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George C. Douthit Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MC 800

Scope and Content Note

The bulk of the collection is the negative and print files of George C. Douthit, as he originally arranged them. Typescripts and clippings kept by Douthit and his wife are also included.

Dates

  • ca 1938-1980s

Creator

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Access Information

Please call (479) 575-8444 or email specoll@uark.edu at least two weeks in advance of your arrival to ensure availability of the materials.

Use Information

No Use Restrictions Apply.

No Interlibrary Loan.

Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).

Biographical Note

George Clinton Douthit (1908-1985) was born in Kingsville, Texas, and began his career as a sports reporter in San Antonio when he was sixteen. He went to work for the Associated Press Fort Smith bureau in 1932 and was transferred to Hot Springs in 1935. In 1936 he started working for the Arkansas Democrat, but left to go into the Army in 1940, and was sent to Europe in 1944. After his release in 1945, he reported politics for the Democrat, covering the gubernatorial campaigns of Jack Holt, Sr., Ben Laney, and Orval Faubus. In 1970 he quit the Democrat to help Faubus with his campaign, then opened his own office, a part-time Fort Smith bureau and part-time public relations office. In 1976 he started the State News Bureau for weekly newspapers.

Extent

3.4 Linear Feet (15 Boxes)

Arrangement of the Papers

Most of the material was arranged by Douthit, the negative strips in envelopes and the prints, typescripts, and clippings in envelopes or folders with general labels. Although the material was rehoused, Douthit's original arrangement, in general, has been retained.

For Series I, Negatives in envelopes sometimes seemed to bear no relationship to the label typed on the envelope. Possibly unimportant strips from the same roll of film were put into an envelope merely for convenience; possibly negative strips were misfiled at some point. In any event, no attempt was made during processing to alter Douthit's original order.

For Series II, Douthit's original arrangement was similar to that of the negatives: alphabetical by name or subject. This arrangement was retained, with prints loose in the collection (or removed from scrapbooks) being placed in order according to identifications or descriptions on the prints. A few that could not be identified were grouped at the end (unidentified prints within the alphabetical files were left where they were). The prints were matched with negatives whenever possible; noted on the verso of the prints is the negative row number and number of negative, the two separated by a colon (e.g., 326:14 for row 326, negative number 14). Proof sheets were matched to negative row numbers only.

Materials are arranged and described in four series by format:

  1. Series 1. Negatives and index (Boxes 1-9)
  2. Series 2. Prints (Boxes 10-11)
  3. Series 3. Typescripts (Boxes 12-13)
  4. Series 4. Clippings and other material (Boxes 14-15)
  5. Series 4. Subseries 1. Clippings and other material about Douthit and his family.
  6. Series 4. Subseries 2. Clippings of columns, articles, and photographs by Douthit.

Acquisition Information

The George C. Douthit Papers were donated to Special Collections by his widow, Mary Lou Douthit of Little Rock, Arkansas in November 1987

Processing Information

Processed by Nan Lawler; completed in July 1992

Title
George C. Douthit Papers
Status
Completed
Author
Nan Lawler
Date
1992
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Department Repository

Contact:
University of Arkansas Libraries
365 N. McIlroy Avenue
Fayetteville AR 72701 United States
(479) 575-8444