Charles Edwin Blackburn Papers

Charles Edwin Blackburn Papers, 1930-1976

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Blackburn, Charles Edwin, 1915-1976
Title: Charles Edwin Blackburn Papers
Dates: 1930-1976 (inclusive)
19301976
Quantity: 14 Linear feet of shelf space, (17 Boxes)
Collection Number: Cage 479 (collection)
Summary: The Charles Edwin Blackburn Papers consists of his correspondence, financial, and other papers related to family matters; the study and teaching of English; his Coast Guard service, 1942-1945; and employment at Washington State University, 1951-1959 and 1964-1976, and the Boeing Company, Seattle, Washington, 1959-1964.
Repository: Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions: This collection is open and available for research use.
Languages: English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Charles Edwin Blackburn was born to William Brownlow Blackburn and Julia Agnes McDonald Blackburn on August 2, 1915, on a farm near Elberton, Washington. He was the youngest of eleven children. Blackburn attended Tekoa High School and graduated in 1934 in the midst of the Great Depression.

The Depression played a large role in Blackburn's early adult years. His father died in April 1934 and the family moved from Tekoa to Moscow, Idaho, the following June. From 1934 to 1936 he held several different jobs. He worked in an office as a typist, he sold silk hosiery door-to-door, he worked a Comptometer in an office in Olympia, and for a time in 1935, was in the Civilian Conservation Corps. All the while he dreamed of getting to college -the one all-consuming goal in his life. Yet, he lacked the funds and an understanding of college admission procedures. In April 1936 he started work in the office of the West Coast Lumberman's Association in Seattle. In the fall of the year, while still working part-time, he enrolled at the University of Washington. He attended college and continued to work for the WCLA until December 1940, when he decided to devote his full attentions to school. While attending the U of W he met his future wife Alice Kiser. Both received their B.A. degrees in 1941, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa. From 1941-1942, Charles attended graduate school, while Alice finished her fifth year studies to complete a Library Science degree.

America's entry into the Second World War delayed Blackburn's education for several years. He entered the service in the spring of 1942 and was assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard Station at Westport, Washington, as a radioman and yeoman. In 1944 he was transfered to the U.S.S. Casper (PF-12) as a radioman. In addition to his regular duties while on board the Casper he served as the ship's librarian and published the ship's newspaper, The Casper Clarion.

Charles Blackburn was discharged from the Coast Guard in late 1945; like so many young couples of the day, the Blackburns were faced with the task of rebuilding their lives. Blackburn returned to the University of Washington to continue his graduate education. In the fall of 1947, after only a year at the U. of W., he moved on to Yale University to complete his doctorate in American Studies. While at Yale, he taught English at Stone College (1948-1949) and the Junior College of Commerce (1949-1950), both in New Haven, Connecticut. During this time he was awarded a Yale University Fellowship (1949-1950) and a Sterling Predoctoral Fellowship (1950-1951).

Upon completing his Ph.D. in 1951, Blackburn joined the English faculty of Washington State University. He served as Chair of the Department of English from 1956-1957.

By 1959, however, the financial pressures of a growing family (children: Julia, 1947; Taft, 1949; Mary Beth, 1953) led Blackburn to look for a better paying position. In June of that year, he began a relatively short-lived career with the Boeing Company Industrial Products Division in Seattle, Washington. He started as a technical writer and over the next five years held several supervisory and administrative posts. Most of Blackburn's work was in marketing (writing and revising brochures and semi-technical documents) and administration (preparing and reporting the section's budget and coordinating his group with the European office). In addition, he was involved with the Boeing Employees' Good Neighbor Fund, a community service organization, from 1962-1964. Although Blackburn enjoyed his work and was promoted quickly, he found that he was not well suited to the business world. Therefore, from 1960 on he attempted to return to a position in academe.

