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William M. Daly papers

 Collection
Collection BC-2005-115: William M. Daly papers

Dates

  • Creation: 1940s-2000

Scope and Contents

These papers document Daly's scholarship on the role of Christianity in medieval Gaul and the Gallo-Roman bishop Sidonius Apollinaris. Included are notes, research card files, bibliographies, and drafts of Daly's writings. Daly's research was used in his course lectures, published articles, conference papers, and chapters for never-published books.

Creator

Restrictions on access

Collection is open for research.

Restrictions on use

These materials are made available for use in research, teaching and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. The original authors may retain copyright to the materials.

Biographical note

William M. Daly was born in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts in 1920. He attended Boston College, graduating in 1942. After completing his undergraduate education, Daly served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II, during which he served as the navigator for twenty-one missions. In October 1944, his plane was shot down over Germany. Having been taken prisoner-of-war he spent the winter in the Stalag Luft III camp. Upon his release, Daly worked for the War Crimes Commission reviewing court-martial cases.

Daly returned to Boston College to teach in 1947 where he remained until his retirement in 1986. He completed his dissertation, entitled "The Concept of Christendom in the Western Crusade: Chronicles of the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries," at Brown University in 1955. He published several articles on Christendom in medieval Europe.

In addition, Daly maintained an interest in social causes and music. He was a member of the Americans for Democratic Action in the 1950s and served as a member of the Natick Fair Housing Committee in the early 1960s. Daly was also a choral singer and amateur pianist.

He died in October 2005.

Sources

"Former History Professor Daly Dies." The Boston College Chronicle, 14, no. 4 (20 October 2005).

Lynch, Joseph H. "Obituaries: William M. Daly." The Catholic Historical Review, 92, no. 3 (2006): 366-367.

Long, Tom. "Dr. William Daly, 84; taught history at Boston College." (14 October 2005), http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2005/10/14/dr_william_daly_84_taught_history_at_boston_college/.

Extent

9.5 Linear Feet (8 containers)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

This collection documents the scholarship of Boston College professor of history William M. Daly. Daly's work focused on the medieval period and Christianity. His papers consist of research notes and drafts for articles, lectures, and two unpublished books.

Arrangement

Organized into four series: I. Books, II. History course lectures, III. Scholarly articles and conference papers, and IV. Subject files. The materials have not been arranged below the series level; they are roughly in the order in which they were received.

Provenance

Gift of Catherine R. Daly in 2005.

Processing Information

This collection has been minimally processed. The original inventory has been roughly grouped into series by form/genre to facilitate access, but it is likely that Daly's research materials were used for multiple scholarly purposes over the years. Aside from series assignment, materials are in the order in which they were received.

Title
William M. Daly Papers
Status
Completed
Subtitle
1940s-2000
Author
Sarah K. Nytroe, January 2009; updated by Rachael Young and Lynn Moulton
Date
2019
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the John J. Burns Library Repository

Contact:
John J. Burns Library
Boston College
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill MA 02467 USA
617-552-4861