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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Descriptive Summary
  • Digital Content
  • OFF-SITE STORAGE
  • Scope and Content of Collection
  • Acquisition Information
  • Biography
  • Restrictions
  • Preferred Citation note
  • Publication Rights
  • Related Materials

  • Descriptive Summary

    Languages: English
    Contributing Institution: Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
    9500 Gilman Drive
    La Jolla 92093-0175
    Title: Sam Hinton Papers
    Identifier/Call Number: MSS 0683
    Physical Description: 16.8 Linear feet (42 archives boxes, 2 card file boxes, and 6 oversize folders)
    Date (inclusive): 1937-2006
    Abstract: Papers of Sam Hinton, professional folk singer, illustrator, aquarist, and teacher of literature and folklore at UC San Diego.

    Digital Content

    Selected materials from the accession processed in 2015 have been digitized.

    OFF-SITE STORAGE

    COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. ALLOW ONE WEEK FOR RETRIEVAL OF MATERIALS.

    Scope and Content of Collection

    Papers of Sam Hinton, professional folk singer, illustrator, aquarist, and teacher of literature and folklore at UC San Diego. The collection is arranged in two accessions. The accession processed in 2009 consists of music-related and professional files, and includes Hinton's work with Sing Out! Magazine, as well as drafts and research materials for Hinton's published articles and books. The accession processed in 2015 was originally donated to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Archives and contains artwork, including portrait caricatures and drawings for Hinton's weekly newspaper column "The Ocean World," science materials and photographs.
    ACCESSION PROCESSED IN 2009
    Arranged in eleven series: 1) CORRESPONDENCE, 2) SONGWRITING AND RECORDING, 3) PERFORMANCES, 4) COLLECTED SONGS, 5) TEACHING MATERIALS, 6) WRITINGS, 7) PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, 8) ARTWORK, 9) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS, 10) MISCELLANEOUS and 11) AUDIOCASSETTES.
    ACCESSION PROCESSED IN 2015
    Arranged in seven series: 12) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS, 13) CORRESPONDENCE, 14) PROFESSIONAL MATERIALS, 15) MUSIC, 16) ARTWORK, 17) WRITINGS and 18) PHOTOGRAPHS AND SLIDES.

    Acquisition Information

    Acquired 2004-2007.

    Biography

    Sam Duffie Hinton (1917-2009) was an American folk singer, illustrator, aquarist, and teacher of literature and folklore. His musical career began as a young child, playing a button accordion, harmonica and pennywhistle for public audiences in his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hinton performed with his two sisters under the group name "The Texas Trio" after moving with his family to Crockett, Texas in 1935. In 1937 Hinton was hired to perform on the popular radio program The Major Bowes Original Amateur Hour.
    Hinton graduated with a degree in zoology from UCLA in 1937. He served as Director of the Palm Springs Desert Museum for three years, before being hired as an illustrator for the University of California Division Of War Research in 1944. In 1946 he was appointed Curator of the Thomas Wayland Vaughan Aquarium Museum at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. In 1965 he was appointed Assistant Director of the department of Relations with Schools at UC San Diego. He served as Associate Director of the same department from 1967 until his retirement in 1980. Hinton continued his musical career in retirement, performing for local schools through his "Singing Through History" classroom program. He also travelled throughout the United States, performing at national folk festivals and hosting musicians' workshops.
    Over the course of his career Hinton wrote two books on marine biology, Exploring Under the Sea and Seashore Life of Southern California. Hinton also served on the board of directors for Sing Out! Magazine, and wrote numerous articles for various science and folklore journals. Over the course of his musical career, Hinton recorded twelve solo albums, which include Singing Across the Land, 1956; Whoever Shall Have Some Peanuts, 1964; I'll Sing You a Story, 1972; and Sam Hinton: Master of the Solo Diatonic Harmonica, 2005.

    Restrictions

    Audiocassettes in Series 11 are restricted. Researchers must request a listening copy to be produced.

    Preferred Citation note

    Sam Hinton Papers. MSS 683. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

    Publication Rights

    Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.

    Related Materials

    SIO Biographical Files, SAC 5. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Songs -- United States -- 20th century
    Folk music -- United States -- 20th century
    Folk singers -- United States -- 20th century
    Musicians -- United States -- 20th century
    Hinton, Sam, 1917-2009 -- Archives
    California Folklore Society
    Seeger, Pete, 1919-2014 -- Correspondence
    Sing Out! Corporation