James Douglas Merritt papers, 1930-2002.
Collection Number: 7744

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:

James Douglas Merritt papers, 1930-2002.

Repository:

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections

Collection Number:

7744

Creator:

Merritt, James Douglas.

Quanitities:

9.0 cubic feet.

Scope and content

Personal journals, correspondence, and other personal papers.

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Preferred Citation

James Douglas Merritt papers, #7744. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.

Biographical / Historical

Born Sept. 13, 1934, in Lebanon, N.H., he earned a doctorate in English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1964 and served as an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh and then at Brooklyn College, where he became a full professor. He retired in 1995. Merritt and his partner, John Payne Hawker, bought a home in Provincetown, Mass. around 1970, where he spent most summers and made frequent trips in the winter. He died Dec. 23, 2004.

SUBJECTS

Places:

Provincetown (Mass.) -- Social life and customs.

Subjects:

Gays' writings.

Gays -- Social life and customs.

Form and Genre Terms:

Diaries.

CONTAINER LIST

Container		Description	Date
		Journals and Datebooks
		Journals
		Arranged chroniclogically
		Processing Information Journals removed from 3-ring binders since they were posing a preservation risk. Material that was in each binder was kept within the same folder. Notes on binders made by James were kept.
Box 1	Folder 1	Journals	1965-10-21-1967-12-18
Box 1	Folder 2	Journals	1967-12-27-1969-11-30
Box 1	Folder 3	Journals	1970-01-12-1971-02-12
		Scope and Contents West Coast, San Francisco
Box 1	Folder 4	Journals	1971-02-13-1973-01-01
Box 1	Folder 5	Journals	1971-01-13-1974-12-06
Box 1	Folder 6	Journals	1975-01-09-1976-12-30
Box 1	Folder 7	Journals	1977-01-04-1979-12-06
Box 1	Folder 8	Journals	1980-01-02-1981-02-27
		Scope and Contents End of sabbatical, Detroit
Box 1	Folder 9	Journals	1981-02-28-1981-09-04
Box 1	Folder 10	Journals	1981-09-10-1982-08-30
Box 1	Folder 11	Journals	1982-09-02-1983-09-13
Box 1	Folder 12	Journals	1983-09-16-1985-01-01
Box 1	Folder 13	Journals	1985-01-03-1986-01-31
Box 1	Folder 14	Journals	1986-01-01-1986-12-21
Box 1	Folder 15	Journals	1987-01-01-1987-09-10
		Scope and Contents Sabbatical, Miami
Box 1	Folder 16	Journals	1987-09-13-1988-03-07
Box 1	Folder 17	Journals	1988-09-14-1989-12-31
Box 1	Folder 18	Journals	1990-01-04-1990-12-31
Box 1	Folder 19	Journals	1991-01-05-1992-01-31
Box 1	Folder 20	Journals	1992-01-01-1993-03-31
Box 1	Folder 21	Journals	1993-04-03-1993-12-27
Box 1	Folder 22	Journals	1994-01-06-1994-12-30
Box 1	Folder 23	Journals	1995-01-01-1995-05-30
		Scope and Contents Retirement, Texas
Box 1	Folder 24	Journals	1995-06-01-1995-12-09
		Scope and Contents Coast Trip (Seattle, San Franscisco, Denver)
Box 1	Folder 25	Journals	1995-12-11-1995-12-26
Box 1	Folder 26	Journals	1996-12-20-1998-07-21
Box 1	Folder 27	Journals	1988-03-17-1988-09-13
Box 1	Folder 28	Journals	1998-07-21-1999-06-11
Box 1	Folder 29	Journals	1999-06-13-1999-12-31
