Guide to the José Antonio Villarreal Papers MSS.1974.11.01
Archives & Special Collections, Santa Clara University Library
© 2014 Santa Clara University. All rights reserved.
Santa Clara University Library
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, California 95053-0500
Email: specialcollections@scu.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Archives & Special Collections, Santa Clara University Library
Title: José Antonio Villarreal Papers
creator:
Villarreal, José Antonio
Identifier/Call Number: MSS.1974.11.01
Identifier/Call Number: 85
Physical Description:
10.1 linear feet
(22 boxes)
Date: 1950-2010 (bulk 1959-1984)
Abstract: The José Antonio Villarreal Papers, 1950-2010 (bulk 1959-1984), document the personal and professional life of José Antonio
Villarreal. Villarreal became well known for his book
Pocho, which was first published in 1959 and is considered a landmark in Chicano literature. Included in the collection are manuscripts
and proofs of
Pocho,
The Fifth Horseman, and
Clemente Chacon; an early manuscript and precursor to the book
Pocho, entitled
Our Little Life; shorter works by Villarreal; personal and professional correspondence with literary agents, publishers, academic institutions,
friends and family members; writings about Villarreal, his publications, and Chicano literature; publicity materials; and
personalia. The collection is arranged into five series: Series I. Correspondence, 1953-1991, and undated; Series II. Writings
by Villarreal, 1959-1992, and undated; Series III. Printed Materials, 1959-1995; Series IV. Personalia, 1950-2010; and Series
V. Audiovisual Materials, 1975, and undated.
Physical Location: This collection is located in Santa Clara University Library's Archives & Special Collections.
Language of Material: English, some Spanish
Access
The collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in the Department of Archives & Special Collections may be subject to copyright. Unless explicitly stated otherwise,
Santa Clara University does not claim ownership of the copyright of any materials in its collections. The user or publisher
must secure permission to publish from the copyright owner. Santa Clara University does not assume any responsibility for
infringement of copyright or of publication rights held by the original author or artists or his/her heirs, assigns, or executors.
Preferred Citation
The José Antonio Villarreal Papers, MSS.1974.11.01, Santa Clara University Library Archives & Special Collections.
Processing Information
Guide created by Shannon Hartman in 2014. Guide encoded by Shannon Hartman in 2015. Folder-level descriptive information added
by Mia Hope in 2018.
Biographical History
José Antonio Villarreal (1924-2010) was born in Los Angeles on July 30, 1924 to José Heladio (a Mexican revolutionary) and
Felícitaz Ramírez Villarreal. In 1921, Villarreal's parents moved to the United States from Mexico and found work as migrant
farm laborers in California. At age six, Villarreal's family settled in Santa Clara, and he spent the remainder of his childhood
there. After graduating high school in 1942, Villarreal served three years in the Navy during World War II. In 1950, he earned
a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley. Villarreal married Barbara Gentles in 1953,
and they had three children: Ian, Kelly, and Caleb. To support his family while pursuing a writing career, Villarreal held
numerous positions ranging from public relations to bus driver to speech writer. After the second edition of
Pocho was published in 1970, Villarreal began to receive guest lectureships and teaching positions at various universities, including
the Pan American University, the University of Colorado, the University of Texas at El Paso, the University of Santa Clara,
and the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.
Villarreal is best known for his debut novel,
Pocho, considered a landmark in Chicano literature. First published by Doubleday in 1959,
Pocho tells the story of a second-generation Mexican-American growing up between cultures in California, and is the first novel
written by a Chicano to be released by a major publisher in the United States. At the time, the book received little attention
and quickly went out of print. However, in 1970, at the height of the Chicano Movement, Anchor published a paperback edition
of
Pocho, bringing Villarreal both recognition in academic circles and criticism from some members of the burgeoning Chicano Movement.
Often considered to be one of the founding fathers of Chicano Literature in the United States, Villarreal did not consider
himself a Chicano writer but an American writer whose work fell into a sub-genre of American literature. His second novel,
The Fifth Horseman, a historical novel about the events leading up to the Mexican Revolution of 1910, was published by Doubleday in 1974.
Pocho and
The Fifth Horseman were meant to be part of a tetralogy following three generations of a Mexican-American family, but the series was never completed.
Villarreal's third novel,
Clemente Chacon, departed from the tetralogy and was published by Bilingual Press in 1984. Villarreal also wrote several articles and short
stories, many appearing in anthologies, magazines, and newspapers.
