A Guide to the Papers of Floyd Stovall, 1860-1974 Stovall, Floyd, Papers 12707-b

A Guide to the Papers of Floyd Stovall, 1860-1974

A Collection in
Special Collections
The University of Virginia Library
Accession Number 12707-b

Special Collections, University of Virginia Library

Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
USA
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Reference Request Form: https://small.lib.virginia.edu/reference-request/
URL: http://small.library.virginia.edu/

Processed by: Special Collections Staff

Repository

Special Collections, University of Virginia Library

Accession number

12707-b

Title

Papers of Floyd Stovall 1860-1974

Physical Characteristics

This collection consists of approximately seven and one half shelf feet (ca. 5,000 items).

Language

English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Papers of Floyd Stovall, Accession #12707-b, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

The collection was presented to the University of Virginia Library on September 8, 1976, by Floyd Stovall who resides in retirement, at 1631 Bruce Avenue, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Biographical/Historical Information

Floyd Stovall was born on a farm in Temple, Texas, on July 7, 1896. He received his education at the University of Texas, taking a B.A. in 1923, an M.A. in 1924, and a Ph.D. in 1927. As a professor of American literature Stovall held a number of scholarly positions before being appointed as Edgar Allan Poe Professor at the University of Virginia in 1955. They included teaching at the University of Texas from 1927 to 1935, at North Texas State University from 1935 to 1949, and at the University of North Carolina from 1950 to 1955. During his esteemed literary career, Stovall's associations were many. They included membership in such learned groups as Phi Beta Kappa and the Modern Language Association. His scholarly contributions to literature spanned many years. He was the author of Desire and Restraint in Shelley in 1931, American Idealism in 1943, and Reading Around the World (ca. 1950). He edited Whitman's Prose Works 1892 in 1963, the Poems of Edgar Allan Poe in 1965, and wrote Edgar Poe the Poet and The Foreground of "Leaves of Grass" in 1969 and 1974 respectively.

Other learned contributions are included or referred to within the collection. The papers here are chiefly a collection of Stovall's research material and correspondence relating to his published works, as well as those published works themselves. There is very little material in reference to his personal life or to his work as a professor of English at the University of Virginia.

Scope and Content Information

The papers of Floyd Stovall collection consist of approximately seven and one half shelf feet (ca. 5,000 items) and dates approximately from 1860 to 1974. It is comprised of his personal papers, almost entirely of a literary nature, and includes literary manuscripts and page proof of Stovall's past publications concerning Walt Whitman and Edgar Allan Poe, as well as his correspondence concerning publication of the manuscripts, reprints of literary articles contributed to various scholarly journals, and photostatic and microfilm copies of various Whitman and Poe manuscripts and published works. A relatively small quantity of personal correspondence between Stovall and friends and prospective employers is also included but generally data of a personal nature is lacking.

Organization

At the time of the collection's presentation to the Library, most of the material was organized by subject. This scheme has been largely adhered to. Within each subject, the material has been arranged chronologically. Four basic categories of subjects have emerged. They are as follows:
1. Correspondence ca. 1925-1970 regarding research material editing, and publishing of Stovall's publications. Included herein is whatever personal correspondence was found in the collection.
2. Reprints ca. 1938-1971 of articles concerning American literature by Floyd Stovall.
3. Research materials, largely photostatic copies of manuscripts and published versions of the works of Walt Whitman and of Edgar Allan Poe. Their original dates are ca. 1860-1890.
Also included are 3 reels of microfilm regarding Whitman.
4. Stovall's publications:
a. AMs, TMs, galley and page proofs of Whitman's Prose Works 1892 (1963-1964) ed. Floyd Stovall. b. AMs, TMs, and page proofs of the Poems of Edgar Allan Poe (1965) ed. Floyd Stovall. c. TMs and page proofs of Edgar Poe the Poet (1969) by Floyd Stovall. d. TMs, galley and page proofs of The Foreground of "Leaves of Grass" (1974) by Floyd Stovall. e. Galley proof of Four Makers of the American Mind (1976) by Floyd Stovall.