Box 1	Folder 30	Journals	2000-01-01-2000-06-21
Box 1	Folder 31	Journals	2000-06-22-2000-12-221
Box 1	Folder 32	Journals	2001-01-01-2002-05-01
Box 1	Folder 33	Journals	2002-05-06-2002-12-30
Box 2	Folder 1	Journals	2002-12-21-2003-12-30
Box 2	Folder 2	Journals	2004-06-01-2004-07-15
		Scope and Contents Includes material dated October 2004.
Box 2		Journals	1966-12-09-1966-12-11
Box 2		Journals	1996-01-31-1996-03-02
		Scope and Contents Florida vacation.
Box 2		Journals	1984-01-12-1984-01-22
		Scope and Contents New Orleans and Atlanta.
Box 2		Journals	1980-09-20-1980-10-11
		Scope and Contents Coast, Canada, U.S.
Box 2		Journals	1965-08-06-1965-09-06
		Scope and Contents Europe
Box 2		Journals	1970-06-24-1978-03-03
		Scope and Contents Sketchbook
Box 2		Journals	1983-01-16-1983-02-01
		Scope and Contents Florida
Box 2		Journals	1955-02-05-1961-10-03
Box 2		Journals	1963-12-30-1965-03-27
Box 2		Journals	1994-01-27-1994-02-04
		Scope and Contents Florida
Box 2		Journals	1970-08-07-1970-08-24
		Scope and Contents Coast
Box 2		Journals	1999-12-04-2000-02-29
Box 2		Journals	1962-06-04-1963-12-26
		Scope and Contents Europe, end of Madison, Kennedy funeral, "are with John", first Pittsburgh, Detroit.
Box 2		Journals	1955-08-01-1955-11-16
		Scope and Contents Europe, University of New Hamsphire
Box 2		Journals	1969-06-04-1969-07-16
		Scope and Contents Europe, NYC
Box 2		Journals	1964-04-17-1966-04-20
		Scope and Contents Europe, New Orleans
		Datebooks
Box 2		Datebooks	1977-1978
Box 2		Datebooks	1980-1981
Box 2		Datebooks	1986-1987
Box 2		Datebooks	1991-1992
Box 2		Datebooks	1978-1979
Box 2		Datebooks	1978-1979
Box 2		Datebooks	1966-12-12-1967-11-18
Box 2		Datebooks	1968
Box 2		Datebooks	1970
Box 2		Datebooks	1971
Box 2		Datebooks	1972
Box 2		Datebooks	1973
Box 2		Datebooks	1975
Box 2		Datebooks	1992-1993
Box 2		Datebooks	1989-1990
Box 2		Datebooks	1981-1982
Box 2		Datebooks	1999
Box 2		Datebooks	1990-1991
Box 2		Datebooks	1985-1986
Box 2		Datebooks	1998-1999
Box 2		Datebooks	2000-2001
Box 2		Datebooks	1996-1997
Box 2		Datebooks	1987-1988
Box 2		Datebooks	1999-2000
Box 3		Datebooks	2001-2002
Box 3		Datebooks	2002-2003
Box 3		Datebooks	2003-2004
		Photographs and Slides
		Slides
Box 3	Folder 1	Slides	1979
Box 3	Folder 2	Slides	1980
Box 3	Folder 3	Slides	1980-10
Box 3	Folder 4	Slides	1980-1985
Box 3	Folder 5	Slides	1980-1987
Box 3	Folder 6	Slides	1981-1985
Box 3	Folder 7	Slides	1981-11-1985-04-20
Box 3	Folder 8	Slides	1982-06
Box 3	Folder 9	Slides	1982-08
Box 3	Folder 10	Slides	1985
Box 3	Folder 11	Slides	1985-05
Box 3	Folder 12	Slides	1985-1986
Box 3	Folder 13	Slides	1986-1988
Box 3	Folder 14	Slides	1987
Box 3	Folder 15	Slides	1987-10
Box 3	Folder 16	Slides	1987-1988
Box 3	Folder 17	Slides	1988
Box 3	Folder 18	Slides	1989
Box 3	Folder 19	Slides	1990
Box 3	Folder 20	Slides	1990-04
Box 3	Folder 21	Slides	1990-05
Box 3	Folder 22	Slides	1990-05-1990-07
Box 3	Folder 23	Slides	1991
		Photographs
Box 4	Folder 11	Photographs	1953-1955
		Scope and Contents Europe
Box 4	Folder 12	Photographs	1958
		Scope and Contents Lebanon, NH
Box 4	Folder 13	Photographs	1979-04
		Scope and Contents Jim and John
Box 4	Folder 14	Photographs	1980
