George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library, MS2FL4400 University Dr.
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Business Number: 703-993-2220
Fax Number: 703-993-8911
speccoll@gmu.edu
URL: https://scrc.gmu.edu
Eron Ackerman
Administrative Information
Use Restrictions
The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)
Access Restrictions
There are no access restrictions.
Preferred Citation
E. P. Conkle papers, C0157, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.
Acquisition Information
Donated by Virginia McNeal Conkle in 1994.
Processing Information
Processed and finding aid completed by Carol DeAngelo, Barbara Hasse, Robert Vay, Kaycee L. Morgan and Estee L. Dudash. EAD markup completed by Eron Ackerman and Jordan Patty in April 2009.
Biographical Information
Ellsworth Prouty Conkle (1899-1994) was a prolific playwright and professor of playwriting. Born on July 10, 1899, Conkle grew up on a farm in the small town of Peru, Nebraska. His rural upbringing had an enduring influence on his writing as exemplified in his first published book, Crick Bottom Plays (1928), a collection of short plays which dramatize the wit and wisdom of folksy Nebraskans. After high school Conkle went to Peru State Teachers College and completed his undergraduate education in 1923 at the University of Nebraska. Conkle did graduate work at Yale University in 1926-1928 and earned his Ph.D in playwriting from the University of Iowa in 1936. From 1936-1939 Conkle worked as an assistant professor of speech at the University of Iowa. In 1939 he joined the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin as an associate professor where he became a full professor in 1945 and taught until his retirement in 1973. Conkle's former students include Tennessee Williams, Pat Hingle, Tommy Tune, and Fess Parker.
In addition to teaching classes and developing the Department of Drama at the University of Texas, Conkle wrote numerous published and unpublished plays, several short stories, and dozens of poems. Much of his work captures the humor and wisdom of a bygone era in American folk-life, including the short play "Sparkin'" (1928) and the long plays "Johnny Appleseed" (1940) and "No Time for Heaven" (1972). Abraham Lincoln became another favorite subject of Conkle's, and the play "Prologue to Glory" (1938), a fictionalized account of Lincoln's formative years in New Salem, was chosen for production by the Federal Theatre Project and performed across the United States in 1938-1939. Capitalizing on its success, Conkle wrote a radio script based on the play, entitled Honest Abe, which was produced by CBS and aired in thirty-six parts between 1940 and 1941. Conkle died in 1994.
Scope and Content
Included in the E. P. Conkle papers are plays, poetry, short stories, and book manuscripts written by E. P. Conkle, mostly during Conkle's professorship at the University of Texas at Austin (1939-1973). Most of the manuscripts in the collection are undated. Thus, specific dates on subsequently published materials typically refer to the date of publication, and date ranges on unpublished materials refer to letterheads indicating Conkle's employ at the University of Texas or the University of Iowa. The collection also contains playbills and director's notes from various productions of Prologue to Glory, the radio script to the CBS-produced series, Honest Abe (1940-1941), works and notes from former students, and correspondence between Conkle and his wife, Virginia McNeal Conkle.
Series 1: Correspondence and Biographical Material contains letters written to E. P. Conkle and various articles pertaining to Conkle's career as a playwright.
Series 2: Book Manuscripts contains typed and annotated manuscripts of E. P. Conkle's books Grandpa's Little White Rent House, A Hornbook for Playwrights, and Wake Up, Tom Aycup, or, the Tale of a Great Guy.
Series 3: Play Scripts contains typed and annotated play scripts written by Conkle, including "At the Depot," "Day's End," "Good Night, Dear Grandma," "With How Little Wisdom," and a three-volume weekly radio script entitled "Honest Abe." Also included is a play script by Patty Gideon Sloan entitled "Mementos."
Series 4: Poetry contains typed and annotated poems written by Conkle, including the collections Eleven Various Ballads, A Gift of Small Inconsequential Verses, and Thirteen Sonnets Which Speak of Time, and One More.
Series 5: Short Stories contains typed and annotated copies of Conkle's stories "Little Angel of the Backward Look," "Traveller, and General Lee," and "Miss Lute."
Series 6: Miscellaneous contains various items including essays and term papers Conkle wrote as a student.
Arrangement
This collection is organized into six series by document type and genre with manuscripts arranged alphabetically by title and correspondence arranged chronologically.
Series Series 1: Correspondence and Biographical Material, 1938-1939, 1977-1994 (Box 1) Series 2: Book Manuscripts, undated (Box 1) Series 3: Play Scripts, 1928-1973, bulk 1939-1973 (Boxes 2-6) Series 4: Poetry, 1939-1973 (Box 6) Series 5: Short Stories, 1939-1973 (Box 7) Series 6: Miscellaneous, 1931-1992 (Box 7)Related Material
The Special Collections Research Center also holds the Jay Bradford Fowler, Jr. papers.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- American drama -- 20th century
- American poetry -- 20th century
- Conkle, E. P. (Ellsworth Prouty)
- Poetry
- Short stories, American
Container List
This series contains letters written to E. P. Conkle and various articles pertaining to Conkle's career as a playwright.
