William Bennett Munro papers, 1806-1959, bulk 1877-1959

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Creators:
Munro, William Bennett, 1875-1957
Abstract:
Papers belonging to Dr. William Bennett Munro, American historian, professor, and political scientist.
Extent:
13.55 Linear Feet (10 boxes, 1 roll)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. William Bennett Munro papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists primarily of letters to Munro from his academic colleagues, dealing with reactions to his research and publications, with his professional and social activities, and with the administration of universities and other institutions in which Munro was interested. A few letters after Munro's death are addressed to Professor Harvey Eagleson concerning a memoir of Munro. Correspondents include Charles Austin Beard, Max Farrand, Herbert Hoover, Walter Lippman, Abbott Lawrence Lowell, Robert A. Millikan, and George Walter Prothero.

Biographical / historical:

Dr. William Bennett Munro (1875-1957), historian and political scientist, taught at Williams College, Harvard University, and California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He published numerous books in history and political science, served as president of the American Political Science Association in 1927 and the American Association of University Professors, from 1929 to 1931. He was a trustee of the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery, Caltech, and Scripps College and was also a member of the board of overseers of Harvard. Munro supported and practiced eugenics, the belief that certain people are better than others based on their genes and race, and in February 2021, Caltech removed Munro's name from one of its buildings.

Acquisition information:
Gift of William Bennett Munro and Caroline Munro, August 1954 and January 1960.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library staff in 1972. In February 2025, Brooke M. Black created a finding aid.

Arrangement:

Organized in two series: Series 1. Correspondence; 2. Ephemera.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. William Bennett Munro papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Website