The Lawrence W. Levine papers document his career as a historian and professor at both the University of California, Berkeley and George Mason University (GMU). The collection is divided into nine series: Correspondence; Writings; Research Files; Professional Activities; University of California Berkeley and George Mason University Administrative Records; Teaching Materials; Personalia and Biographical Material; Cornelia Levine Files; and Digital Files.

Lawrence William Levine was an influential scholar of United States history and culture. Born in Manhattan, he attended City College of New York and received his Ph.D. from Columbia University. He married Cornelia Roettcher in 1964. Levine taught history at the University California, Berkeley from 1962 until 1994. That same year he started teaching history and cultural studies at George Mason University. Among other topics, Levine wrote and taught about the lived experiences of African Americans in the U.S., popular culture and the creation of cultural hierarchy, the social and cultural history of the 1930s, and higher education, arguing for curricula that reflected the ethnic and racial diversity of the U.S. Levine received many honors for his scholarship and teaching, including a MacArthur Fellowship (in 1983). The Organization of American Historians has named their annual award for the best book in American cultural history after him. Levine died in Berkeley in 2006.

32.55 linear feet )25 cartons, 2 boxes, 2 card file boxes)

Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For additional information about the University of California, Berkeley Library's permissions policy please see: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/about/permissions-policies

Collection is partially open for research. Cartons 1-25, Box 1, and Card File Boxes 1-2 are open for research. Box 2 includes restricted personnel material and is closed to researchers until 2061. Series 9: Digital files, folder 001, contains unprocessed email files in the directories named gmu_mail and Email Backup. These unprocessed email files are unavailable for researcher use.