Scope and Contents note
The Hal Evarts, Jr. papers are divided into three series. The first contains correspondence, divided into incoming and outgoing. One file, 1956-1960, contains the records and correspondence of the membership committee, Western Writers of America. Since the collection was processed at various times and contains addenda, the correspondence may not be arranged chronologically as a whole series.
The second series contains both short story and novel length manuscripts. The manuscripts are divided by work and arranged alphabetically. Also included in this series is a single folder containing a screenplay written by Evarts. The screenplay "The Restless Gun" is in the same style as the short stories and novels.
Finally, the remainder of the collection is grouped under miscellaneous. This series contains tearsheets of Evarts in published material. This series also contains royalty statements received by Evarts for his works. Four personal journals concerning Evarts' world tour when he was in his twenties are also present in the series. The series concludes also includes bound materials containing published work of Evarts. Two of the folders contain German magazines with Evarts' short stories in German. Also included is a Yearbook of Stanford writing from 1936 and a recognition of Evarts' membership of "The Other Padres," a group of writers in the San Diego, California area.
A box of published books by Evarts was also part of the collection. However, these have been removed and are housed separately.
Dates
- 1936-1970
Creator
Conditions Governing Access note
Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.
Conditions Governing Use note
Property rights reside with Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish collection materials must be submitted to Special Collections and University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.
Biographical/Historical note
Hal George Evarts, Jr. was born on February 8, 1915 in Huchinson, Kansas. His father was the author Hal George Evarts. He attended Stanford University in 1932 and received his Bachelor of Arts. Evarts married Dorothea Van Dusen Abbott in 1942 and had three children. He was a member of the Western Writers of America from 1959 to 1960, serving as both a member and a vice-president. He was also affiliated with Zeta Psi and Sigma Delta Chi. In 1936-1937 he took his version of the "Grand Tour"--a knapsack trip around the world. Among his papers is a four volume diary of that trip, from Paris to central China. Evarts served in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1943 to 1945 in Europe with the 89th Infantry division. Evarts died August 26, 1989 at the age of 74.
Evarts worked as a writer from 1940 until his death in 1989. In that time he worked briefly as a screenwriter in Hollywood, a trade journal and newspaper reporter, as well as for the New York Herald Tribune Paris edition in 1939. Evarts was a mainstream western pulp writer. He composed over one hundred short stories to magazines and newspapers as well as numerous individual novels.
Source: Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2003.
Extent
7.5 linear feet (5 containers)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Hal Evarts, Jr. was a writer of Western and mystery fiction. The collection comprises personal and professional correspondence, literary manuscripts, personal journals, and printed materials of author Hal George Evarts, Jr. The manuscripts are of Evarts' novels and short stories in the western and detective/mystery styles.
Arrangement note
Collection is organized into the following series: Series I. Correspondence; Series II. Manuscripts; Series III. Miscellaneous.
Separated Materials note
Published books by Evarts have been removed from the collection and are housed separately.
General Physical Description note
4 record storage boxes and one flat box
- Adventure stories Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Adventure stories, American -- Authorship Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Arts and Humanities Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Authors, American -- 20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Congdon, Don
- Detective and mystery stories, American -- Authorship Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Diaries Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Literature Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Manuscripts for publication Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Mystery fiction Subject Source: Local sources
- Publishers and Publishing Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Tear sheets Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Voyages around the world Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- West (U.S.) -- In literature Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Western Writers of America
- Western stories Subject Source: Local sources
- Western stories -- Authorship Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Guide to the Hal George Evarts, Jr. Papers
- Status
- Revise Description
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by University of Oregon Special Collections
- Date
- ©2004
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Repository Details
Part of the University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives Repository
