Finding Aid to the C. Grant Loomis Papers, 1927-1962
Jack Doran
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/
© January 2012
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Finding Aid to the C. Grant Loomis Papers, 1927-1962
Collection number: BANC MSS C-B 911
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/
- Finding Aid Author(s):
- Jack Doran
- Date Completed:
-
January 2012
- Finding Aid Encoded By:
- GenX
© 2012 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Collection Summary
Collection Title: C. Grant Loomis papers
Date (inclusive): 1927-1962
Collection Number: BANC MSS C-B 911
Creator:
Loomis, Charles Grant
Extent:
8 cartons, 1 box
10.4 linear feet
Repository: The Bancroft Library.
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/
Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English
Physical Location: Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information
on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
Information for Researchers
Access Information
Collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], C. Grant Loomis Papers, BANC MSS C-B 911, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog
Loomis, C. Grant (Charles Grant), 1901 -- Archives
University of California, Berkeley. Dept. of German -- Faculty.
Folklore.
German poetry
Linguistics.
Faculty papers.
Manuscripts for publication.
Administrative Information
The C. Grant Loomis papers were given to The Bancroft Library by Virginia G. Loomis on December 19, 1963.
Processing Information
Processed by Jack Doran and Jae Mauthe in November, 2011.
Biography/Organization History
C. Grant Loomis, professor and former chairman of the Department of German, Berkeley, was born at Worcester, Massachusetts,
on January 21, 1901, took his A.B. at Hamilton College in 1923, and then taught in high schools for a few years in the vicinity
of New York City. An important turning point in his life was the two years, 1926-28, which he spent at the University of Munich.
Here he came under the influence of the late Max Foerster, distinguished Old English philologist, and this seems to have been
the experience which determined him to embark on an academic career. Upon his return to this country he went to Harvard to
pursue graduate studies in English, taking the M.A. in 1929 and the Ph.D. in 1933, with a dissertation on Old English saints'
lives written under the direction of George Lyman Kittredge. He commenced his teaching in the German field concurrently with
his graduate work, becoming instructor in German at Tufts College in Medford, Massachusetts, in 1930, where he remained until
1937. He then returned to Harvard as an instructor in the Department of German and as a tutor in the Division of Modern Languages.
In 1941 he was called to an assistant professorship in the Department of German, Berkeley. He was promoted to associate professor
in 1947 and professor in 1953, acting as chairman of his department from 1957 to 1962. He held a Guggenheim Fellowship in
1945-46. He died suddenly on March 22, 1963. His career was noteworthy for service to the profession. He spent the year 1952-53
as Associate Secretary of the Modern Language Association in New York, taking an active part in the organizing of a newly
founded program for the teaching of the modern foreign languages. He served on the council of the Association from 1951 to
1955 and had been elected its vice-president for 1963. He was a member of the Medieval Academy, the American Folklore Society,
and the California Folklore Society, and held official positions in all of them. He gave much energy and thought to his editorship
of Western Folklore in the years after 1949. He was the president of the Philological Association of the Pacific Coast for
1958.
The activities of Professor Loomis as teacher and scholar show great variety. In addition to his interest in the teaching
of elementary German, he contributed to instruction at a higher level by a large body of translations of materials for courses
in German literature of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, which have been an indispensable aid in courses
in German literature in translation given by the department. His interest in saints' legends continued through many years,
and after the publication of various articles culminated in
White Magic (Cambridge, Mass., 1951), a survey of a vast field and has proved to be a useful guide for medievalists generally. In the
Department of German he taught courses in seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth-century literature and thus showed a competence
of unusual range. Folklore was close to his heart. During a long course of years he published critical articles and collections
of materials concerned with American aphoristic sayings of various kinds, puns, riddles, and Wellerisms. Perhaps the largest
of the collections was an excerpting of proverbs used by William McLeod Raines, a noted author of westerns. He intended to
assemble his studies and historical account of these neglected expressions of the folk mind. His intimate knowledge of the
materials, his large collections, and his ripe critical judgment would have enabled him to write a significant study in a
neglected field.
