Title: Leon Srabian Herald papers
Inclusive Dates: 1916-1977

Creator:

• Herald, Leon Srabian

Unique Identifier: Collection E

Quantity:

• 15.0 Linear Feet
• 10 Letter Document Boxes, 2 Legal Document Boxes, 1 Records Storage Carton, 1 VHS Box, 1 Small Flat Box, 1 Large Flat Box, 1 Volume

Repository:

University of Wisconsin-Madison. Department of Special Collections

Abstract:

The papers of Leon Srabian Herald (1896-1976), an Armenian-American poet who wrote the first English-language text about the Armenian Genocide by an Armenian author. The book, titled "This Waking Hour" was Herald's first book, after publishing poems and short stories in a number of journals and magazines. His papers include numerous drafts of poems; manuscripts on a variety of topics including cosmology and sciences; correspondence between Herald and publishers, friends, other poets, and family; and dozens of memo-books with Herald's drafts. Some personal effects from Herald, including correspondence about his veteran status, reviews and newspaper clippings, and photographs of Herald, are also included. Individually cataloged titles with marginalia from Herald can be found in the UW Madison library catalog under the call number "Coll. E".

Language: English , Armenian .

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-sc-e

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Leon Srabian Herald was born Leon Der Srabian in a village in Armenia in approximately 1896. As a young child, he was educated in Cairo by a wealthy uncle. In 1912, Herald and his immediate family emigrated to America. He worked in auto assembly plants in Detroit while learning English. Herald's entire family in Armenia were murdered in 1915 as a result of the Armenian Genocide. Herald enlisted in the US Army however he was discharged after 3 months due to a medical condition. In the 1920's, Herald began attending UW-Madison, where he notably befriended Zona Gale and Marianne Moore, editor of The Dial magazine. Several issues of The Dial include Herald's memories as a child growing up in Armenia to his voyage to the US. Herald also wrote a number of poems and reviews for the Wisconsin State Journal during this time. Herald became a naturalized citizen in 1923. He dropped out of the university and moved to New York in 1925.

Herald published his first book in 1925, titled "This Waking Hour". This was the first work in English about the Armenian Genocide written by an Armenian. He spent a brief time in 1930-1931 living in Chicago although he moved back to New York afterwards. Herald joined the John Reed Society and was a delegate to their 1932 convention. In 1935, he helped initiate the Federal Writers' Project which provided WPA jobs for both himself and other authors. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Herald experienced the bulk of his success. He was published in The Nation, The New Republic, The Dial, Poetry, and Ararat. He also spent a short time as the editor of Youth, an Armenian-American weekly.

In 1938, Herald met Betty Forster and they would marry that same year. A year later, his son, John Whittier Herald, was born. Unfortunately, his wife would die only a few years later in 1942. After this, Herald would have a nervous breakdown and become increasingly disillusioned with life. Herald took an interest in cosmology, doing extensive research for the last 20 years of his life. By the 70s, Herald was on public assistance and suffered from a multitude of medical conditions including insomnia, arthritis, ulcers, and stomach cancer. He died in 1976.

This collection includes no known access restrictions.

Collection materials may be subject to laws governing rights. Researchers are solely responsible for determining the rights status of the materials they use. Permission may be required for some uses such as publication or reproduction.

Acquired prior to 1993

The collection is comprised of four series. The first series is Manuscripts and Poetry. This series makes up a majority of the collection, with hundreds of drafts and typescripts of Herald's poetry and prose. The works of prose were divided further based on the subject of the writing. Much of his work focuses on cosmology and science, as Herald had dedicated the last 20 years of his life researching. His manuscripts also include some auto-biographical stories, as well.

The second series, Personal Effects, include a number of identification cards from New York, newspaper clippings of reviews, and photographs of Herald. This series also has his immigration and naturalization documents and military discharge papers and correspondence.

The third series is Correspondence. This series consists of letters to Herald which dated back to the 1920s and continued until his death in 1976. Included in the correspondence are letters from Marianne Moore, Zona Gale, Meridel LeSueur, universities, publishers, and some celebrities. Some of Herald's letters to correspondents are also found in this series.

The fourth series are Notebooks. The notebooks include handwritten drafts of his poems and prose. Some are interspersed with journal-like entries. Many are undated or have uncertain dates, although the earliest dated back to 1916. Included in this series is a box of memo-books that totaled to 44. The memo-books similarly contain drafts and scraps of his writings.