		Scope and Contents Los Angeles, Chicago, Albuquerque
Box 4	Folder 15	Photographs	1980-1995
Box 4	Folder 15	Photographs	1983
		Scope and Contents Key West
Box 4	Folder 17	Photographs	1989
		Scope and Contents New York, Philadelphia
Box 4	Folder 18	Photographs	1989
		Scope and Contents NYC, Julia Child
Box 4	Folder 19	Photographs	1989
		Scope and Contents Kansas City, MO, Santa Fe
Box 4	Folder 21	Photographs	1989-06-16
		Scope and Contents Boston
Box 4	Folder 22	Photographs	1989-07
		Scope and Contents Albuquerque
Box 4	Folder 23	Photographs	1989-07
		Scope and Contents Kansas City, MO
Box 4	Folder 24	Photographs	1989-07
		Scope and Contents California
Box 4	Folder 25	Photographs	1989-07-28-1989-07-31
		Scope and Contents Kansas City, MO, Chicago, Albany
Box 4	Folder 26	Photographs	1989-08
		Scope and Contents Kansas City
Box 4	Folder 27	Photographs	1990-03
		Scope and Contents NYC, Provincetown
Box 4	Folder 28	Photographs	Spring
		Scope and Contents Brooklyn College
Box 4	Folder 29	Photographs	1990-06
		Scope and Contents Provincetown, Elliot Brandwein, James Douglas Merritt, Jim Slayman, and Ron DeShon
Box 4	Folder 31	Photographs	1990-10
		Scope and Contents Montreal
Box 4	Folder 32	Photographs	1990-10-12-1990-10-14
		Scope and Contents Montreal
Box 4	Folder 33	Photographs	1991
Box 4	Folder 34	Photographs	1991
Box 4	Folder 35	Photographs	1991
		Scope and Contents Madison, Chicago
Box 4	Folder 36	Photographs	1991-03
		Scope and Contents St. Paul, Minneapollis
Box 4	Folder 37	Photographs	1991-03
		Scope and Contents Minneapolis, St. Paul
Box 4	Folder 38	Photographs	1991-03-29
		Scope and Contents Minnesota
Box 4	Folder 39	Photographs	1991-05
Box 4	Folder 41	Photographs	1992
		Scope and Contents Wigstock, NYC
Box 4	Folder 42	Photographs	1992
		Scope and Contents Demolition of 14th St. Theater
Box 4	Folder 43	Photographs	1992-04
		Scope and Contents New York, Brooklyn College
Box 4	Folder 44	Photographs	1992-05
		Scope and Contents NYC, Brooklyn College
Box 4	Folder 45	Photographs	1992-06
		Scope and Contents Gay Pride parade, Provincetown
Box 4	Folder 46	Photographs	1992-09
		Scope and Contents NYC, Conneticut
Box 4	Folder 47	Photographs	1992-10-10
		Scope and Contents Harrisburg, PA
Box 4	Folder 48	Photographs	1993-04
		Scope and Contents Wilmington, Princeton
Box 4	Folder 51	Photographs	1993-08-15-1993-08-16
		Scope and Contents Boston
Box 4	Folder 52	Photographs	1993-08-16
		Scope and Contents Boston, Harvard
Box 4	Folder 53	Photographs	1993-09-16-1993-09-18
		Scope and Contents Toronto
Box 4	Folder 54	Photographs	1994
		Scope and Contents Key West, Miami
Box 4	Folder 55	Photographs	1994-06
		Scope and Contents Boston, New Hampshire, NYC
Box 4	Folder 56	Photographs	1994-06-15-1994-06-17
		Scope and Contents New Hampshire, Massachuttess, New York
Box 4	Folder 57	Photographs	1995
Box 4	Folder 61	Photographs	1995
		Scope and Contents Boston, Cambridge
Box 4	Folder 62	Photographs	1995-01
		Scope and Contents Florida
Box 4	Folder 63	Photographs	1995-01
		Scope and Contents Florida
Box 4	Folder 64	Photographs	1995-04
		Scope and Contents Houston, St. Louis
Box 4	Folder 65	Photographs	1995-04
		Scope and Contents Texas, Missouri