Scope and Content Note
The C. Grant Loomis papers consist of professional and personal correspondance, articles written and published by Loomis on
folklore, medieval saint's legends and German poetry and culture. Also included are notes on folklore, transcripts and translations
of German poetry and prose, and miscellaneous notes and clippings that Loomis' publications are based on.
Series 1
Correspondence
1927-1962
Creator/Collector:
Loomis, Charles Grant
Physical Description:
box 1
10.4 linear feet
Physical Location: Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information
on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
Language of Material: English
Biography/Organization History
C. Grant Loomis, professor and former chairman of the Department of German, Berkeley, was born at Worcester, Massachusetts,
on January 21, 1901, took his A.B. at Hamilton College in 1923, and then taught in high schools for a few years in the vicinity
of New York City. An important turning point in his life was the two years, 1926-28, which he spent at the University of Munich.
Here he came under the influence of the late Max Foerster, distinguished Old English philologist, and this seems to have been
the experience which determined him to embark on an academic career. Upon his return to this country he went to Harvard to
pursue graduate studies in English, taking the M.A. in 1929 and the Ph.D. in 1933, with a dissertation on Old English saints'
lives written under the direction of George Lyman Kittredge. He commenced his teaching in the German field concurrently with
his graduate work, becoming instructor in German at Tufts College in Medford, Massachusetts, in 1930, where he remained until
1937. He then returned to Harvard as an instructor in the Department of German and as a tutor in the Division of Modern Languages.
In 1941 he was called to an assistant professorship in the Department of German, Berkeley. He was promoted to associate professor
in 1947 and professor in 1953, acting as chairman of his department from 1957 to 1962. He held a Guggenheim Fellowship in
1945-46. He died suddenly on March 22, 1963. His career was noteworthy for service to the profession. He spent the year 1952-53
as Associate Secretary of the Modern Language Association in New York, taking an active part in the organizing of a newly
founded program for the teaching of the modern foreign languages. He served on the council of the Association from 1951 to
1955 and had been elected its vice-president for 1963. He was a member of the Medieval Academy, the American Folklore Society,
and the California Folklore Society, and held official positions in all of them. He gave much energy and thought to his editorship
of Western Folklore in the years after 1949. He was the president of the Philological Association of the Pacific Coast for
1958.
The activities of Professor Loomis as teacher and scholar show great variety. In addition to his interest in the teaching
of elementary German, he contributed to instruction at a higher level by a large body of translations of materials for courses
in German literature of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, which have been an indispensable aid in courses
in German literature in translation given by the department. His interest in saints' legends continued through many years,
and after the publication of various articles culminated in
White Magic (Cambridge, Mass., 1951), a survey of a vast field and has proved to be a useful guide for medievalists generally. In the
Department of German he taught courses in seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth-century literature and thus showed a competence
of unusual range. Folklore was close to his heart. During a long course of years he published critical articles and collections
of materials concerned with American aphoristic sayings of various kinds, puns, riddles, and Wellerisms. Perhaps the largest
of the collections was an excerpting of proverbs used by William McLeod Raines, a noted author of westerns. He intended to
assemble his studies and historical account of these neglected expressions of the folk mind. His intimate knowledge of the
materials, his large collections, and his ripe critical judgment would have enabled him to write a significant study in a
neglected field.
Arrangement
Alphabetical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of correspondence between C.G. Loomis and colleagues, friends and fellow faculty
The C. Grant Loomis papers were given to The Bancroft Library by Virginia G. Loomis on December 19, 1963.
Access Information
Collection is open for research.
Indexing Terms
University of California, Berkeley. Dept. of German -- Faculty.
Linguistics.