In 1973, Villarreal returned to Mexico, becoming a Mexican citizen, though he would eventually return to the United States.
Over the next several years, Villarreal worked as a broadcaster, a free-lance writer, and an instructor at several colleges
and universities in Mexico and the United States. Villarreal passed away in northern California on January 13, 2010.
Bibliography
Jiménez, Francisco. "An interview with José Antonio Villarreal."
Bilingual Review 3.1 (1976): 66-72. Print.
"José Antonio Villarreal."
Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2001.
Literature Resource Center. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.
"José Antonio Villarreal."
Dictionary of Hispanic Biography. Gale Research, 1996. Reproduced in
Biography Resource Center. Web. 9 Dec. 2003.
Vallejos, Tomás. "José Antonio Villarreal."
Chicano Writers: First Series. Ed. Francisco A. Lomeli and Carl R. Shirley. Detroit: Gale Research, 1989.
Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 82.
Literature Resource Center. Web. 8 Oct. 2014.
Organizational History
Santa Clara University was founded in 1851 by the Society of Jesus as Santa Clara College and is California's oldest operating
institution of higher learning. It was established on the grounds of Mission Santa Clara de Asìs, the eighth of the original
21 California missions. The college originally operated as a preparatory school and did not offer courses of collegiate rank
until 1853. The institution became known as the University of Santa Clara in 1912, when the schools of engineering and law
were added. For 110 years, Santa Clara University was an all-male school. In 1961, women were accepted as undergraduates and
Santa Clara University became the first coeducational Catholic university in California. The number of students and faculty
tripled over the next decade and the university began the largest building program in school history with eight residence
halls, a student union, and an athletic stadium. In the early 1970s, the Board of Trustees voted to limit the size of the
undergraduate population, an action that was intended to preserve the character and ensure the quality of the university for
generations to come. In 1985, the university adopted Santa Clara University as its official name.
Bibliography
Santa Clara University. "About SCU – History." www.scu.edu/about/history.cfm (Accessed Nov. 23, 2010)
McKevitt, Gerald, S.J.
The University of Santa Clara: A History, 1851-1977. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1979.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into five series: Series I. Correspondence, 1953-1991, and undated; Series II. Writings by Villarreal,
1959-1992, and undated; Series III. Printed Materials, 1959-1995; Series IV. Personalia, 1950-2010; and Series V. Audiovisual
Materials, 1975, and undated.
Scope and Content of Collection
The José Antonio Villarreal Papers, 1950-2010 (bulk 1959-1984), document the personal and professional life of José Antonio
Villarreal. Villarreal became well known for his book
Pocho, which was first published in 1959 and is considered a landmark in Chicano literature. The bulk of the collection consists
of drafts, original research materials, outlines, proofs and typescripts of Villarreal's published books and an early manuscript
and precursor to the book
Pocho, entitled
Our Little Life. Also included are articles, short stories, and poetry written by Villarreal, some of which were published in anthologies,
magazines, and newspapers. The correspondence series is comprised of a substantial amount of correspondence with editors at
Doubleday & Company and literary agents at Paul R. Reynolds; personal and professional correspondence with family, friends,
colleagues, and students; literary correspondence related to permissions, personal appearances, and publication; correspondence
with numerous academic institutions; and letters describing his views on Chicano literature and the Chicano Movement. There
are critiques of
Pocho; interviews and articles about Villarreal; reviews of his major publications; and publicity materials related to his writings
and speaking engagements. Small samplings of personalia and sound recordings are also included.
Note: Reel-to-reel recordings are not available for playback at this time.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Novelists, American -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Mexican Americans -- California -- History
Chicano movement
Chicano literature (English)
American literature -- 20th century
Santa Clara College (Calif.)
University of Santa Clara (Calif.)
Santa Clara University (Calif.)
Series I: Correspondence, 188
1953-1991, and undated
Physical Description: 4 boxes
Scope and Content
The materials in this series document the personal and professional life of José Antonio Villarreal and his endeavors to publish
his writings. The bulk of the series consists of Villarreal's correspondence with editors at Doubleday & Company and literary
agents at Paul R. Reynolds. Other literary agencies and publishers represented in this series include Curtis Brown, Ltd.;
Harry Jacobsen; Scott Meredith Literary Agency; and Bilingual Press. Also included is correspondence with family, friends,
colleagues, and students; literary correspondence related to permissions, personal appearances, and publication; correspondence
with academic institutions where Villarreal sought employment, taught, or visited as a guest lecturer; and letters describing
his views on Chicano literature and the Chicano Movement.
