Mort Reis Lewis Papers, 1953-1985

Summary

Abstract:

This collection contains 426 items and deals with American historian Allan Nevins (1890-1971) and his work, and writer and historian Mort Reis Lewis' efforts to preserve Nevins' legacy.

Extent:

1.6 Linear Feet (426 items in 4 boxes )

Language:

English.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Mort Reis Lewis Papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains 426 items and deals entirely with American historian Allan Nevins (1890-1971) and his work, and writer and historian Mort Reis Lewis' efforts after Nevins' death to keep his legacy alive.

The 56 manuscripts include various drafts, most of which deal with Allan Nevins. These include copies of Ray Allen Billington's eulogy for Allan Nevins, his article "Allan Nevins – Historian: A Personal Reminiscences," and a copy of a speech by Billington regarding Nevins, which he gave at the Huntington Library. This series also includes drafts of manuscripts by Mort Reis Lewis such as "A Country Boy at the Huntington Library" and "A Different Profile in Courage: The Triumph of Will." There are also copies of the following scripts by Lewis: "A Pair of Boots" and "Stroke of Fate." Also included are transcripts of interviews, press releases and miscellaneous notes all dealing with Allan Nevins.

The correspondence, which contains 320 items, consists chiefly of letters by and to Mort Reis Lewis about Allan Nevins. The letters discuss Nevins' career as an American historian and the senior research associate at the Huntington Library. This series also deals with Lewis and other historians publishing about Nevins and Lewis' effort to get Nevins' image on a stamp. The correspondence also covers American society and politics during the 1960s and 1970s. Allan Nevins is the author of 36 letters, most of which are written to Lewis. There is also much correspondence between Lewis and Allan Nevins' wife, Mary, and his daughters, Anne Nevins Loftis and Meredith Nevins Mayer.

The ephemera contains 50 items, chiefly dealing with Allan Nevins, such as newspaper clippings, obituaries, brochures, programs and audiocassettes. The ephemera also touches upon Mort Reis Lewis and Ray Billington and their work. There are four audio cassettes which contain interviews with James Thorpe, Ray Billington and E. B. Long and audio from the Allan Nevins Seminar at Claremont College, May 30, 1969.

Notable participants include: American Academy of Arts and Letters, American Scholar, Ray Billington, Cass Canfield, Bruce Catton, Henry Steele Commager, Carl Haverlin, Hubert Humphrey, Otto Kerner, Alfred A. Knopf, Anne Loftis, Everette Beach Long, Los Angeles Times, Delbert Mann, Herbert Mitgang, Richard B. Morris, Allan Nevins, New Yorker, Claiborne Pell, Abraham Ribicoff, Andrew F. Rolle, Arthur M. Schlesinger, Louis Morris Starr, Irving Stone, James Thorpe, Justin G. Turner, Bell Wiley and Daniel Woodward.

Subjects covered in the collection include: American Heritage, Ray Bradbury, CBS, Winston Churchill, Paul Conrad, Anthony Eden, Henry E. Huntington Library, Historical Times, Inc., Illinois State Historical Society, Lyndon B. Johnson, KCET Television Station, Edward "Ted" Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, George S. McGovern, NBC, National Historical Society, New York Times Company, Richard M. Nixon and Watergate, Reader's Digest, Ronald Reagan, Donald Tingley, United States Civil Service Commission, and the Writer's Guild of America. The collection also includes items about the historians' research including Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller and the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, and Ulysses S. Grant.

Biographical / historical:

Mort Reis Lewis was a Southern California writer and historian. Lewis wrote scripts for several TV shows including "Bonanza," "Rawhide," "Bewitched," and "Dennis the Menace." His script for the radio show "A Pair of Boots" was nominated for a Writers Guild of America award (Lewis was a member of the Writers Guild of America). Lewis also wrote several articles including one each in the anthologies Lincoln, a contemporary portrait and Lincoln for the ages. Lewis served on the following committees: Television Program Committee Advisory Council to U.S. Civil War Centennial Commission; California Civil War Centennial Commission; Southern California Civil War Round Table; and Lincoln Sesquicentennial Association.