Box 4	Folder 66	Photographs	1995-04
		Scope and Contents Texas
Box 4	Folder 67	Photographs	1995-05-1995-06
		Scope and Contents Brooklyn College, NYC
Box 4	Folder 68	Photographs	1995-09
		Scope and Contents Seattle
Box 4	Folder 69	Photographs	1995-09
		Scope and Contents San Francisco
Box 4	Folder 71	Photographs	1995-09
		Scope and Contents San Francisco
Box 4	Folder 72	Photographs	1995-09
		Scope and Contents Washington, Oregon
Box 4	Folder 73	Photographs	1995-09
		Scope and Contents Washington, Oregon
Box 4	Folder 74	Photographs	1995-09
		Scope and Contents Minot, ND
Box 4	Folder 75	Photographs	1995-09
		Scope and Contents California
Box 4	Folder 76	Photographs	1995-09-19-1995-09-24
		Scope and Contents Seattle
Box 4	Folder 77	Photographs	1995-09-30-1995-10-01
		Scope and Contents San Francisco
Box 4	Folder 81	Photographs	1995-10
		Scope and Contents Colorado
Box 4	Folder 82	Photographs	1995-10
		Scope and Contents California, Colorado
Box 4	Folder 83	Photographs	1996-02
		Scope and Contents Miami Beach
Box 4	Folder 84	Photographs	1996-02
		Scope and Contents Florida
Box 4	Folder 85	Photographs	1997
		Scope and Contents NYC, repairs
Box 4	Folder 86	Photographs	Spring 2008
		Scope and Contents Jim and John in Grammercy Park (Jim died June 30th, 1998)
Box 4	Folder 87	Photographs	Spring 1998
		Scope and Contents Last pictures of Jim and John together
Box 4	Folder 88	Photographs	2000
		Scope and Contents New York
Box 4	Folder 89	Photographs	2000-04
		Scope and Contents NYC
Box 4	Folder 91	Photographs	2000-08
		Scope and Contents NYC
Box 4	Folder 92	Photographs	Undated
		Scope and Contents NYC
Box 4	Folder 93	Photographs	Undated
Box 4	Folder 94	Photographs	Undated
Box 4	Folder 95	Photographs	Undated
		Scope and Contents Baltimore
Box 4	Folder 96	Photographs	Undated
Box 4	Folder 97	Photographs	Undated
Box 4	Folder 98	Photographs	Undated
Box 4	Folder 99	Photographs	Undated
		Scope and Contents Mt. Holyoke College
Box 4	Folder 910	Photographs	Undated
		Scope and Contents Jim and John
Box 4	Folder 911	Photographs	Undated
		Scope and Contents Jim's parents' Baptist church
Box 4	Folder 101	Photographs	Undated
		Scope and Contents Michigan
Box 4	Folder 102	Photographs	Undated
Box 4	Folder 103	Photographs	Undated
Box 4	Folder 104	Photographs	Undated
Box 4	Folder 105	Photographs	Undated
		Scope and Contents Jim Merritt
Box 4	Folder 106	Photographs	Undated
		Scope and Contents Jim's friends Charlotte and John Marsh
Box 4	Folder 107	Photographs	Undated
		Scope and Contents Madison, Minneapolis
Box 4	Folder 108	Photographs	Undated
		Scope and Contents Toronto
		Contact Sheets
Box 4	Folder 111	Contact Sheets	1993-03
		Scope and Contents NYC, Wilmington
Box 4	Folder 112	Contact Sheets	Spring 1993
		Scope and Contents NYC, Massachusetts
Box 4	Folder 113	Contact Sheets	1995-04
		Scope and Contents Toledo, Chicago, Dallas
Box 4	Folder 114	Contact Sheets	1995-04
		Scope and Contents Houston, Dallas, St. Louis, Chicago
Box 4	Folder 115	Contact Sheets	1996-04
		Scope and Contents Texas
Box 4	Folder 116	Contact Sheets	Undated
Box 4	Folder 117	Contact Sheets	Undated
		Scope and Contents Madison, Minneapolis
Box 4	Folder 118	Contact Sheets	Undated
