Scope and Contents note
The Thomas A. Curry Papers contain literary manuscripts, correspondence and other miscellaneous items. The literary manuscripts includes numerous novels and novelettes, but mainly short stories and articles. Other manuscripts include radio scripts and motion picture and comic strip treatments. There are 43 folders of unidentified story manuscripts. Correspondence included here are related mainly to Curry's professional and business affairs, but some personal letters can be found. The group of materials previously identified as suppliment are integrated into the whole colletion.
Dates
- 1922-1967
Creator
- Curry, Tom, 1900-1976 (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
Thomas A. Curry, Jr. (1900-1976) was a prominent American writer of adventure stories, novels, and novelettes. His parents were involved in writing for the theater and his father, Thomas Sr., was private secretary to the leading broadway producer David Belasco from 1914 to 1931. Thomas Jr. studied chemical engineering at Columbia University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. While in school he sold his first story to People's Magazine. At age 23 he was hired as a reporter for the New York American, covering the crime beat in the city's tenderloin district. By 1925 he was writing detective stories and in the 1930s became a regular contributor to Detective Fiction Weekly. Curry married and had three children. He became a regular contributor to Texas Rangers magazine, which was launched by Leo Margulies in 1936. In 1939, Thomas created his well known character Bob Pryor, The Rio Kid. The Rio Kid Western became a quarterly publication in October of 1939. During his career Curry wrote numerous western adventures but also pieces dealing with sport, fantasy, history and other topics. In 1955 with the pulp fiction market virtually dead, Curry returned to the engineering profession. He continued to publish new works occasionaly. He began his retirement around 1967 the year in which he donated his papers to the University of Oregon. Curry died in 1976 in Connecticut, where he resided much of his adult life.
Extent
13 linear feet (10 containers)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Thomas A. Curry, Jr. (1900-1976) was best known as a writer of adventure stories. He published numerous novels, novelettes and periodical articles. This collection contains several of his manuscripts and also a large amount of his correspondence.
Arrangement note
Collection is organized into the following series: Literary manuscripts; Correspondence
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
- Comic books, strips, etc. -- Authorship Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Curry, Tom, 1900-1976
- Detective and mystery stories, American -- Authorship Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Literature Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Manuscripts for publication Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Motion picture authorship Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Motion picture plays Subject Source: Local sources
- Mystery fiction Subject Source: Local sources
- Publishers and Publishing Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Publishers and publishing -- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Radio scripts Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Treatments (Motion pictures, television, etc.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Western stories Subject Source: Local sources
- Western stories -- Authorship Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Guide to the Thomas A. Curry, Jr. Papers
- Status
- Complete Description
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Erick Arenas
- 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