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 1
Personalcirca 1977-1994Scope and Contents note
- 1.
Letter from Patty Gideon Sloan to E. P. ConkleundatedScope and Contents note
- 2.
Letter from Mrs. Virginia Conkle to Lorraine BrownSeptember 18, 1994Scope and Contents note
- 3.
Brief annotated biography of E. P. ConkleundatedScope and Contents note
facsimile
- 4.
Annotated biographical entry from "Contemporary Authors,"1982Scope and Contents note
facsimile
- 5.
Biographical write-up of Conkle for "Notable Names in American Theatre,"1977Scope and Contents note
facsimile
- 6.
George Mason University Federal Theatre Tribute Luncheon Guest ListScope and Contents note
facsimile
- 1.
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 2
Prologue to Glory Playbills and Press1938-1939Scope and Contents note
- 1.
Playbill for "Prologue to Glory," Portland ProductionJanuary 1939Scope and Contents note
facsimile
- 2.
Audience reaction sheet for "Prologue to Glory," Portland Production1939Scope and Contents note
facsimile
- 3.
News article from the New Orleans States entitled "Lincoln drama well received,"January 24, 1939Scope and Contents note
facsimile
- 4.
Playbill for "Prologue to Glory," Cincinnati ProductionundatedScope and Contents note
facsimile
- 5.
Playbill for "Prologue to Glory," Chicago-Based Road CompanyJanuary 1939Scope and Contents note
facsimile
- 6.
Memorandum from the Federal Theatre's Publicity Department entitled "Prologue Tour Praised"1939Scope and Contents note
facsimile; address of the Works Progress Administration in heading
- 7.
Playbill for "Prologue to Glory," San Francisco ProductionMay 1938Scope and Contents note
facsimile
- 8.
Director's Report for "Prologue to Glory,"June 1938Scope and Contents note
facsimile; note in margin indicates "Los Angeles Production,"
- 1.
This series contains typed and annotated manuscripts of books written by E. P. Conkle.
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 3
Grandpa's Little White Rent HouseundatedScope and Contents note
Austin, Texas; typed manuscript, 292 pages, includes cover with title
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 4
Grandpa's Little White Rent House copyundatedScope and Contents note
typed manuscript, 292 pages, no cover
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 5
A Hornbook for Playwrightsbefore 1974Scope and Contents note
University of Texas, Austin; typed manuscript with annotations, 135 pages
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 6
Wake Up, Tom Aycup, or, the Tale of a Great GuyundatedScope and Contents note
Austin, Texas; typed manuscript with revisions, 266 pages
This is the largest series of the collection, and it contains typed and annotated play scripts written by E. P. Conkle and includes one play script written by Patty Gideon Sloan entitled "Mementos."
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 1
"At the Depot" and Four Other Short Plays; "A Long Journey" (tentative title)1939-1973Scope and Contents note
University of Texas, Austin; includes the plays "Dusk, Dusk, Dusk," "Two Minds with but Two Single Thoughts," "Mr. Map and the Beautiful Hat," "Oak Leaves Burning," and an annotated play script tentatively titled "A Long Journey."
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 2
"Day's End" and "Oak Leaves Burning,"1939-1973Scope and Contents note
University of Texas, Austin; includes an 18 page annotated manuscript of "Day's End: A Few Words Spoken by Mr. Lincoln, the President," an 11 page typed play script of "Day's End" with no revisions, and an 18 page annotated manuscript for "Oak Leaves Burning."
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 3
Five Short Plays for Twenty-Four Elderly Women and a Young Girl1939-1973Scope and Contents note
University of Texas, Austin; includes typed play scripts for "The Fancy One," "Four Old Ladies and Pansy Potter," "Oak Leaves Burning," "Gatie, or Eight Women on a Toot," and "The Jewel in Papa's Crown," 62 pages.
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 4
"Good Night, Dear Grandma,"1939-1973Scope and Contents note
University of Texas, Austin; includes two 133 page typed play scripts for "Good Night, Dear Grandma," one of which contains manuscript revisions marked "final."
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 5
Honest Abe, vol. 1broadcast aired on September 14 - December 20, 1940Scope and Contents note
Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS); a radio script divided into 12 parts for weekly broadcasting, volume 1 of 3
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 1
Honest Abe, vol. 2broadcast aired on December 28, 1940 - March 22, 1941Scope and Contents note
Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS); a radio script divided into 12 parts for weekly broadcasting, volume 2 of 3
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 2
Honest Abe, vol. 3broadcast aired on March 29 - June 18, 1941Scope and Contents note
Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS); a radio script divided into 12 parts for weekly broadcasting, volume 3 of 3
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 1
"Incident on Collander Hill,"1939-1973Scope and Contents note
University of Texas, Austin; two copies of the play script, 121 pages each
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 2
Johnny Appleseedcirca 1940Scope and Contents note
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 3
"Mementos" by Patty Gideon SloanundatedScope and Contents note
Texas; typed script of play in three acts by Patty Gideon Sloan; see Box 1, Folder 1 for correspondence with Sloan
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 4
"Mr. Lincoln, the President,"1939-1973Scope and Contents note
two annotated scripts with revisions, one titled simply "Mr. President," approximately 120 pages each
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 5
"A Murder of Convenience," "Muletail Prime," and "Sparkin',"circa 1928-1949Scope and Contents note
Austin, Texas
- 1.
