Personal, Biographical, Awards, Bernard Brodie File
Sub-Series
Scope and Contents
From the Collection:
The Fawn McKay Brodie papers (1932-1983) document the life (1915-1981) and writings of this well-known but controversial Utah-born author and university professor.
The personal materials in the first seven boxes are divided into two broad areas: Personal Materials and Correspondence. Box 1 contains biographical materials, interviews, awards, obituaries, and memorials. Also included is a file on her husband Bernard Brodie and the notebooks of her mother Fawn Brimhall McKay. The rest of these boxes contain correspondence arranged as follows: Family Correspondence, Brimhall Family Correspondence, Personal Correspondence, Miscellaneous Correspondence, Business Correspondence, and Dale L. Morgan Correspondence, which also contains some research materials. The highlights of this section are the Brimhall family and Dale L. Morgan correspondence. The correspondence of Fawn M. Brodie's maternal grandparents and their relatives provides a glimpse into the world of the Mormons in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The correspondence of fellow scholar Dale L. Morgan, in many ways Fawn Brodie's mentor, provides insight into the mind and methods of one of America's eminent historians.
The bulk of the collection is comprised of materials dealing with each of Fawn Brodie's five books. These are No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet, published in 1945; Thaddeus Stevens, Scourge of the South, 1959; The Devil Drives: A Life of Sir Richard Burton, 1967; Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History, 1974; and Richard Nixon: The Shaping of His Character, 1981. The records of the first three books are not complete. The notes and manuscript for No Man Knows My History were apparently discarded. There is, however, an extensive file of correspondence relating to the book, which Fawn Brodie arranged in the categories Non-Mormon, Mormon-Favorable, Mormon-Unfavorable, and "Crackpot." The letters are arranged alphabetically within the folders. There is also one box of miscellaneous materials on the L.D.S. Church Fawn Brodie labeled "Mormon File." For Thaddeus Stevens, Scourge of the South, there is only a finished manuscript, some research materials, and a few book reviews. The fate of the remainder of the materials is unknown. The collection of materials on The Devil Drives: A Life of Sir Richard Burton is even more sketchy. The manuscript, research materials, and an extensive library of Burton's works were sold to the Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. The materials on her last two books are much more complete. Both Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History and Richard Nixon: The Shaping of His Character contain the manuscripts, research materials, and correspondence requesting permission to use quotations and asking for interviews. The Nixon book also contains page proofs, galleys, and publisher's notes.
The next group of materials deals with Fawn Brodie's tenure as professor of history at the University of California, Los Angeles, from 1967 to 1977. This consists primarily of lecture notes she used teaching her classes in history and biography. Also included are two boxes of student papers with her comments, one box of recommendations written by Fawn Brodie for students, one box of business materials concerned with UCLA such as personal data sheets and forms, and one box containing a series of lectures Fawn Brodie was to give at the National Defense Academy in Japan in 1977, which she had to cancel.
The final section is labeled Articles, Book Reviews, Lectures, Miscellaneous. As a prominent scholar, Fawn Brodie often gave lectures, wrote book reviews, and submitted articles to scholarly journals, magazines, and encyclopedias. This section consists of drafts of articles and speeches, correspondence dealing with them, and miscellaneous materials relating to her lectures such as programs, posters, and notes. The final box contains books written by Fawn and Bernard Brodie and tapes of talks and interviews with Fawn Brodie.
An addendum to the collection consists of articles, correspondence, and an annotated first edition of No Man Knows My History.
The personal materials in the first seven boxes are divided into two broad areas: Personal Materials and Correspondence. Box 1 contains biographical materials, interviews, awards, obituaries, and memorials. Also included is a file on her husband Bernard Brodie and the notebooks of her mother Fawn Brimhall McKay. The rest of these boxes contain correspondence arranged as follows: Family Correspondence, Brimhall Family Correspondence, Personal Correspondence, Miscellaneous Correspondence, Business Correspondence, and Dale L. Morgan Correspondence, which also contains some research materials. The highlights of this section are the Brimhall family and Dale L. Morgan correspondence. The correspondence of Fawn M. Brodie's maternal grandparents and their relatives provides a glimpse into the world of the Mormons in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The correspondence of fellow scholar Dale L. Morgan, in many ways Fawn Brodie's mentor, provides insight into the mind and methods of one of America's eminent historians.
The bulk of the collection is comprised of materials dealing with each of Fawn Brodie's five books. These are No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet, published in 1945; Thaddeus Stevens, Scourge of the South, 1959; The Devil Drives: A Life of Sir Richard Burton, 1967; Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History, 1974; and Richard Nixon: The Shaping of His Character, 1981. The records of the first three books are not complete. The notes and manuscript for No Man Knows My History were apparently discarded. There is, however, an extensive file of correspondence relating to the book, which Fawn Brodie arranged in the categories Non-Mormon, Mormon-Favorable, Mormon-Unfavorable, and "Crackpot." The letters are arranged alphabetically within the folders. There is also one box of miscellaneous materials on the L.D.S. Church Fawn Brodie labeled "Mormon File." For Thaddeus Stevens, Scourge of the South, there is only a finished manuscript, some research materials, and a few book reviews. The fate of the remainder of the materials is unknown. The collection of materials on The Devil Drives: A Life of Sir Richard Burton is even more sketchy. The manuscript, research materials, and an extensive library of Burton's works were sold to the Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. The materials on her last two books are much more complete. Both Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History and Richard Nixon: The Shaping of His Character contain the manuscripts, research materials, and correspondence requesting permission to use quotations and asking for interviews. The Nixon book also contains page proofs, galleys, and publisher's notes.
The next group of materials deals with Fawn Brodie's tenure as professor of history at the University of California, Los Angeles, from 1967 to 1977. This consists primarily of lecture notes she used teaching her classes in history and biography. Also included are two boxes of student papers with her comments, one box of recommendations written by Fawn Brodie for students, one box of business materials concerned with UCLA such as personal data sheets and forms, and one box containing a series of lectures Fawn Brodie was to give at the National Defense Academy in Japan in 1977, which she had to cancel.
The final section is labeled Articles, Book Reviews, Lectures, Miscellaneous. As a prominent scholar, Fawn Brodie often gave lectures, wrote book reviews, and submitted articles to scholarly journals, magazines, and encyclopedias. This section consists of drafts of articles and speeches, correspondence dealing with them, and miscellaneous materials relating to her lectures such as programs, posters, and notes. The final box contains books written by Fawn and Bernard Brodie and tapes of talks and interviews with Fawn Brodie.
An addendum to the collection consists of articles, correspondence, and an annotated first edition of No Man Knows My History.
Dates
- 1932-1983
Conditions Governing Access
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
Extent
From the Collection: 25.25 Linear Feet (72 boxes)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Creator
- From the Collection: Brodie, Fawn McKay, 1915-1981 (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections Repository
Contact:
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863
special@library.utah.edu
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863
special@library.utah.edu