Collection inventory

---

Return to finding aids search

---

Karen Lee Hunt Family Collection

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

Finding aid created by: Cara A. Howe and Rachael Signy
Date: 2013

Revision history:
Jun 2016	Stylistic changes (VSOM)
Feb 2018	Stylistic changes (VSOM)
July 2024	Media processed, inventory updated (VSOM)

Biography

Karen Lee Hunt (1968-1988) was among the 270 victims of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21, 1988. Karen was a Syracuse University junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She majored in English with a minor in journalism and hoped to be a magazine writer. Karen wrote poetry and kept a journal that was returned to her family after the crash. During her stay in London, Karen took great care to buy gifts for her family and friends. One gift of a teapot, bought for her mother Peggy, survived the crash. Karen was a sister of the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women and is remembered by family and friends as "a warm and caring person who embodied goodness" and had a "generous spirit." She was survived by her parents, Bob and Peggy, and a younger sister, Robyn.

Scope and Content Note

The Karen Lee Hunt Family Collection contains the series Audiovisual materials, Condolences, Correspondence, Photographs, and Subject files. The bulk of this collection consists of reproductions, unless otherwise noted.

Audiovisual materials contains copies of "Song For Karen," a tribute song for Karen Lee Hunt and the other victims of Pan Am Flight 103 written by Richard Newbegin in 1991. Also included are home movies from the Hunt family, footage of Karen at Syracuse University, news coverage of the Pan Am Flight 103 disaster from local broadcasts in the Rochester, New York region, and memorial videos dedicated to Karen.

Condolences includes many of the letters and cards that the Hunt family received after Karen’s death. They range from family friends and relatives, to Karen’s friends from elementary, high school, and university.

Correspondence contains letters from David Johnston, Richard Newbegin, and Ella Ramsden. Ella Ramsden lived in Park Place in Lockerbie during the Lockerbie disaster. She was in her home when Pan Am Flight 103 crashed and her roof was sheared off by the plane. A few years after the disaster, Richard Newbegin’s mother moved to Lockerbie and became friends with Ella. When he came to visit his mother they went to Dryfesdale Cemetery where he saw Karen’s plaque. It was then that Newbegin decided to write "Song For Karen." He wanted to share the song with Karen’s family, but had no way to contact them. His mother gave a copy to Ella. Around this time David Johnston, a Scottish police officer assigned to the Lockerbie disaster case came to see Ella to say goodbye as he was going home to Glasgow. David Johnston had been assigned to the Hunt family as their official contact. When he saw the tape and Ella Ramsden told him the story behind it he decided to take it back to the police station. It was soon decided that the family should know about the song and correspondence between Richard Newbegin and the Hunt family began.

Photographs includes portraits of Karen, prom photos, and a photo of a plaque located in Franklin Lake, New Jersey. There are also photos of Richard Newbegin and his family.

Subject Files includes two sketches of Karen drawn by Margaret Paxton, of Alnwick England, and digital versions of the newspaper clipping album created by the Hunt family concerning the Pam Am Flight 103 disaster and Karen. The clippings are dated between 1988 and 2009.

A significant portion of this collection consists of reproductions of original material retained by the Hunt family.

Alternative Formats

Selected materials from this collection have been digitized. Please contact the archivist for further information on accessing these materials.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.

Access to audiovisual material 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 Karen Lee Hunt Family Collection. Related collections include:

On Eagle's Wings Collection

Pan Am Flight 103 Audiovisual Collection

Matthew Cox Papers

London 1988 Image Collection

Pan Am 103 Individuals Collection

Pan Am 103 Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women Collection

Remembrance Quilt Collection

Memorial websites have been created in Karen's honor. Her parents recommend Remembering Karen Lee Hunt and Memorial for Karen Lee Hunt as resources. Neither site is maintained by the Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives or Syracuse University.

Selected Search Terms

Names

Hunt family.
Hunt, Karen Lee,
Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.

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

Audiocassettes.
Compact discs.
Correspondence.
DVDs.
Photographs.
Reprodutions (derivative objects)
VHS.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Karen Lee Hunt Family Collection,
Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Robert and Peggy Hunt in 2009 and 2013. Gift of Lauren Henry in 2014.

Processing Information

Materials were placed in acid-free folders and boxes. Photographs were placed in protective sleeves.

Arrangement

The collecton is arranged alphabetically within each series.

Location of Originals

Unless otherwise noted in the inventory, original materials were retained by the donors.

Table of Contents

Audiovisual material

Condolences

Correspondence

Photographs

Subject files

Inventory

	Correspondence
Box 1		Campbell, Peggy August 1992
Box 1		Henry, Lauren circa 1986-1988  Letter to Lauren Henry from Karen Hunt  Letter to Lauren Henry from Karen Hunt
Box 1		Johnston, David August 1992
Box 1		Newbegin, Richard about 'Song For Karen" February 1992-March 1992
Box 1		Newbegin, Richard March 1992-October 2009, undated (9 folders)
Box 1		Ramsden, Ella December 1992
Box 1		Tesauro, Joni December 1988 - February 1989

	Photographs
Box 1		Dance recital 1978 (This folder contains original prints.)
Box 1		Johnston, David April 1992
Box 1		Karen Hunt and Lauren Henry [roommate] circa 1986  Karen Hunt and Lauren Henry (roommate) Day Hall, Floor 7
Box 1		London 1988  Karen Hunt with fellow student  Karen Hunt with fellow students at Stonehenge  Students at Stonehenge  Three London abroad students outside a London subway station  Karen Hunt and fellow London abroad students standing between columns  Karen Hunt walking to a small airport, Boulogne sur Mer  Karen Hunt and fellow London abroad students with a Christmas cake  Karen Hunt and fellow London abroad students outside near trees  Karen Hunt posing playfully with two fellow London abroad students  Karen Hunt and friend posing with two British policemen in Notting Hill Gate  Karen Hunt and fellow London abroad students gathered behind a table full of food  Three London abroad students sitting in a church
Box 1		Newbegin, Richard undated (This folder contains original prints.)  Portrait of Richard Newbegin
Box 1		Memorial plaque [Franklin Lakes, New Jersey] undated (This folder contains original prints.)  Memorial plaque for Karen Hunt
Box 1		Portraits of Karen Hunt 1968-1987 (This folder contains original prints.)  Portrait of Karen Hunt  Portrait of Karen Hunt  Portrait of Karen Hunt  Portrait of Karen Hunt for high school graduation  Portrait of Karen Hunt for Pi Beta Phi
Box 1		Prom 1985-1986 (This folder contains original prints.)  Prom portrait of Karen Hunt  Prom portrait of Karen Hunt