		Scope and Contents Madison, Chicago, NYC
Box 4	Folder 119	Contact Sheets	Undated
Box 4	Folder 1110	Contact Sheets	Undated
		Scope and Contents Provincetown, Cape Cod, NYC
Box 4	Folder 1111	Contact Sheets	Undated
		Scope and Contents Toronto
		Correspondence
Box 5	Folder 1	Correspondence	1961
Box 5	Folder 2	Correspondence	1962
Box 5	Folder 3	Correspondence	1962-1969
Box 5	Folder 4	Correspondence	1963
Box 5	Folder 5	Correspondence	1964
Box 5	Folder 6	Correspondence	1965
Box 5	Folder 7	Correspondence	1966
Box 5	Folder 8	Correspondence	1967
Box 5	Folder 9	Correspondence	1968
Box 5	Folder 10	Correspondence	1969
Box 5	Folder 11	Correspondence	1970
Box 5	Folder 12	Correspondence	1971
Box 5	Folder 13	Correspondence	1972
Box 5	Folder 14	Correspondence	1972
Box 5	Folder 15	Correspondence	1972
Box 5	Folder 16	Correspondence	1973
Box 5	Folder 17	Correspondence	1974
Box 5	Folder 18	Correspondence	1975
Box 5	Folder 19	Correspondence	1976
Box 6	Folder 1	Correspondence	1976
Box 6	Folder 2	Correspondence	1977
Box 6	Folder 3	Correspondence	1978
Box 6	Folder 4	Correspondence	1979
Box 6	Folder 5	Correspondence	1979
Box 6	Folder 6	Correspondence	1980
Box 6	Folder 7	Correspondence	1981
Box 6	Folder 8	Correspondence	1982
Box 6	Folder 9	Correspondence	1983
Box 6	Folder 10	Correspondence	1985
Box 6	Folder 11	Correspondence	1986
Box 6	Folder 12	Correspondence	1987
Box 6	Folder 13	Correspondence	1988
Box 6	Folder 14	Correspondence	1989
Box 6	Folder 15	Correspondence	1990
Box 6	Folder 16	Correspondence	1991
Box 6	Folder 17	Correspondence	1992
Box 6	Folder 18	Correspondence	1993
Box 6	Folder 19	Correspondence	1994
Box 6	Folder 20	Correspondence	1995
Box 6	Folder 21	Correspondence	1996
Box 6	Folder 22	Correspondence	1997
Box 6	Folder 23	Correspondence	1998
Box 7	Folder 1	Correspondence	1999
Box 7	Folder 2	Correspondence	2000
Box 7	Folder 3	Correspondence	2001
Box 7	Folder 4	Correspondence	2003
Box 7	Folder 5	Correspondence	2004
Box 7	Folder 6	Correspondence
Box 7	Folder 7	Correspondence
Box 7	Folder 8	Correspondence
Box 7	Folder 9	Correspondence
Box 7	Folder 10	Correspondence
Box 7	Folder 11	Correspondence
		Personal Documents
Box 2		Lebanon High School Diploma	1951-06-15
Box 2		University of Rhode Island diploma (Master of Arts in English)	1958-06-09
Box 2		University of New Hampshire diploma (Bachelor of Arts)	1955-06-05
Box 2		University of Wisconsin diploma (Doctor of Philosophy)	1964-01-25
Manuscript Box 93		Sketchbook pages
Box 7	Folder 12	Index
Box 7	Folder 13	Newspapers
Box 7	Folder 14	Newspapers
Box 7	Folder 15	Newspapers
Box 7	Folder 16	Publications
Box 7	Folder 17	Publications
Box 7	Folder 18	Publications
Box 7	Folder 19	Publications
Box 8	Folder 1	Publications	1968-1972
Box 8	Folder 2	Publications	1970-1972
Box 8	Folder 3	Publications	1964-1965
Box 8	Folder 4	Manuscripts
		Scope and Contents Mainly typed and and handwritten poems.
Box 8	Folder 5	Manuscripts
		Scope and Contents Includes parts of a biography of H.P. Lovecraft
Box 8	Folder 6	Manuscripts
		Scope and Contents Includes parts of a biography of H.P. Lovecraft
Box 8	Folder 7	Manuscripts
Box 9	Folder 16	Manuscripts
		Scope and Contents Includes parts of a biography of H.P. Lovecraft