The correspondence is arranged alphabetically by sender's last name or name of affiliated organization, with incoming and
outgoing letters interfiled chronologically. Whenever possible, the correspondence is filed under the name of the institution
with which the writer is affiliated, whether the letter is of a personal or professional nature. Partially identified and
unidentified letters can be found at the end of the series.
Box 1: Correspondence Arranged by Academic Institution, A-Y, 195
1959-1991, and undated
Folder 1: Academic Institutions, B-D,
1959-1991
Folder 2: Academic Institutions, G-M,
1959-1991
Folder 3: Academic Institutions, N-P,
1959-1991
Folder 4: Academic Institutions, Sa,
1959-1991
Folder 5: Academic Institutions, Sc-T,
1959-1991
Folder 6: Academic Institutions, U,
1959-1991
Folder 7: Academic Institutions, UC Riverside,
1959-1991
Folder 8: Academic Institutions, U,
1959-1991
Folder 9: Academic Institutions, University of Santa Clara,
1959-1991
Folder 10: Academic Institutions, U,
1959-1991
Folder 11: Academic Institutions, W-Y,
1959-1991
Box 2: Correspondence Arranged by Organization, A-N, 193
1953-1991, and undated
Folder 1: Organizations, A-B,
1953-1991
Folder 2: Organizations, Ca-Co,
1953-1991
Folder 3: Organizations, Curtis Brown, Ltd.,
1953-1991
Folder 4: Organizations, D,
1953-1991
Folder 5: Organizations, Doubleday, Barrett, Loretta,
1953-1991
Folder 6: Organizations, Doubleday, Burton, Naomi,
1953-1991
Folder 7: Organizations, Doubleday, Kelley, William,
1953-1991
Folder 8: Organizations, Doubleday, Kelly, Susan,
1953-1991
Folder 9: Organizations, Doubleday, Nichols, Luther,
1953-1991
Folder 10: Organizations, Doubleday, Vaughan, Samuel,
1953-1991
Folder 11: Organizations, Doubleday,
1953-1991
Folder 12: Organizations, E-G,
1953-1991
Folder 13: Organizations, H,
1953-1991
Folder 14: Organizations, Harry Jacobsen,
1953-1991
Folder 15: Organizations, Holiday,
1953-1991
Folder 16: Organizations, J-Li,
1953-1991
Folder 17: Organizations, Lockheed Aircraft Corporation,
1953-1991
Folder 18: Organizations, Lo-Ne,
1953-1991
Box 3: Correspondence Arranged by Organization, P-Y, 194
1959-1990, and undated
Folder 1: Organizations, Pa,
1959-1990
Folder 2: Organizations, Paul R. Reynolds, Reynolds, Paul,
1959-1990
Folder 3: Organizations, Paul R. Reynolds, Reiss, Malcolm,
1959-1990
Folder 4: Organizations, Paul R. Reynolds, Reiss, Malcolm,
1959-1990
Folder 5: Organizations, Paul R. Reynolds, Reiss, Malcolm,
1959-1990
Folder 6: Organizations, Paul R. Reynolds, Reiss, Malcolm,
1959-1990
Folder 7: Organizations, Paul R. Reynolds, Reiss, Malcolm,
1959-1990
Folder 8: Organizations, Paul R. Reynolds, Reiss, Malcolm,
1959-1990
Folder 9: Organizations, Paul R. Reynolds,
1959-1990
Folder 10: Organizations, Po-Pr,
1959-1990
Folder 11: Organizations, Q-Sa,
1959-1990
Folder 12: Organizations, Scott Meredith Literary Agency,
1959-1990
Folder 13: Organizations, Su-Y,
1959-1990
Box 4: Correspondence Arranged by Sender's Last Name, 196
1958-1990, and undated
Folder 1: Sender's Last Name, A-C,
1958-1990
Folder 2: Sender's Last Name, D-F,
1958-1990
Folder 3: Sender's Last Name, G-L,
1958-1990
Folder 4: Sender's Last Name, M,
1958-1990
Folder 5: Sender's Last Name, Neyman, Michael,
1958-1990
Folder 6: Sender's Last Name, No-R,
1958-1990
Folder 7: Sender's Last Name, S-V,
1958-1990
Folder 8: Sender's Last Name, Villarreal,
1958-1990
Folder 9: Sender's Last Name, W,
1958-1990
Folder 10: Sender's First Name, B-G,
1958-1990
Folder 11: Sender's First Name, J-S,
1958-1990
Folder 12: Sender's First Name, unidentified,
1958-1990
Series II: Writings by Villarreal, 189
1959-1992, and undated
Physical Description: 15 boxes
Scope and Content
The materials in this series document Villarreal's creative process and output as a writer. The records include drafts; original
research materials and notes; outlines; page and galley proofs; and typescripts of Villarreal's books. Several of the drafts
contain editorial markings. There are also articles, essays, and poetry written by Villarreal, some of which were published
in anthologies, magazines, and newspapers. Also included is an early manuscript and precursor to the book
Pocho, entitled
Our Little Life.
