Collection of Thornton Wilder Materials
Scope and Contents
The Thornton Wilder collection consists of material created by Wilder during his time at Lawrenceville and material about Wilder that was created posthumously. Notable documents include correspondence with Head Master Abbott, various school administrators, and the Wilder family, an article Wilder wrote about The Lawrenceville School, and pages from an Our Town manuscript that he donated to the school.
Dates
- 1921 - 2012
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research use.
Conditions Governing Use
Single photocopies and digital photographs may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Archivist. Researchers are responsible for determining any other copyright questions.
Biographical / Historical
Thornton Wilder was born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1897 to Amos Parker Wilder and Isabella Niven Wilder. Amos Parker Wilder's work as a United States diplomat resulted in the Wilder family moving to China during Thornton's childhood. The Wilder family eventually relocated to California in 1912. After graduating from high school, Wilder attended Purdue University Law School. He withdrew after two years to enlist in the Coast Guard where he served during Word War I. Wilder returned home upon the completion of his military service and returned to college. He graduated with a B.A. from Yale University in 1920. He continued his studies at Princeton University, completing a M.A. in French in 1926.
Wilder arrived at Lawrenceville in 1921. He served The Lawrenceville School as assistant house master of Davis House, French instructor, and advisor to The Lit. During his Lawrenceville tenure, he published The Trumpet Shall Sound, The Cabala, and The Bridge of San Luis Rey, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1928. Wilder resigned from Lawrenceville in 1928.
After leaving Lawrenceville, Wilder taught at the University of Chicago and published Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, Our Town (1938) and The Skin of Our Teeth (1942). Wilder enlisted in the army at the outset of World War II, and eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Army Air Force. After his discharge from the army, Wilder continued to write and teach. He died on December 7, 1975.
Extent
0.42 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The Thornton Wilder collection is arranged alphabetically by subject.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection includes various gifts from Thornton Wilder and his family. Portions of Lawrenceville material was transferred to the Archives from the Office of the Head Master.
Appraisal
Appraisal has been conducted in accordance with The Lawrenceville School Stephan Archives guidelines.
Existence and Location of Copies
Digitized images are in Preservica. Selected items are available to view.
Bibliography
Processing Information
The collection was processed by Casey Babcock in January of 2012. The collection was reprocessed by Peter K. Steinberg in June, 2022.
- Abbott, Elsie Twining
- Abbott, Mather Almon
- Education, Secondary -- United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- High school students' writings Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- High school teachers -- United States. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Lawrenceville (N.J.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Lawrenceville School -- History Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- The Lawrenceville School Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- magazines (periodicals) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- manuscripts (document genre) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- newspaper clippings Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- plays (document genre) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- programs (documents) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Title
- Collection of Thornton Wilder Material: Finding Aid
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Casey Babcock
- Date
- March 22, 2012
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the The Lawrenceville School Stephan Archives Repository
