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Guide to the John R. Theobald Collection
MS-0359
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Collection Title: John R. Theobald Collection
Dates: 1920-1989
Identification: MS-0359
Creator:
Theobald, John R., 1903-1989
Physical Description: 2.17 linear ft
Language of Materials:
English
Repository:
Special Collections & University Archives
5500 Campanile Dr. MC 8050
San Diego, CA, 92182-8050
URL: http://library.sdsu.edu/scua
Email: scref@rohan.sdsu.edu
Phone: 619-594-6791
John R. Theobald was born September 5, 1903 in India where his parents were doing missionary work. He was sent to England
at age 6 for schooling. He later attended Oxford University, graduating in 1925 with honors in English. He was also the
recipient of the England Fellowship to Union Seminary in New York where he received a degree in theology in 1929. Dr. Theobald
earned his doctorate in 1943 at the University of Iowa. He taught at Queens University in Canada, Amherst, Trinity College,
Grinnell College, and San Diego State University. He also worked as a research associate in the Division of War Research
at the University of California, San Diego.
Dr. Theobald came to San Diego State University in 1946 as an associate professor in the English department. He later became
a full professor and retired in 1969 as professor emeritus. While at San Diego State University, Dr. Theobald gave numerous
recitals and addresses on National Public Radio. He wrote a series of radio talks called
The Nine Ultimate Questions that covered subjects from man to God and beauty and peace. He also did a fourteen part series on poetry and poets called
The Spoken Word.
Dr. Theobald was also a respected author. His works include:
The Earthquake and Other Poems,
An Oxford Odyssey,
A Second Light,
Planetsong, and
Introducing Poetry. His translations of French poetry were published in
Midi-Noon,
A Work by Leconte De Lisle,
The Lost Wine: Seven Centuries of Lyric French Poetry Into English Lyrical Poetry.
Dr. Theobald died in December of 1989.
This collection is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
San Diego State University -- Faculty -- Biography -- Sources
Personal Papers
Publications
Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert), 1885-1930 -- Criticism and interpretation
Theobald, John Richmond -- Archives
German poetry -- Translations into English
American literature -- 20th century -- Sources
Authors, American -- 20th century -- Biography -- Sources
The copyright interests in these materials have not been transferred to San Diego State University. Copyright resides with
the creators of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. The nature of historical archival and manuscript collections
is such that copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. Requests for permission to publish must be
submitted to the Head of Special Collections, San Diego State University, Library and Information Access. When granted, permission
is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission
of the copyright holder(s), which must also be obtained in order to publish. Materials from our collections are made available
for use in research, teaching, and private study. 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.
This collection is open for research.
Identification of item, folder title, box number, John R. Theobald Collection, Special Collections and University Archives,
Library and Information Access, San Diego State University.
I. Personal Files
II. Professional Files
The
John R. Theobald Collection documents Theobald's writings. The collection dates from the 1920s to 1989 with many materials undated. The collection
has been divided into two series:
Professional and
Personal.
The
Professional series documents Theobald's numerous radio addresses, poetry translations, and publications from 1926-1989, with some undated
materials. Included in this series is the script for Theobald's
Nine Ultimate Questions radio address; scripts for various other radio talks given in San Diego; gallery proofs, introduction, and publicity for
his book
The Lost Wine: Seven Centuries of Lyric French Poetry Into English Lyrical Poetry; manuscripts for some of his other works; poems in German translated into English by Theobald; and original poems. Also
included in this series is correspondence between Theobald and Ezra Pound. There is no filing order.
The
Personal series includes Theobald's memoirs, correspondence, poems (published and unpublished), essays, his thesis from Union Seminary
on Benedetto Croce, and his PhD thesis on D.H. Lawrence. This series also includes a group photo of Theobald's class at Mansfield
College in 1922. There is no filing order. The series dates from the 1920s to 1990, with some undated materials. There is
no filing order.