Carlton Culmsee papers, 1897-1993

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Culmsee, Carlton, 1904-
Title
Carlton Culmsee papers
Dates
1897-1993 (inclusive)
Quantity
35 boxes and 9 artifacts, (9 linear ft.)
Collection Number
UUS_COLL MSS 221
Summary
The personal and professional papers of Carlton Fordis Culmsee, dean of the College of Humanities and Arts at Utah State University for 25 years, consists mainly of his writings (including rough drafts), revisions, and published materials of his poetry, articles, and essays. The collection also contains publications and diaries from his trip to Taiwan (1955-56). The papers in the collection date from 1897-1993, with the bulk of the papers ranging from the 1950s to the early 1970s.
Repository
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu
Access Restrictions

Open to public research.

Languages
English.
Sponsor
Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Carlton Fordis Culmsee was born September 18, 1904, in St. Ansger, Iowa to Dr. Ludwing Alfred Culmsee (physician) and Clara Belia Hansen Culmsee (school teacher). Carlton Culmsee. In 1906, his father took the family to Europe. His father studied surgery for two years in Copenhagen and Vienna. When they returned to the United States, Dr. Culmsee practiced medicine for four years in Norfolk, Nebraska. His health began to fail and subsequently he was forced to retire in 1912. The Culmsee family moved to California and then finally settled in Southern Utah.

Carlton Culmsee attended high school at the Branch Agricultural College in Cedar City, Utah, graduating in 1922. He taught for three years in one-room schools in Nada and Reed, Utah. During that time he also helped his father with herding sheep and ranching. At the time of his graduation from the BAC, Carlton began publishing as a freelance writer. Two Brigham Young University poets, Harrison R. Merrill and Lowry Nelson, became interested in Carlton Culmsee's publications. The two men visited Carlton on a recruiting trip to Southern Utah which resulted in his decision to attend BYU.

During his education he served as editor of both the university's literary magazine and the student newspaper. He worked as the university's publicity writer and was also a part-time writer for the Associated Press. In 1932, he graduated as valedictorian from BYU with majors in both Geology and English. Carlton Culmsee married Edna Ball (born in Springfield, Ill., May 23, 1896) on June 5, 1932, the same day as Carlton's graduation from BYU (Edna had been the valedictorian from BYU two years earlier). After graduation, Carlton joined the Brigham Young University faculty as secretary of the Extension Division and as an instructor in Journalism. He went on to receive his M.A. in English from BYU in 1936.

He then attended the State University of Iowa and in 1940, he received his Ph.D. in American Civilization. Carlton was the first person to earn a degree in that subject from the university. Carlton, Edna, and their adopted son Ralph McPherson Culmsee, returned to BYU, where Carlton was then appointed Director of the Extension Division and head of the Journalism Department. In 1941, the National Relief Society asked Carlton to write a pageant, along with song lyrics ("In Thy Form"), for the Relief Society Centennial. In 1942, during World War II, Carlton was commissioned an officer in the U.S. Navy. He advanced to the rank of Lieutenant Commander while teaching young pilots the process of electronic recognition of enemy planes. He served for three years and was honorably discharged.

In 1945 he was appointed Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences (later known as the College of Humanities and Arts) and a professor of American Civilization at Utah State University. He taught as a visiting professor at Cornell University in the summer of 1951. From 1955-1956, he and his wife were invited to Taiwan to help reestablish the National Chengchi University. In 1949 the Kuomintang (The Nationalist Government) was forced off the mainland of China by the Communist leaders and reestablished itself in Taiwan. The National Chengchi University was destroyed on the mainland by the Communist Chinese. The Culmsses were asked by the Nationalist government to help rebuild the university in Taiwan. As a result of teaching and the extensive travel to the islands of Quemoy, Matsu and the Far East, Carlton Culmsee published numerous articles about Taiwan and the Orient in many regional and national magazines. Sadly, during this time on December 11, 1956, their son Ralph passed away. He was twenty-two.

Throughout Carlton Culmsee's professional life he published extensively. He was a prolific and eclectic writer, with his subject matter ranging from social problems to international politics; historical fiction to poetry. During his career, he edited many projects, one of which was Utah Sings, Vol II, state verse anthology. As stated earlier, he began publishing in 1922 and consistently published throughout his life. He published several books including: Utah's Black Hawk War and Echoes Calling. He published numerous articles and poems that appeared in the New York Times, Western Humanities Review, Journalism Quarterly, and many other prestigious and scholarly journals. He also wrote the scripts for the 1966 dedication of the Center for the Study of Causes of War and Conditions for Peace.

He served on many committees and held a myriad of offices including two terms as president of the League of Utah Writers and one term as president of the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. He was chairman of the Land-Grant University Centennial-USU Diamond Jubilee, chairman of the Campus Planning committee, director of Publications, and supervisor of the USU News Bureau. In 1970, after serving as Dean for 25 years, Carlton Culmsee retired. That same year he was awarded the USU Distinguished Service Award. In 1971, he and Edna were elected to the Old Main Society. He taught part-time for five years after retiring as dean, and in 1975 Carlton Culmsee retired completely and received Emeritus status. On July 11, 1976, Edna Ball Culmsee died of a heart attack. On February 24, 1978, Carlton Culmsee married Aileen Swift Barker (born in Wellsville, Utah, August 25, 1910). Aileen and Carlton were married for fifteen years until his death in May of 1993. Aileen later remarried in 1996 and currently resides in Logan. At Carlton's passing one of his close friends, Joyce Cardon, wrote, "The poetry, essays, academic articles, the Black Hawk book--how diverse were his avenues of expression and expertise, how wide his talents, how affirmative and deep his mind and heart."