Faculty papers.
box 1, folder 2
American Folklore Society
box 1, folder 8
Calif. University Librarian
box 1, folder 10
Culver, Kenneth & Lillian
box 1, folder 12
de la Harpe, Josephine E.
box 1, folder 20
Hesse, Ninon (Mrs. Hermann Hesse)
box 1, folder 57
Ungar, Frederick, Publishing Co.
box 1, folder 60
1945-1958 outgoing correspondence
box 1, folder 62
Loomis biographical & personal material
Series 2
Articles
Physical Description:
carton 1
Arrangement
Alphabetical
Scope and Content Note
Articles written by Loomis on folklore (American speech and wordplay in western U.S.), medieval saint's legends and German
poetry and culture; printer's copy of book,
carton 1, folder 1
List of articles by C. Grant Loomis
carton 1, folder 2
About American Pseudonomity
carton 1, folder 3
American Limerick Traditions
carton 1, folder 4
The American Tall Tale and the Miraculous
carton 1, folder 5
The Art of Poetry and Other Essays by H.D. Thoreau - edited by C. Grant Loomis
carton 1, folder 7
California Anecdotes from the East 1849-1858
carton 1, folder 8
California Fertility Lore - 1848-1858
carton 1, folder 9
The Captive B'ar in California
carton 1, folder 10
"A Century of Baroque Riddles", by C.G.L.
carton 1, folder 11
A Century of Mother Goose Parodies, by C.G.L.
carton 1, folder 12
Chinese Lore from Nevada 1867-1878
carton 1, folder 13
Dan de Quille's Mark Twain
carton 1, folder 14
Davy Crockett Visits Boston
carton 1, folder 15
Dissertatio de Diaeta Litteratorum or the Regimen of Scholars
carton 1, folder 16
Writings on Education and the function of the University
carton 1, folder 18
English Writers in Gottsched's Handlexicon
carton 1, folder 19
Erasmus Francisci, A 17th Cenntury Contributor to the History of Medicine1
carton 1, folder 20
Erdmann Neumeister's contributions to 17th Century Bibliography
carton 1, folder 21
Folk Speech and Folk Humor
carton 1, folder 23
Folklore and American Literature, by CG Loomis ms.
carton 1, folder 24
"Four Schillings, Sir": Massachussetts vs. Missouri
carton 1, folder 25
Further Sources of Aelfric's Saints' Lives
carton 1, folder 26
The German Theatre in California 1861-1864, by C. Grant Loomis
carton 1, folder 27
MS. The German Theatre in San Francisco p. 1-60
carton 1, folder 28
MS. The German Theatre in San Francisco p. 61-128
carton 1, folder 30
The Growth of the St. Edmond Legend
carton 1, folder 32
Hart's Tall Tales from Nevada
carton 1, folder 34
The Heritage of Medieval Legend
carton 1, folder 36
Indications of Miners' Medecine
carton 1, folder 37
Jonathanisms: American Epigrammatic Hyperbole
carton 1, folder 38
King Arthur and the Saints
carton 1, folder 42
Martin Opitz - Three articles
carton 1, folder 45
The Miracle of Ponderosity
carton 1, folder 46
The Miracle Traditions of the Venerable Bede
carton 1, folder 47
More Hart Tall Tales from Nevada
carton 1, folder 48
Morganstern's Mice: Peripheries of Word Play, by C.G.L. M.S.
carton 1, folder 49
Names - American Journalism MS.