This series is arranged alphabetically by title. The writings exist in multiple drafts, and the physical arrangement does
not necessarily reflect the order of composition. Boxes 6 and 7 consist of unbound drafts in no discernible order.
Note:
Come Ride with Me was renamed
The Conscripts.
Heraclio and
My Kinsman, My Foe are earlier titles for
The Fifth Horseman.
Box 5: Clemente Chacón, 200
circa 1974-1984
Folder 1: Draft of Manuscript,
c. 1974-1984
Folder 2: Draft of Manuscript,
c. 1974-1984
Folder 3: Xerox Copies of Page Proofs,
c. 1974-1984
Folder 4: Page Proofs,
c. 1974-1984
Folder 5: Copy of Novel,
c. 1974-1984
Box 6: The Fifth Horseman, 201
1960, and undated
Folder 2: Outline for Heraclio,
1960
Folder 3: Copy of Outline for Heraclio,
1960
Folder 4: Original Handwritten Draft,
1960
Folder 5: Handwritten Draft,
1960
Folder 6: Typed Draft with Handwritten Revisions,
1960
Folder 7: Handwritten Draft,
1960
Box 7: [The Fifth Horseman] Heraclio, 202
undated
Folder 1: Reading Notes,
undated
Folder 2: Handwritten Draft,
undated
Folder 3: Handwritten Draft,
undated
Folder 4: Handwritten Draft,
undated
Folder 5: Handwritten and Typed Draft,
undated
Folder 6: Handwritten Draft,
undated
Folder 7: Handwritten Notes and Draft,
undated
Box 8: [The Fifth Horseman] My Kinsman, My Foe, 203
1960
Box 9: The Fifth Horseman, 204
1969
Box 10: The Fifth Horseman, 205
undated
Folder 1: Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Folder 2: Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Folder 3: Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Folder 4: Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Folder 5: Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Folder 6: Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Folder 7: Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Folder 8: Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Folder 9: Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Folder 10: Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Box 11: The Fifth Horseman, 206
circa 1974-1984
Folder 1: Draft with Handwritten Edits,
c. 1974-1984
Folder 2: Draft with Handwritten Edits,
c. 1974-1984
Folder 3: Draft with Handwritten Edits,
c. 1974-1984
Folder 4: Galley Proof with Handwritten Edits,
c. 1974-1984
Folder 5: Galley Proof,
c. 1974-1984
Folder 6: Copy of Novel,
c. 1974-1984
Folder 7: Galley Proofs,
c. 1974-1984
Box 12: Pocho, 207
undated
Folder 1: Typed Draft,
undated
Folder 2: Handwritten and Typed Draft,
undated
Folder 3: Typed Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Folder 4: Typed Draft,
undated
Box 13: Pocho, 208
undated
Folder 1: Typed Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Folder 2: Typed Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Folder 3: Typed Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Folder 4: Typed Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Folder 5: Typed Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Folder 6: Typed Draft with Handwritten Edits,
undated
Box 14: Pocho, 209
undated
Folder 1: Typed Draft,
undated
Folder 2: Typed Draft,
undated
Folder 3: Typed Draft,
undated
Folder 4: Typed Draft,
undated
Folder 5: Typed Draft,
undated
Folder 6: Typed Draft,
undated
Box 15: Pocho, 210
circa 1959
Folder 1: Edited Typed Draft,
c. 1959
Folder 2: Edited Typed Draft,
c. 1959
Folder 3: Edited Typed Draft,
c. 1959
Folder 4: Edited Typed Draft,
c. 1959
Folder 5: Edited Typed Draft,
c. 1959
Folder 6: Edited Typed Draft,
c. 1959
Folder 7: Edited Typed Draft,
c. 1959
Folder 8: Edited Typed Draft,
c. 1959
Box 16: Pocho, 211
circa 1959
Folder 1: Edited Galley Proof,
c. 1959
Folder 2: Final Galley Proof,
c. 1959
Folder 3: Copies of Novel,
c. 1959-1970
Box 17: Other Writings, C – Me, 212
