Richard Hugo Papers, 1942-1983

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Hugo, Richard, 1923-1982
Title
Richard Hugo Papers
Dates
1942-1983 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.2 linear feet and 11 reels microfilm
Collection Number
Mss 488
Summary
Richard Hugo was a poet who taught at the University of Montana. The collection contains fifteen of his poetry notebooks and other miscellaneous literary manuscripts.
Repository
University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu
Access Restrictions

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana--Missoula.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for creating this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historic Publications and Records Commission. Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Richard Hugo was born in 1923 in Seattle, Washington. He was raised by his grandparents in White Center, Washington. He served in the Army Air Corps in World War II. After the war, he attended the University of Washington where he earned his B.A. in 1948 and his M.A in 1952 and was a student of Theodore Roethke. He worked as a technical writer for the Boeing Aircraft Company in Seattle. His first book of poetry, A Run of Jacks, was published in 1961; it was followed by another, Death of Kapowsin Tavern, in 1965. In 1963 he resigned his position at Boeing, and went with his wife Barbara Williams (whom he married in 1951) to Italy for a year. On returning to the United States, he was offered a position teaching creative writing at the University of Montana, where he would become head of that program. He also taught at the University of Washington and the University of Iowa. He published The Lady in Kicking Horse Reservoir (1973), What Thou Lovest Well Remains American (1975), 31 Letters and 13 Dreams (1977), White Center (1980) and The Right Madness on Skye (1980). After his divorce from Barbara Williams in 1965, he married Ripley Schamm in 1974. By the end of his life Hugo had accumulated many prizes and awards, including a Guggenheim fellowship, a Rockefeller Foundation creative writing grant, and the Theodore Roethke Memorial Prize. Richard Hugo died of leukemia in 1982.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection contains fifteen of Hugo's poetry notebooks and other miscellaneous literary manuscripts.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

This collection and Hugo's papers held by the University of Washington are available on microfilm.

Restrictions on Use

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Copyright not transferred to the University of Montana. Please contact Archives and Special Collections for additional information.

Preferred Citation

Richard Hugo Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana--Missoula.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

This collection has three series:

Series I: Notebooks and Writings, circa 1965, 1.0 linear foot

Series II: Richard Hugo Papers on Microfilm, 1942-1983, 11 reels microfilm

Series III: Faculty Papers, 1971-1982, 0.2 linear foot RESTRICTED

Custodial History

The papers in Series I remained in Hugo's possession until donation to the Archives. Materials in Series III were originally donated to the University of Washington and were transferred in 2019.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Richard Hugo, 1969 and Univesity of Washington in 2019.

Processing Note

Series I of this collection was originally processed as UM 6, Richard Hugo Papers. In 2004, the collection was re-numbered as Mss 488 and a new finding aid was produced and encoded. Microfilm and faculty papers were added to the collection in 2021.

Separated Materials

The main body of Hugo's papers are held by the University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I:  Notebooks and Writings, circa 1965Return to Top

1.0 linear foot

This series contains fifteen of Hugo's poetry notebooks and other miscellaneous literary manuscripts.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
Notebook 1 (pages 1-120)
undated
1/2
Notebook 2 (pages 1-120)
undated
1/3
Notebook 3 (pages 1-120)
undated
1/4
Notebook 4 (pages 1-120)
undated
1/5
Notebook 5 (pages 5-118)
undated
1/6
Notebook 6 (pages 33-108)
undated
1/7
Notebook 7 (pages 5-116)
undated
1/8
Notebook 8 (pages 1-118)
undated
1/9
Notebook 9 (pages 21-110)
undated
2/1
Notebook 10 (pages 1-120)
undated
2/2
Notebook 11 (pages 1-120)
undated
2/3
Notebook 12 (pages 1-120)
undated
2/4
Notebook 13 (pages 1-120)
undated
2/5
Notebook 14 (pages 1-120)
undated
2/6
Notebook 15 (pages 1-120)
undated
2/7
Spiral notebook (unpaged, 158 pages or 79 leaves)
First poem in notebook is "Where Rock Creek Pools Against the Rock"
undated
2/8
Spiral notebook (unpaged, 126 pages or 63 leaves)
undated
2/9
"Good Luck in Cracked Italian" with printers marks
undated
2/10
"Good Luck in Cracked Italian" same as above with no marks
undated
2/11
Group of 7 leaves
Includes "Snoqualmie October""October Snocualmiet' "Salmon in October"
undated
2/12
Group of 11 leaves
Includes "Stafford's Landscapes" "West of Your City"
undated

Series II:  Richard Hugo Papers on Microfilm, 1942-1983Return to Top

11 reels microfilm

This series consists of eleven reels of microfilm of the Richard Hugo Papers held at the University of Washington. The filming of both the collection materials held by the University of Montana and those held by the University of Washington was completed in the 1980s.

A microfilm reel of restricted material from Richard Hugo's time as a faculty member at UM was discarded when the original materials were delivered to UM in 2019. Those restricted materials are Series III of this collection.

Series III:  Faculty Papers, 1971-1982Return to Top

0.2 linear feet

This series contains materials from Richard Hugo's time as a faculty member at the University of Montana.

This series was processed by the University of Washington. The orignial materials were transfered to the University of Montana by the University of Washington in 2019.Two reels of microfilm (positive and negative) were discarded during processing of this series.

This series is restricted because it contains student information. Contact Archives and Special Collections for information.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
3/1
General Correspondence
1973-1982
3/2
Department Correspondence
1975-1980
3/3
Class Evaluations
1981-1982
3/4
Students
1973-1982
3/5
Recommendations of MFA Students, A-H
1971-1980
3/6
Recommendations of MFA Students, I-P
1971-1980
3/7
Recommendations of MFA Students, R-Z
1971-1980
3/8
Notes re: Applicants to Creative Writing Program
undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • American poetry--Montana
  • American poetry--20th century

Personal Names

  • Hugo, Richard, 1923-1982--Manuscripts

Corporate Names

  • University of Montana--Missoula--Faculty

Form or Genre Terms

  • Poems

Occupations

  • Poets, American--Montana--Missoula