http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms008024 Frederick Lewis Allen Papers A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress Prepared by Roland A. Lambert, and others Revised and expanded by Joseph K. Brooks Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
2008

Catalog Record: http://lccn.loc.gov/mm78010470

Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Manuscript Division, 2008 Finding aid written in English. 2010 April Title, controlaccess updated Collection Summary Frederick Lewis Allen Papers 1890-1954 (bulk 1933-1954) MSS10470 Allen, Frederick Lewis 10,500 items 30 containers 12 linear feet Collection material in English Manuscript Division Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Editor and author. Correspondence, articles, biographies, date books, diaries, radio scripts, histories, and speeches documenting Allen's career as editor of Harper's Magazine, director of the Foreign Policy Association, author of many popular works on American social history, and an overseer of Harvard University. Selected Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.

 People Allen, Frederick Lewis, 1890-1954. Allen, Hildegarde--Correspondence. Conant, James Bryant, 1893-1978--Correspondence. De Voto, Bernard Augustine, 1897-1955--Correspondence. Dean, Vera Micheles, 1903-1972--Correspondence. Highet, Gilbert, 1906-1978--Correspondence. Lippmann, Walter, 1889-1974--Correspondence. McKinney, Laurence--Correspondence. Perkins, Milo, 1900- --Correspondence. Pfeiffer, George--Correspondence. Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945. Wallace, DeWitt, 1889-1981--Correspondence. Zuill, W. S. (William S.)--Correspondence. Organizations Foreign Policy Association. Harvard University. Subjects American periodicals. Industries--United States. Journalism. Places London (England)--Description and travel. San Francisco (Calif.)--Description and travel. United States--History. United States--Social conditions. Titles Harper's magazine. Occupations Authors. Editors. Administrative Information Provenance

The papers of Frederick Lewis Allen, editor and author, were donated to the Library of Congress by his wife, Agnes Rogers Allen, and his son, Oliver E. Allen, between 1954 and 1996.

 Processing History

The papers of Frederick Lewis Allen were arranged and described in 1956. The collection was expanded between 1978 and 1996, and the finding aid was revised in 2008.

 Additional Guides

A press release on the Frederick Lewis Allen Papers was issued by the Library of Congress on 22 September 1955, and an acquisitions note appeared in the Library's Information Bulletin, Vol. 14, No. 38 (19 September 1955), pp. 2-3. The collection was also described in the Library of Congress Quarterly Journal of Current Acquisitions, Vol. 13, No. 3 (May 1956), pp. 155-156.

 Related Materials

Material on Allen can be found in the Harper's Magazine Records also housed in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress

 Copyright Status

Copyright in the unpublished writings of Frederick Lewis Allen in these papers and in other collections in the custody of the Library of Congress is reserved. Consult a reference librarian in the Manuscript Division for further information.

 Access and Restrictions

The papers of Frederick Lewis Allen are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.

 Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container number, Frederick Lewis Allen Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Biographical Note Date Event 1890, July 5 Born, Boston, Mass. 1912 B. A., Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 1912-1914 English instructor, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 1913 M. A., Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 1914-1916 Assistant editor, Atlantic Monthly 1916-1917 Managing editor, Century Magazine 1918 Married Dorothy Penrose (died 1930) 1918-1919 Member, Council of National Defense 1919-1923 Secretary to Harvard Corporation, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 1923-1931 Assistant editor, Harper's Magazine 1931 Published Only Yesterday. New York: Harper & Brothers 1931-1941 Associate editor, Harper's Magazine 1932 Married Agnes Rogers Hyde 1933 Published with Agnes Rogers Allen The American Procession. New York: Harper & Brothers 1934 Published with Agnes Rogers Allen Metropolis. New York: Harper & Brothers 1935 Published The Lords of Creation. New York: Harper & Brothers 1937-1944 Trustee, Bennington College, Bennington, Vt. 1940 Published Since Yesterday. New York: Harper 1941-1953 Editor-in-chief, Harper's Magazine 1942-1948 Overseer, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 1945-1950 Director, Foreign Policy Association 1947 Published I Remember Distinctly. New York: Harper 1949 Published The Great Pierpont Morgan. New York: Harper 1950-1954 Overseer, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 1952 Published The Big Change. New York: Harper 1954, Feb. 13 Died, New York, N.Y. Scope and Content Note

The papers of Frederick Lewis Allen span the years 1890-1954, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1933-1954. The papers are organized in five series: Diaries, Date Books, and Biographical Material; General Correspondence; Subject File; Literary File; and an Addition.

The Diaries, Date Books, and Biographical Material series covers the years 1933-1954 and includes diaries kept by Allen during visits to London in 1943 and to San Francisco in 1945.

The bulk of the General Correspondence focuses on the period 1945-1954 and includes letters written on a weekly basis by Allen to his sister, Hildegarde Allen. Correspondence relating to a particular literary work is kept with other papers related to that work in the Literary File. Prominent correspondents include James Bryant Conant, Vera Micheles Dean, Bernard Augustine DeVoto, Gilbert Highet, Walter Lippmann, Laurence McKinney, Milo Perkins, George Pfeiffer, DeWitt Wallace, and W. S. Zuill.