"A Murder of Convenience,"undatedScope and Contents note
Austin, Texas; facsimile of typescript
- 2.
"Muletail Prime,"circa 1949Scope and Contents note
cast: Clyte Cedars and Arlie Askew; place: Clyte's place
- 3.
"Sparkin',"circa 1928Scope and Contents note
- 1.
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 6
"No Time for Heaven,"circa 1972Scope and Contents note
123 pages
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 1
"Oxygenator,"1936-1939Scope and Contents note
University of Iowa, Experimental Theatre Seminar; soft-bound copy, 91 pages
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 2
Papa Got Us into It, or, There's a New Woman in Town: A Play in Three ActsundatedScope and Contents note
two typed manuscripts
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 3
"Sam Smith's Oral History of His Times,"1969Scope and Contents note
University of Texas, Austin; two copies of the play script, one 65 pages and another with revisions at 69 pages
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 4
"Stormy Weather,"undatedScope and Contents note
84 pages
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 5
"Waiting for Henry Plummer,"1971Scope and Contents note
University of Texas, Austin; two typed copies, one marked "Final / 1971"
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 1
"Way Down in the Paw-Paw Patch: A Grand Guignol,"undatedScope and Contents note
two copies, one 66 pages and the other 67 pages; the former bears a stamp of the author's agent, Frieda Fishbein
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 2
"With How Little Wisdom: A Play about War,"1939-1973Scope and Contents note
University of Texas, Austin; two copies, 113 pages each
This collection contains typed and annotated poems written by E. P. Conkle.
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 3
"196 Disjointed Thoughts from a Demented Mind,"undatedScope and Contents note
several copies, including one 8 page typed copy with corrections
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 4
Eleven Various BalladsundatedScope and Contents note
Austin, Texas; typed poems with revisions, including "Ballad of the Gay Cavalier," "The Ballad of Henry Plummer," "Ballad to a Wooden Leg," "The Ballad of the Youngster and His Dog," "Ballad of a Hallelujah Marriage," "Ballad of the Merry Miller-Man," "Ballad of the Prairies," "Ballad of Aunt Susan," "Ballad of Mad Beggars," "Ballad of the Happy Milkmaid," and "Ballad of the Cosset Lamb and the Crumpled Cow"
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 5
A Gift of Small Inconsequential VersesundatedScope and Contents note
two typed 45 page manuscripts of poems including "Birds and Other Animals," "Weather and Scenery," "More and Less Personal," "Just People," and "Philosophy and Other Things"
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 6
Poems about My Farm; A Saga of St. Paul; A Gift of Small Verses1939-1973Scope and Contents note
University of Texas, Austin; these poetry collections are respectively 22 pages, 27 pages, and 41 pages long; folder includes a title page of "Verses for a Year"
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 7
Thirteen Sonnets Which Speak of Time, and One More1939-1973Scope and Contents note
University of Texas, Austin; typed manuscripts with revisions
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 8
Verses about My Grandpa; Inconsequential Quatrains for a Year1939-1973Scope and Contents note
small format type scripts
This collection contains typed and annotated short stories written by E. P. Conkle.
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 1
"Little Angel of the Backward Look,"1939-1973Scope and Contents note
University of Texas, Austin; two copies of the manuscript, 14 pages each, the second alternately titled, "The Littlest Angel of the Backward Look, a Fantasy"
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 2
"Traveller, and General Lee"; "Miss Lute,"1939-1973Scope and Contents note
University of Texas, Austin; two copies of "Traveller, and General Lee," both 22 pages and one with annotations; one 43 page copy of "Miss Lute"
This collection contains various items including essays and term papers Conkle wrote as a student.
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 3
Miscellaneous1931-1992Scope and Contents note
- 1.
"The Element of Comedy in the Towneley Cycle,"December 28, 1931 - January 5, 1932Scope and Contents note
35 pages including bibliography; described on title page as "a term-paper written for the class in "Chaucer" for Mr. Frantz"; annotated
- 2.
The Department of Drama - The University of Texas, Austin - M.F.A. Theses and PhD. Dissertationscirca 1979Scope and Contents note
list of University of Texas graduate students and the titles of their theses and dissertations arranged by date
- 3.
"Let Him Copy!"undatedScope and Contents note
University of Texas, Austin; revised three-page essay on education written by Conkle
- 4.
News article from Sunday World Herald,"October 4, 1992Scope and Contents note
- 5.
Lists of play titles and a four-line untitled verseundatedScope and Contents note
two pages listing titles of plays by Conkle and four lines of verse, untitled
- 1.