Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Garis, Roger, 1901-1967.
Title:	Roger Garis Papers
Inclusive Dates:	1855-1965
Quantity:	8 linear ft.
Abstract:	Papers of the American author and journalist. Correspondence (1932-1965) with family, authors, editors, publishers, lawyers, and literary agents; Garis family photographs and memorabilia; typescript articles, autobiograpy, essays, fiction, and plays. Correspondents include Brooks Atkinson, Josephine Lawrence, Arthur Mizener, José Quintero, Christiane Renauld, and Edward Barry Roberts.
Language:	English
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Roger Carroll Garis (1901-1967) was an American author and journalist. Over his career he wrote books for both children and adults as well as plays, short stories, and newspaper articles. His father, Howard R. Garis, was the author of the Uncle Wiggily stories and his mother, Lilian C. McNamara Garis, wrote books for girls.

Born September 10, 1901 in Newark, New Jersey, Roger Garis was educated at St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey, attended Princeton and Columbia Universities and graduated from New Jersey Law School with an LLB degree.

After serving a law clerkship, 1924-1925, Mr. Garis began his writing career by working for the Edward L. Stratemeyer syndicate specializing in books for boys, and soon began freelance writing of short stories for such magazines as Colliers, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, The American Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post and Liberty. He was a member of the staff of the Newark, New Jersey, Evening News from 1930-1935 and a special writer for the Waterbury, Connecticut, Republican. For the latter paper, he covered the Waterbury Conspiracy Trial which won the paper the Pulitzer Prize of 1939. He also served on the staff of the New York Times Magazine and was the author of plays and television dramas. During World War II, he was head head publications editor for the Office of War Information.

Mr. Garis was the author of Never Take Candy From a Stranger (1960) and My Father Was Uncle Wiggily (1966). His play The Pony Cart was produced in London and New York (1954-1960).

Mr. Garis's 1937 marriage to Adine Haviland was dissolved and in 1941, he married Mabel Robinson Burns. Of this marriage, there were three children: Leslie Ann, Roger Brooks, and Howard John. Mr. Garis and his family resided at Amherst, Massachusetts, at the time of his death on October 3, 1967.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Roger Garis Papers consists of correspondence, memorabilia, and writings.

Correspondence, 1932-1965, is with magazine editors, publishers, literary agents, motion picture producers, lawyers, friends and relatives. It is concerned with the writing and publishing of Mr. Garis's manuscripts, the production of his plays, and financial, legal and personal matters. Included are carbon copies of Office of War Information memoranda, 1942-1944. Literary agents with whom there is significant correspondence include Annie Laurie Williams, Inc. (1951-1957), Curtis Brown, Ltd. (1936-1959), Leland Hayward, Inc. (1936), MCA (Management Corporation of America) Artists, Ltd. (1956-1957), Peter Witt Associates (1957-1958), Rogers Terrill (1953-1963), and William Morris Agency (1948-1958). Significant individual correspondents include Brooks Atkinson (1954), Winthrop S. Dakin (1948-1964), Glen Farmer (1957-1960), Harold Freedman (1957-1960), Howard Garis (1949), Mabel Garis (1932-1951), Josephine Lawrence (1936-1937), Arthur M. Mizener (1951), Jose Quintero (1957), Christiane Renault (1932), and Edward Barry Roberts (1951-1957).

Memorabilia, 1920-1965, consists of biographical material, financial papers, material relating to family members and friends including genealogy, miscellaneous Office of War Information material, and photographs. Financial papers include bank books, promissory notes, contracts, leases, earnings reports, receipts, and wills and codicils.

