The David Smith Collection of Diane Wakoski Materials is comprised mainly of Smith's unpublished manuscript on Wakoski's writings. The collection spans from 1950, when Smith and Wakoski began corresponding, to 2007.

Born in 1923, David Smith served in the Marine Corps from 1942-1946. He went on to earn his BA from Pomona College (1944) and his MA (1950) and PhD (1960) from Claremont Graduate School. Smith joined the faculty at Caltech, where he taught for more than three decades. It was there that Smith met Diane Wakoski, as Wakoski served as the poet in resident at Caltech. During the course of their acquaintance, David Smith & his wife Annette corresponded with Wakoski, exchanging her work and information for a book Smith was writing on Wakoski. David Smith started to write an extensive analysis of Diane Wakoski's work before he passed away in 1990. Smith analyzed and compared Wakoski's poems to her life experiences, through compiling correspondence and interviews he and others had with her. The manuscript was unpublished at the time of Smith's death.

1.8 Linear feet (4 archives boxes, 1 card file box)

Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.

The film and audiocassettes in Series 4: FILM & AUDIO RECORDINGS are restricted. Patrons must request, from the Director of Special Collections & Archives, that user copies be produced.