Included in the Subject File is material related to Allen's term as a member of the Board of Overseers of Harvard University, 1942-1948; his work with the Foreign Policy Association; and his speech to the National Publishers' Association in 1947 on the "closed mind" of journalists regarding American industry.

The Literary File contains manuscripts and notes related to Allen's writings, including popular social histories of the United States such as Only Yesterday and The Big Change, March of Time movie scripts about the 1920s, biographies, magazine articles, speeches, and other short works.

The Addition, consisting of material added to the papers in 1978, 1983, and 1996, supplements the original collection. A travel journal documenting Allen's trip to Great Britain in 1953 was added in 1996.

Arrangement of the Papers

This collection is arranged in five series:

Diaries, Date Books, and Biographical Material, 1933-1954 General Correspondence, 1913-1954 Subject File, 1946-1952 Literary File, 1930-1953 Addition, 1890-1954 http://lccn.loc.gov/mm78010470 Container List Container Contents 1 Diaries, Date Books, and Biographical Material, 1933-1954

Pocket diaries, travel journals, and biographical sketches.

Arranged alphabetically by type of material.

 1 Biographical file, circa 1942-1954 1 Diaries 1 England, 1943 1 San Francisco, Calif., 1945 1 Pocket diaries, 1933-1954 (22 vols.) 1-6 General Correspondence, 1913-1954

Letters sent and received.

Arranged chronologically.

 1 1913-1933 2 1934-1941 (9 folders) 3 1942-1947 (7 folders) 4 1948-1950 (6 folders) 5 1951-1952 (5 folders) 6 1953-1954, undated (5 folders) 7 Subject File, 1946-1952

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, and topical files.

Arranged alphabetically by topic.

 7 Foreign Policy Association (2 folders) 7 Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. (3 folders) 8-25 Literary File, 1930-1953

Drafts of books, magazine articles, speeches, scripts, and miscellaneous works.

Arranged by type of material or work and therein by title or topic.

 8 Articles 8 "Bermuda Base" 8 "Drafting This Army" 8 Life articles (3 folders) 8 Miscellaneous short works 9 Published articles by Allen (2 folders) 9 Review of Whitaker Chambers's Witness 9 Woman's Home Companion articles 9 Books 9 The American Procession 9 The Big Change (1 folder) 10 (7 folders) 11 The Great Pierpont Morgan (4 folders) 12 (3 folders) 13 (3 folders) 14 I Remember Distinctly (2 folders) 14 Lords of Creation (2 folders) 15 Metropolis 15 Only Yesterday (3 folders) 16 (2 folders) 16 Since Yesterday (2 folders) 17 (3 folders) 18 (5 folders) 19 (5 folders) 20 (5 folders) 21 (5 folders) 22 (2 folders) 22 Unpublished 22 "The American Tradition" 22 Roosevelt, Franklin D., notes and other material for an uncompleted book (2 folders) 23 Documentary films and radio and television programs 23 "Golden Twenties," documentary film (2 folders) 23 Ford television program 23 General plans for "Cowboys" radio program 23 Memorandum re possible subjects for a television series 23 Radio script of interview with Allen re Harper's Magazine's one hundred years of publication 24 Harper's Magazine file 24 Miscellany 24 Speeches and conferences 24 "Closed Mind," correspondence re speech on journalism and industry 24 "Economic Security: A Look Back And A Look Ahead," Economic Security for Americans, Columbia University, New York, N.Y. 25 Miscellany (3 folders) 26-30 Addition, 1890-1954

Journals, correspondence, writings, notes, printed matter, and clippings.

Arranged alphabetically by type of material.

 26 Journals 26 Journal about Allen as a baby by his father, Frederick B. Allen, 1890-1893 26 Travel journals 26 Trip to Great Britain, 1953 26 "Thomas Jefferson Book: Notes on How To Be More Like Thomas Jefferson," kept by Allen and Agnes Rogers Allen during trip from Scarsdale, N.Y., to Chapel Hill, N.C., 1936 26 General correspondence 26 1892-1908 (3 folders) 27 1910-1935 (4 folders) 28 1936-1954, undated (2 folders) 28 Writings 28 Books 28 The Big Change drafts 28 Chapters 1-5 (2 folders) 29 Chapters 6-18 (4 folders) 30 Foreword, notes, research material 30 Short works and notes 30 Chronology of the 1930s and notes used for Since Yesterday 30 "Last Time and This Time: Postwar Eras I and II" 30 "President Ell" 30 "Three Years of It: America at War, 1941-1944" 30 "The State of the States" 30 "The Transformation of Suburbia" 30 "The Suburban Crisis" 30 "Who's Getting the Money?" 30 Miscellany 30 Book contracts 30 Printed matter 30 Clippings