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The personal and professional papers of Carlton Fordis Culmsee, USU's Dean of the College of Humanities and Arts for 25 years, consist mainly of his writings (including rough drafts), revisions, and published materials for his poetry, articles, and essays. The collection also contains personal and professional correspondence (bulk dates from the late 1920's to 1980's), personal papers, publications, and diaries from his trip to Taiwan (1955-56). The papers in the collection date from 1897-1993, with the bulk of the papers ranging from the 1920s to the early 1970s.

The collection contains thirty-six boxes. The first two boxes contain his poetry (drafts), which are arranged in alphabetical order. The subject matter for the poetry varies widely, from Utah, the West, his father, and his family, to poetry that is more philosophical and/or religious.

The subject matter for his essays and articles (drafts) is much the same as his poetry but also contains a significant number of essays on mining in Utah, including essays on the Dream Mine and the Silver Reef. The essays and articles (drafts) are arranged alphabetically (this section also contains manuscripts and literary reviews--arranged alphabetically within the essays and articles). The articles and essays make up five boxes (Box 3-7) and there are two boxes of news clippings (Box 8 & 9). Box 7.A was added from the 2000 acquisition to update and expand the collection of essay and article drafts.

There are three boxes of correspondence (Box 10-12) that are mainly comprised of Christmas cards and sympathy cards about the death of Carlton's first wife Edna Culmsee in 1976. These boxes also contain personal correspondence from family members, and friends (Notably: T.Y. Booth, Harrison Groutage, Heber J. Grant, Lowry Nelson, Veneta Leatham Nielsen, and Joyce J. Cardon--Mrs. Guy N. Cardon). The incoming correspondence is arranged alphabetically by last name. The third box of correspondence contains institutional correspondence and outgoing correspondence from Carlton Culmsee. The institutional correspondence is arranged alphabetically and the outgoing correspondence is arranged in chronological order.

There is one box (Box 13) of personal papers that contains items from Carlton's parents, his birth certificate, transcripts, honors, awards, and letters (letters to his parents from some friends and family, letters of recommendations from Carlton's colleagues, letters from the USU Office of the President, letters of congratulations from colleagues about his distinguished service award, retirement and emeritus status). The box also contains five folders (fd. 36-40) that specifically contains information about close friends of Carlton Culmsee.

Box 14 contains published articles by Carlton Culmsee in regional and national magazines from Taiwan. Carlton spent one year in Taiwan (1955-56) helping to rebuild the National Chengchi University in Taiwan. The articles relate mostly to the political strife between Taiwan and mainland China. The box also contains news clippings, official documents, and two of his personal diaries kept during his stay there. Boxes 15 and 16 contains published materials also, including articles, essays, speeches and poems. The subject matter is almost the same as stated earlier, Utah, Mines, etc. but there are some articles that discuss social and political issues relating to Taiwan and China.

There is one box (Box 17) that pertains to the LDS Church. The items mainly relate to his personal involvement in his ward and local church events, e.g.: Relief Society programs, fireside, and Sunday school talks.

Boxes 19, 20 and 21 include scrapbooks and items taken out of the scrapbooks. Items from the scrapbook were placed in folders in the order they were removed. There was also correspondence within the scrapbook but it was left in among the other scrapbook items.

Boxes 22 and 23 contain letters sent between Carlton and Edna during their courtship and first years of marriage dating from 1930 to 1933. The letters are arranged chronologically. Box 24 is a collection of additional letters mostly to Edna by family members and close friends.

Boxes 25 through 27 contain many personal items mostly from Edna Ball relating to her education, youth in Illinois and genealogy. In Box 25 are journals and bound notebooks from Edna and Carlton dating from their youth (1912 to mid-1920's) . Box 26 contains items regarding the education of Carlton including transcripts, a yearbook, and diplomas from BYU. Box 27 contains items from Edna's genealogical research. There is also an oversized volume of her genealogical research in Box 21.

Box 28 relates to the special duties and appointments of Carlton Culmsee as he worked at Utah State University. These include items from his time on an Accreditation team, on the planning commission which oversaw the construction of the USU Chase Fine Arts Center and his service on various writing bodies. Boxes 29 and 32 contain notes, rough drafts, and book manuscripts from Dr. Culmsee's prodigious writings. Box 33 is a scrapbook containing Souvenir cards collected over many years.

Boxes 34 and 35 relate to Dr. Culmsee's career as an officer in the U.S. Navy including his training at the Naval Academy at Ohio State University, and his teaching at St. Mary's College Academy. This collection includes personal items such as poetry and journals from World War II as well as photographs, books, and essays on the U.S. Navy. Box 36 contains artifacts such as an old Dutch Jacob's Ladder, a plaque, and WWII dog tags and so forth.

Much of the appended material from the second acquisition in 2000 was either redundant or complementary to the original material and has been collated into the appropriate sections. However, due to space constraints, these often have not been added in the original alphabetic order, but have been appended at the end of existing boxes or in boxes of their own at the end of the collection.

LIST OF ITEMS REMOVED: Photos: 1. Retirement Photos (Box 13 Fd 32) 2. Photos of and by Edna Ball from Illinois, BYU, and Utah. Books: 1. Carlton F. Culmsee Interview, 1981 by Oliver Smith 2. The Classicism of Ben Jonson, 1937 by Carlton Fordis Culmsee (Thesis) 3. Echoes Calling, by Carlton Fordis Culmsee (2 copies) Other Items: 1. US Army/Navy Journal of Recognition published during WWII 2. United States Navy Book of Regulations.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Utah State University Libraries, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.

Permission to publish material from the Carlton Culmsee papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.

