John H. Randall III papers
Dates
- Creation: 1931-1994
Scope and Contents
Academic and collected materials comprise the papers of American literature scholar John H. Randall III.
Course notes, syllabi, and essays cover a selection of American and British literature courses taken and taught by Randall at the University of California, University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, Wellesley College, and Boston College. These papers focus on Randall’s specialty of 1920s and 1930s American literature and his efforts to include more Black American literature in his curricula. Also included are posters and correspondence from his Fulbright lectureship in Belgium in 1963 and a small number of items made by Randall and his classmates in primary and secondary school. Randall collected topical notes and works by his colleagues along the same themes as his academic work. Correspondence primarily concerns his job searching, and he is very candid about his struggles to have his skills reflected well in his recommendation letters and not overshadowed by personal issues.
Randall’s writings focus on early twentieth century American literature, particularly the life and work of Willa Cather, about whom he wrote his PhD dissertation and his only full-length monograph, The Landscape and the Looking Glass (1973).
Creator
Restrictions on Access
Collection is open for research. All university records dating after 1968 are closed. Access with permission of the originating office.
Conditions Governing 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
John Herman Randall III was born on November 26, 1923, in New York City, to Mercedes Irene Moritz Randall and John Herman Randall, Jr. He had one brother, Francis Ballard Randall, who was eight years younger. His father was an American philosopher, New Thought author, and Columbia University professor. John Randall III graduated from Columbia University in 1943 and entered Columbia’s medical school, but pivoted to studying American literature and American studies at the University of California at Berkeley, where he earned his master's degree. He left Berkeley when the state of California insisted that all teachers, including university graduate assistants, sign a loyalty oath, instead moving to the University of Minnesota, where his doctoral dissertation, completed in 1960, was on the work of Willa Cather. He was a lecturer at Northwestern University 1955-1957, and at Wellesley College 1958-1960. He began teaching at Boston College in 1961, retired from full-time teaching in 1989, and taught part time until 1998. Randall died on February 7, 2006, at the Stone Institute nursing facility in Newton, MA. The John H. Randall III award was established at Boston College in his honor, to be given to the undergraduate student who writes the best essay on American literature or culture during the academic year.
Sources:
“John Herman Randall Jr.,” Wikipedia, May 28, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Herman_Randall_Jr.
Marquard, Bryan. “Dr. John Herman Randall III, former BC professor, at 82,” Boston Globe, March 25, 2006.
Oslin, Reid, “Service recalls life, career of English professor Randall,” Boston College Chronicle, Volume 14, Number 14, March 30, 2006. https://newspapers.bc.edu/?a=d&d=bcchronicle20060330-01.2.18
Extent
7.8 Linear Feet (7 containers)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Contains academic and professional materials, correspondence, and collected materials of early twentieth century American literature scholar and Boston College faculty member John H. Randall III.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in four series: I. Academic and professional materials; II. Collected materials; III. Correspondence; and IV. Writings.
The first series is arranged in seven subseries, by institution: A. Primary and secondary school work; B. University of California; C. University of Minnesota; D. Northwestern University; E. Wellesley College; F. Boston College; and G. Conferences and fellowships.
The second series is arranged in two subseries: A. Materials by others; and B. Notes and research files.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Paul Doherty, professor of English, Boston College, 2013.
Content notice
Some files in this collection contain outdated racial language and academic discussions of antisemitism and rape.
- Newspaper clippings, duplicates, graded student work
- Title
- John H. Randall III Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Subtitle
- 1931-1994
- Author
- Elizabeth Peters
- Date
- 2023
- 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
John J. Burns Library
Boston College
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill MA 02467 USA
617-552-4861
burns@bc.libanswers.com