The manuscripts have been assembled according to subject so that all Whitman material for books and for articles is together and arranged chronologically in boxes 1 through 10. Poe material is arranged likewise in boxes 11 through 15. Manuscripts for other articles are in box 16 and the correspondence and miscellany fill boxes 16 through 18.

Contents List

Manuscripts

Whitman Books
- Box 1
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Notes to publisher by Stovall concerning corrections and printing 1963-1964
  
  AMs, 2 folders
- Box 1
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Letters to Stovall from E. Sculley Bradley concerning corrections of preface and notes on textual variants. Also included are suggestions and corrections on original. 1963
  
  2 ALS, AMs & TMs.
- Box 1
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Research notes 1963-1964
  
  AMs
- Box 1
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. I: Textual notes and variants, w/autograph notations 1963
  
  TMs & electrostatic copy, 2 folders
- Box 1
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Preface, Textual notes and Appendix with autograph corrections and notes 1963-1964
  
  TMs.
- Box 2
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Textual variants w/autograph corrections and notations 1963-1964
  
  TMs, 8 folders.
- Box 2
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Stovall's notes for portions of Textual notes and variations 1963-1964
  
  AMs.
- Box 2
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Omitted Textual notes 1963-1964
  
  TMs (copy)
- Box 2
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Appendix w/autograph corrections and notations 1963-1964
  
  TMs.
- Box 2
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Textual notes and variants 1963-1964
  
  TMs
- Box 2
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Notes by Whitman 1963-1964
  
  TMs
- Box 3
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Appendix w/autograph corrections 1963
  
  TMs, 4 folders
- Box 3
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Textual notes on "Democratic Vistas," "Tis But Ten years Since," and "Our Wounded and Sick Soldiers" 1963-1964
  
  TMs.
- Box 3
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Textual notes and variants to "Specimen Days" and "Finales of Literature" and "A Life-Outline" 1963-1964
  
  TMs.
- Box 3
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Textual notes with corrections on "A Backward Glance on My Own Road" 1963-1964
  
  TMs.
- Box 3
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Collect and Other Prose Stovall's notes to publisher on Text of Book 1963-1964
  
  AMs
- Box 3
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Collect and Other Prose - Notes to Editors on index and list of illustrations 1963-1964
  
  TMs.
- Box 3
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Collect and Other Prose - Preface and Contents to Book 1963-1964
  
  TMs.
- Box 3
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Collect and Other Prose - Textual notes and variants 1963-1964
  
  TMs. 2 folders
- Box 3
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Collect and Other Prose - Appendix 1963-1964
  
  TMs.
- Box 4
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Speciman Days : Textual notes and variants 1963
  
  TMs. 6 folders
- Box 5
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Text, w/autograph printer's notes 1964
  
  Printed matter, 3 folders
- Box 5
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Unmarked 1963
  
  Page proof
- Box 6
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Speciman Days : w/markings and corrections by Stovall for the publisher 1963
  
  Galley proof
- Box 6
  Whitman's Prose Works 1892 , Vol. II: Unmarked 1963
  
  Galley proof
- Box 6
  The Foreground of Leaves of Grass , Stovall: w/autograph corrections and notations 1974
  
  TMs. 3 folders
- Box 6
  The Foreground of Leaves of Grass , Stovall: Index w/autograph corrections and notations 1974
  
  TMs.
- Box 6
  The Foreground of Leaves of Grass , Stovall: Preface is TMs, the rest is copy of TMs, w/autograph corrections 1974
  
  Electrostatic copy
- Box 7
  The Foreground of Leaves of Grass , Stovall: w/autograph corrections and notations 1974
  
  Electrostatic copy, 3 folders
- Box 7
  The Foreground of Leaves of Grass , Stovall: w/autograph corrections and notations 1974
  
  TMs, 2 folders
- Box 7
  The Foreground of Leaves of Grass , Stovall: Text, w/printer's autograph corrections and notes 1974
  