Preferred Citation

Carlton Culmsee papers, 1897-1993. (COLL MSS 221). Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives Department.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Works written by Culmsee are arranged by genre of material (poetry, essays, articles); other materials are arranged alphabetically within categories of material.

Acquisition Information

The original collection was given to the Special Collections Library in 1997 by Dr. Culmsee's second wife, Aileen Swift Barker Culmsee. When the former Culmsee residence, which had subsequently served as the headquarters for the University Press, was torn down in the fall of 2000, several more boxes of items nearly equal in scope and size were found and given to the library.

Processing Note

Collection Processed by: Nancy Ann Bradford Wood, 1997, and updated by Jonathan Forrest Barney, February 2003.

Related Materials

Carlton Fordis Culmsee photograph collectionP0128

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Poetry, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1
A-B's
undated
1 2
C's
undated
1 3
D's
undated
1 4
Volume of 53 poems written over a 60-year period
undated
1 5
E-F's
undated
1 6
"For" poems
undated
1 7
F-G's
undated
2 1
H's
undated
2 2
Lyrics to a Hymn (In Thy Form) and Poetry I-J's
undated
2 3
L-M's
undated
2 4
Lyrics to a Hymn (A New Voice for Old Main Tower) and Poetry N's
undated
2 5
O's
undated
2 6
P-Q's
undated
2 7
R's
undated
2 8
S's
undated
2 9
T's
undated
2 10
U-W's
undated
2 11
Untitled Poetry
undated

Essays and Articles (drafts), undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
3 1
The Abandoned Well at Kerr (essay)
undated
3 2
Academic Freedom, Nudity, A Dismissal (essay)
undated
3 3
Anasazi in the Upper Escalante (article)
undated
3 4
Sidelights and Taillights (article) and An Archer Tells Why (article)
undated
3 5
Architecture--Best Index of a Culture (article)
undated
3 6
As Bees Flee Hame... (essay)
undated
3 7
Babbitts of the Wasteland (essay)
undated
3 8
Bannack and Her Moonlighting Sheriff (essay)
undated
3 9
Bannack and Her Moonlighting Sheriff (essay)
undated
3 10
"Be My Guest"--With a Six-Gun (essay)
undated
3 11
Article in German
1961
3 12
Draft of Essay
undated
3 13
Better Times are Coming (essay)
undated
3 14
Backing Toward the Light (essays)
undated
3 15
Birth of a Zombie (essay)
undated
3 16
Christening the Cherub (essay)
undated
3 17
Bogus SUP, Real DUP (essay)
undated
3 18
The Big Gold Rush (essay)
undated
3 19
Cache's Imperial Purple (essay)
undated
3 20
The Calligraphy Below (essay)
undated
3 21
Camp Floyd to Mercury--To Zero (essay)
undated
3 22
Can Any Good Thing Come Out of Nada? (story/manuscript)
undated
3 23
Pinenuts From the Wah Wahs (essay)
undated
4 1
The Abandoned Well at Kerr (essay)
undated
4 2
Can Any Good Thing Come Out of Nada? (table of contents)
undated
4 3
Can Any Good Thing Come Out of Nada? (draft)
undated
4 4
China and the New Reformation (essay)
undated
4 5
Untitled
undated
4 6
Cloudburst (essay)
undated
4 7
The Coral Cabin at Jockey's (essay)
undated
4 8
Cravings for Fruit, for example (essay)
undated
4 9
Crazy Quilt World by A. Zombi (essay)
undated
4 10
The Culmsee Side (essay)
undated
4 11
The Daniel Boone of Desert (essay)
undated
4 12
Delamar's Lethal Dust (essay)
undated
4 13
Disaster (essay)
undated
4 14
A Dog's a Person Too (essay)
undated
4 15
Drawing a Genealogical Longbow (essay)
undated
4 16
The Eagle Flew Low (essay)
undated
4 17
Early American, Red (essay)
undated
4 18
Echoings From Diverse Tongues and Experiences (essay)
undated
4 19
Escalante's Valley of Decision (essay)
undated
4 20
Untitled Draft
undated
4 21
New World Millennial (essay)
undated
4 22
Essentials of a Folk-Hero (essay)
undated
4 23
Even With Science- (essay)
undated
4 24
Expensive Free Land (essay)
undated
4 25
Father Fought the Desert (biography of his father)
undated
5 1
The Fault with the Springs (essay)
undated
5 2
Foreign Trade--College Type (essay)
undated
5 3
Forgotten Pioneers of Cache's 1850's (essay)
undated
5 4