Lewis met historian Allan Nevins in 1953 in New York when Nevins was a consultant for a radio show written by Lewis. The two became good friends and continued their friendship until Nevins' death in 1971. After Nevins' death, Lewis spent much of his time trying to honor Nevins' memory by nominating his image for a U.S. postage stamp and by writing pieces on Nevins for a variety of publications including Los Angeles Times' "West Magazine." He also worked on an Oral History Project about Nevins for Columbia University.

Acquisition information:

The majority of the collection was given to the Huntington Library by Mort Reis Lewis in several gifts in 1984 and 1985. The letters by Mort Reis Lewis to Paul Zall and the copy of the letter by Justin G. Turner to Lewis were gifts to the library by Paul Zall on May 7, 2007.

Arrangement:

The collection is organized in the following manner: Manuscripts, Correspondence and Ephemera.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Related resources

Related material:

1. Allan Nevins papers (Call number: mssNevins papers)
2. Correspondence between John Niven and Allan Nevins, 1948-1979. (Call number: mssNiven correspondence)
3. Interviews with Irving Stone and Lilian Bean on Allan Nevins, 1969-1971 (Call number: mssHM 48574-48578)

Other descriptive data:

Chandler, Otis, 1927-2006

1. Addressee of letter (1978, Oct. 14) by Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (39).

Humphrey, Hubert H. (Hubert Horatio), 1911-1978

1. Addressee of letter (1969, Sep. 18) by Ray Allen Billington, 1903-. Box 2 (6).

Kerner, Otto, 1908-1976

1. Addressee of letter (1967, Jan. 24) by Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (52).

Pell, Claiborne, 1918-2009

1. Author of copy of letter (1979, Jan. 8) to Louis Morris Starr, 1917-1980 in Elizabeth B. Mason to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (20).

Ribicoff, Abraham, 1910-1998

1. Author of copy of letter (1978, Dec. 18) to Louis Morris Starr, 1917-1980 in Elizabeth B. Mason to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (20).

Schlesinger, Arthur M. (Arthur Meier), 1917-2007

1. Addressee of letter (1966, May 2) by Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (77).

Stone, Irving, 1903-1989

1. Addressee of letter (1971, July 9) by Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (6).

Turner, Justin G.

1. Author of copy of letter (1958, Mar. 22) to Mort Reis Lewis in Mort Reis Lewis letters to Paul M. Zall. Box 3 (13).

Bradbury, Ray, 1920-

1. Subject in Ray Allen Billington, 1903- letters (1964-1979) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (7).

CBS Television Network

1. Subject in Allan Nevins, 1890-1971 and Henry Steele Commager, 1902-1998 "The Dialogues of Allan Nevins and Henry Steele Commager: [transcript] (1963, July 31). Box 1 (19).

Churchill, Winston, 1871-1947

1. Subject in Allan Nevins, 1890-1971 letters (1953-1970) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (27).

Conrad, Paul, 1924 June 27-

1. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letter (1971, Apr. 24) to Otis Chandler, 1927-2006. Box 2 (39).

Eden, Anthony, Earl of Avon, 1897-1977

1. Subject in Allan Nevins, 1890-1971 letters (1953-1970) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (27).
2. Subject in Justin G. Turner letters (1971-1974) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (56).

Ford, Henry, 1863-1947

1. Subject in "Allan Nevins – Historian: A Personal Reminiscence:" [preface] [1975]. Preface to Allan Nevins on History by Ray Allen Billington, 1903-. Photocopy. Box 1 (2).
2. Subject in Allan Nevins, 1890-1971 and Henry Steele Commager, 1902-1998 "The Dialogues of Allan Nevins and Henry Steele Commager: [transcript] (1963, July 31). Box 1 (19).
3. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letter (1973, Aug. 22) to Illinois State Historical Society. Journal. Box 2 (48).
4. Subject in Ralph Geoffrey Newman, 1911- letters (1973) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (39).

Ford Foundation

1. Subject in Allan Nevins, 1890-1971 letters (1967-1968) to Walter Schwimmer. Box 3 (29).

Historical Times, Inc.

1. Subject in William C. Davis letters (1970-1976) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (17).
2. Subject in Robert H. Fowler letters (1970) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (21).
3. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1970-1976) to Robert H. Fowler. Box 2 (46).
4. Subject in Christine C. Ritter letters (1976-1977) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 4 (43).
5. Subject in Ethel M. Smith letters (1970-1976) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (51).
6. Subject in Ephemera: Mort Reis Lewis (1970-1978). Box 4 (2).

