The papers primarily cover the years 1962-1973 and include correspondence, biographical material, clippings, writings, audio recordings, a film, and personal papers of Rocky Versace and Sister Mary Aquinas. Although half of the collection deals with Mrs. Versace's literary career, a student of the Vietnam War era will find this portion of the collection of considerable interest for the Versace family experiences form the subject for several of her literary works. The 1966 draft of “Embroglio” and the diary-like “Rocky's Book” are particularly informative, providing much information that is missing from the general correspondence. The collection is organized in two main categories: Rocky Versace's Papers, and Tere Rios Versace's Papers.
Rocky Versace's papers include biographical material and memorabilia documenting his education and service record, correspondence from individuals other than family members (primarily concerning his desire to become a Catholic missionary), military training material, and Vietnam memoranda and briefing books.
Tere Rios Versace's Papers contain biographical material (some available on microfilm), correspondence, writings, and research material on Sister Mary Aquinas and the POW situation. The general correspondence includes letters to and from family members, friends, sympathizers, publishers, military personnel, and government officials. Prominent and frequent correspondents include Harold K. Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert Kastenmeier, William Proxmire, and Norodom Sihanouk. These exchanges concern Rocky's capture, family matters, and book publishing negotiations. Also grouped with the family correspondence are cassette recordings exchanged with Rocky while he was in Vietnam.
Writings include the aforementioned works about Rocky's capture, as well as “Some Years Are Longer Than Others,” a more general discussion of the POW problem. Many of these works are present in more than one draft, although some of the drafts are very incomplete. Unfortunately, Mrs. Versace's best known work of fiction, The Flying Nun, is not well documented, although there is one draft version and a draft of the television pilot which was not written by Mrs. Versace.
Following the writings are research material and clippings gathered for use on her writing about POWs (available on microfilm) and the personal papers of Sister Mary Aquinas, which were given to Mrs. Versace for use in writing the Sister's biography. The latter includes four undated tape recordings and transcripts, biographical sketches and four chapters of an unidentified biography, a film of a 1956 Studio One program based on her life, general correspondence annotated by Sister Aquinas, microfilmed clippings, and junior high school textbooks on science, civics, and religion written by the Sister. The correspondence deals with science teaching techniques, aviation, and speaking engagements. There is also fan mail and exchanges with Sister Thomas More, a Franciscan nun, who also attempted to write Sister Aquinas' biography. Some letters from Colonel Barney Oldfield may also be noted.
Miscellany includes notes relating to Mrs. Versace's teaching at the Rhinelander School of the Arts, a transcript of an interview with Father Bartholomew Kestell (tape not in the collection), and a speech by James N. Rowe, who was captured with Rocky Versace.