From Hero to God, and Then? (essay)
undated
5 5
Fun, Leagues from Bacchanalia (essay)
undated
5 6
Funny as a Rubber Crutch (essay)
undated
5 7
Gold Along the Snake (essay)
undated
5 8
Gold [?] (essay draft)
undated
5 9
Gold Springs (essay)
undated
5 10
Governor Spry and Joe Hill (essay)
undated
5 11
Grave Mirth (essay)
undated
5 12
"Hotbox on the Hub of Hell" (essay)
undated
5 13
How to Get an Organ (essay)
undated
5 14
Hunting Scene (essay draft)
undated
5 15
A Job "Boughten" in LA (essay)
undated
5 16
Join the Navy and See the States (essay)
undated
5 17
Last Free Land Rush (essay)
undated
5 18
Last of the Gold Camps (essay)
undated
5 19
Learning Could be Rough (essay)
undated
5 20
Less Than Winged Victory (essay)
undated
5 21
Literature Review
undated
5 22
Lone Scientific Triumph (essay)
undated
5 23
A Lost Mining Empire (essay)
undated
5 24
Lund vs. Nada (essay)
undated
5 25
"Mad Fiddler of the Tintics" (essay)
undated
5 26
Man's Had His Day--Super System's Next (essay) and Many Roles for "Nada General" (essay)
undated
6 1
Mirage in Nada (essay)
undated
6 2
Mirages in the Escalante (essay)
undated
6 3
Mormon Mining Wizard (essay)
undated
6 4
MX and Escalante (essay draft)
undated
6 5
My Honeymoon Flivver (essay)
undated
6 6
Mystery of the Far-Out Fingerlings (essay)
undated
6 7
Nada (essay draft)
undated
6 8
New Beginning (essay draft)
undated
6 9
Nine Lives for This Camp (essay)
undated
6 10
Nothing Equals Nothing (essay)
undated
6 11
The Old Spanish Mine (essay)
undated
6 12
One Bright Fiber Persisting (essay)
undated
6 13
Our Name Was Legion--"Impersonating an Officer" (essay)
undated
6 14
The Overstreet "Team" (essay)
undated
6 15
The Perennial Frontier (essay)
undated
6 16
Picking a President (essay)
undated
6 17
Pine nuts From the Wah Wahs (essay)
undated
6 18
Parts (essay draft)
undated
6 19
Prefatory Note (essay)
undated
6 20
"Psychiatrist, Cure Thyself" (essay)
undated
6 21
Rails, Campuses, and Roadblock (essay)
undated
6 22
Rainbow Plus Pots of Silver and Gold (essay)
undated
6 23
Remittance Women (essay)
undated
6 24
Jimmie Jones and a Utah Moses (essay)
undated
6 25
The Road to Santa Brigida (essay)
undated
6 26
Sailboat in the Desert (essay)
undated
6 27
Salmon Country--Gold Country (essay)
undated
6 28
Serpents and Spirals (essay)
undated
7 1
Literature Review
undated
7 2
Silver Pockets (essay draft)
undated
7 3
Slavery Caused an Indian War in Utah (article)
undated
7 4
Slurry Does It (essay)
undated
7 5
Sneakers and Ski Masks Enough? (essay)
undated
7 6
Something Out of Nada (essay)
undated
7 7
Something There is That Doesn't Love Soft Living (essay)
undated
7 8
Spurs for the Girl I left Behind Me (essay)
undated
7 9
Surprises of Silver Reef (essay)
undated
7 10
Teaching in the "Sinks" (essay)
undated
7 11
That Other Cross (essay)
undated
7 12
A Thief and a Carpet for Old Man (essay)
undated
7 13
Third Point of a Bright Triangle (essay)
undated
7 14
Twilight on Golconda (essay)
undated
7 15
Two Ghosts--A Viking on Lake Bonneville (essay)
undated
7 16
Ups and Downs of a Generation in My Life (essay)
undated
7 17
Vacillations to Vantage Points (essay)
undated
7 18
"Virgin" Incites Ribaldry (essay)
undated
7 19
Literature Review
undated
7 20
Essays (W's)
undated
7 21
Why the "Dream Mine" (essay)
undated
7 22
Why this is Written (essay)
undated
7 23
"Worst Widow-Maker in the World" (essay)
undated
7 24
Youth Teaches Us, Sternly (short story)
undated
7 25
Maps and Sketches
undated
7 26
Miscellaneous Drafts
undated
7 27
Draft on Mining
undated
7 28
Miscellaneous Drafts
undated
7 29
Winner of Edgar Award
undated
7 30
Letters regarding book, Utah's Black Hawk War
undated
7A 1
Chapters of USU Musical Theatre
undated
7A 2
Goodbye our Boarding House
undated
7A 3
Insurgent Forms
undated
7A 4
Essay and Research, Modern Moses (draft)
undated
7A 5
Rails, Campuses, and a Roadblock
undated
7A 6
Reactions of a Gentile to Mormon Community Life
undated
7A 7
A Star Was Born in '96 (draft)
undated
7A 8
Tree of Fire (draft)
undated
7A 9
Book Reviews (drafts)
undated
7A 10
Eulogies and Tributes
undated