  TMs, 3 folders
- Box 8
  The Foreground of Leaves of Grass , Stovall: Text, w/printer's autograph directions, markings, changes, corrections and notations 1974
  
  TMs
- Box 8
  The Foreground of Leaves of Grass , Stovall: Index w/printer's notes and corrections 1974
  
  TMs.
- Box 8
  The Foreground of Leaves of Grass , Stovall: Footnotes w/printer's autograph corrections and notations 1974
  
  TMs. 2 folders
- Box 8
  The Foreground of Leaves of Grass , Stovall: Unmarked set 1974
  
  Galley proof
- Box 8
  The Foreground of Leaves of Grass , Stovall: Printer's set w/autograph corrections and notations 1974
  
  Galley proof
- Box 8
  The Foreground of Leaves of Grass , Stovall: Duplicate set 1974
  
  Galley proof
- Box 9
  The Foreground of Leaves of Grass , Stovall: Corrected and "Foul" pages of proof, w/autograph notes 1974
  
  Page proof
- Box 9
  The Foreground of Leaves of Grass , Stovall: Unmarked proofs 1974
  
  Page proof
- Box 9
  The Foreground of Leaves of Grass , Stovall: "Master set" w/printer's notations 1974
  
  Page proof
- Box 9
  The Foreground of Leaves of Grass , Stovall: Duplicate, no notes or corrections 1974
  
  Page proof
Whitman Articles
- Box 9
  Articles by Stovall re Whitman 1932-1971
  
  Printed matter
- Box 9
  Stovall articles w/autograph notes 1946, n.d.
  
  TMs
- Box 10
  Stovall articles w/autograph notes 1951, n.d.
  
  TMs (carbons)
- Box 10
  Miscellaneous concerning editing of Whitman's complete works 1955-1958, n.d.
- Box 10
  Whitman Research: "Leaves of Grass: The Evolution of a Book" by Stovall, and "Journalistic criticism of Whitman at the time of his death" 1957, n.d.
  
  TMs
- Box 10
  Miscellaneous outlines, Notes, Corrections, Research re Whitman's Prose Works, 1892 1959-1962, n.d.
- Box 10
  Pages from The Long-Islander Newspaper's Annual tribute to Walt Whitman 1959, 1962, 1963
- Box 10
  Whitman Research: From Brooklyn Public Library 1959 December 12
  
  3 articles
- Box 10
  Whitman Research Data, autograph note cards re Research and Memos ca. 1960
- Box 10
  Carbon copy of Stovall's 1961 Atlanta address "On Editing Whitman's Prose" and 3 TLS concerning the address and publishing of paper 1961-1962
- Box 10
  Whitman Research: Autograph notes taken by Stovall at C. E. Feinberg's Library 1962
  
  AMs
- Box 10
  Whitman Research Data: Notes on "Death of Carlyle," MDW "Notes," and Miscellaneous 1962, n.d.
- Box 10
  Catalogue to Richard Maurice Bucke exhibition: Contains article describing Walt Whitman's relations with Bucke "Richard Maurice Bucke Friend of Whitman and Mystic," J. R. Colombo 1963 June
- Box 10
  Publication on Walt Whitman in The Collector 1966
  
  Photostat
- Box 10
  Stovall article, "Whitman and the Poet in Leaves of Grass ," w/autograph markings n.d.
  
  TMs
- Box 10
  Stovall article: "The Dating of Whitman's Early Notebooks," w/autograph markings n.d.
  
  TMs
- Box 10
  Whitman Research Data: Bibliography of Whitman's contributions to Periodicals; w/autograph corrections n.d.
  
  TM (carbon)
- Box 10
  Whitman Research Data: Notes collating Ms of "Poetry in America- Shakspere - The Future" from Feinberg Collection Photostats n.d.
  
  TMs
- Box 10
  Whitman Research Data: Typed notes, w/autograph comments, on Whitman's "How I Get Around" n.d.
  
  TMs
- Box 10
  Whitman Research Date: Autograph notes on "Specimen Days" material n.d.
  
  AMs
- Box 10
  Whitman Research Data: From Duke University n.d.
  
