William W. Abbot 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

Summary

Creator:
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains the professional, academic and personal papers of William W. Abbot, James Madison Professor of History and Editor of the Papers of George Washington at the University of Virginia. The collection is from 1953 to 1996 and is about 8,150 items, 26 hollinger boxes, and 10 linear feet. It consists of department and personal correspondence with historians, university colleagues, students, friends and academic organizations throughout the United States and around the world. There are also financial papers, lecture notes, reviews, speeches, organization records associated with Abbot's activities while at William and Mary and the University of Virginia, a typescript of his writing, "The Colonial Beginnings of the United States 1607-1763," and communications with publishers relating to books and articles he authored.

Correspondents include University of Virginia Presidents Edgar F. Shannon, Frank L. Hereford, Robert O'Neil, and John Casteen. Other University of Virginia correspondents include Melvin Leffler, David A.Shannon, Merrill D. Peterson, Francis L. Berkeley, Jr., Robert D. Cross, Fredson Bowers, and William Kelso.

There are also papers and correspondence of numerous organizations including the American Council of Learned Societies, Institute of Early American History and Culture, American Historical Association, American Studies Program at the University of Virginia, Atlas of Early American History, Association for Documentary Editing, Society of the Cincinnati, Conference on the Northwest Ordinance, fraternities, Georgia Historical Society, Journal of Southern History, Library of Virginia, Mississippi Valley Historical Association, Annual Stratford Hall Seminar, National Endowment for the Humanities, City University of New York, New-York Historical Society, Organization of American Historians, Potomac River Basin Consortium, Social Studies yearbook, the Southern Historical Association, the University of Virginia including the Faculty Senate, the Corcoran Department of History, the graduate committee, Arts and Sciences, the Public Occasions Committee, the University Press of Virginia, the Papers of George Washington, the Papers James Monroe, and the Papers of George Mason; the United States Navy, Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission, and information about other universities.

There are numerous materials that are confidential including recommendation letters, selection committee papers, information about promotions and salaries, the sesquicentennial committee, student papers, grades, and roll books.

Biographical / historical:

William W. Abbot (1922-2009) a native of Louisville, Georgia and a long time resident of Virginia was an admired and world famous historian, professor, scholar, administrator, and editor. His career spanned nearly fifty years and he was described as a "man of letters," and an editor of great skill, knowledge, and tact. Colleagues also described him as possessing "gentlemanly good humor and decent human concern, much valued during his stints as chairman." He was also known for his "acts of personal and professional generosity." He changed many lives by offering his support to graduate students, working in their best interests to improve their writing and find respectable history positions for them throughout the country.

He was the chief editor of the Papers of George Washington and an expert in early American History. He attended Davidson College and graduated from the University of Georgia in 1943, whereupon he entered the United States Navy. Using the G. I. Bill, he earned his master's and doctoral degrees in history from Duke University in 1953. He taught at William and Mary from 1953 to 1962; Northwestern University 1958-1959; Rice University 1962 and returned to William and Mary from 1963 to 1966. He edited the William and Mary Quarterly from 1961 to 1966 and the Journal of Southern History from 1960 to 1961. He was among the founders of the Association for Documentary Editing. In 1966 he was recruited by the University of Virginia to be the James Madison Professor of History. In addition to teaching and editing, he served twice as the chairman of the Corcoran Department of History at the University of Virginia.

He retired from the University of Virginia in 1992, although he continued to edit individual volumes of the Washington Papers until 1998, when nearly fifty volumes were in print. He was the author of two books, "The Royal Governors of Georgia, 1754-1775," and "The Colonial Origins of the United States, 1607-1763," and a number of articles.

He was president of the Alpha chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, served on the councils of the Institute of Early American History and Culture and the Southern Historical Association. For twenty years, he was on the board of editors of The Virginia Quarterly Review, was a member of the Gridiron Club at the University of Georgia and the University of Virginia's honorary Raven Society.

The College of William and Mary awarded him the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters in 1998, and the Virginia Historical Society made him a life member. He was best known for his work as chief editor of The Papers of George Washington (1977-1992). According to his son, Abbot believed that "his chief contribution as a teacher and historian came from the attentive reading and detailed responses that he gave over the years to the writing of his students and fellow historians." The personal and professional correspondence in this collection does indeed confirm that he spent much of his time reading and offering helpful advice to thousands of writers.

Acquisition information:
The collection was a gift to the University of Virginia Library from William W. Abbot on April 17, 1992
Arrangement:

The collection is arranged alphabetically by topic. Correspondence is in alphabetical order and can be found by surname and by the institute that the individual was associated. Confidential material is placed alphabetically by topic at the end of the collection.

Physical location:
Physical description:
ca. 8150 items