This finding aid is made available for public use following the Universal 1.0 Public Domain Dedication Creative Commons designation.
Finding aid in repository;folder level control
This collection is arranged in two series.
This collection is located on-site.
Researchers must acquire written permission from Mrs. Ralph Burk Dawson in order to access the collection.
The Nancy Dawson and Herman Wouk Collection is composed primarily of correspondence between Wouk and Dawson over a nine year span. There is also a small amount of subject files related to Wouk as a writer and to specific works of his.
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Nancy Dawson and Herman Wouk Collection; Box and Folder (if known); Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.
Source of acquisition--Nancy Dawson (Dawson, Mrs. Ralph Burk). Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--1968. Accession number--M-68.
Nancy Dawson (neeĢ Nancy Scott Causey) was born on May 17th 1920 in Greensboro, North Carolina. She attended the School of General Studies from 1949 to 1951 and received a B.S. in English on October 31st 1951. A few years later she began working for writer Herman Wouk. Wouk was living in the Virgin Islands with his wife Betty Sarah and their two children, Abraham and Joseph. Since Wouk was an extremely private person, he wanted few people to be able to reach him. Dawson was his point person in the United States and was often called upon to run important errands and conduct business for him. As Wouk's research assistant, Dawson sent along bibliographies, research notes, and citations for relevant texts. She also handled all of his incoming mail. Any interesting letters were passed onto Wouk, but the bulk of the letters consisted of Dawson summarizing that week's mail.
Cataloged Christina Hilton Fenn 06/--/89.
Papers processed Lea Osborne 2010/06.
Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.
Series I contains letters sent between Nancy Dawson and Herman Wouk. Topics discussed included researching needs, family life (both Dawson and Wouk), current affairs, the field of publishing, and writing.
This small series holds several files including biographical sketches about Herman Wouk used for publicity purposed, articles about his books, research notes for