carton 1, folder 50
Names in American Limericks
carton 1, folder 51
Notes and Queries - contributions by CGL
carton 1, folder 52
A Notice of Harvard at Riga in 1691
carton 1, folder 54
Proverbs in "The Farmer's Almanac(k)"
carton 1, folder 55
Proverbs in the "Golden Era"
carton 1, folder 56
The Range of Rilke's Rhymes
carton 1, folder 58
Saint Edmund and the Lodbrok (Loyhbrac) Legend
carton 1, folder 59
MS. Shakespeare in Germany
carton 1, folder 60
Some Annotations to the Survival of Ancient Lore at Christmas, by CGL
carton 1, folder 62
Some Interpretations of Modern German Poetry - German Club paper 3/9/1933
carton 1, folder 63
Some Lore of Yankee Genius: 1831-1863
carton 1, folder 64
Some Mexican Lore Prior to 1670
carton 1, folder 65
Some Name Traditions in Epigrammatic Satire
carton 1, folder 66
Some Spanish Proverbs in 17th century German
carton 1, folder 67
MS. Speculations from Speculum
carton 1, folder 68
Surnames in American Wordplay
carton 1, folder 69
The Tale of the Stubborn Thief
carton 1, folder 70
A Tall Tale Miscellany 1830-1866
carton 1, folder 71
Tall Tales of Dan de Quielle
carton 1, folder 74
"Tough Californiana" 1849-1864
carton 1, folder 76
Traditional American Wordplay
carton 1, folder 77
Traditional American Wordplay: The Conundrum
carton 1, folder 78
Traditional American Wordplay: The Epigram and Perverted Proverbs
carton 1, folder 79
Traditional American Wordplay: Wellerisms or Yankeeisms
carton 1, folder 80
On Translating Modern Poetry
carton 1, folder 81
Two Miracles in the Chevelere Assigne
carton 1, folder 82
An Unnoted German Reference to Increase Mather
carton 1, folder 83
"A Variant of the Hoffmanswaldow Anthology" and "A Note Concerning the Editions of the First Volume of the Hoffmanswaldow
Anthology"
carton 1, folder 85
Wellerisms in California Sources
carton 1, folder 86
White Magic, by C. Grant Loomis
carton 1, folder 87
Yankee Visions of California MS. by C. Grant Loomis
carton 1, folder 88
Book Reviews by C. Grant Loomis
carton 1, folder 89
Miscellaneous short articles by C.G.L.
Series 3
Notes
Physical Description:
cartons 2, 5-8
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of notes on folklore, medieval material, misc. transcripts of writings of Dan de Quille.
carton 2, folder 6
17th Cen. German Poetry and Music
carton 2, folder 8
Some Patterns and German Surname Changes
carton 2, folder 9
"There is a Telling" Vol. III 1-19 TV Porogram on Calif. Folklore by Hector Lee
carton 2, folder 10
Tentzel Monatliche Unterredungen - transcriptions + notes by CGL
carton 2, folder 13
Caxton's Calendar of Saints
carton 2, folder 15
Project - Spurious Saints
carton 2, folder 16
Legend - Materials Saints
carton 2, folder 17
Clippings - miraculous events
carton 2, folder 18
Clippings - miracles at tomb of priest
carton 2, folder 19
Birthdays of authors - poets
carton 2, folder 20
Notes on county histories/ California
carton 2, folder 21
Notes on letters of English royalty
carton 2, folder 24
Notes on Chaucer's English
carton 2, folder 27
Der Akermann aus Bohmerz (The Plouwman and the Devil) by Johannes von Saaz, trans. by WC Kraft
carton 2, folder 28
Lying or Tall Tales -- Bartlemez - Bushnell ms
carton 2, folder 29
"Tales from the Redwood Empire" Radio talks on Calif. folklore by Hector Lee
carton 2, folder 30
California folklore society
carton 2, folder 32
Misc. printed folklore material
carton 2, folder 33
Western Anecdotes by Dan de Quille from the Territorial Enterprise
carton 2, folder 34
Western Anecdotes by Dan de Quille from the Territorial Enterprise
carton 2, folder 36
"Washoe Rambles" by Dan de Quille. photocopy of original with notes by CGL
carton 2, folder 37
Palmura mining district, by Dan de Quille/Washoe Rambles to p. 15 of folder A
carton 2, folder 38
Washoe Rambles, by Dan de Quille
carton 2, folder 39
California and Nevada Steamboat and Washoe Valley, by Dan de Quille - this begins p. 15 of folder A
carton 5, box 1
Note cards - Dictionary of American Wordplay
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of note cards related to the Dictionary of American Wordplay
carton 5, box 2
Note cards - "Never Say Die"
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of note cards related to euphemisms for death (tentative title for forthcoming work was "Never Say Die").
