Inventory of the Thomas F. and Louise Gossett Papers

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Biographical and Historical Note

Dr. Thomas F. Gossett [1916-2005] was Professor of English at Wake Forest College/University. The Dallas native earned his bachlor's and master's degrees from Southern Methodist Universiy and his doctorate from University of Minnesota. He taught at Wesleyan College, Macon, GA until he was suspended for supporting racial integration. He also taught at Trinity University in Texas and University of Illinios at Champaign. At Wake Forest University, he taught 19th and 20th century American fiction. He is best known for his two scholarly books, Race: The History of an Idea in America (1963, reprinted 1997) and Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture (1985). He retired in 1987. He died December 11, 2005 and is survived by his wife, Dr. Louise Y. Gossett.

The Gossetts were friends of Southern author, Flannery O'Connor, after being introduced to her by Father James McCown in 1956. In March 1958, they introduced O'Connor to writer Katherine Anne Porter. The Gossetts were also friends with the poet, A.R. Ammons, who graduated from Wake Forest and who returned as poet-in-residence in 1975 to the English department at the Reynolda campus.

Louise Y. Gossett published the book, Violence in Recent Southern Fiction (1965) and articles in the journals, American Literature, Christianity and Literature, and South Atlantic Quarterly.

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Collection Overview

The Thomas F. and Louise Gossett Papers consist primarily of reviews and articles on A.R. Ammons and Flannery O'Connor collected by the Gossetts from various newspapers and periodicals. There are a few photographs of O'Connor and photocopied correspondence. There are a few letters from Ammons to the Gossetts, submissions to and issues of The Nickelodeon, and audio recordings of Ammons reading his poetry. Also included are research notes by the Gossetts on O'Connor and Ammons. The papers include Thomas F. Gossett's research notes and bibliographies for his two books, Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture and Race: the History of an Idea in America.