Writings, 1934-1965, include articles, biography, fiction, letters to the editor, a magazine, The Pioneer (1949), published by Mr. Garis, notes, plays, poems, radio programs, a screen play, a television series, and writings for the Office of War Information. Also included here are a few manuscripts by other authors.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Correspondence is arranged chronologically except for family (Howard J. Garis, Mabel Garis and Leslie Garis), which are filed at the end of correspondence. Memorabilia is arranged alphabetically by subject. Writings are subdivided into those by Garis and those by others. Writings by Garis are arranged alphabetically by type; within each group, works are arranged alphabetically by title. Writings by others are alphabetical by author's name.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

Special Collections Research Center has the papers of more than thirty children's literature authors; please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for complete listing. There is also related material in both the Rare Books and the general collections; please refer to Libraries Search for more information.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Subjects

Genres and Forms

Occupations

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Roger Garis Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Mrs. Roger Garis, November 1968.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: MFA
Date: Feb 1969
Revision history: Feb 2009 - converted to EAD (MRC)

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Inventory

	Correspondence
Box 1		1932-1937
Box 1		1941-1957 (6 folders)
Box 2		1958-1965 (5 folders)
Box 2		Garis, Howard J. 1961
Box 2		Garis, Leslie 1956-1962
Box 2		Garis, Mabel 1954-1964

	Memorabilia
Box 2		Biographical material
Box 2		Delehanty, Elizabeth
		Financial papers
Box 3			Bank books and promissory notes 1942-1960
Box 3			Contracts, leases, mortgages, insurance policies 1941-1961
Box 3			Earnings 1941-1959
Box 3			Hospital and medical receipts 1952-1962
Box 3			Income tax figures and returns 1948-1961
Box 3			Scholarship statements for Leslie Garis 1961-1964
Box 3			Wills and codicils 1950
Box 4		Garis, Brooks 1951-1962 - school reports
Box 4		Garis, Howard 1960 - school reports
Box 4		Garis, Leslie 1943-1960 - school reports and miscellaneous, includes The Little Folks Animal Story Book inscribed "Grannie and Grandpa Garis 1948"
Box 4		Garis, Mabel 1942-1963 - miscellaneous
Box 4		Genealogy 1855-1900 - includes New York State Volunteers Commission, naturalization papers and muster roll
Box 4		High school yearbook, The Maroon Telelog 1920
Box 4		Mexican trip 1937
Box 4		Names and addresses
		Office of War Information
Box 4			Miscellaneous personal material 1942-1944
Box 4			Publications, Chronology of Adolf Hitler's Life by Adolf Lande Jul 1944 - reproduction
Box 5			Miscellaneous publications
Box 5		Pape, William J., publisher, Waterbury Republican Jun 12, 1940
Box 5		Passports, social security card 1927-1932
		Photographs
Box 5			Actresses, "The Pony Cart" 1954
Box 5			Dog Races
Box 5			Family
Box 5			Howard Garis
Box 5			Roger Garis
Box 5			Houses
Box 5			"Never Take Sweets From a Stranger" motion picture still
		Programs
Box 5			Roger Garis performance in The Trial 1951
Box 5			Concert, theater 1927, 1951

