Scope and Contents note
The Ernest Haycox Papers comprise manuscripts of his short stories and novels, magazine tearsheets, freestanding volumes and research material. Manuscripts for some of his earliest short stories are missing, but most of these are represented by tearsheets. All genres of his work are found in manuscript form—westerns, historical dramas, contemporary western romances, and adventure stories—with the exception of his detective stories. The manuscripts are arranged chronologically by date of publication, as organized by the donor. Draft versions are not, as a rule, numbered in Mr. Haycox’s hand, and tearsheets are filed immediately after the draft which most closely matches the published version. The inventory lists stories represented solely by tearsheets in quotation marks. Each draft citation includes some minor description of the manuscript. The term “draft” denotes a typed, complete (unless otherwise noted) manuscript. Carbons are not duplicates of the previous drafts; rather they are the extant copy of a missing original draft. An exception is a duplicate carbon extensively revised. The term “revised” refers to all handwritten and typed changes and strike overs. “Version” appears rarely and only as a means of describing an early draft that is very different from the final story. Page counts are noted, as are page revisions, character sketches, and preliminary notes, as well as original titles, if different from the published piece. The freestanding volumes of Haycox novels and anthologies containing his stories are arranged in order of publication; anthologies are alphabetized, and foreign versions are integrated within each title.
Photographic prints are also included.
Dates
- 1922-1974
Creator
- Haycox, Ernest, 1899-1950 (Person)
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
A native Oregonian, born in a suburb of Portland on October 1, 1899, Ernest Haycox became an author with a world-wide audience. His name is synonymous with Westerns, a genre of stories set in the American West during the period of greatest expansion, 1830-1880. His career began with the publication of some of his short stories while he was still a college student, and spanned nearly three decades. Haycox attended Reed College in 1920 and transferred to the University of Oregon in 1921 to study writing. He graduated in 1923 with a degree in journalism.
His first publication credits came from the pulp magazines of the day, such as Sea Stories, Western Story, Adventure, and Short Stories. In June 1931 Haycox broke into the “slicks,” magazines like Collier’s and The Saturday Evening Post, and his popularity soared. His stories remained regular features, appearing serialized form throughout the thirties and forties.
Haycox had a parallel career as a novelist. His first book, Free Grass, was published in 1929 and was followed by another novel almost every year until his death in 1950. A final book, The Adventurers, was published posthumously in 1955.
Extent
28.75 linear feet (57 containers)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Ernest Haycox (1899-1950), a prolific writer of Western fiction, graduated from the University of Oregon in 1923 with a degree in journalism. His career began with the publication of some of his short stories while he was still a college student, and over the next three decades his short stories and novels earned a world-wide audience. His first novel, Free Grass, was published in 1929 and was followed by another novel almost every year until his death in 1950. A final book, The Adventurers, was published posthumously in 1955. The Ernest Haycox Papers comprise manuscripts of his short stories and novels, magazine tearsheets, free-standing volumes, research material, and photographs.
Arrangement note
Collection is organized into the following series: Short stories; Novels; Research material; Photographs; and Miscellaneous.
General Physical Description note
57 containers
Processing Information
Collection processed by staff.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
- Arts and Humanities Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Authors, American -- 20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Haycox, Ernest, 1899-1950
- Literature Subject Source: Archiveswest
- West (U.S.) -- In literature Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Western stories Subject Source: Local sources
- Title
- Guide to the Ernest Haycox Papers
- Status
- Revise Description
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Mary Anteaux and Rose M. Smith
- 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