  Photo Prints. 3 items
- Box 10
  Whitman Research Data: Newspaper articles written by Whitman, photostatic copies n.d.
- Box 11
  Poe Research: A list of authoritative texts of Poe's tales 1963
- Box 11
  Poe Research: Report on manuscript of an edition of the Poems of Edgar Allan Poe 1964
- Box 11
  Poe Research: James Southall Wilson Poe Collection - Contents listed 1964
- Box 11
  Poe Research: Politian-a Tragedy by Edgar Allan Poe ca. 1964
  
  AMs (electrostatic copy)
- Box 11
  Poe Research: Electrostatic copies of well-known Poe poems with some notes by Stovall ca. 1964
- Box 11
  Poe Research: Notes on Poems ca. 1964
  
  2 folders
- Box 11
  Poe Research: Walt Whitman's article "Edgar Poe's Significance" and "The Profession of Authorship," possibly by EAP ca. 1964
  
  TMs & photostatic copy
- Box 11
  Poe Research: "The Profession of Authorship," unsigned appeared 1829 in The American Monthly Magazine ca. 1964
  
  photostatic copy
- Box 11
  Poe Research: Copies of several of Poe's Poems as they appeared in newspapers ca. 1964-1967
  
  Photostats
- Box 11
  The Poem of Edgar Allan Poe : Test and notes 1965
  
  TMs (carbon). 3 folders
- Box 11
  The Poems of Edgar Allan Poe : Notes; Letter to Reynolds, publisher 1964 Dec. 4; 1965
- Box 12
  The Poems of Edgar Allan Poe : Texts and notes 1965
  
  TMs (carbon)
- Box 12
  The Poems of Edgar Allan Poe : Printer's copy w/corrections and notations; contents, preface, and introductions 1965 July
  
  TMs
- Box 12
  The Poems of Edgar Allan Poe : Printer's copy w/autograph corrections, notations; including portion of textual notes and variants 1965 July
  
  TMs
- Box 12
  The Poems of Edgar Allan Poe : Printer's copy w/corrections and notations, including textual notes and indexes 1965 July
  
  TMs
- Box 12
  The Poems of Edgar Allan Poe : w/corrections and notations 1965 August 6
  
  Galley proof
- Box 13
  The Poems of Edgar Allan Poe : w/autograph corrections and notations; author's first proof 1965 June 2
  
  Galley proof
- Box 13
  The Poems of Edgar Allan Poe 1965
  
  Page proof
- Box 13
  The Poems of Edgar Allan Poe : w/corrections 1965 August 18
  
  Page proof
- Box 13
  Edgar Poe the Poet, Essays New and Old On The Man And His Work 1969
  
  TMs
- Box 14
  Edgar Poe the Poet, Essays New and Old On The Man And His Work 1969
  
  TMs
- Box 14
  Edgar Poe the Poet, Essays New and Old On The Man And His Work : Preface, w/autograph notations 1969
  
  TMs and carbon
- Box 14
  Edgar Poe the Poet, Essays New and Old On The Man And His Work : Index 1969
  
  Page proof
- Box 14
  Edgar Poe the Poet, Essays New and Old On The Man And His Work 1969
  
  Page proof. 2 folders
- Box 15
  Edgar Poe the Poet, Essays New and Old On The Man And His Work 1969
  
  Page proof. 4 folders
Poe Articles
- Box 15
  Three articles by Stovall about Poe: "Poe As a Poet of Ideas," "An Unpublished Poe Letter," and "Edgar Poe and the University of Virginia" 1931, 1965, 1967
  
  Printed matter
- Box 15
  "Al Aaraaf" and the Unknown Critic" by Randolph W. Church, as printed in Cavalcade , Summer 1975; Comments by FS 1955
  
  Printed matter
- Box 15
  Outline and inventory of T. O. Mabbott's work on E. A. Poe, w/autograph notes by Stovall ca. 1965
  
  Electrostatic copies
- Box 15
  Guide to the microfilm collection of J. H. Ingram's Poe Collection 1967
  
  TMs
- Box 15
  Stovall article, "The Conscious Art of Edgar Allan Poe" n.d.
  
