Ph.D, 1925). He was an assistant in Medieval History at Cornell (1922-1923), assistant professor at the University of South Dakota (1923-1925), professor of Medieval History at Cornell University (1926),and assistant curator of the President White Historical Library. In 1926, he came to Duke University and stayed until his retirement in 1965.
Nelson received a number of awards and grants. He was named an Andrew D. White Fellow in European History (1921-1922) and studied at the Sorbonne, Ecole de Droit, Ecole des Hautes Etudes, and the University of Cologne. He also received an American Council of Learned Societies Grant (1930-1931) and spent the year in Italy. Nelson was a member of the Medieval Academy of America, the American Historical Association, and the Phi Kappa Phi scholarship society.
Nelson's special interests in research and teaching were Renaissance civilization, the history of liberty and ideas of tolerance, heresy and persecution, church and state relations, italian origins of modern diplomacy, and balance-of-power relationships.
Nelson married in 1927 and had four children.
The Ernest W. Nelson Records and Papers is divided into three series: Subject Files, the Chamber Arts Society, and Personal and Family Materials. The collection includes correspondence, financial records, lectures, reports, student papers, and other printed material.
The Subject Files Series, 1926-1973, is mainly concerned with the internal functioning of the university, the history department, cultural life on campus, and faculty organizations. A number of student folders are filed in this section, under
The Chamber Arts Society Series, 1945-1975, contains financial records, membership lists, programs, and correspondence. Nelson founded the Durham Chamber Arts Society in 1945 to offer members of the Durham and Duke communities an opportunity to further their appreciation of the fine arts. The Chamber Arts Society began by presenting chamber music concerts in the East Duke Music Room at Duke University. Nelson was chairman of the Chamber Arts Society until 1963.
Most of the Personal and Family Materials Series, 1913-1966, is made up of correspondence and concerns family matters, health problems, and descriptions of short excursions such as bicycle outings and shopping trips.
Some of the correspondence includes information about current world events. In letters to Nelson, economics professor Calvin Bryce Hoover described life in the Soviet Union in 1929, and the upcoming German elections in 1932. In 1939, Shelby McCloy described the reaction in France to the outbreak of World War II and faculty members' assignments during the war. In 1943, several Duke faculty members described the effects of the war on Duke University. Professor William B. Hamilton wrote about how teaching loads had greatly increased due to the large number of V-12 naval and marine cadets who were sent to Duke. Alan K. Manchester described the Navy syllabus used to teach World History and how the war changed civilian life. Several letters from William T. Laprade discussed the impact of the war on the history department and the effect of the draft on faculty.
Nelson carried on lengthy correspondence with some of his students, many of whom either went abroad or entered graduate schools, and with a number of scholars at other institutions. Among these scholars are Carl Becker, Roland Bainton, Preserved Smith, George Lincoln Burr, Theodore Mommsen, and Hans Baron.
A folder list is available as part of the collection file. Please consult University Archives staff.
Box 1 and Box 6 are closed pending processing.
Access to the folders containing student records is RESTRICTED. Please consult University Archives staff before use.
These and related materials may be accessed under the following subject headings in the Duke University Libraries online catalog.
The Subject Files Series is mainly concerned with the internal functioning of the university, the history department, cultural life on campus, and faculty organizations. A number of student folders are filed in this section, under
The Subject Files are arranged alphabetically. The box titles describe the alphabetical range found within each box. A folder list is part of the collection file. Please consult University Archives staff.
Box 1 is closed pending processing.
Access to the folders containing student records is RESTRICTED. Please consult University Archives staff before use.
Box 1 is closed pending processing.
Nelson founded the Durham Chamber Arts Society in 1945 to offer members of the Durham and Duke communities an opportunity to further their appreciation of the fine arts. The Chamber Arts Society began by presenting chamber music concerts in the East Duke Music Room at Duke University. The name of the East Duke Room was later changed to the Nelson Music Room in honor of Nelson's dedication to the arts and his love of music. Nelson was chairman of the Chamber Arts Society until 1963. The Chamber Arts Society Series contains financial records, membership lists, programs, and correspondence.
Most of the Personal and Family Materials Series is made up of correspondence and concerns family matters, health problems, and descriptions of short excursions such as bicycle outings and shopping trips.
Some of the correspondence includes information about current world events. In letters to Nelson, economics professor Calvin Bryce Hoover described life in the Soviet Union in 1929, and the upcoming German elections in 1932. In 1939, Shelby McCloy described the reaction in France to the outbreak of World War II and faculty members' assignments during the war. In 1943, several Duke faculty members described the effects of the war on Duke University. Professor William B. Hamilton wrote about how teaching loads had greatly increased due to the large number of V-12 naval and marine cadets who were sent to Duke. Alan K. Manchester described the Navy syllabus used to teach World History and how the war changed civilian life. Several letters from William T. Laprade discussed the impact of the war on the history department and the effect of the draft on faculty.
Nelson carried on lengthy correspondence with some of his students, many of whom either went abroad or entered graduate schools, and with a number of scholars at other institutions. Among these scholars are Carl Becker, Roland Bainton, Preserved Smith, George Lincoln Burr, Theodore Mommsen, and Hans Baron.
The Personal and Family Materials Series is arranged alphabetically. The box titles describe the alphabetical range found within each box.
Box 6 is closed pending processing.
Box 6 is closed pending processing.