Arranged into four series: Manuscripts and Poetry; Personal Effects; Correspondence; and Notebooks

Armenian Genocide, 1915-1923CosmologyAmerican poetry -- 20th century

	Series: Poetry and Manuscripts
Box [89138877451]   1   folder 1	Published Works, Books: This Waking Hour; Armenian-American Poets; A Late Harvest 1925-1976
Box [89138877451]   1   folder 2	Manuscripts of Poetry, by Title, A-E Undated
Box [89138877451]   1   folder 3	Manuscripts of Poetry, by Title, F-J Undated
Box [89138877451]   1   folder 4	Manuscripts of Poetry, by Title, M-P Undated
Box [89138877451]   1   folder 5	Manuscripts of Poetry, by Title, R-T Undated
Box [89138877451]   1   folder 6	Manuscripts of Poetry, by Title, U-Y Undated
Box [89138877451]   1   folder 7	Manuscripts of Poetry, Untitled Undated
Box [89138877451]   1   folder 8	Manuscripts of Poetry, by Topic Undated
Box [89138877451]   1   folder 9	Photocopies of Poems and Reviews, Undated
Box [89138877493]   2   folder 1	Published Works, in Ararat, no. 14, 29, 34 1963-1968
Box [89138877493]   2   folder 2	Published Works, in The Dial (no. 4) and Poetry, a Magazine of Verse (no. 4-5) 1922-1927
Box [89138877493]   2   folder 3	Published Works, in Learning magazine 1923
Box [89138877493]   2   folder 4	Published Works, in Armenian Undated
Box [89138877493]   2   folder 5	Manuscripts of Poetry, Early Period, A-E 1920s-1930s
Box [89138877493]   2   folder 6	Manuscripts of Poetry, Early Period, F 1920s-1930s
Box [89138877493]   2   folder 7	Manuscripts of Poetry, Early Period, G-O 1920s-1930s
Box [89138877493]   2   folder 8	Manuscripts of Poetry, Early Period, P-T 1920s-1930s
Box [89138877493]   2   folder 9	Manuscripts of Poetry, Early Period, U-Y and Untitled 1920s-1930s
Box [89138877493]   2   folder 10	Manuscripts of Poetry, Early Period, Photocopies 1920s-1930s
Box [89138877493]   2   folder 11	Manuscripts of Poetry (1 of 2), 1950s
Box [89138877535]   3   folder 1	Manuscripts of Poetry (2 of 2), 1950s
Box [89138877535]   3   folder 2	Manuscripts of Poetry, 1960s
Box [89138877535]   3   folder 3	Manuscripts of Poetry, Late Period 1960s-1970s
Box [89138877535]   3   folder 4	Manuscripts of Poetry, Late Period, Poems to Mildred, Aurora, Linda Undated
Box [89138877535]   3   folder 5	Manuscripts of Prose, Memories/Biographical 1925-1927
Box [89138877535]   3   folder 6	Manuscripts of Prose, Untitled Biographical Work with photocopy Undated
Box [89138877535]   3   folder 7	Manuscripts of Prose, Memories/Biographical 1930
Box [89138877535]   3   folder 8	Manuscripts of Prose, "The Sentimental Host" 1928
Box [89138877535]   3   folder 9	Manuscripts of Prose, "Man-eating Shadows" 1931
Box [89138877261]   4   folder 1	Manuscripts of Prose, Allegories and parables 1929-1931
Box [89138877261]   4   folder 2	Manuscripts of Prose, Plays Undated
Box [89138877261]   4   folder 3	Manuscripts of Prose, Translations 1927-1946
Box [89138877261]   4   folder 4	Manuscripts of Prose, on Armenia 1930s
Box [89138877261]   4   folder 5	Manuscripts of Prose, Various short pieces 1930-1949
Box [89138877261]   4   folder 6	Manuscripts of Prose, on Politics 1934-1949
Box [89138877261]   4   folder 7	Manuscripts of Prose, Journalism/patent idea 1955
Box [89138877261]   4   folder 8	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Life is Based on the Laws of Physics I Undated
Box [89138877261]   4   folder 9	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Life is Based on the Laws of Physics II 1965
Box [89138877261]   4   folder 10	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Evolution Undated
Box [89138877261]   4   folder 11	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Relativity Undated
Box [89138877261]   4   folder 12	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Gravitation Undated
Box [89138877261]   4   folder 13	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Hibernation/Migration Undated
Box [89138877303]   5   folder 1	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Axial/Rotary Law 1965
Box [89138877303]   5   folder 2	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Matter/Law Undated
Box [89138877303]   5   folder 3	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Natural Laws Undated
Box [89138877303]   5   folder 4	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, The Galactic Origin of Life I 1965
Box [89138877303]   5   folder 5	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, The Galactic Origin of Life II Undated
Box [89138877303]   5   folder 6	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Space Undated
Box [89138877303]   5   folder 7	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Earth as the Center of the Universe 1965
Box [89138877303]   5   folder 8	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, The Moon Undated
Box [89138877428]   6   folder 1	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, The Moon is Also Our Environment Undated
