Isabel Gaddis Collection
Scope and Contents
The Isabel Gaddis Collection extensively covers Dobie’s lengthy career from the early 1920s to his death on September 18th, 1964. The collection contains hundreds of newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and books, all of which are written by or are about J. Frank Dobie. Also included in the collection are photos, correspondence both to and from Dobie, smaller pamphlets, an extensive collection of Dobie’s weekly Sunday column in San Antonio Light, excerpts by Dobie, manuscripts, and photos and articles concerning “Dobie Day” and the formal donation of the Gaddis Collection. The book collection is cataloged separately and housed with other Dobie books in Special Collections.
*-indicates Dobie inscription (when in the title of contents)
Dates
- 1923-1981
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Southwestern University Distinctive Collections and Archives is the owner of the physical materials in the collections and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from SU Distinctive Collections and Archives before any publication use. Distinctive Collections does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners. Consult repository for more details.
Biographical / Historical
Isabel Maltsberger Gaddis was an avid collector of the works of the well-known folklorist, humorist and scholar J. Frank Dobie. Gaddis met Dobie when he was her professor at the University of Texas, where she graduated with a major in journalism. She later completed graduate work at Columbia University and then returned to Texas to teach in the Cotulla public schools. She eventually enrolled at Our Lady of the Lake College in San Antonio, becoming a school librarian. Her son is the well-known US historian, John Lewis Gaddis.
Dobie and Gaddis became friends and Dobie visited the Gaddis family frequently. The various letters and photos in this collection give evidence to the warm friendship and intellectual camaraderie between the two. Dobie often sent Mrs. Gaddis copies of his books with personal inscriptions and he sought her advice and editorial skills. They co-edited a collection of Dobie’s short stories, I’ll Tell You a Tale.
Both J. Frank Dobie and his wife Bertha Mckee Dobie (whose papers Southwestern holds) were 1911 graduates of Southwestern University. Southwestern University campus recognized Gaddis with a “Dobie-Gaddis Day” celebration on the day of her formal donations of her collection, on October 27, 1970. In addition to the Gaddis Collection, the university also has another significant Dobie collection, The Clara Harmon Lewis Collection of Dobie Material, as well as several other smaller collections.
Extent
9.75 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the SU Distinctive Collections & Archives Repository