Dr. Virginia R. Terris Research Collection, 1902-1982

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Terris, Virginia R.
Title
Dr. Virginia R. Terris Research Collection
Dates
1902-1982 (inclusive)
Quantity
.4 linear feet
Collection Number
MC 392
Summary
This collection consists of materials collected by Dr. Virginia R. Terris in the course of her research on early 20th century Butte author Mary MacLane, and includes correspondence (1906-1925), newspaper clippings (1902-1982), printed material (1902-1980), and subject files (1982). Mary MacLane wrote her controversial "The Story of Mary MacLane" in 1902. Living in Butte, Montana at the time, Ms. MacLane scandalized many with her open discussions of sex.
Repository
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Virginia R. Terris was born in Brooklyn NY in 1917 and grew up in rural Chester NJ. She received her BA in English from the NJ College for Women (now Douglass College, part of Rutgers University) in 1938. After marrying, and while raising four children, she obtained a Master’s degree in English and American literature in 1965 from Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, and a PhD from New York University in New York City, New York in 1973, both on the life and poetry of Emily Dickinson. She joined the full-time faculty at Adelphi University where she taught English and American literature until her retirement as a full Professor in 1983.

Her academic writings dealt with general literary topics and were influenced by the growing interest in women’s studies during the 1960’s and 1970’s. In addition to editing a book on the teaching of poetry and an introductory essay for a collection of short stories, she also contributed biographies to an encyclopedia on American women writers and published essays on and reviews of the work of contemporary women poets. Her study of Mary MacLane was a natural extension of this interest. On the basis of MacLane’s books and her reportage in the New York World and other newspapers, Dr. Terris stressed the similarity of MacLane to American realists such as Twain, Crane, James, Dreiser, Garland and others while downplaying the sensationalism surrounding her life and works.

Poetry was Dr. Terris’ vocation and avocation. Her first published poem appeared in 1931 in a local NJ newspaper and she continued writing and publishing into her ninth decade. Over the years, her poems appeared in numerous journals (American Poetry Review, Beloit Poetry J., Literary Review, The Nation, New Letters, The New Yorker, New York Times, Paris Review, Colorado State Review, Prairie Schooner, Descant and others) and were included in anthologies. She had a long-standing professional relationship with the poet, David Ignatow. She received the Gertrude B. Claytor Award from the Poetry Society of America for her poem: “The Bridge: Clark Fork, Missoula Montana, 1982”, and had residencies at both Yaddo and The Millay Colony for the Arts.

She gave many readings and workshops throughout the US and Sweden and hosted a radio program featuring contemporary poets. She was active in numerous local poetry organizations, including the Long Island division of the Poetry Society of America of which she was the director from 1983-88 and a member of the Board of Governors from 1989-1992. Other memberships included P.E.N. America, the Modern Language Association, the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association and others.

Virginia R. Terris died in Freeport, New York, on 12 January 2012. She was the wife of Albert, and the mother of four children.

Born in Canada in 1881, Mary MacLane came to Montana with her family in the 1890s. They eventually settled in Butte where Mary wrote for the school paper. Mary became a skilled and forceful writer. In 1902, at the age of 19, penned "The Life of Mary MacLane" which received national acclaim, but was also harshly criticized for its open discussions of sex. The book has been credited as one of the earliest confessional style memoirs. Mary went on to write several more books and articles. She died in Chicago in 1929.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection consists of materials collected by Dr. Virginia R. Terris in the course of her research on early 20th century Butte author Mary MacLane, and includes photocopies and transcripts of correspondence (1906-1925) written by MacLane, photocopied newspaper clippings (1902-1982), scholarly articles about MacLane and her writings (1902-1980), and subject files (1982). Mary MacLane wrote her controversial "The Story of Mary MacLane" in 1902. Living in Butte, Montana at the time, Ms. MacLane scandalized many with her open discussions of sex.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

[item description and date]. Name of Collection. Collection Number. [box and folder number]. Montana Historical Society Research Center. Archives. Helena, Montana.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Arranged by series.

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request.

Processing Note

Processed in 2013.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

General correspondenceReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 1
Correspondents include: Harriet Monroe, Herbert S. Stone & Company, and Lucy Gray
1906-1926

Printed materialReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/2
Reviews of MacLane's books
1902-1929
1/3
"The Devil's Letters to Mary MacLane"
1903
1/4
"Newberry" (Scholarly articles)
1917
1/5
Scholarly articles about Mary MacLane
1917-1980

Subject FilesReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/6
"Butte: the Urban Frontier" (materials from and about this conference)
1982
1/7
Libraries, Research Centers, Historical Societies (information about and from research facilities Ms. Terris consulted during research)
Undated

ClippingsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/8
Articles by and about Mary MacLane in the New York World (some with full transcriptions)
1902
1/9
From Chicago newspapers
1929-1982
1/10
From Colorado newspapers
1902-1929
1/11
Reviews of Mary MacLane's movie, "Men Who Have Made Love to Me"
1917-1981
1/12
Miscellaneous newspaper clippings about Mary MacLane, including her books and death
1899-1910
1/13
Miscellaneous newspaper clippings about Mary MacLane, primarily from Butte papers
1902-1910
1/14
"Scarlet Fever" (Miscellaneous newspaper clippings about article by Mary MacLane published in 1910; some include transcripts)
1910

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Women authors--20th century.

Personal Names

  • MacLane, Mary, 1881-1929.

Geographical Names

  • Helena, Mont.