News Clippings, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
8
News Clippings
undated
9
Newspaper Clippings
undated

Correspondence, undatedReturn to Top

(incoming, alphabetical by last name)

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
10 1
Alborn, Er and Pearl
undated
10 2
Banks, Connie and Al
undated
10 3
Birrell, V.L.
undated
10 4
Blaser, Jill and John
undated
10 5
Booth, T.Y.
undated
10 6
Boyden, Orpha
undated
10 7
Brewer, Ken
undated
10 8
Brown, Bernice and Tex
undated
10 9
Buehler, Vernon M.
undated
10 10
Burgess, Mary E.
undated
10 11
Cannon, Jeanne
undated
10 12
Joyce Cardon
undated
10 13
Carigan, Bill and Mary
undated
10 14
Chik, Yubing
undated
10 15
Claussen, Margaret
undated
10 16
Coehran, Phyllis
undated
10 17
Coit, Joyce
undated
10 18
Coralie, John
undated
10 19
Cornaby, Floyd V.
undated
10 20
Crawford, Vesta P.
undated
10 21
Crockett, Carl and Susan
undated
10 22
Culmsee, Aileen B.
undated
10 23
Daines, Newel and Jean
undated
10 24
Dalby, Max
undated
10 25
Dalley, Emily and Jesse
undated
10 26
Dances, Harold
undated
10 27
Dennis, Eldon and Judy
undated
10 28
Donewan, Chris
undated
10 29
Drake, Eldan and Jan
undated
10 30
Emert, George H.
undated
10 31
Falor, Gene and Angie
undated
10 32
Farrer, Ken and Jane
undated
10 33
Fok, Yu Kam
undated
10 34
Glauber, Charles A.
undated
10 35
Grant, Heber J., President Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
(booklet enclosed)
1935 September 27
10 36
Groutage, Harrison
undated
10 37
Grover, Ailene H.
undated
10 38
Hafen, Lyman
undated
10 39
Hanlon
undated
10 40
Hansen, Jack H.
undated
10 41
Harris (nieces and nephews)
undated
11 1
Hart, Alice
undated
11 2
Hill, Elaine T.
undated
11 3
Irby, Grace
undated
11 4
Iver, Grant
undated
11 5
Johnson, Anne
undated
11 6
Johnston, Grace
undated
11 7
Larsen, Becky
undated
11 8
Lee, Diana
undated
11 9
Lee, Men Hui
undated
11 10
Leidls
undated
11 11
Floyd, Homer and Gladys
undated
11 12
Lye, William
undated
11 13
Lynn, Viva
undated
11 14
Matesky, Ralph and Betty
undated
11 15
Matheson, Alan A.
undated
11 16
Mathis, Pam
undated
11 17
McAllister, DeVere and Ila
undated
11 18
Metcalf, Davis
undated
11 19
Metcalf, Lloyd E.
undated
11 20
Mendini, Art and Irene
undated
11 21
Mortimer, James
undated
11 22
Myers, Chester
undated
11 23
Nelson, Lowry
(includes correspondence to Lowry Nelson from misc. people and correspondence between Lowry and Carlton Culmsee)
undated
11 24
Nelson, Marlan
undated
11 25
Neuberger, Mark L.
undated
11 26
Olsen, Gai7l and Jason
undated
11 27
Overstreet, B.
undated
11 28
Parkinson, Spencer and Joyce
undated
11 29
Parnell, Jacob
undated
11 30
Peterson, Dean and Bess
undated
11 31
Palley, Rod
undated
11 32
Rataczak, Bob and Maxine
undated
11 33
Redford, Lora and Ralph
undated
11 34
Rhodes
undated
11 35
Robinson, Rex and Mickey
undated
11 36
Sanders, Roselena
undated
11 37
Schreiner, Alex
undated
11 38
Sherratt, Gerald
undated
11 39
Simmons, Mike
undated
11 40
Smith, Merle
undated
11 41
Snow, Nellie
undated
11 43
Sorensen, Mark
undated
11 44
Stark, Josephine
undated
11 45
Stoffel, Jerome Monseignor
undated
11 46
Stowell, Paul Lorelie
undated
11 47
Stum, Marlin
undated
11 48
Sur, Fadil H.
undated
11 49
Swankowski, Frances
undated
11 50
Talbot, Carolyn B.
undated
11 51
Tarlock, Tony and Fay
undated
11 52
Yee, Chiang
undated
11 53
Whitney, C.
undated
11 54
Williams
undated
11 55
Wing, Sherm and Elaiyne
undated
11 56
Yeager, Janet
undated
11 57
Misc. Correspondence
undated
11 58
John Pierce
undated
11 59
Norman Foerster
undated
11 60
Misc. Correspondence regarding "Insurgent Forms"
undated
11 61
Misc. Correspondence regarding "Tree of Fire"
undated
11 62
Wedding Announcements for Carlton and Edna
undated
12 1
American Literary and Creative Arts Associates, Inc.
undated
12 2
Benjamin Franklin Society
undated
12 3
Brigham Young University (Class of 1932 class reunion)
undated
12 4
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
undated
12 5
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Inc. (Book Publishers)
undated
12 6
Deseret News
undated
12 7
The Herald Journal
undated
12 8
Las Vegas Review Journal
undated
12 9
New York Times
undated
12 10
The Salt Lake Tribune
undated
12 11
The Swallow Press
undated
12 12
United States of America Department of the Navy
undated
12 13
The University of Iowa Alumni Association
undated
12 14
Utah State Historical Society Division of State History
undated
12 15
Utah State Poetry Society, Inc.
undated
12 16
Utah State University
undated
12 17
Outgoing Letters by Carlton Fordis Culmsee
undated
12 18
KSL Radio
undated

Personal, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
13 1
Wedding Announcement of Clara Belia Hansen and Ludwig Alfred Culmsee (Carlton Culmsee's Parents)
1897 September 8
13 2
Letter to Mary Benson from Clara Belia Hansen Culmsee (Carlton Culmsee's Mother)
1906 December 3
13 3
Cards Written by Clara B. Culmsee
undated
13 4
Postcards to Ludwig and Clara Culmsee
undated
13 5
Birth Certificate of Carlton Fordis Culmsee
1904 September 18
13 6
Record of Baptism of Carlton Fordis Culmsee
1904 September 18
13 7
Birth Announcement of Carlton Fordis Culmsee
undated
13 8
Letter from Uncle Ohif to Carlton Fordis Culmsee
1904 September 22
13 9
Transcript from the University of Iowa
undated
13 10
Transcript from Brigham Young University
undated
13 11
Letters of Recommendation from Colleagues
1942 July
13 12
Honorably Discharge paper from the Utah State Guard
1942 October 25
13 13
Edna Ball Culmsee (Carlton Culmsee's wife) Biographical Sketch and Valedictorian Speech
undated
13 14
American Legion Certificate
1976 May 31
13 15
The Old Main Society
undated
13 16
Letter From Office of the President USU (about being elected in to the Old Main Society)
undated
13 17
Certificate on Poem Will Shakespeare Come Home
undated
13 18
Papers about Nada, Utah
undated
13 19
Talk at Emeritus Ceremony
undated
13 20
Presidential Address
undated
13 21
Program about Carlton Culmsee's Poems
undated
13 22
Biographical Data on Carlton Culmsee
undated
13 23
Funeral Service for Carlton Culmsee and Biographical Data
undated
13 24
News Clippings on Carlton Culmsee
undated
13 25
Talk at Class of '32 Reunion BYU
undated
13 26
Christmas Poems (made into cards)
undated
13 27
Paper by Aileen Swift Barker Culmsee (Carlton Culmsee's second wife) - (about how her and Carlton meet and married)
undated
13 28
USU English Department
undated
13 29
Announcements of Poetry Contests
undated
13 30
USU Distinguished Service Award
undated
13 31
Letters of Congratulations from Colleagues about distinguished service Award
undated
13 32
Letters from Colleagues on Retirement
undated
13 33
Letters from Colleagues on Emeritus/Retirement
undated
13 34
Miscellaneous Items of Personal Interests
undated
13 35
Clara B. Culmsee Memorial Collection on frontier Literature
undated
13 36
Booth, T.Y.
undated
13 37
Groutage, Harrison
undated
13 38
Nelson, Lowry and Florence N.
undated
13 39
Nielsen, Veneta Leatham
undated
13 40
Swift, Elizabeth Rose
undated
13 41
Distinguished Service Award
undated
13 42
Biographical/educational history items
undated
13 43
Certificates from civic service
undated

