Donald M. Hassler Collection
Scope and Content
The Donald M. Hassler Collection is a comprehensive gathering of Hassler's work spanning from 1960 to 1983. The collection has been arranged into seven series: manuscripts, notes, letters, correspondence, printed matter on Hal Clemont, other printed matter, and photographs and memorabilia.
The manuscripts include the books Hassler has written: The Comedian as Letter D: Erasmus Darwin's Comic Materialism, Erasmus Darwin: Comic Materialist, Erasmus Darwin, The Poems of Erasmus Darwin, and Comic Tones in Science Fiction: The Art of Compromise with Nature. Manuscripts also include short stories, speeches and talks, and essays, reviews written for Twentieth Century Science Fiction Writers, book reviews for Ohio Arts Council, essays for Academic Programming at Chicon IV all by Hassler, essays not by Hassler, and poetry by Hassler.
Notes include: notes for specific chapters in Darwin books, miscellaneous notes on Darwin, notes for essays, and miscellaneous notes on various topics.
Letters are arranged alphabetically by the sender and include personal and business letters and letters from Harry C. Stubbs ("Hal Clemont"). The letters are dated from June 13, 1962 to January 28, 1983.
Correspondence is arranged chronologically and is dated from June 1, 1960 to March 18, 1983. It includes both personal and business letters written by Hassler.
Printed matter on Hal Clemont includes the book, Hal Clemont, written by Hassler. It also includes notes, essays, and an interview of Hal Clemont done by Hassler.
Other printed matter includes pamphlets by Hassler or Hassler and others. Of special note are pamphlets "Four: In Memory" and "Kent State, Ten Years After" that deal with the Kent State shootings. It also includes issues of the "Mini Catalog" (course descriptions for Experimental Programs at Kent State written by Hassler), editions of "The Human Issue" for which Hassler was faculty advisor, Council of Academic Deans "Report on Experimental Programs" by Hassler, miscellaneous items by Hassler, pamphlets and articles mentioning or about Hassler, and printed matter not by Hassler.
The final section of the collection is photographs and memorabilia. It includes photographs, newspaper articles, editions of the Daily Kent State newspaper, programs, bulletins, newsletters. The memorabilia are from Chicon IV, the American Society of the Eighteenth-Century Studies Bicentennial Conference, and the University of Akron.
Dates
- Creation: 1960-2012
Creator
- Donald M. Hassler Collection (Person)
Language of Materials
The records are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Ohio University Libraries.
Conditions Governing Use
Ohio University retains all property rights to the collection.
Ohio University retains all copyrights unless retained by the donor, other correspondents, or other artists.
Biography of Donald M. Hassler
Donald M. Hassler was born January 3, 1937 in Akron, Ohio and stayed in Akron until he was 18 years old. He attended Williams College; majoring in American History and Literature. Hassler, next went on to Columbia University, attaining a Ph.D. in English. He then went to New York, got married, and taught at Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn. He later worked for Crowell-Collier Publishing Company in New York as a writer of articles for a junior encyclopedia. He next accepted a teaching job at the University of Montreal and then a teaching position at Kent State University. Hassler was a professor at the University when the Kent State shootings took place on May 4, 1970. He presently resides in Kent and continues to teach at the University.
Extent
9 cubic feet
Abstract
The Donald M. Hassler Collection is a comprehensive gathering of Hassler's work spanning from 1960 to 2012. The collection has been arranged into eight series: manuscripts, notes, letters, correspondence, printed matter on Hal Clemont, other printed matter, and photographs and memorabilia as well as material related to the 1970 Kent State events. The collection also includes two subseries: bicentennial records pertaining to Kent, Ohio as well as a subseries containing audio recordings and diskettes.
Statement of Arrangement
These records are organized into the following series:
- Series I: Manuscripts
- Series II: Notes
- Series III: Letters
- Series IV: Correspondence
- Series V: Printed Matter - Hal Clemont
- Series VI: Printed Matter - Miscellaneous
- Series VII: Photographs and Memorabilia
Acquisition Information
The Ohio University Archives received the initial collection in a series of accessions under Instrument of Deposit dated May 22, 1980.
Existence and Location of Copies
Ohio University will entertain requests to photocopy reasonable amounts of material from the collection for the convenience of individual researchers.
Description Note
Original, legacy collection inventories may contain inaccuracies or be incomplete. Collection descriptions may change or be updated as they are verified. Please contact Mahn Center staff if you note any errors or discrepancies.
Subject
- Hassler, Donald M. (Person)
- Clement, Hal, 1922-2003 (Person)
- Kent State University (Organization)
- Title
- Finding aid for the Donald M. Hassler Collection
- Author
- Jean Kimball processed the collection in Fall quarter of 1983.
- Date
- 2020
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English
- Sponsor
- The finding aid was converted into EAD with funding support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Revision Statements
- 5 January 2024: Subjects and other notes added from ALICE MARC records and Mahn Center Microsoft Office finding aids by Ohio University Libraries Metadata Services Department Python scripts.
Repository Details
Part of the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections Repository
