Rupert Taylor Journals

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: Mss-0244

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of four journal volumes, two pages of notes and an advertisement tipped into one of the volumes, and six photographs, which were also tipped into one of the volumes. The first volume covers the period April 5, 1907-May 17, 1909, the second June 1, 1909-March 13, 1911, the third March 18, 1911-December 31, 1913, and the fourth January 4, 1914-December 1, 1926. The journals have numerous gaps; there are no journal entries for 1915-1916 and 1922 and only one or two journal entries for 1921 and 1923-1925. The advertisement, notes, and photographs are undated.

The journals describe Taylor's life as a student and instructor at the University of Arkansas and Columbia University, as well as his post-graduate teaching at Trinity School and the Hebrew Technical Institute. Most of the entries concern his social life -- the Kappa Alpha fraternity, the Columbia University English Club, attending sporting events, card playing, dating, etc. -- and in particular the numerous theatrical performances Taylor attended while living in New York, many of which he describes and critiques. He talks about his writing and his attempts to have it published; short examples of his poetry are included in the journals. Some of Taylor's trips home to Arkansas from New York are described, and news about his family is contained in a number of entries. Current events are also mentioned, such as the Halley's Comet, the death of Edward VI of Great Britain, the assassination of Prince Ito of Japan, the Mexican Revolution and the American intervention, the events leading up to World War I, and national and New York City politics. His world War I entries include descriptions of camp life in Arkansas, of African-American recruits arriving in training camp, and his service in Italy. The advertisement is for the book "Teaching Literature" by Edwin Greenlaw and Dudley Miles, and the notes are a synopsis and a list of names of characters in/for a story or play. The photographs show Taylor playing with a dog.

Dates

1907 - 1926

Creator

Taylor, Rupert, 1883- (other_unmapped, Person)

Biographical Note

Rupert Taylor was born on August 13, 1883 in Corning, Arkansas. He graduated from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville in 1903 and a received master's degree from the same institution in 1907. He earned a doctorate from Columbia University (New York, NY) in 1911. During World War I Taylor served in the Adjutant General Corps and was posted as the confidential assistant to the military attache i nthe American Embassy at Rome. He later became chief of the Bureau of Economics for Western Europe, United States Intelligence Division. Starting in 1909 he was an instructor in English and in the Department of Extension at Columbia and became a lecturer in English in 1920. From 1921-1926 Taylor was the dean of faculty and head of the English Department at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. He was also prinicipal of Texarkana, TX High School, an instructor at the University of Arkansas from 1905-1907, a general tutor at Trinity School in New York City and English instructor at the Hebrew Technical Institute in New York City. Taylor joined the Clemson faculty as an Associate Professor of English in 1927, became a full professor in 1943 and retired in 1957. He is credited with starting the first course on Shakespear at the University. Taylor died January 17, 1964 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.