Taiwan, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
14 1
The Chinese Ideal: Spirit and Matter in Harmony
undated
14 2
Clutch of Eggs in a Connon's Mouth
undated
14 3
Brooding on a Taiwan Burial Hill
undated
14 4
The Enlightenment of Kung Mu-SSu
undated
14 5
Experiment on Formosa
undated
14 6
First Step in Formosa
undated
14 7
Formosa and the Far East
undated
14 8
Formosa-Land of Languages
undated
14 9
Formosan Press is Still Under Kuomintang Thumb but is Winning Freedom
undated
14 10
How Free is the Press in "Free China"?
undated
14 11
Homesick in Paradise
undated
14 12
Liberals and Tyranny
undated
14 13
Magnetism of Destiny
undated
14 14
Panegyric to the Pedicab
undated
14 15
Presses Roll While Big Guns Roar on Quemoy
undated
14 16
Revolution in Taiwan (Formosa)
undated
14 17
Through Bamboo Leaves
undated
14 18
Treasure from the East
undated
14 19
Vestpocket Gimo
undated
14 20
What is a Chinese?
undated
14 21
What to Carry Back?
undated
14 22
News Clippings
undated
14 23
Official Documents for Taiwan
undated
14 24
Taiwan Diary
undated
14 25
Taiwan Diary II
undated
14 26
The Culmsees in the Far East
undated
14 27
Tight Little Island off Taiwan
undated
14 28
The Pescardores, Between China and Formosa
undated
14 29
Free China's Offshore Showcase
undated
14 30
Document relating to a student thesis
undated

Publications of Utah Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters and other publications, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
15 1
Proceedings of UASAL,
1936
15 2
Proceedings of UASAL,
1937
15 3
Proceedings of UASAL,
1938
15 4
We Still Have a Chance
1963
15 5
Old Juniper
1964 July
15 6
North Star
1968
15 7
Modern Moses at West Tintic
1967
15 8
Tree of Fire
1963
15 9
Insurgent Forms (With Veneta Nielsen,
1966
15 10
Malign Nature and the Frontier
1959

Published Material (articles, essays, speeches and poems), undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
16 1
An Adventure Tale of a Man of Many Guises
1960 October 11
16 2
The Artist and the "New Reformation"
1966 Autumn
16 3
Autumn of Humanity--or Spring?
1965 Winter
16 4
The Birth of Neo-Naturalism
1939 June
16 5
Choked Wellsprings
1966
16 6
Democracy Enrolls in College
1962 Summer
16 7
Double Thread, Booklet
1978
16 8
Each and All
1962
16 9
For Creative Unity, Booklet (published for the Diamond Jubilee of USU)
1963
16 10
The Frontier: Hardy Perennial
1967 Summer
16 11
A Great Adventure
undated
16 12
Half-Light of Dawn
undated
16 13
Hazardous Undertow
1965 May
16 14
Humanity in the Scientist
1962 Fall
16 15
Icarus on the Escalante Desert
1981
16 16
The Morrill Act and a National Mine
1961 May-June
16 17
A New Era of Science and Thought
1970 Winter
16 18
Noble Savage, Late Model
1967 Winter
16 19
Poetry in the Free World
1961 Autumn
16 20
The Responsible Exercise of Creative Power, Booklet
1963
16 21
Shapes for the Deep Unrest, Booklet
1969 November
16 22
The Sign
undated
16 23
Simon Bamberger Utah's First Democratic Governor
1978 May
16 24
That Iron String
1966 May
16 25
We Still Have a Chance, Booklet
undated
16 26
Which Path for Us?
1967 Winter
16 27
Review of a Novel by Virginia Sorensen Kingdom Come
1960 October
16 28
Choosing the Up Escalator
1970
16 29
Satan on the Hearth
1968
16 30
The Artist and the New Reformation
1966
16 31
Science, Art, and Communication
1968
16 32
Backing Toward the Light
1967
16 33
Why are the Humanities in the Doldrums?
1965

