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Donald De Lue Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: --
Date: Feb 1967

Biographical History

Donald De Lue (1897-1988) was an American sculptor and medallist. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he studied at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and spent several years in Paris. He is perhaps best known for his 45-foot high sculpture of the "Rocket Thrower," commissioned for and exhibited at the New York World's Fair in the Plaza of the Astronauts. This figure is familiar not only to those who have visited the Fair but to people all over the world, as it was reproduced in the official World's Fair postage stamp.

De Lue lived in Leonardo, New Jersey for much of his career but maintained a studio in New York City. He taught at the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design in New York City during the early 1940s. He also did work for the Boy Scouts of America, Carnegie Technical Institute, the United States Naval Academy, and West Point Academy, and served as Advance Editor for American Artist Magazine and as Chairman of the Hall of Fame for Great Americans at New York University.

Over his career he received numerous recognitions, including a Guggenheim Fellowship from the National Institute of Arts and Letters and several gold medals, one from the Architectural League and one from the National Sculpture Association. In 1960 he won two Henry Hering Awards (given by the National Sculpture Society) for his Omaha Beach Memorial in Normandy, France and for the Stations of the Cross at the Loyola Jesuit Seminary in Shrub Oak, New York. In 1967, De Lue won the American Numismatic Society's Saltus Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Art of the Medal.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Donald De Lue Papers consist of correspondence, subject files, manuscripts, published materials and sketches.

Correspondence includes both incoming and outgoing. Subject files consists of a few dedications but mostly of photographs of Mr. De Lue and his work.

Manuscripts contain one paper written by Mr. De Lue. Published material includes books, magazine articles and newspaper clippings about Mr. De Lue and his work, magazine articles and a book review by him, pamphlets about his work and a postage stamp with his work represented on it. Sketches includes three pencil sketch studies on illustration board (circa 1954).

Arrangement of the Collection

Correspondence is subdivided into incoming and outgoing; incoming is arranged alphabetically by author, outgoing is arranged chronologically. Subject files and Published material are arranged alphabetically by type, and then (where possible) in chronological order.

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.

Subject Headings

Persons

De Lue, Donald, 1897-1988.

Subjects

Art, American -- 20th century.
Sculptors -- United States.
Sculpture, American -- 20th century.

Genres and Forms

Articles.
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence.
Photographs.
Sketches.

Occupations

Artists.
Sculptors.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Donald De Lue Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Donald De Lue.

Table of Contents

Correspondence

Subject files

Manuscripts

Published material

Sketches

Inventory