carton 5, box 3
Note cards - Sixth Sense Stories
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of note cards related to supernatural encounters.
carton 4, box 4
Note cards - Various
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of notes related to limericks, Californiana and Bret Harte
Note cards - Wordplay
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of notes related to general wordplay
carton 5, box 2
Note cards - Poetical Calendar
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of notes for Loomis' poetical calendars.
carton 5, box 3
Note cards - Linguistic Notes
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of notes related to linguistics
carton 5, box 4
Note cards - Proverbial Phrases and Slang
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of proverbial phrases and slang in sports and the work of Sinclair Lewis
carton 6, box 3
Note cards - Teutzel
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of notes on Teutzel
carton 6, box 4
Note cards - Poetical calendar
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of notes on Loomis' poetical calendars.
carton 7, box 1
Note cards - German Notes
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of notes on German language
carton 7, box 2
Note cards - French Notes
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of Notes in French
carton 7, box 3
Note cards - White Magic
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of notes for
White Magic
carton 7, box 4
Note cards - White Magic
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of notes for
White Magic
carton 8, box 1
Note cards - White Magic
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of notes for
White Magic
carton 8, box 2
Note cards - White Magic
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of notes for
White Magic
carton 8, box 3
Note cards - White Magic
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of notes for
White Magic
carton 8, box 4
Note cards - White Magic
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of notes for
White Magic
carton 6, box 2
Note cards - Teutzel, Poetical Calendars, Cinquains
Arrangement
Hierarchical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of notes on Teutzel, two poetical calendars and cinquains
Series 4
Transcripts and Translations
Arrangement
Alphabetical
Scope and Content Note
Consists of Loomis' translations of German poetry.
carton 3, folder 2
German Lecture Notes - Historical Literature - German
carton 3, folder 3
Herod and Marianna by Fredrich Hebbel, translated by CGL
carton 3, folder 4
German Prose Translations - Jerimias Gotthelf - How Georgie Looked for a Wife
carton 3, folder 5
German Prose Translations - Gottfried Keller - Clothes Make the Man
carton 3, folder 6
The Mountain Walk by Adelbert Stifter, translated by CGL
carton 3, folder 7
German Prose translations - Adalbert Stifter - Preface to Colored Stories
carton 3, folder 8
German - On Virtues of Brandy - transcription
carton 3, folder 9
Transcription of Stolle's "Vorrede"; Neukirch's "Vorrede"; Juncker - Untersuchung Herrn Gottfried Bejemin Hanckens Welticher
Gedichte + notes
carton 3, folder 11
Notes on German translations of Frost
carton 3, folder 12
German Poetry - Hermann Hesse
carton 3, folder 14
German Poetry - Hermann Hesse
carton 3, folder 15
German Poetry - Hermann Hesse
carton 3, folder 16
German Poetry - Detlev von Liliencron
carton 3, folder 17
German Poetry - Zugabe Logau - epitaphs
carton 3, folder 23
Z. Lagau - relations of sexes
carton 3, folder 25
Z. Lagau on the times, customs, etc.
carton 3, folder 26
German Poetry - Christian Morganstern
carton 3, folder 28
German Poetry - Oearius, Homburg, Wernicke, etc.
carton 3, folder 30
Misc. notes on German poetry
carton 3, folder 36
A Calendar for Gnostics, by C. Grant Loomis
carton 3, folder 38
The Fate of Waterloo by CGL (adapted from Stephen Zweig
carton 3, folder 39
Mendocino Monody by C.G.L.
carton 3, folder 41
On These Hills - poems by C. Grant Loomis
carton 3, folder 42
Potiphar's Wife by C.G.L.
carton 3, folder 43
Poems by C.G.L. (untitled)
carton 3, folder 46
Poems and Notes (untitled)
carton 3, folder 48
Unidentified poems in German (by Loomis?)
carton 3, folder 49
Poems by C. Grant Loomis 1922-1927
carton 3, folder 50
Story and Poem Ideas, C. Grant Looms