Collection inventory

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David Dornstein Family Papers

An inventory of the papers at the Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: Vanessa L. St.Oegger-Menn
Date: 2016



Biography

Photograph of David Dornstein

David Dornstein (1963-1988) was among the 270 victims of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21, 1988. He was returning home to New York from Israel where he had been working on a project for Alternatives in Jewish Education. David was a 1985 graduate of Brown University, where he wrote for the campus newspaper, the Brown Daily Herald, and studied writing. His copious notebooks, journals, and correspondence provide a glimpse into the mind of a young man remembered by friends as "incandescent, a Roman candle, a sparkler burning bright in everybody's night" as well as "a little crazy and a little rebellious."

Prior to his work and travel in Israel, Dornstein had set out to see America on a Greyhound bus. He carried with him a worn copy of Jack Kerouac's On the Road, which he left at a bus stop at the end of his trip in hopes that it would continue to travel without him. "He was the least boring person you'll ever meet,"


Scope and Content Note

The David Dornstein Family Papers contain the personal journals, recordings, correspondence and writings of Pan Am Flight 103 victim David Dornstein. Also included are materials related to memorial services and awards created in his honor, and compilations of notes and interviews compiled and conducted by his brother, filmmaker Ken Dornstein, following David's death. The collection has been divided into the following series:

Audiovisual materials contains audio recordings of David Dornstein, as well as his short film "Reiss Ranter."

Clippings consists of news articles by and about David Dornstein and the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.

Correspondence includes condolences received by the Dornstein family following David's death, as well as subseries for the personal correspondence of David Dornstein, Ken Dornstein (his brother) and Dr. Perry Dornstein (his father). David Dornstein's correspondence includes letters and postcards to family, friends, and mentors. Please note access to the personal correspondence of David Dornstein is available by permission of the donor only. The subseries for Ken Dornstein and Dr. Perry Dornstein contain material related to the death of David Dornstein, the return of his personal effects from Lockerbie, Scotland, and various awards and honors established in his memory.

Notebooks comprises the extensive personal journals and notes of David Dornstein from September 1981 through March 1988, as well as supporting documentation compiled by Ken Dornstein. Please note access to the personal notebooks of David Dornstein is available by permission of the donor only.

Subject files is divided into subseries for David Dornstein and Ken Dornstein. The latter includes high school and college course work of David Dornstein, as well as information on memorials and vital documents. The subseries for Ken Dornstein consists entirely of interviews conducted as part of an oral history project pertaining to his brother's life.

Writings includes pieces written by David Dornstein for the Brown Daily Herald, and a piece by Ken Dornstein reflecting on his brother's death published in the New Yorker.


Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

Access to the personal correspondence and notebooks of David Dornstein shall be granted by permission of the donor, or the donor's designated representative. All access restrictions to these materials will expire 21 December 2038. Access to recordings requires advance notice to produce a use copy.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from the Pan Am Flight 103 Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.


Related Material

The Pan Am Flight 103 Archives contains additional materials and information related to the David Dornstein Family Papers. Related collections include:

Ken Dornstein Papers

On Eagles' Wings Collection

Pan Am Flight 103 Publications Collection


Selected Search Terms

Names

Dornstein family.
Dornstein, David, 1963-1988.
Dornstein, Ken.
Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.

Associated Titles

The Boy Who Fell Out of the Sky.

Subjects

Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing Incident, 1988.
Terrorism -- Government Policy -- United States -- Case Studies.
Terrorism -- Government Policy -- United States -- History.
Terrorism -- Government Policy -- United States.
Terrorism -- History -- 20th Century.
Lockerbie (Scotland)

Types of Material

Correspondence.
Notebooks.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

David Dornstein Family Papers,
Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Ken Dornstein, 2016.

Processing Information

The David Dornstein Family Papers are fully processed. Materials were removed from three-ring binders and rehoused in acid-free folders. All materials have been placed in acid-free folders and boxes.


Arrangement

The David Dornstein Family Papers are arranged alphabetically and chronologically within series.


Table of Contents

Audiovisual materials

Clippings

Correspondence

Notebooks

Subject files

Writings


Inventory