Box [89138877428]   6   folder 2	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, The Sun Undated
Box [89138877428]   6   folder 3	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Galilean Physics and Biology 1971
Box [89138877428]   6   folder 4	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Life 1966
Box [89138877428]   6   folder 5	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Plants Undated
Box [89138877428]   6   folder 6	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Environment Undated
Box [89138877428]   6   folder 7	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Man/Universe 1959
Box [89138877428]   6   folder 8	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, General Theories Undated
Box [89138877469]   7   folder 1	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Science/Scientists 1959-1963
Box [89138877469]   7   folder 2	Other Topics, Religion Undated
Box [89138877469]   7   folder 3	Other Topics, Thought Undated
Box [89138877469]   7   folder 4	Other Topics, Consciousness/Mind Undated
	Other Topics, Mysticism, Supernaturalism, and Metaphysics Undated
Box [89138877469]   7   folder 6	Other Topics, Man Undated
Box [89138877469]   7   folder 7	Other Topics, Organisms Undated
Box [89138877469]   7   folder 8	Other Topics, Miscellaneous Undated
Box [89138877469]   7   folder 9	Manuscripts in Armenian, Undated
Box [89138877501]   8   folder 1	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, "Laser Thoughts"; "Atomic Physics and Human Knowledge" Undated
Box [89138877501]   8   folder 2	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Sleep (Items 41-47) Undated
Box [89138877501]   8   folder 3	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Philosophical Theories misc. notes and clippings Undated
Box [89138877501]   8   folder 4	Other Topics, Miscellanenous including thoughts on poetry Undated
Box [89138877501]   8   folder 5	Other Topics, Miscellaneous including emotions, the child Undated
Box [89138877501]   8   folder 6	Prose Manuscripts, Originals (1 of 2) Undated
Box [89138877501]   8   folder 7	Prose Manuscripts, Originals (2 of 2) Undated
Box [89138877501]   8   folder 8	Prose Manuscripts, Copies Undated
Box [89138877543]   9   folder 1	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Sleep (Items 1-7) Undated
Box [89138877543]   9   folder 2	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Sleep (Items 8-17) Undated
Box [89138877543]   9   folder 3	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Sleep (Items 18-29) Undated
Box [89138877543]   9   folder 4	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Sleep (Items 30-40) Undated
Box [89138877543]   9   folder 5	Scientific/Philosophical Essays, Clippings and notes Undated
	Series: Personal Effects	⇧
Box [89138877543]   9   folder 6	Reviews, Announcements, Clippings Undated
Box [89138877238]   10   folder 1	Address Books, ID Cards, Miscellaneous biographical materials 1968-1976
Box [89138877238]   10   folder 2	Immigration and Naturalization documents, 1918-1956
Box [89138877238]   10   folder 3	Military Discharge Certificate; Correspondence concerning Veteran status, 1919-1942
Box [89138877311]   12   folder 1	Photos taken by or given to Herald, Undated
Box [89138877311]   12   folder 2	Photos of Herald, 1918-1967
Box [89138877311]   12   folder 3	Slides of Portrait by Eunice Golden, Undated
Box [89138877311]   12   folder 4	Photos and Clippings about John Herald (son), Undated
Box [89138877311]   12   folder 5	Framed Photo of Zona Gale, with note written by Herald on back 1924
Box [89138877311]   12   folder 6	Two Metal Printing Plate Blocks of Herald, Undated
Box [89138877311]   12   folder 7	Biographical Information and Initial Box List, Undated
Box [89138877394]   15	Photo Scrapbook, Undated
	Series: Correspondence	⇧
Box [89138877238]   10   folder 4	Old and Miscellaneous fragments, from Herald Undated
Box [89138877238]   10   folder 5	Letters from Herald, 1942-1966
Box [89138877238]   10   folder 6	Letters from Herald, 1966-1976
Box [89138877238]   10   folder 7	Professor Hugh Iltis (UW Professor of Botany), 1970
Box [89138877238]   10   folder 8	About the Tashnak Party, 1942
Box [89138877238]   10   folder 9	With Publishers, 1922-1968
Box [89138877238]   10   folder 10	With Institutions, 1962-1972
Box [89138877238]   10   folder 11	With UW-Madison; University of Wyoming, 1973-1977
Box [89138877238]   10   folder 12	With Celebrities who replied, 1962-1968
Box [89138877238]   10   folder 13	Zona Gale, 1924-1930
Box [89138877238]   10   folder 14	Marianne Moore, 1925-1967
Box [89138877279]   11   folder 1	Basmadjian, Garig; Bodiginian, Arsen 1968-1974
Box [89138877279]   11   folder 2	Becker Lennon, Florence; Bower, Warren; Geismar, Maxwell 1964-1970
Box [89138877279]   11   folder 3	Gloster, Teresa; Golden, Eunice; Grudin, Louis; Gulesserian, Betty and Armine 1956-1976
Box [89138877279]   11   folder 4	Hovanessian, Diana der; Hussissian, Esther 1951-1974
