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Povey (John) papers
LSC.0452
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Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: John Povey papers
Creator:
Povey, John F., 1929-1992
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.0452
Physical Description:
17.5 linear feet
(35 boxes and 1 oversize box)
Date (inclusive): 1958-1992
Abstract: The papers of UCLA professor John Povey consist of manuscripts, notes, printed material, publications, drawings, and correspondence
related to his teaching, research, and administrative activities, including the editorship of the journal
African Arts.
Physical Location: Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright
and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Gail Povey, February 1996.
UCLA Catalog Record ID:
9950463143606533
[Identification of item], John Povey Papers (Collection 452). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Processed by Deirdre Cooper Owens, with assistance from Laurel McPhee, Summer 2004.
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interest and research value, availability of staff and resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides
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processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards and best practices.
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John Frederick Povey was born April 5, 1929 in South London. Povey was educated at St. Dunstan's College in London during
the Blitz. After World War II, Povey was employed in a gold mine in South Africa under a plan that allowed him to study at
the University of South Africa in Pretoria, where he completed a B.A. in English (1956) and an M.A. in Teaching English as
a Second Language (1960). In the United States, Povey completed his Ph.D. in Third World Literature in English at Michigan
State University (1964), after which he joined the faculty at UCLA. His areas of research included South African and Nigerian
literature, comparative world literature, language planning and policy, ESL/TESL, and investigating symbols and rituals in
African art. John Povey's career at UCLA was distinguished. He was director of the African Humanities Institute, chair of
the ESL Section of the English Department, chair of the Africa Committee of the UC Education Abroad Program, Associate Director
of the African Studies Center, and Project Director for numerous in-service teacher training programs in the United States
and Africa. He authored eight books and texts, 20 chapters for edited volumes, and more than 100 reviews and articles on African
literature, art, and culture. His field research took him to Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, Zaire,
Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Togo, and Liberia. One of his most signifigant acomplishments at UCLA was his notable editorship
of
African Arts, in which he served from Fall 1967 until his retirement in 1991. His tireless efforts to have all forms of African art included
in the major canon of art history promoted the work of talented African artists globally. He died of cancer on May 3, 1992.
The collection consists of manuscripts, notes, printed material, publications, drawings, and correspondence related to his
teaching, research, and administrative activities, including the editorship of the journal
African Arts. Notable items include promotional materials from galleries empasizing African art, research files on Nigerian Shona artists,
and personal correspondence with Tayo Olafioye, Dumile, and Dennis Brutus. The files document Professor Povey's varied interests,
including English literacy through literature, and African art.
Arranged in the following series:
- Student theses and dissertations, 1973-1991
- Research and teaching, 1958-1992
- African Arts, 1965-1992
- Publications and manuscripts, 1965-1991
- Miscellaneous professional papers, 1968-1992
The collection was initally sorted and boxed by Gail Povey prior to acquisition by UCLA Special Collections. For processing,
files were removed from the labeled cartons, rehoused, and organized into five series reflecting the original order of the
papers as found in the cartons.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Africanists -- United States -- Archives.
Povey, John F., 1929-1992 -- Archives