Charles Vandersee papers

Access and use

Location of collection:
University of Virginia, Special Collections Dept.
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 400110
160 McCormick Rd
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Brenda Gunn
Phone: (434) 924-1037
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Restrictions:

This collection has been minimally processed and is open for research.

Terms of access:

This collection contains some in-copyright material. Visit our Permissions and Publishing page for more information about use of Special Collections materials. The library can provide copyright information upon request, but users are responsible for making their own determination about lawful use of collections materials.

Preferred citation:

MSS 15712, Charles Vandersee papers, Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia.

Summary

Extent:
2.13 Cubic Feet Two cubic-foot boxes; One large oversized flat file folder
Creator:
Vandersee, Charles, 1938-2003
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

MSS 15712, Charles Vandersee papers, Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains the papers of Charles Vandersee, compiled during his tenure as a Professor of English at the University of Virginia. Dated content ranges from 1974 to 1996 and includes printed and handwritten poems, type edits of poems for inclusion in Vandersee's published books, correspondence with publishers and other writers on Vandersee's poetic works, handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, and several bound plays written by other authors and annotated by Vandersee.

Biographical / historical:

Charles Andrew Vandersee (1938–2003) was a professor of English at the University of Virginia for thirty-three years and served as the dean of the Echols Scholars Program from 1973 to 1997. Born in Gary, Indiana, on March 25, 1938, he received his B.A. from Valparaiso University in 1960. He then earned his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, before coming to the University in 1964. Vandersee pursued a career in higher education, including teaching and administrative leadership at UVA's College of Arts and Sciences. The Echols Scholars Program, which he oversaw for nearly twenty-five years, is a selective academic initiative that allows students to pursue a flexible curriculum with fewer distribution requirements. He published numerous poems, and Vandersee's academic interests included American literature. He edited a modern edition of John Hay's 1884 novel, "The Bread-Winners," and he was an associate editor of the six volumes of The Letters of Henry Adams. He participated in scholarly discussions of Henry Adams, including a 1992 C-SPAN panel appearance. Vandersee was also a Fellow of the Society for Values in Higher Education (SVHE). At a 2002 Festival of Faith and Writing, he participated in a panel organized by SVHE to discuss the significance of writing in liberal education and moral formation. Vandersee died on January 13, 2003, in Albemarle County, Virginia.

References Cited:

C-SPAN. "Charles Vandersee." C-SPAN Video Library. Accessed November 6, 2025. https://www.c-span.org/person/?charlesvandersee.

Find a Grave. "Charles Andrew Vandersee." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed November 6, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/103605417/ch

Goodman, John."English professor passes away over holidays." The Cavalier Daily [Charlottesville,VA],15 Jan 2003, https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2003/01/english-professor-passes-away-over-holidays

Acquisition information:

This collection was a transfer from Mark Kutney, Architectural Conservator Architect, I to the Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia on January 14, 2014.

An addition to this colletion was transferred from Harry Gamble, Professor in the University of Virginia Department of Religion, to the Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia on 3 February3, 2023.

Physical description:
Good
Dimensions:
Oversize folder: 28 X 22 inches
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:
authors
poetry