LDS (Mormon) Church, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
17 1
Lyrics to Hymn Song of Joy
undated
17 2
Lyrics to Hymn In the Wind of the Mountain Spoke the Almighty
undated
17 3
Relief Society Program
undated
17 4
Play "The Birth of the Relief Society"
undated
17 5
Fireside Talk
undated
17 6
Sunday School Talk
undated
17 7
Shakespeare Fireside
undated
17 8
Funeral Service Invocation for Wallace J. Vickers
undated
17 9
Ensign
October 1983
17 10
Ward Newsletters
undated
17 11
Poem by Sir Hugh Walpole
undated
17 12
The Improvement Era, February 1936; poetry by Culmsee
undated
17 13
The Improvement Era, November, 1940; article by Culmsee
undated
17 14
The Improvement Era, December 1940; poetry by Culmsee
undated

Bound Items, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
18 1
Dissertation for Ph.D. The Rise of the Concept of Hostile Nature In Novelists of the America Frontier
1940 January
18 2
Dissertation for Ph.D. The Rise of the Concept of Hostile Nature In Novelists of the America Frontier
1940 January
18 3
Planner
1991
18 4
Abstract for Ph.D. Dissertation, published by University of Iowa,
1943

Scrapbook, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
19
Scrapbook
undated

Items from Scrapbook, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
20 1
Poems
undated
20 2
Check
undated
20 3
News Clippings
undated
20 4
Letters
undated
20 5
Letters
undated
20 6
Letters
undated
20 7
News Clippings
undated
20 8
Letters
undated
20 9
Letters
undated
20 10
Letters and Poems
undated
20 11
Letters
undated
20 12
Letters
undated
20 13
Letters
undated
20 14
News Clippings
undated
20 15
Letter
undated
20 16
Letters
undated
20 17
Birthday Cards
undated
20 18
Birthday Cards
undated
20 19
Birthday Cards
undated

Scrapbooks and Book of Genealogy, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
21
Scrapbook, 1864 Army Commission, Painting Scrapbook of Edna Ball, Book of Genealogy
undated

Personal Correspondences of Edna Ball and Carlton Culmsee, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
22 1
Edna to Carlton,
1931 January 1 - July 30
22 2
Edna to Carlton,
1931 August 1 - September 21
22 3
Carlton to Edna,
1931 January 1 - June 29
22 4
Carlton to Edna,
1931 July 1 - 30
22 5
Carlton to Edna,
1931 August
22 6
Carlton to Edna
1931 September 1 - December 30
23 1
Edna to Carlton,
1930 June - August 18
23 2
Edna to Carlton,
1930 August 21 - December
23 3
Carlton to Edna,
1930
23 4
Miscellaneous Correspondence, Edna to Carlton
undated
23 5
Carlton to Edna,
1933
23 6
Carlton to Edna,
1933
24 1
Clara Culmsee, Clara Culmsee
undated
24 2
Miscellaneous personal letters, Edna Ball
undated
24 3
Corrine Culmsee, sister of Carlton
undated
24 4
Miscellaneous family correspondence
undated
24 5
Edna's Foster Mother
undated
24 6
Evelyn Ball, Sister to Edna
undated
24 7
Dorothy Ball, Sister to Edna
undated
24 8
Newspaper clippings and associated letter
undated
24 9
Institutional Correspondence of Edna Ball
undated
24 10
Miscellaneous Personal Correspondence
undated
24 11
Missionary Cards, Illinois
undated
24 12
Boyer Family of Utah
undated
24 13
Lucy Baker
undated
24 14
Miscellaneous Cards
undated

Journals and Notebooks, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
25 1
Journal of Carlton Culmsee with lock and key,
1930
25 2
Journal of Edna Ball,
1918
25 3
1914 record book of experimental farm, Nada, Utah
undated
25 4
Notebook of Carlton,
1912
25 5
Notebook of Carlton,
1915

Education of Carlton and Edna, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
26 1
Items from grammar school, Edna Ball
undated
26 2
Transcripts and related items from education of Carlton Culmsee
undated
26 3
Provo High Yearbook; Edna Ball, teacher
1932
26 4
Booklet of Wordsworth
undated
26 5
Booklets on teaching English, Department of Interior
undated
26 6
Homework and assignments
undated
26 7
Dance Cards
undated
26 8
BYU diplomas for Edna and Carlton
undated
26 9
Essay by Edna Ball, "To Please Himself."
undated

Genealogical Research, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
27 1
Books of Edna Ball's genealogy
undated
27 2
Letters regarding Ball family genealogy
undated

Appointments and Commissions, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
28 1
BYU Accreditation Team
undated
28 2
USU Planning Commission, Chase Fine Arts Center
undated
28 3
Items relating to construction of Kent Concert Hall
undated
28 4
Items from Presidency of Utah Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters
undated
28 5
Letters regarding 1963 Honor Lecture
undated
28 6
Articles regarding 1963 Honor Lecture
undated
28 7
League of Utah Writers
undated
28 8
Letters concerning Center for the Study of the Causes of War and the Conditions of Peace (CSCWCP) at USU
undated
28 9
Script for dedication of CSCWCP
undated
28 10
Pamphlets and Brochures for CSCWCP
undated
28 11
Items regarding USU Diamond Jubilee
undated
28 12
Items regarding Utah State Press Association which Culmsee helped found
undated
28 13
Items on new Baccalaureate ceremony, 1962, written by Carlton Culmsee
undated

