Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Alice Henson Ernst letters to Hazel Mills , 1951-1974
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Mills, Hazel E.; Ernst, Alice Henson, 1880-1980
- Title
- Alice Henson Ernst letters to Hazel Mills
- Dates
- 1951-1974 (inclusive)19511975
- Quantity
-
0.025 linear feet, (1 folder)
- Collection Number
- Coll 387
- Summary
- Alice Henson Ernst (1880-1980) was a playwright, teacher, freelance writer, and reporter. The collection (1951-1974) consists of correspondence from Ernst to Hazel Mills, often concerning Ernst's books Trouping in the Oregon Country and The Wolf Ritual of the Northwest Coast.
- Repository
-
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.
- Additional Reference Guides
-
See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for production of this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Alice Henson Ernst (1880-1980) was a playwright, teacher, freelance writer, and reporter.
She was educated at the University of Washington and did graduate work at Radcliffe College and Yale University. From 1920 to 1923 she was an Associate Professor in English at the University of Washington, and from 1924 to 1950 served as Associate Professor of English at the University of Oregon.
Ernst received recognition chiefly as a playwright of one-act plays. "Spring Sluicing" was a prize-winning play in the National Drama League contest, and was produced by the Portland Civic Theatre and other groups.
In connection with her playwrighting, Ernst became interested in the history of the early theater of the Pacific Northwest resulting in the book Trouping in the Oregon Country. Her interest in primitive theater led her to study the masked ritual dances of Northwest Coast tribes and to the publication of several articles. She also published a major work, The Wolf Ritual of the Northwest Coast, which received recognition from critics and anthropologists in the United States and Europe.
Hazel Mills (1910-1999) was also a writer of Oregon history. She assisted in the research of the book Trouping in the Oregon Country. Her husband, Randall Vause Mills (1907-1952), joined the University of Oregon English faculty in 1938.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The correspondence from Ernst to Hazel Mills is arranged by date, 1951 to 1974.
The letters are mostly handwritten, with a few typed, and there is also one letter from Mills to Ernst. The letters contain information about Ernst's writings, and also cultural events, travel, and research. A note with the collection states Mills assisted with "research aspects" of Trouping in the Oregon Country.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- American literature--Authorship
- Authors, American--20th century
- Authors, American--20th century--Correspondence
- Folklore--West (U.S.)
- Theater--Oregon
- Women authors, American--20th century
- Women authors, American--20th century--Correspondence
Personal Names
- Ernst, Alice Henson, 1880-1980
- Ernst, Alice Henson, 1880-1980
- Mills, Hazel E.
Corporate Names
- University of Oregon
Form or Genre Terms
- Correspondence
