Elizabeth and Melville Jacobs papers, 1860-2002 Overview of the Collection Creator Jacobs, Elizabeth Derr Title Elizabeth and Melville Jacobs papers Dates 1860-2002 (inclusive) 1860 2002 Quantity 7 boxes and 6 audio cassettes (7.27 cubic feet ) Collection Number 6131 (Accession No. 6131-001) Summary A collection of photographs, personal, legal, and academic papers related to Elizabeth and Melville Jacobs Repository University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections Special Collections University of Washington Libraries Box 352900 Seattle, WA 98195-2900 Telephone: 206-543-1929 Fax: 206-543-1931 speccoll@uw.edu Access Restrictions No restrictions on access. Languages English Biographical Note Melville Jacobs (1902-1971) was an anthropologist who was known for his work on Northwest Coast languages and folklore. He did much to document the languages, cultures, oral traditions, and music of Pacific Northwest tribes. He studied under Franz Boas at Columbia, and, with funds from Boas, was able to pursue fieldwork for half the year from 1928-1936. He received his PhD. in anthropology in 1931, the same year he married Elizabeth "Bess" Derr Langdon (1903-1983). Elizabeth, who had no formal training in anthropology, was trained by her husband, and was particularly known for her work on the Nehalem Tillamook, whom she studied in the 1930s. She pursued a career as a psychotherapist, but returned to anthropology after her retirement in 1975. Melville's fieldwork lasted until 1939, and much of his research time after that was spent publishing his phonetically transcribed texts and translations. Melville was a member of the faculty at the University of Washington from 1928 until his death in 1971, one year shy of retirement. He was a member of the Communist Party from 1935-1945, which almost cost him his position at UW and slowed his advance to full professor. After his death, Bess began making small grants to scholars working on projects she believed her husband would have approved of, and was eventually able to form the Jacobs Research Fund, which supports anthropological research in the Pacific Northwest. Content Description 1
This collection contains papers from anthropologists Melville and Elizabeth Jacobs, including notes, academic papers, photographs, correspondences, and other personal and professional ephemera. Use of the Collection Restrictions on Use Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections. Administrative Information Arrangement Arranged in 9 series. Series 1, Academics, 1915-1971 Series 2, Personal, 1930-1960 Series 3, Associations and Organizations, 1957-1971 Series 4, Financial and legal documents, 1940-1972 Series 5, Jacobs Research Fund, 1972-1983 Series 6, Research, 1885-1975 Series 7, Correspondence and Miscellaneous, 1928-2002 Series 8, Photographs, 1860-1970 Series 9, Audio cassettes, 1934-1995 Acquisition Information Donated by William Seaburg, 2016-11-03 Related Materials Elizabeth Derr Jacobs papers (Mss Coll 3416-001-19) Melville Jacobs papers (Mss Coll 1693) Detailed Description of the Collection Series 1: Academics, 1915-1971 1/1 School transcripts and records 1930-1949 2
1/2 Graduate School-Social Work assignments 1944-1948 1/3 Graduate School, Essays by Elizabeth D. Jacobs 1945-1948 1/4 Problems of Preschool Children, Elizabeth D. Jacobs 1949 1/5 Graduate School, Social Work course notes 1944-1949 1/6 Social Work notebook circa 1930-1945 1/7 Essays and articles circa 1950 1/8 Lecture notes 1945-1948 1/9 Anatomy drawings and notes circa 1930 1/10 Psychology notes and dramatic ideas undated 1/11 Anthropology notes circa 1960 4/1 Profiles, professors circa 1925-1965 5/5 Certificates 1915-1971 Series 2: Personal, 1930-1960 1/12 Patients-case notes circa 1960 1/13 Personal Data on Mr. M 1931 1/14 Personal notebooks 1940-1960 1/20 Employment correspondence 1942-1959 1/21 Notebooks II and III circa 1930 1/22 Manuscript undated 3