  TMs
Other Books and Articles
- Box 16
  A summary of American Idealism 1942
- Box 16
  Lines to be reproduced from other books in Stovall's American Idealism 1942
- Box 16
  Autograph notes by Stovall: Index card on Table of Contents for American Idealism , and notes on review of American Idealism n.d.
  
  AN
- Box 16
  Unmarked proofs of Four Makers of the American Mind 1976
  
  Galley proof (electrostatic copy)
- Box 16
  Stovall, articles, "Henry James's "The Jolly Corner'" and "Jefferson and the American Idea in Education" 1957 and n.d.
  
  TMs (carbon) printed matter
- Box 16
  Manuscript w/autograph markings by Stovall of a collection of letters written to Mrs. Henniker by Bret Harte, also carbon copy n.d.
  
  TMs. 2 folders

Correspondence

Box 16
Personal Correspondence 1927 June - 1936 June

16 ALS
Box 16
Correspondence - General Biographical 1932-1949

58 TLS & ALS
Box 16
Correspondence re Whitman 1932-1964

16 TLS
Box 16
Correspondence re Authorship to Introduction to Whitman Anthology 1934

8 TLS
Box 16
Correspondence re Poe 1935-1967

5 ALS, 18 TLS
Box 16
Correspondence re Lecture Series on American Idealism at University of Oklahoma 1941-1942

20 TLS
Box 16
Correspondence re Publishing of American Idealism 1942-1943

81 TLS
Box 16
Correspondence re American Idealism 1942-1944, n.d.

19 TLS, 6 ALS
Box 16
Correspondence re Copyright permissions for materials in Reading Around the World 1945

ca. 105 TLS. 2 folders
Box 17
Correspondence re Copyright permissions for materials in Reading Around the World 1945

ca. 80 TLS. 2 folders
Box 17
Correspondence re (1) Permission letters for quoted matter in Reading Around the World and (2) Melting of the printing plates and return of publishing rights to editors 1949, 1951

6 TLS
Box 17
Correspondence with MacMillan Publishing Co., Reading Around the World 1945-1951

9 TLS
Box 17
Correspondence with the Journal of English and Germanic Philosophy concerning Stovall's "Whitman, Shakespeare, and Democracy" article 1951

3 TLS
Box 17
Correspondence concerning editing Whitman's complete Prose Works, 1892 1955

3 TLS
Box 17
Correspondence re Poe article discussed in Cavalcade Magazine (Summer, 1955) 1955, 1967

5 TLS
Box 17
Correspondence with various publishing companies discussing the possibility of writing a critical biography on E. A. Poe 1956

25 TLS & ALS
Box 17
Correspondence concerning editing Whitman; Prose Works, 1892 1956

TLS
Box 17
Correspondence re Publication of Whitman's Prose Works, 1892 1956-1959

9 TLS
Box 17
Correspondence concerning the writing of Whitman's complete Prose Works, 1892 1957

11 TLS
Box 17
Correspondence: Whitman Research 1957

5 items
Box 17
Correspondence with T. O. Mabbott re Poe 1957-1958

11 ALS & TLS
Box 17
Correspondence concerning writing of Whitman's complete Prose Works, 1892 w/editors 1958

10 TLS
Box 17
Correspondence concerning editing and research of Whitman's complete Prose Works, 1892 1959

21 TLS
Box 17
Correspondence to Board of Editors by Stovall, a proposal for a collection of Whitman's major works 1959

4 items
Box 17
Correspondence with Editors for book Eight American Writers 1956, 1959, 1963, 1965
Box 17
Correspondence with Holloway re Whitman 1960

5 TLS
Box 17
Correspondence re Writing and publication of Whitman's Prose Works, 1892 1960

19 TLS, 6 ALS
Box 17
Correspondence with Editors for Eight American Writers 1960

42 TLS & ALS
Box 17
Correspondence: Miscellaneous items related to correspondence w/editors of Eight American Writers including autograph notes, rough draft manuscripts and signed contract [ca. 1960-1962]
Box 17
Miscellaneous Stovall correspondence as a literary authority 1960-1967

