March 18, 1994

Contact: Helen Dalrymple (202) 707-1940

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Manuscript Division Publishes 1992 Acquisitions Report

From the papers of theologian Reinhold Niebuhr to the records of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the recently published 1992 issue of "Library of Congress Acquisitions: Manuscript Division" reflects the breadth and diversity of the Library's manuscript collections and the institution's commitment to build on its strengths. With one exception, all the acquisitions featured in the 1992 report represent important additions to collections begun years earlier.

Amassing and assembling these collections required persistence and patience spanning years and even decades. Many of these collections have now been processed as part of the Library's arrearage reduction effort and are available for research use.

Among the collections featured in the 79-page, illustrated report are the papers of Daniel Roberdeau, an important but little-known Revolutionary War leader; Jeremiah S. Black, United States attorney general and secretary of state during President James Buchanan's administration; the seafaring Palmer and Loper families of Stonington, Connecticut; Merritt A. Edson, one of the most distinguished Marine Corps officers of World War II; theologian and ethicist Reinhold Niebuhr, who was once called "the greatest living political philosopher of America" by noted political scientist Hans J. Morgenthau; and Elliot Richardson, a prominent lawyer, politician, and Cabinet official who held important positions under four U.S. presidents.

Also included is an article on the records of one of the premier civil rights organizations of the 20th century, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and a lively piece on editor Ken McCormick's collection of files documenting the Doubleday & Company publishing histories of some of this century's most important intellectual and cultural personalities.

Although "Library of Congress Acquisitions: Manuscript Division, 1992" describes only a few collections in depth, others are mentioned in articles of a more general nature, and all acquisitions are listed in tabular form at the end of the report.

A bibliography of Manuscript Division publications, including finding aids, registers, guides, and brochures, follows the acquisitions table. Single copies of "Library of Congress Acquisitions: Manuscript Division, 1992" are available free upon request from the Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Washington, D.C. 20540-4780.

Researchers interested in consulting any of the division's collections are advised to write or telephone the Manuscript Reading Room at (202) 707-5387 prior to visiting. Many processed and nearly all unprocessed collections are stored off site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.

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PR 94-056
3/18/94
ISSN 0731-3527