The Gerald S. Craig Papers are organized in three series--Correspondence, Memoranda, and a Subject File--and are arranged in order by months. They are composed of correspondence, memoranda, speeches, articles, and materials used in the preparation of the last two editions of the elementary school series, Science Today and Tomorrow and Science for You, and the last two editions of the professional book, Science for the Elementary-School Teacher.
Correspondence, 1931-1967
Of the twenty-three boxes in the collection, eighteen contain correspondence--correspondence of a general nature, correspondence with other teachers and school systems concerning Craig's books and methods, and correspondence with his publishers and authors.
The general correspondence, 1931-1967, consists of communications with colleagues and with children who had comments or questions, letters of appreciation, plans for professional trips, and organizational activities relating to his work. With the exception of copies of letters from Craig to his children written from Bulgaria and Russia in 1931 and describing conditions he found there, there is no personal family correspondence. The major part of the general correspondence postdates 1950.
As the Craig science series came into use in more and more schools, his correspondence increased with teachers and administrators who used them or considered adoption. His file of these letters (Boxes 2-7), organized by state and then by city, has been kept in approximately the same order in which he used it, with the heaviest correspondence for certain cities being retained in separate folders. These include also correspondence concerning arrangements for Craig to speak at teachers' meetings or to take part in workshops and conferences.
The most revealing segment of the Craig papers is the correspondence that circulated among Craig as the senior author, staff members of Ginn and Company, and authors who collaborated with Craig in writing the various series. Although there are some exchanges with the company and authors during the development of the earlier series, the correspondence mainly covers the period of the fifties and sixties and is concerned with production of the last two series. An examination of the contents list below for boxes 8 to 17 shows the dates and amount of correspondence Craig had with Ginn and Company; i.e., with the authors, who frequently sent Craig copies of correspondence they had with the Company editors; with Ginn and Company's editors concerning writing, policy, and points of view; with executives concerning plans, policy, and marketing; and with Company agents in various cities concerning Craig's visits, adoptions, and teachers' reactions to the books. Craig's own correspondence with editors is filed under Ginn and Company - editors; and correspondence authors had with the editors is filed under Ginn and Company - authors. Box 18 contains correspondence relating to the fifth edition of Science for the Elementary School Teacher, published by Blaisdell in 1966.
Memoranda, 1956-1967
As senior author for the five science series, Craig kept in very close touch with his collaborators, not only by correspondence directly with them or through the Company's editors, but also by circulating “Memos to Authors.” These were at first typed carbons, but came to be mimeographed memos following a definite format in which he kept each author and editor informed of the progress of others, of changes agreed upon, of policy to be followed, and of information in the field of elementary science. Both the correspondence and these “Memos to Authors” give evidence of the care with which each book and its contents was correlated with other books in the science series and was integrated into the elementary curriculum.
Subject File
Because of his reputation as a teacher and as an expert on elementary science curricula, and also due to the wide use of his books, Dr. Craig was constantly sought as a speaker. He spoke to teachers in school systems throughout the country, to district and state associations of teachers, and to foreign groups. Many of his speeches, or ideas and notes for them, are contained in Box 19, as are several manuscripts or reprints of published articles.
Boxes 19 to 21 contain various materials used in the preparation and promotion of the last two book series. Although they lack continuity, it is possible to see how a series and its manuals developed, especially through the years 1948 to 1954.
Among the miscellaneous materials in boxes 21 and 22 are undated notes Dr. Craig used in classes at Teachers College, as well as random notes he sometimes made as ideas relating to science teaching occurred to him. Examples of the manner in which he conducted workshops are contained in folders 3 and 5 of box 22, where a complete stenographic record is filed of the experimental correlated field science course at the State Teachers College, Troy, Alabama, June 4-28, 1940. Although full records of the courses are not found in the collection, science field centers similar to the one at Troy, Alabama were conducted at Lakeville; at Annandale, New York; and at Plymouth, New Hampshire. These field centers, and others in local communities through the country, utilized the activities of other science and educational authorities. Itineraries for many of Dr. Craig's professional trips will be found in Box 22.