In 1964, Washington State University again offered Blackburn a position in the English Department. WSU's attractive offer-- both in terms of salary and tenure considerations--in combination with Alice's appointment as Pullman City Librarian, brought the family back to Pullman.

From 1964-1976 Blackburn taught a variety of subjects: freshman/sophomore composition, technical writing, American Drama, 20th century Drama, and assorted literature classes. A talented actor himself, Blackburn had several roles with the New Pullman Summer Palace Theatre.

Blackburn died September 7, 1976 at age 61 in a Springfield, Oregon hospital where he had been a patient for two weeks after suffering a heart attack while on vacation.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Charles Edwin Blackburn Papers consists of his correspondence, financial, and other papers related to family matters; the study and teaching of English; his Coast Guard service, 1942-1945; and employment at Washington State University, 1951-1959 and 1964-1976, and the Boeing Company, Seattle, Washington, 1959-1964.

The Correspondence Series, 1940-1976, comprises approximately one half of the collection and contains letters from many family members and friends. Principal correspondents in this series are Alice Kiser Blackburn, Eva (Blackburn) Newsum, Fanny (Blackburn) Rasmussen, and Faye Blackburn.

The Subject File Series, 1930-1976, contains papers from Blackburn's educational, professional, and personal life.

Blackburn's term as Vice-President and later President of the Boeing Employees' Good Neighbor Fund is represented by agency reports, annual reports, correspondence, elections and membership, materials, minutes and many predating his period of service. The remainder of this group of Boeing materials pertains to Blackburn's job assignment and is made up of a work diary, interdepartmental correspondence, personal materials, sales staff meeting minutes, and Boeing News.

The Business, Medical and Financial records include correspondence and receipts referring to the rental of the Blackburn home in Seattle, auto repairs, medical records, income tax forms, and record books.

The section of educational materials encompasses Blackburn's entire academic career including papers from high school, the University of Washington, Yale University and Washington State University. Class notes, papers and exams make up the bulk of this section. A copy of Blackburn's dissertation (entitled: James Freeman Clarke: An Interpretation of the Western Years, 1838-1840) and a bound volume of his research notes are included. The last box in the series contains approximately 4500 dissertation research note cards In addition, some papers from Mrs. Blackburn's undergraduate years at the University of Washington are part of this group. The WSU material is mostly concerned with departmental activities such as correspondence, salary and rank information, promotion and tenure statements, faculty evaluations, and a small number of items from his 1970-1971 sabbatical in New York City.

Also included in this Subject File Series are the papers of John P. Sebree, an uncle on Alice's side of the family. He lived with the Blackburn family from 1969 until his death in 1975. His materials include correspondence, medical records, a college yearbook, memorials and a copy of his will and trust declaration.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Preferred Citation

[Item description]

Charles Edwin Blackburn Papers, 1930-1976 (Cage 479)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The papers have been arranged into two series. Within the Correspondence Series, 1940-1976, the original group headings have been retained and then arranged in what appeared to be the order of importance. The folders within each group have been arranged chronologically and the original order of the material within each folder has been preserved. The Subject File Series, 1930-1976, was assembled as a unit by Blackburn and brings together loosely ordered materials, arranged alphabetically by subject heading. Within the Educational material subseries, the four main groups have been arranged in chronological order and folders within each group are alphabetically ordered.

Acquisition Information

The papers of Charles Edwin Blackburn were donated to the Washington State University Libraries by Mrs. Alice Blackburn (MS 77-61). Twenty-five additional items were received in 1983 (MS83-35) and added to the correspondence series, as folder 43A.

Processing Note

This collection was processed in 1983.

Separated Materials

Pullman Community Congregational Church papers that were included in this collection were seperated out in 1983 and used to create the Blackburn Collection of Pullman Community Congregational Church Records, 1961-1977 (Cage 480).