Box [89138877279]   11   folder 5	Josephson, Joanne and Carl 1957-1976
Box [89138877279]   11   folder 6	Kayler, Linda and Al; LeSeuer, Meridel; Ridge, Lola 1929-1973
Box [89138877279]   11   folder 7	Mangione, Jerre 1969-1974
Box [89138877279]   11   folder 8	Woods, Dorothy and Jack; Zeligs, Meyer 1963-1974
Box [89138877279]   11   folder 9	Baez, Joan (Mrs.) [Mother of Folk Singer?] 1966
Box [89138877279]   11   folder 10	John (son), 1951-1975
Box [89138877279]   11   folder 11	Letters to Herald, 1920s-1930s
Box [89138877279]   11   folder 12	Letters to Herald, 1940s
Box [89138877279]   11   folder 13	Letters to Herald, 1950s
Box [89138877279]   11   folder 14	Letters to Herald, 1960s
Box [89138877279]   11   folder 15	Letters to Herald, 1970s
	Series: Notebooks	⇧
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 1	"High School Composition Book", Journal [?] 1916-1917
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 2	Black Composition Book, "Book #1 MSS" 1948-1951
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 3	Notebook wrapped in brown paper, Journal [?] 1948-1953
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 4	Black Composition Book, "Book #2" 1953-1962
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 5	Black Composition Book, "#3, Sleep, Poetry" 1954-1963
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 6	Black Composition Book, "#4, Psychology of the Human Race" 1954-1964
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 7	Green Composition Book, 1957-1959
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 8	University of Wisconsin notebook, "Poems-yes or no" June 1960, 1972
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 9	Light green "Record" book, "The Writings of Leon S. Herald" 1960-1961
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 10	Brown Spiral-Bound Notebook, first page titled "Cloisters-A Train to 200th St." 1963-1965
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 11	Brown Spiral-Bound Notebook, April-December 1964
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 12	Yellow Spiral-Bound Notebook, September-October 1964
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 13	Black Composition Book, "#6" March-June 1964
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 14	Yellow Spiral-Bound Notebook, 1964-1971
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 15	Blue Spiral-Bound Notebook, "A poem in all that space can hold of light" 1965
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 16	Big Value notepad, 1966
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 17	Large Spiral-Bound Notebook, 65 on cover 1966-1967
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 18	Pen-Tab Fine Writing Tablet, 1968-1971
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 19	Brown Spiral-Bound Notebook, 29 on cover 1969
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 20	Brown Spiral-Bound Notebook, 30 on cover, "Science and Poetry" 1969
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 21	Large Spiral-Bound Notebook, 45 on cover 1969
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 22	2 Notebooks, both titled "Poetry + Philosophy of Physics" May 1970
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 23	Big Value notepad, 48 on cover 1971
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 24	University brand Notebook, "Time had lost its circadian rhythm" 1974
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 25	Brown Spiral-Bound Notebook, "Writing Notebook #10, Cosmanology" Undated
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 26	Brown Spiral-Bound Notebook, first page titled "Thoughts" and papers tucked inside of notebook Undated
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 27	Pen-Tab Wire Bound Notebook, first page titled "Mildred" Undated
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 28	Normal Note Book brand, first page titled "Sketches of the house of my dreams" Undated
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 29	Brown Spiral-Bound Notebook, first page titled "The Evening Ajar" Undated
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 30	University brand Notebook, last page titled "Wind + Lake" Undated
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 31	3 Notepads: 1 with first page titled "The Organism Adapts the Environment to Suit itself", 1 with first page titled "Why Man Kills", and 1 Big Value brand notepad Undated
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 32	Blue Spiral-Bound Notebook, Undated
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 33	Poems and Clippings from Leather Binder, Undated
Box [89138877220]   13   folder 34	Leather Binder, Undated
Box [89138877352]   14	Memo Books (44), 1963-1974
Box [89138877477]   16   folder 1	Sketch Book with newspaper clippings and notes, 1967-1972
Box [89138877477]   16   volume 2	Loose newspaper clippings from Sketch Book, 1967-1972
Volume [89138877436]   17	Dairy, 1957-1962