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Collection Inventory

• Gossett, Thomas S.: writings, ca. 1963-1986 (1986) (Contains correspondence, book reviews, and shoeboxes of research and bibliographic information generated by Gossett during the course of writing Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture and Race: The History of an Idea in America.)
  • Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture  (1963-1986) / Box 27 / Box 28 / Box 23 / Box 24 / Box 25 / Box 26 / Box 19 / Box 20 / Box 21 / Box 22 / Box 5 / Box 4 / Box 17 / Box 18 / Box 8 / Box 9 / Box 6 / Box 7 / Box 12 / Box 13 / Box 10 / Box 11 / Box 16 / Box 29 / Box 14 / Box 15 / Box 30 / Box 31 (Contains 28 shoeboxes of research, crossfile cards, and bibliographic information for Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture)
  • Race: The History of an Idea in America / Box 45 / Box 32 / Box 44 / Box 43 / Box 42 / Box 41 / Box 40 / Box 39 / Box 38 / Box 37 / Box 36 / Box 35 / Box 34 / Box 33 (Contains 14 shoeboxes of research, crossfile cards, and bibliographic information for Race: The History on an Idea in America)
  • Reviews and 2 letters about Thomas Gossett's publications / Box 1
• Ammons, A.R. / Box 2 / Box 3 / Box 1
  • Correspondence
    • Letter from Ammons, May 24, 1972 (1972)
    • Letter from Ammons, June 1, 1972
    • Holiday correspondence from Ammons
    • Two notes from Ammons with Thomas Gossett's explanations
  • Ammons at Wake Forest University (WFU)
  • Lecture notes and manuscripts on Ammons
    • Gossett's notes undated
    • Gossett's notes Sept. 1974-June 1975
    • Photocopies of poems by Ammons with Thomas Gossett's notes
    • Manuscript of Gossett's "Article on Visit of A.R. Ammons, Poet..."
    • Unpublished Article by Gossett "The Poet Next Door: Archie Ammons" (ca. 1980)
    • Biography of Ammons
    • Copy of Ammon's poem for Scales Aug. 1972 (1972)
  • Articles and clippings
    • Lectures on Ammons by H. Bloom, J. Jacobsen
    • William Harmon published poetry dedicated to Ammons
    • UNC Chapel Hill A.R. Ammons Papers Inventory #4517 (2001)
    • University of Hawai'i at Manoa concert (1995)
    • Buell, Frederick: article
    • Vendler, Helen: article (1986)
    • American Poet: 2 articles (1998-1999)
    • The American Scholar: 2 articles
    • Artview: 2 articles
    • The Bookpress  (2001)
    • Charlotte Observer: 6 articles
    • The Chronicle of Higher Education  (1974)
    • Contemporary Literature American Poetry (Missing pages)
    • Cornelldailysun.com (2001)
    • Diacritics, special issue: A.R. Ammons (1973)
    • Epoch: 2 articles
    • Greensboro News and Record
    • Harper's  (1975)
    • High Times, Whiteville Senior High  (1975)
    • The Hudson Review: 3 articles (2 articles are missing pages)
    • The Independent
    • The New Republic  (1981)
    • The News and Observer  (2001)
    • The News Reporter  (1972)
    • The New Yorker: 4 articles
    • The New York Times and  New York Times Book Review: 5 articles
    • North Carolina Literary Review
    • NC Wesleyan College Press: postcard announcement
    • The Ohio Review
    • Old Gold and Black  (1974)
    • Partisan Review: 2 articles
    • People  (1975)
    • Religion and Literature  (2002)
    • The Richmond Mercury  (1974)
    • Southern Literary Journal  (1975)
    • Southern Review  (1972)
    • The Student Magazine  (1974)
    • Summit News  (1975)
    • Time  (1974)
    • Wake Forest Review: 3 articles
    • Wake Forest University Magazine: 4 articles
    • The Walking Magazine  (1988)
    • Washington Post  (1994)
    • The Winston-Salem Journal/Sentinel: 20 articles
    • Misc. unidentified articles on Ammons
    • Misc. unidentified magazine pages on Ammons
  • Poetry readings: audio / Box 3 (Reference Copies of Archie R. Ammons reading his poetry: 8 Discs, plus 8 secondary copies as duplicates)
  • / Box 2
    • St. Nicholas News: 2 issues
    • The Pumpernickel: 2 issues
    • No. 1 (1974)
    • No. 2 (1975)
    • No. 3 (1975)
    • No. 4 (1975)
    • No. 5 (1975)
    • No. 8 (1975)
    • No. 9 (1975)
    • No. 10 (1975)
    • No. 11 (1975)
    • No. 12 (1975)
    • No. 13 (1975)
    • No. 14 (1975)
    • No. 15 (1975)
    • No. 16 (1975)
    • No. 18 (1975)
    • No. 19 (1975)
    • No. 20 (1975)
    • No. 21 (1975)
    • No. 22 (1975)
    • No. 23 (1975)
    • No. 24 (1975)
    • The Nickelodeon unpublished submissions by last name (1974-1975)
    • Flyers, letters, and notes related to The Nickelodeon  (1975)
    • Misc. related to Ammons and WFU: invitation and church bulletin (1974)
• O'Flaherty, Daniel / Box 1 (Contains Ireland (1911) by O'Flaherty, "Speech: An Irish-American and the Struggle for Irish Freedom: D. C. O'Flaherty and De Valera's American Visit 1919-20," correspondence, newpaper from  The Daily Journal, Buffalo, N.Y., June 16, 1921.)
• O'Connor, Flannery / Box 1
  • Lecture notes and correspondence with Louise Gossett
    • Notes on Flannery O'Connor
    • Correspondence to Dr. Louise Gossett concerning O'Connor
    • Programs from celebrations of O'Connor
  • Photographs
  • Photocopies of research materials
    • Photocopy of letter to Ben Griffiths (1956)
    • Photocopies of correspondence between O'Connor and Parish (1961)
    • Photocopies of O'Connor speech "Some Aspects of the Grotesque in Southern Fiction" (1950)
    • Photocopies of undergraduate cartoons by O'Connor
    • O'Connor "The Displaced Person"
    • Poetry written for or about O'Connor
  • Articles and clippings
    • Misc. newspaper and magazine clippings related to O'Connor
    • O'Connor book reviews
    • America  (1979)
    • America: National Catholic Weekly Review  (1957)
    • American Scholar  (1982)
    • Anglican Theological Review  (1980)
    • Arkansas Democrat Gazette  (2000)
    • Arts and Letters
    • Atlanta Journal and Constitution
    • The Atlantic  (1970)
    • Burns, Stuart L.: article (1976)
    • Catholic Mind  (1962)
    • The Catholic Worker  (1964)
    • The Catholic World  (1959)
    • The Christian Century: 2 articles
    • The Christian Science Monitor  (1988)
    • The Chronicle Review  (1979)
    • Cluster Review  (1965)
    • Columbia Forum  (1970)
    • Columns: 2 articles
    • The Commonweal: 2 articles
    • Contemporary Literature
    • The Dallas Morning News  (1964)
    • Delta Epsilon Sigma Bulletin  (1965)
    • Esprit  (1964)
    • Esquire  (1965)
    • Fitzgerald, Sally (1985)
    • Franks, James R. and IsadoreTraschen "Comment on Artificial Nigger"
    • The Georgia Bulletin  (1979)
    • The Georgia Gazette and Journal Record  (1979)
    • Gossett, Thomas F. "Flannery O'Connor's Attitude to Blacks"
    • Griffith, Ben W. "Large Pictures for the Blind: The Fiction of Flannery O'Connor"
    • Holiday
    • The Intercollegiate Review  (1986)
    • The Journal of the American Medical Association  (1980)
    • Jubilee  (1961)
    • The Kansas Magazine  (1968)
    • Katallagete  (1982) (See Fitzgerald, Sally for additional article)
    • Literary Sketches  (1975)
    • London Observer  (1966)
    • Macon News: 2 articles
    • Macon Telegraph and News: 19 articles
    • Mademoiselle  (1971)
    • The Mercer Cluster: 2 articles
    • Newsweek  (1979)
    • The New Yorker  (2001)
    • The New York Review: 2 articles
    • New York Review of Books  (1990)
    • The New York Times: 2 articles
    • The New York Times Book Review: 3 articles
    • The North American Review  (1970)
    • Our Sunday Visitor: 2 articles
    • Presbyterian Life  (1965)
    • Recent Southern Fiction: A Panel Discussion  (1960)
    • Richmond Times
    • Southern Humanities Review  (1974)
    • Southern Literary Journal  (1970)
    • Southern Living  (1983)
    • The Southern Review  (1975)
    • Southern World  (1981)
    • SR: 2 articles
    • Studies in Short Fiction: 2 articles
    • The Tablet  (1968)
    • Time: 3 articles
    • Today: National Catholic Magazine  (1964)
    • The Union Recorder: 2 articles
    • Walker, Alice "Beyond the Peacock: The Reconstruction of Flannery O'Connor"
    • The Wall Street Journal
    • Winston-Salem Journal  (1979)
    • Wood, Ralph C. "Is Flannery O'Connor a Racist Writer?" (1994)
    • Wood, Ralph C. "Obedience to the Unenforceable..." (1996)
    • Tour of Historic Milledgeville, Georgia: 2 guides
    • Misc. newspaper clippings unrelated to O'Connor?

