The Papers of Margaret Gray Blanton consist of correspondence, biographical material, writings, a small quantity of “preserved items,” most of which originally belonged to her parents and other relatives, a large quantity of genealogical notes and documents, and a tape recording.
CORRESPONDENCE consists mainly of letters between Margaret and Smiley Blanton and between Margaret and other relatives. The letters between Margaret and Smiley date mainly from World War I when he was serving in the Army in Europe. The correspondence with other family members contains news of activities, reminiscences, and occasional reports of genealogical research. (Much similar correspondence can be found filed in the fourth category, genealogical materials.) These letters are filed alphabetically with a miscellaneous folder at the end. Included in the miscellaneous folder is an undated autograph note from John Lindsay, mayor of New York, saying thank you for a campaign contribution. Also in this category is one folder of correspondence concerning heirlooms and other belongings and their disposition which includes an exchange concerning a gift to the White House, with a signed thank you letter from Jacqueline Kennedy.
BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS consists of diaries, 1918-1929, 1933-1934, and 1938-1972, kept by Margaret Blanton, and diary-like accounts by Smiley Blanton of his relationship with Sigmund Freud; and two folders of miscellaneous biographical materials including reminiscences, clippings, and a variety of other isolated items.
WRITINGS includes two folders of manuscripts by Margaret Gray Blanton and one folder of Dr. Smiley Blanton's works. Also included is one folder of letters and notes from the joint writing project of Dr. and Mrs. Blanton on Diary of My Analysis with Sigmund Freud. This book was Dr. Blanton's diary which was edited and published by his wife after his death.
PRESERVED ITEMS totals only one folder containing papers originally belonging to the Blanton's ancestors or preserved because of general historical interest. The largest portion of this is correspondence between Margaret's parents. Also included is a copy of accounts of the Bryan Station and the David's Fork Baptist churches, Fayette County, Kentucky.
GENEALOGICAL MATERIALS, the largest category, comprises charts, notes, correspondence, and photographs of documents, buildings, and tombstones. Mrs. Blanton did extensive research in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia courthouses and exchanged information with a great number of people. All these materials have been retained as Mrs. Blanton had them filed, divided into three sections. First come the neatest, most clearly labeled materials, which Mrs. Blanton kept in loose-leaf notebooks. These are arranged alphabetically by family name, though information concerning two or more families is often combined and the researcher is advised to read through the entire list. Second come rough notes labeled by family name and third, rough notes completely unsorted and unlabeled. The distinction between these rough notes and the materials which arrived in the notebooks is not clear-cut. It appears however that the notebooks are closer to a finished product and that the information in the rough notes was destined to be integrated into the notebooks.
The collection also contains a TAPE RECORDING of a radio interview with Dr. Smiley Blanton on the New York City-based Martha Dean Program from 1961, concerning his book The Healing Power of Poetry.