1965-1992, and undated
Folder 1: "California: The Mexicans" Manuscript,
1965
Folder 2: Copy of "The Identification and Analysis of Chicano Literature",
1979
Folder 3: "Come Ride with Me",
1963
Folder 4: Handwritten Draft of "The Conscript",
1972
Folder 5: First Typed Draft of "The Conscript",
1972
Folder 6: Copies of "Puerto del Sol",
1973
Folder 7: "Espanto," "Life is a Cookout," "Mexican Americans in Upheaval," and "Mexico 68" Manuscript,
1973-1976, & undated
Folder 8: "Iguana Dreams: New Latino Fiction,"
1992
Folder 9: "Mexico: The Struggle for Sovereignty,"
undated
Box 18: Other Writings, Me – V, 213
1959-1979, and undated
Folder 1: "Mexico: the Struggle for Sovereignty",
1962
Folder 2: "The Odor of Pink Beans Boiling",
1959
Folder 3: "Our Little Life" Novel,
undated
Folder 4: "The Valley was Kind to Us",
1979
Box 19: Other Writings, oversized, 214
1962-1966
Folder 1: "Holiday",
1962-1965
Folder 2: "West", LA Times,
1966
Series III: Printed Materials, 190
1959-1995
Physical Description: 1 box
Scope and Content
The materials in this series document the various ways in which Villarreal's writings were received by academics, critics,
members of the Chicano Movement, and others; his speaking engagements; his participation in various literary conferences;
and his career as a writer. Included are critiques of
Pocho; interviews and articles about Villarreal; programs for conferences and writers workshops; reviews of
Pocho and
The Fifth Horseman; publicity materials; and newspaper clippings.
This series is arranged by format.
Box 20: Printed Materials, 215
1959-1995, and undated
Folder 1: Reviews,
1959-1992
Folder 2: Speaking Engagements,
1959-1995
Folder 3: Conferences,
1960-1990
Folder 4: On "Pocho",
1960-1979
Folder 5: About Villarreal,
1979
Folder 6: About Villarreal, "Pocho",
1970-1979
Folder 7: Newspaper Clippings,
1959-1975
Folder 8: Newspaper Clippings,
1975-1981
Folder 9: Newspaper Clippings,
1984-1994, & undated
Series IV: Personalia, 191
1950-2010
Physical Description: 1 box
Scope and Content
The materials in this series document Villarreal's personal life and professional achievements. The records include awards;
a Chicano literature bibliography and printed materials collected by Villarreal; his curriculum vitae; his college diploma;
papers and photographs documenting the donation of his papers to the University of Santa Clara; his honorary degree from Houston
International University; memorial service materials; and pages from a scrapbook.
Box 21: Personalia, 216
1950-2010
Folder 1: Personal documents, articles, and recognitions,
1950-2010
Folder 2: Memorabilia from Reception Honoring Villarreal,
1974
Folder 3: Doctorate Diploma,
1989
Folder 4: Jose Antonia Villarreal Memorial Service,
2010
Series V: Audiovisual Materials, 192
1975, and undated
Physical Description: 1 box
Scope and Content
The materials in this series include audio reel-to-reel, audiocassette, and videocassette recordings of Villarreal in conversation
with his peers, community, and students. Included are audiocassette recordings of Villarreal and others presenting at a Chicano
Writers' Workshop at the University of California, Berkeley in 1975 and a radio broadcast of Villarreal being interviewed
by Roberto Cantú and Victor Vasquez; reel-to-reel recordings of a presentation Villarreal gave at the University of Colorado,
Boulder on the Mexican-American experience; two unidentified reels; and a videocassette recording of Villarreal speaking to
an unidentified group of students and community members about his life, his work, and Chicano culture and heritage.
Note: Reel-to-reel recordings are not available for playback at this time.
Box 22: Audiovisual Materials, 217
1975, and undated