Illinois State Historical Society

1. Subject in William Kenneth Alderfer letters (1973) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (1).
2. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1973-1977) to William Kenneth Alderfer. Box 2 (32).
3. Subject in Ralph Geoffrey Newman, 1911- letters (1973) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (39).

Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973

1. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis "A Different Profile in Courage: The Triumph of Will:" [proposal for article] [c.1972]. Box 1 (11).
2. Subject in Ray Allen Billington, 1903- letters (1964-1979) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (7).
3. Subject in Eric Frederick Goldman, 1915-1989 letter (1966, June 1) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (23).
4. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1970-1978) to Mary Nevins. Box 2 (64).
5. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1973) to Ralph Geoffrey Newman, 1911-. Box 2 (67).
6. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1966-1975) to Louis Morris Starr, 1917-1980. Box 3 (3).
7. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1976-1981) to James Ernest Thorpe, 1915-. Box 3 (7).
8. Subject in John W. Macy, 1917- letter (1964, July 27) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (18).
9. Subject in Ralph Geoffrey Newman, 1911- letters (1973) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (39).
10. Subject in Justin G. Turner letters (1971-1974) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (56).

KCET (Television station : Los Angeles, Calif.)

1. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letter (1977, Jan. 28) to Loring D'Usseau. Box 2 (41).
2. Subject in Andrew F. Rolle letter (1977, Feb. 16) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (45).
3. Subject in Justin G. Turner letters (1971-1974) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (56).

Kennedy, Edward Moore, 1932-

1. Subject in Enid Hart Douglass letter (1980, Sep. 15) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (19).
2. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letter (1980, Mar. 28) to Enid Hart Douglass. Box 2 (44).

Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968

1. Subject in Allan Nevins, 1890-1971 letters (1953-1970) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (27).

Kissinger, Henry, 1923-

1. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letter (1970, May 20) to Mary Nevins and Allan Nevins, 1890-1971. Box 2 (65).

McGovern, George S. (George Stanley), 1922-

1. Subject in Ray Allen Billington, 1903- letters (1964-1979) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (7).
2. Subject in Enid Hart Douglass letter (1980, Sep. 15) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (19).
3. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letter (1980, Mar. 28) to Enid Hart Douglass. Box 2 (44).

National Broadcasting Company, inc.

1. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letter (1967, Jan. 14) to Grant Tinker. Box 3 (8).

National Historical Society

1. Subject in William C. Davis letters (1970-1976) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (17).
2. Subject in Mort Reis Lews letters (1975-1977) to William C. Davis. Box 2 (42).
3. Subject in Christine C. Ritter letters (1976-1977) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (43).
4. Subject in Ethel M. Smith letters (1970-1976) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (51).

New York Times Company

1. Subject in Joan Bundy letters (1972-1977) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (9).
2. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1977) to Joan Bundy. Box 2 (36).
3. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1972-1973) to Herbert Mitgang. Box 2 (61).
4. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letter (1972, Oct. 12) to Cy Peck. Box 2 (69).
5. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1976-1977) to Christine C. Ritter. Box 2 (73).
6. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letter (1977, Feb. 1) to Harvey Shapiro, 1924-. Box 2 (79).
7. Subject in Herbert Mitgang (1972, Nov. 9) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (23).
8. Subject in Mary Nevins letters (1972-1981) to Isabel Lewis and Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (35).
9. Subject in Harvey Shapiro, 1924- letter (1972, Nov. 22) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (49). Subject in Ephemera: Allan Nevins (1966-1981). Box 4 (1).

Reagan, Ronald

1. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis. "A Different Profile in Courage: The Triumph of Will:" [proposal for article] [c.1972]. Box 1 (11).
2. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letter (1975, Dec. 8) to Louis B. Fleming. Box 2 (45).
3. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1970-1976) to Robert H. Fowler. Box 2 (46).
4. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1956-1968) to Allan Nevins, 1890-1971. Box 2 (63).
5. Subject in Allan Nevins, 1890-1971 letters (1953-1970) to Mort Reis Lewis and Isabel Lewis. Box 3 (27).

