The J. Periam Danton Papers, 1928-2002, primarily consist of professional correspondence regarding organizational activities within the academic library and international librarianship professions. The collection has been divided into three series: Professional Activities; Writings; and Biographical materials. Correspondence with colleagues and publishers from throughout the United States and all over the world and with former doctoral students constitute a vast amount of the Professional Activities series. The Writings series includes notes, research materials, drafts and editorial correspondence for Danton's numerous publications regarding librarianship. Biographical materials are limited and include personal correspondence and newspaper clippings.

Joseph Periam Danton was born in Palo Alto, California at the Stanford University hospital on July 5, 1908. His parents were German language educators George Henry and Annina Periam Danton, who had both earned Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University. In 1916, the Danton family moved to Peking, China to teach at Tsinghua University (now part of Peking University), where they stayed for nearly ten years. The family also visited Japan during their residence in Asia. Danton enrolled at Oberlin College in Ohio in 1924 to study German and spent the 1925-1926 school year studying in Leipzig, Germany where his parents had moved and held teaching positions. He graduated from Oberlin with a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude in 1928. Danton then moved to New York City to ascertain what career path to follow.

Number of containers: 11 cartons, 1 box Linear feet: 14

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Collection is open for research.