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Summary Information

Repository

Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives

Creator

Gossett, Thomas F., 1916-

Creator

Louise, Gossett, Dr.

Title

Thomas F. and Louise Gossett Papers

ID

MS359

Date [inclusive]

ca. 1950

Extent

17.5 linear feet 1 half-letter box, 1 banker box, 42 index card boxes, 1 archival shoebox

Text [Box]

2

Text [Box]

1

Audio [Box]

3

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives 2004

Access Restrictions

Collection is open. 

Copyright Notice

Copyright for materials resides with the creators of the items in question or their descendants, unless otherwise designated. Users of this collection are responsible for using the materials in conformance with U.S. copyright law. 

Source of Acquisition

Primarily reviews and two letters regarding Thomas D. Gossett's book Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture donated by Thomas D. Gossett January 5, 1986. Second donation from Louise Gossett October 28, 2003. 

Processing Information

Processed by John Woodard, Nov. 20, 1996; Carolyn Jones, December 2010. Encoded by Apex, April, 2005; Carolyn Jones, January 2011. Funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), with support provided through North Carolina ECHO. 

Existence of Digital Copies

Ammons poetry readings: audio available . 

Preferred Citation

MS 359, Thomas F. and Louise Gossett Papers, Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. 

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Controlled Access Headings

Subject(s)

• Ammons, A.R., 1926-2001
• O'Connor, Flannery
• O'Flaherty, Daniel

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