9 TLS
Box 17
Correspondence re Writing and publication of Whitman's Prose Works, 1892 1961

51 TLS
Box 17
Correspondence with Editors for book Eight American Writers 1961

12 ALS & TLS
Box 17
Correspondence re Whitman volume, Speciman Days 1962-1964 June

55 TLS
Box 17
Correspondence to Stovall concerning Whitman collection at Brown University 1962 April 8

TLS
Box 17
Memos from New York University Press to Stovall concerning the publication of Prose Works, 1892 1962 Sept.-Dec.
Box 17
Correspondence with Editors for book Eight American Writers 1962

11 TLS
Box 17
Correspondence with Oxford University Press re Biographical book on E. A. Poe by Stovall 1962

2 TLS
Box 18
Correspondence re Writing and publication of Whitman's Prose Works, 1892 1962

95 ALS & TLS
Box 18
Correspondence re editing and publishing of Prose Works, 1892 1963 May - 1964 Jan.

23 TLS
Box 18
Correspondence re work on Poems of Edgar Allan Poe 1963 Sept. - 1965 March

80 TLS
Box 18
Correspondence re work on Poe 1963, 1973

2 TLS
Box 18
Correspondence with T. O. Mabbott re Poe 1963

12 ALS & TLS
Box 18
Donald Glover to Stovall re work on the Harte correspondence with Henniker, 1963 1963

ALS
Box 18
Correspondence re Writing and publication of Whitman's Prose Works, 1892 1963

19 TLS
Box 18
Correspondence re Stovall's arrangements for summer teaching at the University of Wisconsin 1963

23 TLS
Box 18
Correspondence concerning reprint of American Idealism 1963-1965; 1970-1971; 1974

23 TLS
Box 18
Correspondence re Writing and publication of Whitman's Prose Works, 1892 1964

3 TLS
Box 18
Correspondence with T. O. Mabbott re Poe 1964

13 ALS & TLS
Box 18
Correspondence Stovall-Mabbott re Poe Work 1965

11 ALS & TLS
Box 18
Correspondence with T. O. Mabbott re Poe 1965-1967

29 ALS & TLS. 3 folders
Box 18
Correspondence on "Musiad" and other Poe Matters in Baltimore 1967

28 TLS
Box 18
Correspondence re work on Edgar Allan Poe the Poet 1967-1968

12 TLS
Box 18
Correspondence from University of Virginia Library requesting a critical appraisal of a manuscript 1967

TLS
Box 18
Correspondence from Maureen C. Mabbott to Stovall re T. O. Mabbott's health and the future of his work on Poe 1968

ALS
Box 18
Correspondence and typescript re "In Memoriam Thomas Ollive Mabbott, 1898-1968" written by FS for a fellow Poe scholar 1968

8 TLS & TMs
Box 18
Correspondence concerning Stovall's invitation and decline to assume Editorship of T. O. Mabbott's Poe book 1968

12 TLS
Box 18
Correspondence re Poe works 1967-1969, n.d.

16 TLS
Box 18
Correspondence concerning a Whitman essay by Stovall, from the University of North Carolina 1970

TLS
Box 18
Correspondence concerning proofs of Four Makers of the American Mind from Hampden-Sydney College 1976

TLS
Box 18
Correspondence concerning editing the complete works of Walt Whitman n.d.

2 TLS

Miscellaneous Printed Matter

Box 18
Two articles re Edwin Arlington Robinson, one by FS 1938 & 1967

Printed matter
Box 18
Miscellaneous material concerning Stovall's American Idealism ca. 1942-1968

Printed matter
Box 18
Financial papers re American Idealism 1943-1968

16 items
Box 18
Newspaper announcements and reviews of Stovall's series of lectures concerning American Idealism in literature 1941 June

9 items
Box 18
Newspaper reviews of Stovall's American Idealism , 1943 1943