Guide to the Lowell Clark Pratt Collection
SJSU Library Special Collections & Archives
© 2010
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
Phone: (408) 808-2062
Fax: (408) 808-2063
Email: special.collections@sjsu.edu
URL: http://library.sjsu.edu/sjsu-special-collections/sjsu-special-collections-and-archives
Trustees of the California State University. All rights reserved.
Lowell Clark Pratt Collection
Collection number: MSS-2010-11-01
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
Phone: (408) 808-2062
Fax: (408) 808-2063
Email: special.collections@sjsu.edu
URL: http://library.sjsu.edu/sjsu-special-collections/sjsu-special-collections-and-archives
- Processed by:
- R. Schuyler Selden
- Date Completed:
- 2010
- Encoded by:
- R. Schuyler Selden
- Reviewed by:
- Danelle Moon
© 2010 Trustees of the California State University. All rights reserved.
Title: Lowell Clark Pratt Collection
Dates: 1959-1963
Bulk Dates: 1960-1962
Collection number: MSS-2010-11-01
Creator:
San José State University
Collection Size:
1 box
.88 linear feet
Repository:
San José State University. Library.
San José, California 95192-0028
Abstract: The Lowell Clark Pratt Collection, 1959-1963 (bulk 1960-1962) contains personal correspondence written (typed) by Lowell
Clark Pratt to his daughter Lucia Gilbertson and her family, a few family photographs and news clippings, and includes excerpts
from these letters complied by his grandson, Allan Gilbertson. Lowell C. Pratt, an experienced journalist, editor, and part-owner
of the
Selma Enterprise newspaper (CA), came to San Jose State College in 1947 where he served as a Director of Public Relations and as an Assistant
Professor of Journalism. Pratt later served as the Publications Manager and as faculty advisor to the Theta Xi fraternity.
This small collection of personal letters cover a wide range of subjects. The contents relate ordinary life events, accounts
of local and national news, and news regarding college life at San Jose State and the interpersonal politics of the SJSC staff.
Pratt retired from SJSC in 1965 at the age of 70.
Physical location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
The collection is open for research.
Copyright has been assigned to the San José State University Library Special Collections &
Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to
the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Special Collections
& Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the
copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital
reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.
Lowell Clark Pratt Collection, 1959-1963 (bulk 1960-1962), MSS-2010-11-01, San José State University Library Special Collections
& Archives.
Collection processed and finding aid EAD encoded by R. Schuyler Selden. Reviewed by Danelle Moon.
Biography / Organizational History
Lowell C. Pratt, (1894-1979) was born in Pomona, California, where he became a "cub" reporter in 1913 and later attended
Pomona College. He served in World War I and in 1920 he graduated from the School of Journalism at Columbia University. Pratt
began his career in Springfield, Massachusetts, but returned to Pomona, California where he accepted the position as city
editor of the
Pomona Progress and between 1923-1926 he worked for the
Pasadena Star News. In 1926 Pratt bought the
Selma Enterprise , which he and his partner sold in 1947. While living in Selma, Pratt was a active member of the community, serving as a president
of the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, and the Community Club. He and his wife, Dorothy Louise Pratt, were members in
the First Methodist Church. Pratt was a valued faculty member at SJSC, serving in a variety of postions including the Publications
Manager and as faculty advisor to the Theta Xi fraternity. In 1965, after 18 years of service, he retried at the age of 70.
The Lowell Clark Pratt Collection, 1959- 1963 (bulk 1960-1962) contains personal correspondence written (typed) by Lowell
Clark Pratt to his daughter Lucia Gilbertson and her family, a few family photographs and news clippings, and includes excerpts
from these letters complied by his grandson, Allan Gilbertson. Lowell C. Pratt, an experienced journalist, editor, and part-owner
of the
Selma Enterprise newspaper (CA), came to SJSC in 1947 where he served as a Director of Public Relations and as an Assistant Professor of Journalism.
Pratt later served as the Publications Manager and as faculty advisor to the Theta Xi fraternity. This small collection of
personal letters cover a wide range of subjects. The contents relate ordinary life events, accounts of local and national
news, and news regarding college life at San Jose State and the interpersonal politics of the SJSC staff. Pratt retired from
SJSC in 1965 at the age of 70.
This collection is arranged by type.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
San José State University -- Journalism Department -- History
San Jose State College -- History
California State University, San Jose-- History
San Jose State University -- History
Education, Higher -- California -- San Jose
Collection Contents
Box 1
Series I : Lowell Clark Pratt Collection 1959-1963 (bulk 1960-1962)
Physical Description: 1 box
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains personal correspondence written (typed) by Lowell Clark Pratt to his
daughter Lucia Gilbertson and her family, a few family photographs and newsclippings, and includes excerpts from these letters
complied by his grandson, Allan Gilberton. These typewritten letters are
personal in tone, relating daily events, national events, international
events, college life and interpersonal politics of the San Jose State College staff. Subjects
of note include John F. Kennedy's election and assassination, the space race with
the Soviet Union, communist speakers on campus and in the San Jose area. Pratt
also described the 1960 controversy over the admittance of student St. John Dixon, an
African American civil rights protester who had been expelled from Alabama
State College. Additional information on the Dixon case can be found in the
San José State College Presidential Office Administrative Records (1899-1970
[bulk 1950-1970]) Series I, Box 27, and in the San José State University Library Records (1880-20020 [bulk 1962-1999] Series
I, Box 21.
This series is arranged by item type.