Book Manuscript: Can Any Good Thing Come out of Nada?, undatedReturn to Top

Folders 29-36 are excised chapters and appendices

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
29 1
Introduction and Table of Contents
undated
29 2
Forward: You Have Something I Need
undated
29 3
Prologue: Can Any Good Thing Come out of Nada
undated
29 4
Chapter 1, Far Signals
undated
29 5
Chapter 2, Old World and New
undated
29 6
Chapter 3, Difference with Father
undated
29 7
Chapter 4, California Here We Come, and Go
undated
29 8
Chapter 5, That Bargain, Interlude for Gratitude
undated
29 9
Chapter 6, By "Sidedoor Pullman," or Otherwise
undated
29 10
Chapter 7, A Dog's a Person Too
undated
29 11
Chapter 8, Getting on the Map
undated
29 12
Chapter 9, Of Earth and Air and Longing
undated
29 13
Chapter 10, Nada Commercial Club and His Excellency
undated
29 14
Chapter 11, The Caving Pitt at Kerr
undated
29 15
Chapter 12, Cloudburst
undated
29 16
Chapter 13, Early American, Red
undated
29 17
Chapter 14, Father and the Burros
undated
29 18
Chapter 15, Even with Science
undated
29 19
Chapter 16, Valley of Our Lady of the Light
undated
29 20
Chapter 17, Where are the Bandits?
undated
29 21
Chapter 18, Health and Death
undated
29 22
Chapter 19, Fun as well as Groceries
undated
29 23
Chapter 20, Lund vs. Nada
undated
29 24
Chapter 21, Twilight on Golconda
undated
29 25
Chapter 22, Slim Pickings
undated
29 26
Chapter 23, Hotbox on the Hub of Hell
undated
29 27
Chapter 24, Thin Wreath of Triumph
undated
29 28
Chapter 25, You've Survived to the End
undated
29 29
Learning Could Be Rough
undated
29 30
Human and Less
undated
29 31
Fun, Leagues from Bacchanalia
undated
29 32
Pinenuts from the Wah-Wahs
undated
29 33
As Bees Flee Hame
undated
29 34
Remittance Women
undated
29 35
The Road to Santa Brigida
undated
29 36
Appendix
undated

Book Manuscript: Backing Toward the Light, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
30 1
Malign Nature and the Frontier
undated
30 2
A Pioneer in Modern Pessimism
undated
30 3
Pillar of Light
undated
30 4
Choked Wellsprings
undated
30 5
Satan on the Hearth
undated
30 6
Hazardous Undertow
undated
30 7
Wright and His Helix
undated
30 8
Mold of Fire
undated
30 9
Humanity in the Scientist
undated
30 10
And Two Steps Backwards
undated
30 11
A New Era of Science and Thought
undated
30 12
Ice and Lava
undated
30 13
Isolation and Unity
undated

Poetry and Essay Scrapbook, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
31 1
Poetry scrapbook
undated
31 2
Notes and Ideas
undated
31 3
Unpublished essays and articles
undated
31 4
Original Serial Publication of Black Hawk War
undated
31 5
Early notes on "Modern Moses"
undated
31 6
Maps of Utah, California, and New England
undated
31 7
Notebook writings
undated

Early and College Writings, essays, scrapbook, and plays, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
32 1
Early Writings of Carlton Culmsee
undated
32 2
Early writings
undated
32 3
The Scratch,
1929
32 4
The Classicism of Ben Jonson
undated
32 5
Songs in Renaissance Plays
undated
32 6
The Birth of Neo-Naturalism
undated
32 7
Classicism in Wordsworth
undated
32 8
Arthur's Career
undated
32 9
Fifty-fifty
undated
32 10
Unwilling Slave-buyers
undated
32 11
Christmas Interlude
undated
32 12
The New Age
undated
32 13
Cougar Spirit
undated
32 14
The Legend of Timpanogos
undated
32 15
The Scratch,
1930

Scrapbook of Souvenir Cards, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
33
Scrapbook of Souvenir Cards
undated

Notes and Items of Instructions from United States Naval Academy, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
34 1
Notes on Plan Recognition
undated
34 2
Ship ID notes
undated
34 3
Plane ID notes
undated
34 4
Naval Academy notes
undated
34 5
Booklet on plane identification and designation
undated
34 6
Pictures and diagrams of the British Navy
undated
34 7
Training items for lookouts
undated
34 8
Diagrams of fighter planes
undated
34 9
Essay on fighter planes
undated
34 10
Officers manual, USN
undated
34 11
ID photos for Japanese air force
undated

Items relating to World War II Naval career of Carlton Culmsee, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
35 1
Bilingual parts list
undated
35 2
Charts and documents for worldwide navies
1943
35 3
newsletter, NTS Recognition Breeze
undated
35 4
Photos of US ships in World War II
undated
35 5
The Eaglet, newsletter of pre-flight training school at St. Mary's College, Ca.
undated
35 6
The Skyranger,
August 1943
35 7
Certificates relating to Naval Career
undated
35 8
Music and Poetry written during WWII
undated
35 9
"We've Just Begun to Fight", by C. Culmsee
undated
35 10
USN pamphlets
undated
35 11
Letters from WWII
undated
35 12
Last Will and Testament of C. Culmsee made out during the War
undated
35 13
Administrative letters
undated
35 14
Officer's Directory, St. Mary's College Naval Academy
undated
35 15
Journal and Photograph from WWII
undated
35 16
Letters regarding admission and promotion in USN
undated

Artifacts, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
36
Teaching certificate, Edna Ball
undated
36
Dutch Jacob's ladder
undated
36
Button box with Carlton Culmsee's dog tag
undated
36
Painting of Jardine Juniper with Poem by Culmsee, "Old Juniper"
undated
36
Outstanding Service Award from USU (plaque)
undated
36
Mechanical Calendar
undated
36
Pin Cushion Doll
undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Cache and Cachians.
  • Mines and mineral resources--Utah.

Personal Names

  • Nelson, Lowry, 1893-

Corporate Names

  • Utah State University--Officials and employees.

Geographical Names

  • Koyle Relief Mine (Utah)
  • Taiwan Strait--History.
  • Taiwan--History--1945-
  • Utah--Poetry.