Rockefeller, John D. (John Davison), 1839-1937

1. Subject in Ray Allen Billington "Allan Nevins – Historian: A Personal Reminiscence:" [preface] [1975]. Preface to Allan Nevins on History by Ray Allen Billington, 1903-. Photocopy. Box 1 (2).
2. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letter (1973, Aug. 22) to Illinois State Historical Society. Journal. Box 2 (48).
3. Subject in Allan Nevins, 1890-1971 letters (1953-1970) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (27).
4. Subject in Allan Nevins, 1890-1971 letters (1967-1968) to Walter Schwimmer. Box 3 (29).
5. Subject in Ralph Geoffrey Newman, 1911- letters (1973) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (39).

Rolle, Andrew F.

1. Subject in Mort Reis Lews letters (1975-1977) to William C. Davis. Box 2 (42).
2. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1956-1968) to Allan Nevins, 1890-1971. Box 2 (63).
3. Subject in Christine C. Ritter letters (1976-1977) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (43).

Schlesinger, Arthur M. (Arthur Meier), 1917-2007

1. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1956-1968) to Allan Nevins, 1890-1971. Box 2 (63).
2. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1970-1978) to Mary Nevins. Box 2 (64).
3. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1966-1975) to Louis Morris Starr, 1917-1980. Box 3 (3).
4. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letter (1966, Sep. 4) to Louis Morris Starr, 1917-1980 or Elizabeth B. Mason. Box 3 (4).

Society of American Historians

1. Subject in Kenneth T. Jackson letter (1980, Mar. 24) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (26).

Tingley, Donald F. (Donald Fred), 1922-

1. Subject in William Kenneth Alderfer letters (1973) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (1).
2. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1973-1977) to William Kenneth Alderfer. Box 2 (32).
3. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letter (1973, Aug. 22) to Illinois State Historical Society. Journal. Box 2 (48).
4. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1973) to Ralph Geoffrey Newman, 1911-. Box 2 (67).
5. Subject in Ralph Geoffrey Newman, 1911- letters (1973) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (39).
6. Subject in Ephemera: Allan Nevins (1966-1981). Box 4 (1).

United States Civil Service Commission

1. Subject in John W. Macy, 1917- letter (1964, July 27) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 3 (18).

Wiley, Bell Irvin, 1906-1980

1. Subject in Robert H. Fowler letters (1970) to Mort Reis Lewis. Box 2 (21).
2. Subject in Mort Reis Lews letters (1975-1977) to William C. Davis. Box 2 (42).
3. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1970-1978) to Mary Nevins. Box 2 (64).
4. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letter (1970, May 20) to Mary Nevins and Allan Nevins, 1890-1971. Box 2 (65).
5. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1982) to Paul M. Zall. Box 3 (13).

Writers Guild of America

1. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1970-1976) to Robert H. Fowler. Box 2 (46).
2. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1972-1973) to Herbert Mitgang. Box 2 (61).
3. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1966-1971) to Richard B. (Richard Brandon) Morris, 1904-1989. Box 2 (62).
4. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letter (1971, June 24) to Allen R----. Box 2 (70).
5. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1971-1973) to James I. Robertson. Box 2 (72).
6. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letter (1967, May 19) to Dore Schary. Box 2 (76).
7. Subject in Mort Reis Lewis letters (1976-1981) to James Ernest Thorpe, 1915-. Box 3 (7).

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Historians -- United States -- Archives
Watergate Affair, 1972-1974.
Audiocassettes -- United States.
Interviews -- United States -- 20th century
Letters (correspondence) -- United States -- 20th century
Manuscripts -- United States -- 20th century
Scripts (documents) -- United States -- 20th century

Names:

Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.
Churchill, Winston, 1874-1965
Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885
Lee, Robert E. (Robert Edward), 1807-1870
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
Billington, Ray Allen, 1903-1981

Places:

United States -- History -- 20th century
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.
United States -- Politics and government -- 20th century

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

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]. Mort Reis Lewis Papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:

Huntington Library, Manuscript Collections

1151 Oxford Road

San Marino, CA 91108, US

Contact:

(626) 405-2191

reference@huntington.org

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