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series 1: Correspondence, 1940-1976Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
		Blackburn family;
Box	Folder
1	1-11	Blackburn family 643 items.	1947-1975
1	12	Charles and Alice Blackburn 40 items.	1947-1948
1	13	Julia Blackburn 75 items.	1960-1966
1	14	Julia, Taft, and Mary Beth Blackburn 65 items.	1968-1976
1	15	Mary Beth Blackburn 200 items.	1971-1976
Box	Folder
2	16-21	Charles and Alice Blackburn 455 items.	1941-1943
3	22-27	Charles and Alice Blackburn 375 items.	1943-1944
4	28-32	Charles and Alice Blackburn 305 items.	1944-1945
5	33-37	Charles and Alice Blackburn 210 items.	1944-1945
6	38-42	Charles and Alice Blackburn 255 items.	1945
7	43-49	Kiser Family 420 items.	1947-1976
7	50-59	Family 479 items.	1940-1957
8	60-68	Family 470 items.	1950-1965
8	69-72	Family and Friends 300 items.	1936-1946
9	73-85	Family and Friends 940 items.	1944-1961
10	86	Family and Friends 50 items.	1958-1961
10	87-98	Friends 577 items.	1946-1975

Series 2: Subject File, 1930-1976Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
		Boeing:
Box	Folder
11	99-101	Boeing News 68 items.	1961-1966
11	102	Brochure and Newsletter Preparations 30 items.	1959
11	103	Diary 1 item.	1959
		Good Neighbor Fund:
Box	Folder
11	104	Agency Reports 20 items.	1953-1964
11	105	Annual Reports 9 items.	1961-1966
11	106	Correspondence 140	1963-1964
11	107	Elections and Membership 17 items.	1962-1964
11	108	Events 20 items.	1963-1964
11	109-113	General 180	1963-1965
11	114	Minutes 30 items.	1962-1963
11	115	Photos 16 items.	1963-1964
Box	Folder
11	116-120	Interdepartmental Correspondence 176 items.	1959-1964
11	121	Hage Fund 40 items.	1963-1964
11	122	Personal Materials 30 items.	1959-1964
11	123	Sales Orientation Seminar 7 items.	1959-1960
11	124	Sales Staff Meeting Minutes 38 items.	1959-1962
		Business, Medical, and Financial Records:
Box	Folder
12	125-126	Business Letters and Seattle House 125 items.	1962-1968
		Cars:
Box	Folder
12	127	Chrysler 25 items.	1967-1970
12	128	Rambler 100	1961-1975
Box	Folder
12	129	Correspondence -- Financial 60 items.	1970-1976
12	130	Diabetic Records 1 item.	1963
12	131-132	Financial and Medical Records 125 items.	1951-1972
12	133	Financial Records 50 items.	1966-1975
12	134-136	Income Tax Reports 67 items.	1942-1969
12	137	Record Books 10 items.	1942-1951; 1967-1973
Box	Folder
12	138	Calenders 11 items.	1961-1974
12	139-141	Casper Clarion 35 items.	1944-1945
12	142-143	Community Congregational Church 150 items.	1961-1975
13	144	Democratic Party 20 items.	1962-1969
		Education:
Box	Folder
13	145	Diplomas 4 items.	1930-1941
13	146	High School 35 items.	1932-1935
Box	Folder
13	147	Tekoa Blade 1 item.	1934
		University of Washington:
Box	Folder
13	148	The Austin Tree 1 item.	1936
		Literature 58:
Box	Folder
13	149	Fictional Technique in Cross Section 1 item	1937
13	150	This Road to Follow 1 item	1937
Box	Folder
13	151	Personal Values in Literature 1 item.	1937
		Philosophy I:
Box	Folder
13	152	Berkely in Review 1 item	1937
13	153	Descartes in Review 1 item	1937
13	154	Russell in Review 1 item	1937
Box	Folder
13	155	Various Tests 4 items.	1937; 1940
13	156	English Literature; The Bible as Literature 1 item.	1938-1939
13	157	The Hurly Burly 1 item.	1938