1/23 Manuscript draft undated 1/24 Recipes undated 5/3 Employment 1949-1958 Series 3: Associations and Organizations, 1957-1971 1/15 National Association of Social Workers newsletters circa 1960 1/16 National Association of Social Workers membership 1957-1962 1/17 American Folklore Society 1971 1/18 Seattle Committee on Alcoholism 1960 1/19 Brochures and pamphlets 1957-1966 Series 4: Financial and legal documents, 1940-1972 3/1 Melville Jacobs Estate, Legal documents 1972 3/2-3/15 Income Tax and receipts circa 1940-1970 5/1 Real Estates 1957-1971 5/4 Melville Jacobs- Will and Testament 1971-1972 5/8 Tax return 1971 Series 5: Jacobs Research Fund, 1972-1983 4
2/1-2/13 Jacobs Research Fund- Research proposals 1972-1983 2/14 Whatcom Museum- Jacobs Research Fund correspondence 1977 Series 6: Research, 1885-1975 2/15 Vi Hilbert's First notebook translation 1975 2/16 Upper Coquille Athabaskan Ethnographic notes, Elizabeth D. Jacobs 1975 2/17 Pacific and Asian Linguistic Instititute, Research Proposal 1970 2/18-2/19 Photocopied notes on language study undated 4/15 Reports 1948-1950 5/9-5/11 Census of the Indians on Siletz Indian reservation 1885-1888 5/13 Semiology 1971-1972 5/15 Wenatchi circa 1960 5/16 Field data- Wenatchi 1969 5/17 Wenatchi- Carlton, Washington 1965 5/18 Wenatchi- Monse, Washington 1966 5/19 Wenatchi- Pateros, Washington 1966-1967 5/20-5/21 Columbian text 1966-1969 5/22 Photocopied notes on language study undated 5
5/23 Language study, notes undated Series 7: Correspondence and Miscellaneous, 1928-2002 4/2-4/14 Correspondence and letters 1930-1981 4/16-4/21 Notes and memos 1930-1960 4/22-4/23 Miscellaneous 1940-1970 5/2 Newspaper clippings 1940-1960 5/6 Booklets 1928-1950 5/7 Seaburg 1960-2002 5/12 Harold Pinter 1971 5/14 M. Dale Kinkade correspondence 1966-1970 5/24 Miscellaneous undated Series 8: Photographs, 1860-1970 6/1-6/9 Blau-Jacobs family 1860-1930 6/10 Melville and Elizabeth Jacobs family 1900-1920 6/11-6/12 Clarks Fork, Idaho- Derr Family 1890-1930 6/13-6/14 Melville Jacobs portraits 1920-1964 6/15-6/16 Elizabeth Derr Jacobs 1930-1960 6
6/17 Elizabeth and Jacob Melville portraits 1941 6/18-6/19 Friends and students 1950-1960 6/20 "English to foreigners" class 1923 6/21 Wilbur (Bill) and Emma Moss 1950 6/22 Burke family 1950-1960 6/23 Chase Reno, WWII 1942-1944 6/24 Thailand circa 1950 6/25 Clippings, profiles 1970 6/26 Unlabeled photographs undated 6/27 Negatives circa 1960 7/1 John O. Derr, Album 1900 7/2 Derr and Blau families circa 1900 7/3 Elizabeth D. Jacobs, class photographs circa 1920 7/4 Lenna Eby portrait circa 1920 7/5 Album circa 1920-1960 7/6 Melville and Elizabeth Jacobs, portraits 1964 7/7 Elizabeth and Melville Jaobs, Album circa 1900-1950 Series 9: Audio cassettes, 1934-1995 Item 7
Tapes 963-966 Interview with Elizabeth D. Jacobs 1995 Tape 967 Melville Jacobs Collection, Recordings of Clara Pearson undated Tape 968 Melville Jacobs- Tillamook Salish 1934 Find Related Collections Subject Terms : Anthropologists--Washington (State)--Seattle Anthropologists--Washington (State)--Seattle--Archives Anthropology--Study and teaching--washington (State)--Seattle Linguistics--Study and teaching--washington (State)--Seattle Wenatchi Indians--Research Personal Names : Jacobs, Elizabeth Derr--Archives Jacobs, Elizabeth Derr--Photographs Jacobs, Melville, 1902-1971--Archives Jacobs, Melville, 1902-1971--Photographs Corporate Names : Jacobs Research Funds Form or Genre Terms : Ephemera Personal correspondence Photographs Other Creators : Personal Names : Jacobs, Elizabeth Derr, (creator) Corporate Names : University of Washington. University Archives Find Related Collections Subject Terms : University Archives/Faculty Papers (University of Washington) 8