David Worcester Collection

Collection

Identifier: yhm-arc-0000-060

Staff Only

Content Description

Correspondence and papers of and relating to David Worcester, President of Hamilton College 1945-1947. The collection contains his thesis “Woman and Man: A Study in Hellenic Civilization,” and dissertation “James Thomson the Second: Studies in the Life and Poetry of ‘B. V.,’” as well as his papers and reports from his naval service during World War II including “The Submarine Hits Back,” notes and reviews related to his book “The Art of Satire,” speeches and correspondence during his presidency, correspondence to Worcester and his wife Eloise Bond Bergland Worcester related to Worcester’s illness and death, and information and correspondence related to the memorial fund created in his honor.

Dates

Creation: 1929-1965

Creator

Worcester, David (Person)
United States. Navy (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on accessing material in this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Biographical / Historical

David Worcester served as the 12th President of Hamilton College from 1957-1947. Worcester was born in Boston, Mass. in 1907. He received his BA from Hobart College, and his AM and PhD from Harvard University. Worcester worked as a tutor and lecturer at Harvard where he conducted research on Victorian writer James Thomson and later wrote his book “The Art of Satire” in 1940. In 1942 Worcester accepted a position as chair of the English department at Michigan State University, but quickly left to join the US Navy’s Naval Air Combat Intelligence School in Quonset Pond, RI and worked on anti-submarine warfare research. After the war, Worcester entertained the idea of staying in the Navy, but decided to return to academia where he was appointed president of Hamilton College. Worcester’s tenure at Hamilton was cut short, as he passed away from a terminal brain tumor on June 20, 1947. After his death, a memorial fund was set up by his friends to raise funding for the Hamilton library and purchase books related to “general literature and world affairs,” two fields that Worcester loved.

Extent

1 Linear Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The David Worcester Papers contain correspondence, manuscripts, and papers relating to David Worcester, from 1929-1965. Of note are his thesis and dissertation, his extensive naval research reports from World War II, and the large collection of information relating to his memorial fund. Researchers examining the papers will gain insight into the short but busy life of Worcester, who in his career wrote literature books, conducted scientific research, and manned the helm of Hamilton College to the last possible moment.