13	158	Newspaper Articles, Tempo Articles 3 items.	1938; 1941
13	159	Philosophy 101 Problem Papers 2 items.	1938
13	160	Philosophy 102 Notes 1 item.	1939
13	161	Literature 153, 161, 162, Zoology 16-17, History 140 Notes and Tests 8 items.	1939-1940; 1946
		Literature	1940
Box	Folder
13	162	164 Two Travelers in America 1 item
13	163	171 Notes on Some Long Winded Characters in Shakespeare 1 item
Box	Folder
13	164	Philosophy 103 Notes 1 item.	1940
13	165	The Fantasy Worlds of Three British Authors 1 item.	1941
13	166	American Literature Notes 1 item.	1946
13	167	English 221 John Calvin and Paradise Lost 1 item.	1946
13	168	History 175 Notes, American Colonial History 1 item.	1946
13	169	The Emerson Brothers and some dissertation correspondence 30 items.	1946-1949
13	170	English 202 Notes and Tests 1 item.	1947
		History	1947
Box	Folder
13	171	144 Notes 1 item
		165:
Box	Folder
13	172	Among the Dry Bones 1 item
13	173	Tests and Book Reviews 3
13	174	The West in American History, Notes 1 item
		Undated Material:
Box	Folder
13	175	Anthropology 60 American Indian Notes 1 item
13	176	History 144 Reading Notes 1 item
		Literature:
Box	Folder
13	177	57 Notes 1 item
13	178	106 British Literature Notes 1 item
13	179	164 American Literature Notes 1 item
13	180	171 Shakespeare 1 item
Box	Folder
13	181	Lord Byron and his Contemporary Critics 1 item
13	182	Philosophy Notes, Untitled Paper 2
13	183	The Steptoe Campaign of 1858 1 item
		Alice Kiser Blackburn Papers
		Literature	1941
Box	Folder
13	184	162 The Culmination of Individualism in American Democracy 1 item
13	185	174 Hard Times: An Attack on Utilitarianism 1 item
		177:
Box	Folder
13	186	Michael: The Conflict Between Woodsworth's Purpose and Art 1 item
13	187	Robert Burns: Prophet of an Unborn World 1 item
Box	Folder
13	188	Librarianship 196 The Land Lies South 1 item	1942
		Undated Material:
Box	Folder
13	189	History 182 Reading Reports 1 item
		Literature:
Box	Folder
13	190	104 The Social Significance of Nana 1 item
13	191	162 Emerson's ""Individualism"" in his Times 1 item
13	192	164 The Mysterious Stranger 1 item
13	193	175 The Poet's Diary 1 item
Box	Folder
13	194	Three Modern Poets and the Modern Ego 1 item
Box	Folder
13	195	University of Washington Commencement Program 1 item.	1941
		Yale University:
Box	Folder
13	196	American Studies Notes 1 item.	1947
		History 180	1947-1948
Box	Folder
13	197	Literature of American History 2
13	198	Political and Constitutional History 20
Box	Folder
13	199	Literature 160 Twentieth Century 1 item.	1947
		American Studies	1948-1949
Box	Folder
13	200	102 Repeal: Diminishing of the Theocracy 1 item
13	201	151 Term Paper Outlines 1 item
Box	Folder
13	202	Art 61a Notes 1 item.	1948-1949
13	203	English 160 Various Papers and Testes 5 items.	1948
		Government 152	1948-1949
Box	Folder
13	204	Notes 1 item
13	205	Papers 8
		History:
Box	Folder
13	206	31a, b Notes 1 item	1948-1949
13	207	31b Notes 1 item	1948
13	208	180 James Ford Rhodes: Man in the Web of Time 1 item	1948
Box	Folder
13	209	Sociology 114a 1 item.	1948
		American Studies	1949
Box	Folder
14	210	151 Notes 1 item
14	211	Notes 1 item
Box	Folder
14	212	Civil War Notes 1 item.	1949
		History 31	1949
Box	Folder
14	213	American Thought and Civilization 1 item
14	214	Notes and Tests 1 item