	Writings
Box 6		Lists of writings
		Articles
Box 6			"A Drop-Out Returns" 1964-1965 - draft A, original typescript with revisions; draft B, typescript copy; draft C, typescript copy; in Good Housekeeping; reader's comments in Good Housekeeping
Box 6			"The Pilot Who Came Back" - typescript
Box 6			"They Fly on Wings of Wind," New York Times Sep 12, 1948
Box 6			"What a System," Liberty Sep 28, 1946
Box 6			Untitled miscellaneous newspaper articles 1939
		Autobiographical
Box 6			Holograph notes, drafts A and B
		Biography
Box 6			"The Gift," - Draft A, typescript with revisions; draft B, typescript copy
			My Father Was Uncle Wiggily
Box 6				Drafts - drafts A through F, typescripts, typescript copies; some with revisions, some incomplete (6 folders)
Box 7				Drafts - draft G, typescript copy with revisions, incomplete
Box 7				Isolated pages 1962 - typescript and typescript copy with revisions
Box 7				Discards - typescript with revisions
		Essays and poems
Box 7			Notebook
		Fiction
Box 7			Amusement Park, book reviews 1934
Box 7			And Marry a Nice Girl - typescript and typescript copy
Box 7			Birds of a Feather, novel, American Feb 1945
Box 7			Busman's Holiday, Colliers Jun 2, 1945
Box 7			The Chessboard - typescript copy
Box 7			Fixed Star, serial in Country Gentlemen Nov, Dec 1944, Jan, Feb 1945 - notes, typescript and holograph
Box 7			The Game - outline only, typescript
Box 7			Get Your Girl, Liberty Nov 14, 1942
Box 7			Good-by Broadway, Liberty May 28, 1938
Box 7			Gorillas Aren't People, Liberty Feb 25, 1939
Box 7			Hard River to Hold - typescript
Box 7			Kid Brother, Cosmopolitan Feb 1943
Box 7			The Lady Dreams of Tigers - typescript copy
Box 7			Lead Story, Liberty Oct 3, 1942
Box 7			The Lifeguard - typescript
Box 7			Little Refugee, Colliers Oct 26, 1940
Box 7			Love and Paula - draft A, typescript copy; draft B, typescript
Box 7			Love Is Not Lost, Liberty Nov 6, 1967
Box 8			The Lure - drafts A and B, typescript copies (2 folders)
Box 8			Never Been Kissed - typescript with revisions
Box 8			Night Club Miracle, Liberty Mar 23, 1940
Box 8			No Rules For Women, Liberty May 22, 1937
Box 8			Nobody Else-Ever!, Redbook Mar 1948
Box 8			Pale Hands I Loved - typescript
Box 8			The Passionate Megacycle - draft A, typescript, pp. 1-303; draft B, typescript, Chapters XXIII-XXIX (3 folders)
Box 8			Petticoats Pick the Ponies - draft A, typescript copy with revisions; draft B, typescript copy
Box 8			The Pony Cart - draft A, typescript copy with revisions, incomplete; draft B, typescript copy, pp. 1-309; chapter 1, holograph and typescript, 2 versions (4 folders)
Box 9			Raid in Wyoming - typescript copy
Box 9			Remember Again, Liberty Jan 11, 1941
Box 9			The Romance Attack, Liberty Jul 24, 1943
Box 9			Saturday Night - typescript copy
Box 9			Scarlet Runner, with Howard Garis, Colliers Feb 10, 1951
Box 9			Straight, Place and Show, American Magazine Nov 1947
Box 9			Strange Glory, Liberty Aug 3, 1935
Box 9			The Stuck Pot - reproduction
Box 9			Take Care of Me Aug 6, 1962 - drafts A, typescript with revisions; draft B, typescript (2 folders)
			They Quarter the Heavens (alternate titles, University and Background)
Box 9				Research material and holograph notes
Box 9				Drafts 1960, undated - draft A, holograph; draft B, typescript copy pp. 1-339 (3 folders)
Box 10				Drafts 1962-1963, 1965, undated - drafts C-H; mix of holograph, typescripts, typescript copies, some with revisions (7 folders)
Box 10			Triangle in the Sky, Liberty Feb 27, 1937
Box 10			A Woman's Riddle at the Sphinx, Liberty Dec 12, 1936
Box 10			Women and Houses Have Secrets, Redbook Mar 1947
Box 10			A Young Man's Game, Liberty Jan 14, 1939
Box 10			Unidentified notebook - plot only, holograph
		Letters to the Editor
Box 10			1934-1960
		Magazine
Box 10			Pioneer, Roger Garis, publisher Mar 4, 18, and 25, Apr 15, 1949 - incl. profit and loss statements
		Notes
Box 10			Miscellaneous - holograph and typescript
		Plays
