Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Walker, Constance.
Title:	Constance Walker Papers
Inclusive Dates:	1939-1975
Quantity:	13 linear ft.
Abstract:	Papers of the American poet, artist (1898-1975). Collection contains correspondence (1942-1973); scrapbooks (1940-1972); manuscript and published poems; memorabilia, including articles about Constance Walker, and photographs. Notable correspondents include Alben Barkley, Hubert H. Humphrey, John V. Lindsay, Edward R. Murrow, Eleanor Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, and Harry S. Truman.
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

Constance Walker (1898-1975) was an award-winning American poet and artist.

Walker was born in 1898 in Englewood, New Jersey. While still a child she moved to California where she remained for the rest of her life. Her creative activity began around 1940 when a long, illness limited her physical capacity. The desert, where she spent her convalescence, had a great influence on her poetry. The Courage of Joshua, her self-illustrated booklet of poems, shows this influence. Walker is also well-known for her poem "Pray for Peace" which was reprinted in over twenty-five different publications, used on radio programs, and set to music by Edith Van Gilluwe.

In addition to publishing her poetry in numerous poetry journals, anthologies and newspapers, Walker has also designed and written greetings for card companies such as Hallmark.

Walker has received many awards and citations for her poetry and has been listed by such publications as Marquis Who's Who in American Women (2nd and 4th editions), Dictionary of International Biography (1964-1965), and International Who's Who in Poetry (1958, 1970-1971).

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Constance Walker Papers consist of artwork, biographical material, correspondence, memorabilia, personal files, published material, scrapbooks, subject files and writings. Because the material arrived in three separate accessions which have not been physically integrated, related material may be scattered in several different boxes. Material is listed in a logical, rather than physical, order in the inventory below.

Artwork contains prints of Antelope Valley and other items.

Correspondence includes both incoming and outgoing. Letters of note include those from the following:

• A. W. Barkley, 7 Aug 1952
• Hubert Humphrey, 3 Jun 1960
• John V. Lindsay, 8 Aug 1972
• Edward R. Murrow, 7 Sep 1956
• Eleanor Roosevelt, 30 Dec 1957 and 23 Dec 1946
• Adlai Stevenson, 20 Dec 1952, 20 Apr 1954, 27 Oct 1960, and 3 Jan 1964
• Harry S. Truman, 10 Feb 1953

Memorabilia contains awards and greeting cards.

Personal records contains lists of book donations and published poems, and membership reports of the National League of American Pen Women spanning thirty years.

Published material contains material about Walker; published material by Walker is located in Writings, in the subseries Published material.

Scrapbooks include general scrapbooks as well as three volumes relating to specific works: The Courage of Joshua, "Pray for Peace," and "Chaparral."

Subject files include Christmas cards, church programs in which Walker's work appears, photographs, and addition material related to The Courage of Joshua and Pray for Peace.

Writings, the largest part of the collection, includes jokes, verses for Hallmark Cards, and other items in addition to the substantial amount poetry of various forms (haikus, quatrains, and even a few set to music). Formats include typescripts and published material such as magazines, newspaper clippings, and anthologies in which Walker's work appears.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Because the collection consists of several accessions which have not been physically integrated, arrangement varies. In general, material is arranged alphabetically.

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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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Subject Headings

Persons

Subjects

Genres and Forms

Occupations

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Constance Walker Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Finding Aid Information

Created by: -
Date: Jul 1967
Revision history: 13 Jul 1978 - additions (DMB); 28 Sep 1978 - additions (DMB); 19 May 2010 - converted to EAD (MRC); 05 Aug 2022 - collection rearranged and rehoused into new document and oversize boxes, linear feet updated (DTF)

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Inventory

	Artwork
Box 1		Prints of Antelope Valley
Box 14		Miscellaneous 1953

	Biographical data
Box 1		Miscellaneous

	Correspondence
Box 1		Incoming 1946
Box 1		Outgoing 1954
Box 1		Miscellaneous 1942-1973

	Memorabilia
		See also Scrapbooks.
Box 1		Awards 1939-1975
Box 14		Awards 1951-1972
Oversize 1		Awards 1965-1972
Box 1		Awards 1968-1971
Box 1		Greeting cards

	Personal records
Box 1		Book donations 1973
Box 1		List of poems accepted and published
Box 1		Member achievement reports for National League of American Pen Women 1948-1975

	Published material
Box 1		Articles about Constance Walker
Box 14		Articles about Constance Walker
		Material by Constance Walker
			See Writings: Poems: Published material for published material by Walker.

	Scrapbooks
Box 14		The Courage of Joshua
Box 1		Greetings
Box 1		Pray for Peace 1943-1966
Box 1		Presenting Drawings and Writings by Constance Walker
Box 1		The Story of Chaparral 1946-1972
Oversize 2		[General] 1940-1946
Oversize 2		[General] 1943-1956
Oversize 3		[General] 1948-1951, 1972-1975
Oversize 4		[General] 1956-1971

	Subject files
Box 2		Christmas cards 1962, undated
Box 2		Church programs, with Walker's work 1955
Box 2		Club programs, The Schubert Club of Los Angeles 1943-1945
Box 2		Material relating to "The Courage of Joshua" 1947, undated
			See also Scrapbooks: Courage of Joshua.
Box 2		Material relating to "Pray for Peace" 1956-1957, 1962
			See also Scrapbooks: Pray for Peace.
Box 2		Photographs of Walker 1940, 1945

	Writings
Box 2		Jokes and humor
Box 2		Miscellaneous
		Poetry
Box 14			About Constance Walker 1975
Box 2			Award-winning poems 1968-1969
Box 14			Complete list of Walker's poems
Box 2			Hallmark Cards freelance class 1968-1971
Box 2			Hallmark Cards verses 1968-1969
Box 2			Holographs, A-R (4 folders)
Box 3			Holographs, A-R (2 folders)
Box 3			Holographs, miscellaneous
Box 3			Holographs and typescripts 1941-1942
Box 3			Last poems
Box 14			Set to music
Box 3			Song with cover sketch by Walker, "Chaparral" 1955
			Typescripts
Box 3				A-N (4 folders)
Box 4				O-Z (4 folders)
Box 4				Cinquains
Box 4				Couplets
Box 4				Haiku
Box 4				Quatrains
Box 4				Slogans
Box 4				Tanka
			Published material
Box 5				Anthologies containing Walker poems (14 volumes)
Box 6				Anthologies containing Walker poems (16 volumes)
Box 7				Anthologies containing Walker poems (15 volumes)
Box 8				Anthologies containing Walker poems (13 volumes)
Box 9				Anthologies containing Walker poems (3 volumes)
Box 9				Book by Walker, Cheeriodes 1957
Box 9				Magazines containing Walker's poems (33 issues)
Box 10				Magazines containing Walker's poems (48 issues)
Box 11				Magazines containing Walker's poems (55 issues)
Box 12				Magazines containing Walker's poems (39 issues)
Box 13				Magazines containing Walker's poems (17 issues)
Box 4				Newspaper clippings of Walker's work 1965-1969
Box 15				Newspapers (3 folders)
Box 15				Miscellaneous booklets, etc. (13 items)

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