		Sociology	1949
Box	Folder
14	215	115b Legal Realism: The Pragmatic Spirit in Law 1 item
14	216	Notes 1 item
		Undated Materials:
Box	Folder
14	217	All the King's Men 1 item
14	218	The American Creed in the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut 1 item
14	219	Literary America 1790-1826 1 item
14	220	Parrington as an Economic Determinist 1 item
14	221	Various Papers 10
		Dissertation:
Box	Folder
14	222	Copy 1 item	1952
14	223-224	Research Materials 101	undated
Box	Folder
14	225	European Trip Memorabilia 50 items.	1971
14	226	Family History 1 item.	undated
		General Correspondence:
Box	Folder
14	227	Columbia University (AKB) 50 items.	1970-1971
14	228	Correspondence with Publishers 30 items.	1938-1946
14	229	Veterans Administration 40 items.	1946-1948
14	230	Washington State University and Yale 60 items.	1951-1957
		Yale:
Box	Folder
14	231	Association of Yale Alumni 50 items.	1969-1975
14	232	Correspondence 15 items.	1974-1975
14	233	Graduate School 60 items.	1946-1948
		Job Hunting:
Box	Folder
14	234-236	English Department, Washington State University and Job Applications 140 items.	1961-1968
14	237-238	General Applications 75 items.	1959-1964
15	239-241	Yale and Job Hunting 150 items.	1949-1951; 1959
Box	Folder
15	242	Memorabilia 50 items.	1938-1956
15	243	Newspaper Clippings 7 items.	1949
15	244	Photographs 3 items.	1934; 1942; undated
15	245	Programs 50 items.	1965-1975
		John P. Sebree:
Box	Folder
15	246	College Yearbook and Church Directory 3 items.	1907; 1970
15	247-249	Correspondence 120 items.	1902-1975
15	250-251	Medical Records 130 items.	1971-1975
15	252	Memorials 7 items.	1939-1975
15	253	Will and Declaration of Trust 2 items.	1970
Box	Folder
15	254	Short Stories 7 items.	undated
15	255	Speeches 17 items.	1961-1967
15	256	Summer Theatre 50 items.	1966-1969
		Tekoa High School Reunion:
Box	Folder
15	257	Correspondence 75 items.	1953-1954
15	258	News of Old Friends 1 item.	1954
		University of Washington:
Box	Folder
15	259	Clippings on Communist Investigations 25 items.	1949
15	260	Survey of Scholarship at UW 1 item.	1946
		Washington State University:
Box	Folder
15	261	American Studies 35 items.	1964-1973
15	262	Correspondence New York City Sabatical 30 items.	1970-1971
16	263-266	English Department 237 items.	1966-1976
16	267	Faculty Evaluations 25 items.	1972-1976
16	268	Forms, Salary and Rank Information 40 items.	1958-1975
16	269	French 525 10 items.	1974
16	270	Graduate Examination Handbook 1 item.	1972
16	271	Lectures - Civil Religion and Prophetic Faith 7 items.	1976
16	272	Promotion and Tenure Statements 25 items.	1965-1969
16	273	Senate Review 6 items.	1974-1975
16	274	Student Strike and R.I.S. 45 items.	1969-1970
Box	Folder
17	275	Notecards for Dissertation 4500 items.	undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Aircraft industry -- Washington (State)
English language -- Study and teaching
Universities and colleges -- Washington (State)
World War, 1939-1945

Personal Names

Blackburn, Charles Edwin, 1915-1976 -- Archives

Corporate Names

Boeing Company
State College of Washington -- Faculty -- Archives
United States. Coast Guard
Washington State University -- Faculty -- Archives

Archives West Finding Aid

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