Box 11			Amusement Park 1957, 1959, 1960, undated - versions A-J; typescripts, typescript copies, one with revisions (10 folders)
Box 11			The Anchorage, with Jonathan Eldridge, Television's Armstrong Circle Theater Feb 1953 - draft A, mimeo; draft B, rehearsal script, mimeo.; craft C, rev, and cut, mimeo (2 folders)
Box 11			The Apartment, television play undated - draft A, typescript; draft B, typescript copy; correspondence
Box 11			The Bitter Wind, television play - drafts A and B; typescript copies (2 folders)
Box 12			The Blue Balloon - drafts A-C, typescript copies (3 folders)
Box 12			The China Shop - typescript copy
Box 12			The Corporal's Christmas, television play 1952 - draft A, typescript with revisions; draft B, typescript copy; draft C, reproduction of typescript
Box 12			Field of Battle, television play - typescript copy
Box 12			Flame Out, television play 1951 - reproduction
Box 12			Fog Station, television play - typescript and reproduction
Box 12			A Hard River to Hold - outline, typescript
Box 12			The High Places, television play 1956 - draft A, typescript with revisions; draft B, typescript copy; draft C, typescript copy
Box 13			The Inn, television play 1952, 1960 - typescript copy; published, in Television Writing and Selling by Edward Barry Roberts
Box 13			The Key, television play 1952 - typescript copy
			Lone Crusader
Box 13				Research material and notes 1963, 1964 - including copy of Lonely Crusader by Cecil Woodman Smith
Box 13				Drafts - draft A, typescript copy with revisions; draft B, typescript (2 folders)
Box 13			The Mayor - typescript
Box 13			Moment of Memory - drafts A and B, typescript copies (2 folders)
			One Hundred Red Convertibles, television play
Box 13				Drafts - draft A, typescript copy with revisions
Box 14				Drafts - draft B and C, typescript copies; draft D, reproduction (3 folders)
Box 14			Paula - typescript copy
			The Pony Cart
Box 14				Drafts - draft A, typescript copy; draft B, reproduction (2 folders)
Box 14				Press notices and programs 1954-1960
Box 14			The Prophet - typescript
Box 14			The Renegade - holograph
Box 14			The Sergeant, by Rod Serling, adapted for television by Roger Garis 1952 - reproduction
			Some Don't
Box 14				Drafts - draft A, typescript; draft B, typescript copy with revisions; draft C, typescript copy, Act 3 only (3 folders)
Box 14				Press notices and programs 1963
			Sound of Running
Box 14				Drafts - drafts A and B, typescript copies
Box 15				Drafts - draft C, typescript
			The Stuck Pot
Box 15				Drafts - drafts A-D, typescripts copies with revisions (4 folders)
Box 15				Printed material 1963
Box 15			Success Story
Box 15			Swing High, Sweet Chariot - typescript copy
Box 15			Way of Courage Mar 13, 1952 - draft A, typescript copy; draft B, typescript; draft C, reproduction (3 folders)
			Your Land and My Land
Box 15				Drafts - draft A and B, typescript copies
Box 16				Isolated pages - typescript
Box 16			Unidentified fragments
		Poems
Box 16			Miscellaneous - typescript
		Radio programs
Box 16			U.S. Mutual Security Program
		Screen plays
Box 16			"Never Take Sweets From a Stranger" by John Hunter, adapted from "The Pony Cart" by Roger Garis 1960-1961 - reproduction, press notices and advertisements (2 folders)
		Television series
Box 16			"Wing Commander" written with Barbara Merrill (proposed) 1963 - synopsis only, typescript; correspondence
		For Office of War Information
Box 16			Miscellaneous 1942-1943 - reports, typescript; notes, holograph; press releases, printed material
		By others
Box 16			Brown, Woodbridge / "The Father's Testimony" - typescript copy
Box 16			Carter, Catherine/ "Near Eastern Night Club" - typescript copy
Box 16			Garis, Cleo / "Clancy" 1952 - typescript
Box 16			Garis, Leslie / "The First Christmas" - typescript
Box 16			Kimball, James / "No Harbor" - typescript
Box 16			Lee, Ellen / "Get Up Sometime," "Supreme Court" and "Birth is a Painful Thing"
Box 16			Renault, Christiane - typescript

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