Box 9	Folder 17	Manuscripts
		Scope and Contents Includes parts of a biography of H.P. Lovecraft
Box 8	Folder 8	Family and Genealogy
Box 8	Folder 9	Family and Genealogy
Box 8	Folder 10	New York City history
		Scope and Contents Used for architecture tours given by Merritt.
Box 8	Folder 11	Lovecraft research
		Scope and Contents A few other research and writing items.
Box 8	Folder 12	Awards and Certificates
Box 8	Folder 13	Opera
Box 8	Folder 14	Social Justice and Protests
Box 8	Folder 15	Social Justice and Protests
Box 8	Folder 16	Personal Documents
Box 8	Folder 17	Works by Others
Box 8	Folder 18	General Printed Material (including AIDS)
Box 8	Folder 19	Xeroxed Sketches
Box 8	Folder 20	Lecture Notes
Box 8	Folder 21	Works by Merritt
Box 9	Folder 1	Menus and Restaurant Reviews
Box 9	Folder 2	General Notes
Box 9	Folder 3	Brooklyn College Protests
Box 9	Folder 4	Music
Box 2		Cassette Tapes	1972-03-25
		Scope and Contents Tape of Frank B. Long, Kenneth Stirling, and James Douglas Merritt
Box 2		Cassette Tapes	1972-04-24
		Scope and Contents Tape of Sam Loveman
Box 2	MU-2910	University of New Hampshire Box
		Scope and Contents Cigar box collaged with University of New Hampshire ephemera with medical bracelet, UNH pendant, and fraternity pin inside.
Box 2	MU-3160	Medical bracelet
Box 2	MU-3161	University of New Hampshire medal
Box 2	MU-3162	Alpha Sigma Lamda pin
		Periodicals and other printed publications
Box 9	Folder 5	Stubs seating plan guide, Billy the Kid	1954-1959
Box 9	Folder 6	Periodicals	1965-1968
		Scope and Contents Includes Win, Crawdaddy, Mississippi from within, and Works
Box 9	Folder 7	Periodicals	1970-1971
		Scope and Contents Includes NYCTALOPS, Fusion, Biobiotechca H.P. Lovecraft, HPL
Box 9	Folder 8	Periodicals	1972-1973
		Scope and Contents Inlcludes Rhode Island History, Tamlacht, Revised H.P. Lovecraft bibliography, NYCTALOPS, FagRag, Long Island Review, and Brown Aumni monthly
Box 9	Folder 9	Periodicals	1974-1975
		Scope and Contents Inlcudes Spernatural Horrors in Literature, Letters Lovecraftian, TK graphics catalog, Mightnight Fantasies, Rhode Islander, Red Fire Dangers (RFD)
Box 9	Folder 10	Periodicals	1975-1978
		Scope and Contents Includes Mightnight Fantasies, Red Fire Dangers (RFD), Coda, Xenophile, and After Dark.
Box 9	Folder 11	Periodicals	1981-1989
		Scope and Contents Includes Michael's Thing, Trinity Church programs, and a Brooklyn College Telephone directory
Box 9	Folder 12	Periodicals	1990-1991
		Scope and Contents Includes Wigstock, A Taste of Honey, Calvery and Trinity Church programs, Expressions of Dread, It Came from the Grog
Box 9	Folder 13	Periodicals	1992-2004
		Scope and Contents Includes Expressions of Dread, Error is and Enlightened State, Dog City, Terminal Hotel, Lapsus Linguae, University of New Hapshire Magazine
Box 9	Folder 14	Periodicals
Box 9	Folder 15	Opera News	1971-1976

Contents

James Douglas Merritt papers, 1930-2002. Collection Number: 7744

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections Cornell University Library

James Douglas Merritt papers, 1930-2002.
Collection Number: 7744

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library