Collection Guide
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Guide to the Roland Bishop Dickison papers, 1961-1983 (1962-1980)
MSS 1993/03
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Table of contents
Title: Roland Bishop Dickison papers
Identifier/Call Number: MSS 1993/03
Contributing Institution:
California State University, Sacramento Special Collections & University Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
5.0 Linear feet
(4 record cartons)
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1962-1980
Date (inclusive): 1961-1983
creator:
Dickison, Roland
Collection is open for research. Some restrictions may apply.
The collection was arranged according to a guide found in the collection. The file "Classification Guide" contained the document
"Folklore Archives." This guide appears to have been used by Dr. Dickison and his assistants in categorizing and filing the
folklore materials collected from students.
The titles of files were not changed except for the following. Under the Ethnic Groups category two files listed as "Chicano"
were changed to "Chicano, Mexican, Mexican American, Latino and Hispanic." This title was more representative of the materials
in those files.
Under several categories there was a file listed as miscellaneous, these were divided if possible. The miscellaneous files
were renamed and a summary of contents is listed next to their entry in the finding aid.
Professor Roland B. Dickison was first hired by Sacramento State College, predecessor to California State University, Sacramento,
in April, 1961. His initial position was assistant to the Dean of the College of Curriculum Development. In the fall of 1962
Professor Dickison became a full time Associate Professor in the English Department. By 1969 Dr. Dickison was promoted to
a full professor. Dr. Dickison officially retired in 1983, but has continued to teach as professor emeritus.
During his tenure at the University, Roland Dickison took several leaves of absence. In the fall of 1961 he accepted a Fulbright
Fellowship at the University of Damascus, Syria. From 1966 to 1968 Professor Dickison left the college to teach at the College
of Virgin Islands in St. Thomas. And 1970 and 1971 he went to the Caribbean Islands to research folklore.
During the summers Dr. Dickison took groups of students into Mexico for folklore research.
Dr. Dickison's education includes receiving his B.A. from Colorado College, a B.S. while in the United States Merchant Marines,
and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Florida. Prior to accepting the position at Sacramento State, Dr. Dickison taught
at several other institutions.
Roland B. Dickison currently owns a publishing company, The Bishop Publishing Company, through which he publishes books on
folklore. These publications include folklore collected from his students at CSUS.
[Identification of item including date], [Folder Title], MSS 1993/03, Roland Bishop Dickison papers, Department of Special
Collections and University Archives, The Library, California State University, Sacramento.
Copyright is protected by the copyright law, Chapter 17 of the U.S. Code. Requests for permission to publish, quote, or reproduce
from collections must be submitted in writing to the Head of the Department of Special Collections and University Archives.
Permission for publication is given on the behalf of the Department of Special Collections and University Archives, The Library,
California State University, Sacramento as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include permission of the
copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
These papers were donated by Professor Roland B. Dickison to the University Archives at California State University, Sacramento,
in September 1993. The collection consists of 4 boxes, equalling 5 linear feet. There are 136 files within 4 boxes.
Dr. Dickison collected the materials from his students who attended folklore and English courses at CSUS. The course requirements
varied between the lower and upper division classes. Students in the folklore classes collected and recorded a variety of
folklore examples as well as term papers on folklore related topics.
Most documents are dated between the late 1960s and mid 1980s. Geographically, a large portion of the collection reflects
Sacramento and northern California. The remainder of the materials represent national and international traditions. Folklore
information collected by the students was often the result of an interview. Usually in these papers information is provided
on both the informant as well as on the collector. Many of the papers indicate the narrator's occupation, age, ethnic background
and language.
Some of the documents in this collection are magazine and newspaper articles. These materials may or may not be cited as to
where or when they were collected. Many of these articles may be on the general subject of folklore, or a particular folklore
tradition.
Subjects in the collection are numerous and varied. The subject matter and, or, graphic material may be offensive to the researcher.
Topics such as sex, race and age are frequently encountered throughout the collection. These materials may be graphic or textual.
There are three major types of folklore: oral folklore, customary folklore and material folk traditions. The Roland B. Dickison
papers consist of all three types of folklore. One or more type may be in a single document.
This collection appears to be incomplete. In several articles Dr. Dickison referred to having a five drawer file cabinet full
of his students' folklore contributions. The collection, as received by the University, appears to be less than this amount.
Rosie M. Ramirez.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Dickison, Roland
Dickison, Roland
California State University, Sacramento. College of Arts and Letters
California State University, Sacramento. English Dept.
Folklore