Jay B. Hubbell papers, 1816-1998 and undated, bulk 1920-1979

Using These Materials Teaser

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
More about accessing and using these materials...

Summary

Creator:
Hubbell, Jay B. (Jay Broadus), 1885-1979
Abstract:
Jay Broadus Hubbell was a professor of American literature at Duke University. The Jay B. Hubbell Papers span the years from 1816 to 1998, with the bulk of the material documenting Hubbell's career from his early student years in the 1920s until his death in 1979. The collection consists mainly of his professional papers, including correspondence with colleagues and literary figures, articles written by others at his request for the Jay B. Hubbell Center, printed materials inscribed to him and written by him, and unpublished manuscripts. The material chronicles the four decades of Hubbell's career as professor and critic, which he dedicated to the growth and development of American literature as a field of critical inquiry. Among the many significant correspondents or subjects of others' writings are Conrad Aiken, Gay Wilson Allen, Robert Frost, Clarence Gohdes, members of the Hubbell family, Ralph Leslie Rusk, Carl Sandburg, Allen Tate, Arlin Turner, and John Hall Wheelock. Other significant topics covered by the material include the founding of the Jay B. Hubbell Center for American Literary Historiography at Duke University, the study and teaching of literature from the American South, the activities of the faculty at Duke University, and the development of the American Literature Section of the Modern Language Association (MLA).
Extent:
10.7 Linear Feet
Language:
English.
Collection ID:
RL.00581

Background

Scope and content:

The Jay B. Hubbell Papers span the years from 1816 to 1998, with the bulk of the material documenting Hubbell's career from his early student years in the 1920s until his death in 1979. The collection consists mainly of his professional papers, including correspondence with colleagues and literary figures, articles written by others at his request for the Jay B. Hubbell Center, printed materials inscribed to him and written by him, and unpublished manuscripts. The material chronicles the four decades of Hubbell's career as professor and critic, which he dedicated to the growth and development of American literature as a field of critical inquiry. Among the many significant correspondents or subjects of others' writings are Conrad Aiken, Gay Wilson Allen, Robert Frost, Clarence Gohdes, members of the Hubbell family, Ralph Leslie Rusk, Carl Sandburg, Allen Tate, Arlin Turner, and John Hall Wheelock. Other significant topics covered by the material include the founding of the Jay B. Hubbell Center for American Literary Historiography at Duke University, the study and teaching of literature from the American South, the activities of the faculty at Duke University, and the development of the American Literature Section of the Modern Language Association (MLA). The collection is divided into eight series: Biographical; Correspondence, Alphabetical; Correspondence by Date; Writings and Speeches; Subject Files; Teaching Abroad; Photographs; and Clippings.

The Biographical Data Series contains correspondence, manuscripts of his autobiographical writings, financial and legal documents, writings by his siblings, curriculum vitae, and obituaries, all of which chronicle Hubbell's life from his earliest years until his death.

The largest component of the collection contains correspondence from colleagues, former students, and literary figures. The Correspondence, Alphabetical Series consists of many letters from students and colleagues. The bulk of the correspondence gives shape to the nature and status of American literary studies in the early- to mid-twentieth century. In particular, the many letters exchanged among Hubbell, his colleagues, and his students provide insight into the routine professional life of this first pioneering generation of scholars. From job appointments to topics of scholarship, the letters uncover the kinds of professional interests and pressures that influenced the formation of American literary studies. Additional miscellaneous letters are arranged chronologically in the Correspondence by Date Series. These letters mainly represent single items from colleagues, publishers, and minor writers. The same topics are represented here as in the correspondence arranged alphabetically.

Jay B. Hubbell authored numerous articles and books throughout his career which contributed to the bibliography of American literary studies. Samples of such are located in the collection's Writings and Speeches Series. The series is divided into two subseries, the Writings by Hubbell Subseries and the Writings by Others Subseries. The Writings by Hubbell Subseries includes unpublished manuscripts, publication files consisting of correspondence with publishers and review clippings, and printed material consisting of article reprints and reviews. The Writings by Others Subseries contains articles and essays by Hubbell's colleagues and peers, as well as several essays that Hubbell collected on topics of interest to him. It also contains several memoirs which narrate the lives and influence of several key figures in the first generations of American literary scholars.

The Subject Files Series chronicles some of the major events, interests, and projects of Hubbell's career. His involvement with the Modern Language Association is represented by material filed in the General Files Subseries. Also included in this subseries is material concerning several of his institutional affiliations, including Clemson University, Columbia University, and Southern Methodist University (SMU). Hubbell's papers concerning his many professional projects can be found in the Projects Subseries, such as the Checklist of Manuscripts and the Center for Southern Studies. Information related to many of the subject files can be found throughout the collection, particularly in the Biographical Data and Correspondence Series.

