Title: John E. Lankford Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1942-1968

Creator:

• Lankford, John E., 1934-

Call Number: M65-189

Quantity: 2.8 c.f. (7 archives boxes)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Papers, mainly 1958-1964, of John E. Lankford, a historian and first director of the River Falls Area Research Center (ARC), an affiliate of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin; primarily documenting his early personal and professional life, including his teaching career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Wisconsin State College-River Falls. Prominent correspondents include Howard K. Beale, Merle Curti, Gilbert Doane, Leslie H. Fishel, Jr., Thomas K. Thompson, Arthur I. Waskow, and Walker Wyman.

Note:

There is a restriction on use of this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-m65189

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John Everett Lankford was born July 31, 1934 in Washington, D.C. He spent his childhood in Washington public schools, and as a junior high and high school student exhibited an interest in astronomy. As a young amateur astronomer, Lankford studied independent variable star observations. By the time he had graduated from high school in 1952 and entered Oberlin College, Lankford had turned his attention to the liberal arts. He majored in history with special concentration on American social history. He also studied political science, sociology, American literature and philosophy. During his time at Oberlin he refined his writing skills as the editor for the Yeoman, the college literary magazine which he edited, 1954-1955. He also wrote articles for the Oberlin Review, the Alumni Magazine, and the Year Book.

After graduating in 1956 Lankford entered the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a graduate student in American history, studying with Merle Curti. It was during this time that Lankford began to concentrate on the study of Protestant benevolence in the early twentieth century. As a graduate student from 1956 to 1957, then as a doctoral candidate and non-resident graduate fellow from 1957 to 1960, Lankford served as a graduate teaching assistant to Curti, Irvin G. Wyllie, Howard K. Beale, and Eugene Boardman. In 1958, while still in Madison, Lankford married fellow student Laurie Gaskins. The two divorced in 1961.

In September, 1961 Lankford was appointed to his first professional teaching position as an instructor in history at Wisconsin State College, River Falls. It was here that Lankford took on the task of helping to organize the Area Research Center. He also finished his dissertation and assisted in writing a history of the State College. During his stay from 1961-1964, Lankford served as the co-director of the American Studies Program, secretary/treasurer for the River Falls chapter of the American Association of University Professors, and co-chair of Committee V, for which he produced a paper concerning conditions of faculty service and morale. Lankford’s teaching duties at River Falls included the development of a course on new views on American History.

During the period 1962-1964, Lankford published several articles and reviews including “20th Century Protestant Giving” in Methodist History, 1963, “Nettie Fowler McCormick: Profile of an American Philanthropist” for Wisconsin Magazine of History, 1963, and “The Impact of the Religious Depression Upon Protestant Benevolence 1925-1935” in the Journal of Presbyterian History, 1964.

In 1962 Lankford met Nancy Jo Zank, whom he married in 1965. In that year he left Wisconsin for a position at the Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart to teach social history. In 1966 he accepted a position as a professor of American social history at the University of Missouri. Since that time he has edited two books, Essays on American Social History, 1970 with Dave Reimers, and History of Astronomy: An Encyclopedia, 1997, and has written American Astronomy: Community, Careers, and Power, 1859-1940, 1997.

This collection predominantly documents Lankford’s personal life and his early academic career. It is arranged as CORRESPONDENCE, ACADEMIC RESEARCH PAPERS, TEACHING, PERSONAL MISCELLANY, and NANCY JO LANKFORD material.

CORRESPONDENCE contains chronologically-arranged personal and professional letters from friends, family, colleagues, and prospective employers. Most of the letters center around events in Lankford’s personal life such as his marriage, divorce, health, ideologies and career moves. The most valuable material illustrates the time, frustration, dedication, and study put forth by young historians. The earlier correspondence documents Lankford’s youthful interest in astronomy through exchanges with such notable astronomers as AAVSO recorder Leon Campbell, Margaret Mayall and Walter Haas. The remainder discusses religion, ideas about history and social reform, marriage, health, and the events in his own life as well as the lives of his friends, family, and professional associates. The other significant theme in the correspondence is the development of Lankford’s benevolence theories.

ACADEMIC RESEARCH PAPERS contains papers written during college for classes and Lankford’s Ph.D. thesis. Later papers written as a professor contain articles for publication and reviews of other’s works. This papers are in chronological order and they outline the development of Lankford's ideas.

TEACHING includes class notes, syllabi, test questions and outlines of paper assignments for classes taught by Lankford at River Falls as an Associate Professor and in Madison as a teaching assistant. These papers are separated by school and arranged by course level thereunder.

PERSONAL MISCELLANY is comprised of various documents such as some amateur astronomical work, clippings, copyrights and book reviews, poetry written while in high school, reports of the River Falls ARC archivist, preliminary Ph.D. examinations, and several instructional letters Lankford wrote describing how his papers should be processed. Also included are scholastic awards, one test from a class taught by Dr. Beale, and two travel journals and one travel paper written as a high school student. They are arranged alphabetically.

The NANCY JO LANKFORD papers include a smattering of academic papers (1962-1964), two baby books and some personal memorabilia such as high school and college diplomas and a high school graduation program.

Use Restrictions

Use of this collection requires the permission of Nancy Lankford.

Acquisition Information

Presented by John Lankford, Purchase, New York. Accession Number: M65-189

M65-189	Series: Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   1-16	1948-1962
Box   2 Folder   1-6	1963-1964
Box   3 Folder   1-5	1965-1966, 1968
Box   3 Folder   6-8	Undated correspondence
Box   4 Folder   1	Undated correspondence (continued)
Box   4 Folder   2-5	Series: Academic Papers, 1951-1964	⇧
	Series: Teaching Notes	⇧
Box   5 Folder   1-2	University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1959-1960, undated
Box   5 Folder   3	Wisconsin State College-River Falls, 1961-1964
	Series: John Lankford Personal Miscellany	⇧
Box   5 Folder   4	Amateur astronomical work, circa 1950-1955
Box   5 Folder   5	Clippings, 1951-1963
Box   5 Folder   6	Copyrights and book reviews, 1962, 1964
Box   5 Folder   7	Divorce papers, 1961
Box   5 Folder   8	Instructional letters, 1966
Box   5 Folder   9	Memorabilia, 1949-1966
Box   6 Folder   2	Oberlin journal, 1952
Box   7 Folder   2-3	Photographs of family and friends, mainly 1940s-1950s
Box   5 Folder   10	Preliminary Ph.D. examinations, 1965
Box   5 Folder   11	Poetry, circa 1955
Box   5 Folder   12	River Falls Area Research Center reports, 1962-1964
Box   5 Folder   13	River Falls biennial survey, 1964
Box   5 Folder   14	Scholastic awards and diplomas, 1946-1962
Box   7 Folder   1	Scrapbook, 1957
Box   5 Folder   15	Speech, 1964
Box   5 Folder   16	Test, 1957
Box   6 Folder   1	Travel journals and paper, 1951-1952
	Series: Nancy Jo Lankford Personal Miscellany	⇧
Box   6 Folder   3-4	Baby books, 1942-1947
Box   6 Folder   5	Academic papers, circa 1962-1964
Box   6 Folder   6	Diplomas, 1960-1964