Jay Hubbell dedicated a generous portion of his scholarly career to teaching and students. Besides his interest in different configurations and institutions for furthering learning and scholarship, Hubbell spent several years teaching abroad. The Teaching Abroad Series contains correspondence and incidentals concerning his service at universities in Vienna, Jerusalem, and Athens. This series includes materials which highlight Hubbell's experiences at the intersection of American foreign policy and university teaching, as Hubbell served as a Visiting Expert for the U.S. Army in Vienna as well as a quickly evacuated Visiting Professor in Jerusalem in 1956, during the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The Photographs Series includes photographs of Hubbell, family, and colleagues. The series includes portraits of Hubbell alone as well as with family.

The Clippings Series contains newspaper and journal clippings recording the many significant personal and professional events of Hubbell's life. The series also includes clippings about contemporary events, friends, and colleagues which Hubbell found noteworthy.

Hubbell's papers pertaining to English Department matters and committee assignments can be found in the Duke University Archives. The David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Duke University houses many related collections, particularly in the Hubbell Center for American Literary Historiography: the records of American Literature; American Literary Manuscripts; and the Modern Language Association's American Literature Section and Southern Literature Discussion Group; and the papers of Gay Wilson Allen, Sacvan Berkovitch, Cathy Davidson, and Arlin Turner.

Biographical / historical:
Date Event
1885 May 8
Born, Smyth County, Va.
1905
A.B., University of Richmond
1908
A.M., Harvard University
1915-1916
Assistant Professor of English, Southern Methodist University
1916-1919
Associate Professor, Southern Methodist University
1918
Married Lucinda Smith
Attended Field Artillery Central Officers Training Camp, Camp Zachary, Taylor, Ky.
1921-1927
E. A. Lilly Professor of English and English Department Chair, Southern Methodist University, Tex.
1922
Published An Introduction to Poetry
Ph.D., Columbia University
1924
Published Prairie Pegasus (editor)
1924-1926
Served as Group Chairman, American Literature Section, Modern Language Association
1924-1927
Editor, Southwest Review
1927-1954
Professor of American Literature, Duke University
1927
Published An Introduction to Drama
1928
Founded American Literature (journal)
1928-1954
Served as Chairman of the Board of Editors, American Literature
1929
Published first issue of American Literature
Published The Enjoyment of Literature
1929-1930, 1932
Visiting Professor, Columbia University summer sessions
1936
Published American Life in Literature
1939
Served as Group Chairman, American Literature Section, Modern Language Association
1941
Published The Last Years of Henry Timrod, 1864-1867
1943-1948
Director of Graduate Studies, English Department, Duke University
1949
Visiting Professor, University of California at Los Angeles
Served as Visiting Expert with the U. S. Forces in Austria on the American Literature Project, and Visiting Professor of American Literature, University of Vienna
1950
Served as Visiting Expert with the U. S. Forces in Austria on the American Literature Project, and Visiting Professor of American Literature, University of Vienna
1953
Served as Fulbright Professor of American Literature and Civilization, University of Athens, Greece
1954
Published The South in American Literature
Retired from Duke University
1954-1955
Visiting Professor, University of Virginia
1955
Won Mayflower Award
1956
Served as Smith-Mundt Professor of American Literature, Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Visiting Professor, Clemson University
1957-1958
Visiting Professor, Columbia University
1959
Delivered Eugenia Dorothy Blount Lamar Lectures, Mercer University
1960
Published Southern Life in Fiction
1961
Visiting Professor, University of Kentucky
1964
Inauguration of the Jay B. Hubbell Medallion by the American Literature Section of the Modern Language Association
1964-1967
Appointed Honorary Consultant in American Cultural History, Library of Congress
1965
Published South and Southwest
1967
Published Essays on American Literature in Honor of Jay B. Hubbell
1972
Published Who Are the Major American Writers?
1976
Founded Jay B. Hubbell Center for American Literary Historiography; David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University
1979 Feb. 13
Died
1980
Lucinda Hubbell died
Acquisition information:
The Jay B. Hubbell Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift from Jay B. Hubbell in 1978, with additional materials received from Hubbell and other donors from 1979 to 2001. A small amount of materials were received as a gift from Barbara Ryan in 2017.
Processing information:

Processed by Erma Whittington and Lauren Coats

Completed June 16, 2003

Encoded by Lauren Coats and Paula Jeannet

Accession 2023-0160 added and finding aid updated by Tracy M. Jackson, September 2023.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have 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.

Before you visit:
Please consult our up-to-date information for visitors page, as our services and guidelines periodically change.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Jay B. Hubbell Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Permalink:
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1mw63